Hi all, When looking through the adds more often than not the vendors fail to mention if the car for sale is a 208 or 308 Dino. Maybe on purpose, I don't know. How can I tell them apart from pictures? Is it true that all 208s have a black dashboard and all 308s have a silver one? Is it also true that the windows on all 308s are darker than on a 208? Any other clues? Thanks in advance. Best, Peter
I think the most obviious external clue is the front grill (radiator exit opening) is silver rather than black. Photo from the gt4 Registry. Image Unavailable, Please Login
Or ask for the serial number and visit that same GT4 registry. 208's are mentioned there in red... All 208's are euro. I believe the 208 GT4 doesn't have the fog/driving lights under the front bumper, where euro 308 GT4's all have these. (compare the above photo with my 308) Hans Edit: and compare to 13646, also taken from the GT4 registry.... Interesting to see how the two 208's differ: bottom grille running full width of less than that... Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
The larger, lower radiator grille is a "second series" modification and is featured on both 208's and 308's. The real external differences between 208's and 308's are few and obviously the first is the trunk badge (which reads "Dino 208 GT4"), a single outlet for the exhaust (as opposed to four outlets for all other markets. Note: Tubi and other aftermarket exhausts may feature four outlets for their versions for the 208), no fog lights beside the smaller "series one", lower radiator grille (just like U.S. cars) and as mentioned earlier, the front compartment lid's grille is silver as opposed to black on all other 308 GT4's. The interior dash panels and steering wheel spokes were matt-black as opposed to silver on 308's. Cloth upholstery is standard and is featured in the majority of 208's, although leather was optional as well as cloth/leather combos. The 208's were built to loophole Italian tax law, which penalized luxury cars whose engines were greater than 2 litres (at tax rates approaching 30%! Ouch...).
I had a 208 GT4 and now have a 308 GT4. The differences I know of are as follows: 208 has a series II front grille but without foglights. 208 has 34mm carbs, 308 has 40mm carbs. 208 exhaust header pipes smaller (don't know exact size). 208 has different gearing 208 has black dash plate, 308 has silver. 208 should have silver bonnet vent, 308 has black. 208 has single exhaust tailpipe, 308 has 4 outlets. Here are some pics of my 208 - note bonnet vent is black not silver! Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
Oh, we still pay about 72% tax on our new cars here. (45.2% luxury tax, and then 19% sales tax on the total of the car and that luxury tax). I'd say 30% is a steal!!! Hans (in The Netherlands)
