What makes Ferrari sound Ferrari?

[jgriff]

Originally Posted by vf430

Do lambos have flat plane crank as well? What other cars have this type and why not? Is the flat plane crank expensive to develop compared to cross plane?

AFAIK Ferrari is the only major manufacturer building flat crank V8s at the moment. I think the V8 in the Lotus Esprit was a flat crank also. I think RUF has experimented with them also.

Flat crank V8s don't run as smoothly as cross plane ones. I think most manufacturers think their customers would rather have the smoothness of a cross plane V8. To me that's the main difference between a Maserati V8 and a Ferrari V8. To make a Maserati V8 you take a Ferrari V8 and ruin it by changing it to a cross plane crank.

[tispkj]

And yet the new Maseratis sound awesome, arguably better than a std ferrari ?
so how does that work ....

[ScuderiaWithStickPlease]

Originally Posted by jgriff

I think RUF has experimented with them also.

His proprietary V8 has a flat crank. He has said that the resulting engine sound was part of the reason for this decision.

[jgriff]

Originally Posted by tispkj

And yet the new Maseratis sound awesome, arguably better than a std ferrari ?
so how does that work ....

It's all opinion. To me the Maseratis do not sound good.

[PSk]

Originally Posted by Crowndog

Is this a straight cut gear? ARe these the drop gears?

The drop gears are not straight cut, they are helical ... the sound would be unbearable if they were actually straight cut.

Pete

[Matto]

Originally Posted by PSk

The drop gears are not straight cut, they are helical ... the sound would be unbearable if they were actually straight cut.

Pete

The do have a lovely whine though, and I like it