Dino Saga 061105 _ Grand Touring

Dino Saga 061105 _ Grand Touring

Got a funny question last week after talking about the things I like about the Dino concept and execution. Wanted my opinion about using a stressed engine to reduce weight, stiffen and simplify the car. Got me to thinking about the entire idea of a small GT in the first place. The term has been used and abused so often that it is virtually meaningless when used by manufacturers, much less the press.

I believe Grand Touring defines a car designed to please the wants and needs of a sophisticated traveler who is young at heart. The artistic and freedom components are more important than specific details of performance. For example, 0 to 60 is not important. Used once. 5-6 seconds is just fine. 60 to 90 time is important; used every pass. Skid pad G levels are not important. 0.8 to 0.9, progressive and predictable will do. Top speed is not important as long as you can cruise comfortably at 120 -130. Steering must be light on the straight and proportional in the turns. Few, if any, power assists are acceptable. Brakes must be light, proportional and fade proof. Wind, road and engine noise should be low. Exhaust is the only thing you should hear. Tires should be able to handle bad roads as well as good ones. Wide is fine, very low profile is not. Pot holes and dirt are bad on anything much below 40 profile. Need a full size spare.

Seating for two is exactly right. One guy and one gal and one suitcase. Plenty of shoulder room. Plenty of leg room. Manual adjust and locking seats. Low sill so ladies can get in and out no matter what the dress. Instruments round. Black faces with white lettering, good lighting. Dark low glare dash. Untinted windows. Lots of natural ventilation without blowing hair. Heat for defrost and winter/mountain days. Forget AC. Good headlights. Fingertip dim. Wipers that stay on glass at speed. Doors that open and close with fingertip effort. Plastic interior is out, padded and beautifully sewn leather is in.

Car should look good. Styles change but aerodynamics do not. You want a fine entry, largest cross section aft and a low tail that provides a little down force with minimum drag. Rounded sides shrug off side winds. Large windows provide all around visibility. No blind spots. Bumpers, air bags are not big concerns. Stability at speed is number one.

Finally, a GT car should be repairable by humans using standard practices. A driven car will get dinged. An engine that is part of the chassis is about as far as you can get from low noise, low vibration and easy repairability. Body/chassis can be integrated but there is a lot to be said for rubber engine mounts.

All Ferrari road cars are GTs but most are just too much of a good thing. F40, Enzo are way over the top. The 430 and 575 are just about perfect when everything is working. Still, larger and more complicated than necessary with limited room inside. The Dino was the start of the modern GTs. The smallest and still a marvelous example for those who love to drive.

John
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