Road & Track review of 308 GTS in July 1978 | FerrariChat
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Road & Track review of 308 GTS in July 1978

Discussion in '308/328' started by flyngti, Oct 5, 2010.

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  1. flyngti

    flyngti Formula 3

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    #1 flyngti, Oct 5, 2010
    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 7, 2017
    I just got off eBay a review of the 308 GTS from the July 1978 issue of Road & Track. It's only four pages, but it's a great bit of memorabilia. Some great lines from the review:

    "But does the clutch effort have to be so heavy? The stiffness isn't particularly noticeable when you're driving hard, but around-town motoring provides more exercise for a driver's left leg than a Charles Atlas weight-lifting course."

    "However, the air conditioning left us cold, pumping out enough frigid air with the fan on the lowest setting and the temperature control at minimum cooling that on some occasions, we had to close off some of the vents."

    "In our slalom test, the GTS is 1.1 mph slower than the GTB but lateral acceleration measure on the skidpad has jumped from 0.804g to an even more impressive 0.852g. The latter performance was marred by low oil pressure when turning right, the same problem we encountered with the GTB, so the skidpad number is only for the normally faster counterclockwise direction."

    "Around-town driving is no fun at all. It's only when you get out on your favorite twisty road with the top down that you discover what this car is all about."
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  2. JF308

    JF308 Formula 3

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    #2 JF308, Oct 5, 2010
    any chance you could scan to pdf and send to me?

    I can trade you for a pdf of the 1976 R&T of the GTB...

    [email protected]

    Thanks,
    John Feeney
     
  3. eracer

    eracer Karting

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    #3 eracer, Oct 6, 2010
    That very article is when I first saw and fell in love with the 308 (at age 17). It's why I bought one as soon as I could reasonably afford it, and still own it now.

    I still have that mag tucked away somewhere.
     
  4. BigTex

    BigTex Seven Time F1 World Champ
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    #4 BigTex, Oct 6, 2010
    See? The A/C blew cold, when it left Maranello......

    JRV used to say that all the time......

    "This car had the right carb jets in it, when it left Maranello" then he'd go about rectifying some problem......
     
  5. BigTex

    BigTex Seven Time F1 World Champ
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    #5 BigTex, Oct 6, 2010
    The clutch linkage geometry was reworked, later on, I prefer the early version ....
     
  6. Dr Tommy Cosgrove

    Dr Tommy Cosgrove Three Time F1 World Champ
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    #6 Dr Tommy Cosgrove, Oct 7, 2010
    1980 I think
     
  7. GrayTA

    GrayTA F1 World Champ
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    #7 GrayTA, Oct 7, 2010
    Great find!! I found a few of mine from back in the earlier 80s just last week. I havent scanned them yet, but do plan to.

    I would also be happy to trade with you once I get them done.



    PDG
     
  8. andy2175m4@yahoo.com

    [email protected] Formula Junior

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    #8 [email protected], Oct 7, 2010
    The first 308 I saw was not in the magazine, but in the flesh along the cliffs of Palos Verdes in about 1977,

    the Road and Track article I remember best was the 512BBi, that was a car to remember...
     
  9. Ferraripilot

    Ferraripilot F1 World Champ
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    #9 Ferraripilot, Oct 7, 2010
    It's amazing how 0-60 and quarter mile times are basically alllllll over the place with these cars, especially the early cars. I recall the first drive bring Road & Track and they were handed a Euro glass car which they had Bondurant drive and measured something like 6-6.5 seconds to 60. Other European magazines measured mostly quick times somewhere in the mid 6 second range for Euro cars steel or glass. Interesting times!
     
  10. mike996

    mike996 F1 Veteran

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    #10 mike996, Oct 7, 2010
    Yeah - for example the times for a 328 vary by a full second or more for the 1/4 and for the 0-60. It all depends on what the magazine/driver(s) are willing (or allowed) to do as far as launching the car.
     
  11. Ferraripilot

    Ferraripilot F1 World Champ
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    #11 Ferraripilot, Oct 7, 2010


    Very true with 308s but not so sure with 328s as I have not seen too many articles for them, but I believe it. Car & Driver seems to be the a really thorough test and they measured the 328 to be consistent with 5.5ish seconds to 60 and 14 sec quarter. Same as a 348 which I find really funny as it was supposed to be 'better'. Maybe in certain areas I guess....
     
  12. ztarum

    ztarum Formula 3

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    #12 ztarum, Oct 7, 2010
    Fastest magazine time I have seen posted for a 308 is 5.7 seconds. It was a European magazine doing the test, but I don't recall which one. I have never seen that article itself, but seen it referenced in later reviews and buyer's guides (Forza mentioned a handful of different period test results for example).
     
  13. flyngti

    flyngti Formula 3

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    #13 flyngti, Oct 7, 2010
    When I get a chance, I'll go ahead and scan this to PDF and post it here.
     
  14. mike996

    mike996 F1 Veteran

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    #14 mike996, Oct 7, 2010
    I've never seen a 308 test with a faster 0-60 than a mid/low 6 and a 1/4 in the 15's. But I certainly can't claim I've seen every such test.
     
  15. Ferraripilot

    Ferraripilot F1 World Champ
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    #15 Ferraripilot, Oct 7, 2010

    I've read a couple that have had early Euro 308s and Euro QVs in mid to high 6s 0-60 and upper 14s quarter mile. Sounds about right as before I tore my engine apart I was getting similar figures per dynolicious iphone app.
     
  16. wazie7262

    wazie7262 Formula 3

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    #16 wazie7262, Oct 7, 2010
    I think the 5.5 0-60 is for the Euro 328, which weighs a good deal less than its relatively porky U.S. cousin.
     
  17. Ferraripilot

    Ferraripilot F1 World Champ
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    #17 Ferraripilot, Oct 7, 2010
    The weight difference with the Euro 328 to US 328 is actually not that drastic. Somewhere around 70lbs if that. Ferrari learned from the 308 not to pull that crap so drastically again.
     
  18. mike996

    mike996 F1 Veteran

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    #18 mike996, Oct 7, 2010
    Last edited: Oct 7, 2010
    The Euro/US 328s test the same when both are thrashed. The 10HP difference would produce the .1 second 1/4 difference if both are driven equally.
    Ferrari 328 GTS 0-60: 5.6 1/4: 14.2 (US car tested by car and driver)
    Ferrari 328 GTS 0-60: 5.5 1/4: 14.1 (Euro Car tested in the UK here:

    http://www.lotusespritworld.com/ERoadtests/ferrari_challenge.html

    Added later: Calculating the speeds/distance and assuming perfect launches by both cars, at the end of the 1/4 the nose of the US car would be about even with the "bulge" on the hood (engine cover) of the Euro car.
     
  19. ztarum

    ztarum Formula 3

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    #19 ztarum, Oct 7, 2010
    The magazine I was thinking of is the UK magazine Motor. The Oct. 29th, 1983 issue of Motor reports a QV GTB ran 0 to 60 in 5.7 seconds, 0 to 100 in 14.3 seconds, and posted a top speed of 157 mph.

    Anybody have a scan of the actual article?
     
  20. Wolfgang5150

    Wolfgang5150 F1 Rookie

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    #20 Wolfgang5150, Oct 7, 2010
    I have Car & Driver's article from August 1983; ('All the promise of a night on the town' is the header; b/w photo of a beautiful woman next to the 308 with the Golden Gate bridge in the background.
    I think I can scan it tonight. 0-60mph was 7.4...
     
  21. umsneeze

    umsneeze Formula Junior

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    #21 umsneeze, Oct 7, 2010
    I have Road and Track from March 81. I'd scan it but it's framed and in my tv room.
     
  22. flyngti

    flyngti Formula 3

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    #22 flyngti, Oct 8, 2010
    I have the scan of the 4 pages from the July 1978 issue, but it's a little too big to upload to the forum. PM me with an email address and I'll send it to you.
     
  23. ztarum

    ztarum Formula 3

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    #23 ztarum, Oct 8, 2010
    I just found one on ebay and bought it. I'll report back when it arrives. Probably a couple of weeks as it is coming from the other side of the pond.
     
  24. ztarum

    ztarum Formula 3

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    #24 ztarum, Oct 16, 2010
    OK, I received the magazine today. Here are the details. It's "Motor" magazine from Oct. 29th, 1983. The car tested was a Euro (UK market) 308 GTB QV.

    top speed - 157.4 mph

    Acceleration From Rest
    0-30 mph - 2.1 sec
    0-40 mph - 3.0 sec
    0-50 mph - 4.5 sec
    0-60 mph - 5.7 sec
    0-70 mph - 7.5 sec
    0-80 mph - 9.2 sec
    0-90 mph - 11.6 sec
    0-100 mph - 14.3 sec
    0-110 mph - 17.2 sec
    0-120 mph - 20.5 sec

    Standing 1/4 mile - 14.2 sec

    Not too shabby!
     
  25. GrayTA

    GrayTA F1 World Champ
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    #25 GrayTA, Oct 16, 2010
    Cool!!

    I just found a few of my old magazines when I was home a couple weeks ago and got quite a few from the introduction of the QV. I want to scan them and have them in a digital format. When I get that done (along with quite a few of my other magazine articles) I will be glad to post them here or have people send me their email and send them out that way.



    PDG
     

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