For whatever reason, Australia seems to be an unlikely magnet for rare Ferraris – and this raw, old-school and beautiful 90s model is particularly special.
Ferrari has changed a great deal since Enzo Ferrari passed away in 1988. The iconic Italian brand, which once vowed it would never make an SUV, has just revealed that it's doing just that – and as the car industry is rapidly moving to an electric future, Ferrari too is experimenting with hybrids, with the first fully electric Ferrari set to be announced in 2025.
Perhaps most significantly, Ferrari no longer sells cars with manual transmissions any more. The Ferrari California was the last Ferrari to be offered with a manual transmission option... And over its 9-year production run from 2008 to 2017, only 3 cars out of a total production run of 17,300 were built with a manual. Modern Ferrari buyers just don't want to drive stick, it seems.
But what if you do? What if you want a modern Ferrari that's raw and driver-focused, but that's not going to be beset with the same sorts of exotic gremlins that Ferraris of yore frequently suffered from? Well, this rare 1994 Ferrari 348 GT Competizione in Rosso Corsa for sale in Melbourne might be the car for you.
The Ferrari 348 GT Competizione has a unique steering wheel with its limited edition serial number inscribed on it. Image: Ferrari Richmond
Produced from 1989 to 1995, the mid-engined Ferrari 348 (Type F119) was the final V8 model developed under the direction of Enzo Ferrari before his death. It was also the last production road going Ferrari that had a traditional metal-gated, dogleg manual gearbox, as well as the last to not have power steering. It was also the last with pop-up headlights, too.
The GT Competizione was a lightweight homologation version of the 348 designed to compete in the GT Championship, and represents the peak of the 348. Featuring the braking system from the F40 Evoluzione, a modified racing suspension, a unique exhaust system, as well as body panels made from Kevlar and carbon-fibre composite, its 3.4 L Tipo F119 V8 makes 235 kW / 324 Nm and can rocket the car from 0-100km/h in 5 seconds – very fast even by today's standards.
Only 50 were ever made, including 8 in right hand drive. This example is one of those RHD models, and it's the only one in Australia.
"This stunning museum grade example features delivery mileage and was recently awarded Best of Show winner and Platinum Award winner in the 2020 Ferrari Car Club Concorso," Ferrari Richmond relate.
A mid-engined Ferrari V8 – what's not to love? Image: Ferrari Richmond
At $849,900, it's not cheap. Indeed, for that money, you could buy a brand-new Ferrari Roma (with plenty of change to spare). The Roma is also a mid-engined V8... But it makes almost twice the power of this 348 GT Competizione and beats it to 100km/h by 1.6 seconds.
But as nice as the Roma is – and it is nice – it's a dual-clutch. There's just something special; something romantic about snapping through the gears in a gated manual. That's why this 348 GT Competizione is such an exciting car.
Find out more about this Prancing Horse on Carsales or at Ferrari Richmond's online showroom here.
The post The Last ‘Traditional Ferrari’ Ever Made Is Up For Sale In Australia appeared first on DMARGE.
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