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Ferrari 149/Dino (2009)

By Ben Whitworth

Spyshots

01 May 2008 12:24

So the engine's up front, but what kind of engine is it?

Unsurprisingly it will be a V8. The F430’s 4.3-litre V8 would be a possibility, with tweaks to give it more low-down torque to suit the relaxed nature of this GT.

Whether Ferrari would consider the 4.2-litre or 4.7-litre V8s that Maserati and Alfa Romeo currently use remains to be seen. Although these V8s are already engineered for front-engined layouts, Ferrari (and its customers) might consider that a dilution of the brand.

Either way power should be around the 430bhp mark, and the 149 should rocket to 60mph in five seconds dead and top out at 175mph. There will be the usual choice of six-speed manual or paddle-shift transmissions.

Anything else I should know about the Ferrari 149?

We expect a coupe bodyshell to start with but the latest rumours talk of a coupe-cabriolet, which should challenge Ferrari’s weight-obsessed engineers somewhat. Whether such a roof is a proper folding hard-top or the 180 degreee swivel job from the 575 Superamerica remains to be seen.