Ferrari 512 Berlinetta Boxer

On loan courtesy of Enthusiast Motorcar Group, Pennington, NJ

The 512 Berlinetta Boxer (BB) represents a revolution in Enzo Ferrari’s thinking and set the company’s direction for the next generation. This machine’s design reflects the intersection of a new engine type with rear engine placement and a new body design language to accommodate that pairing. The 512 BB also reflects the market place lessons learned from the Dino and the competition from Italian rivals in the form of the Lamborghini Muira (introduced as a prototype in 1966) and Maserati Bora, first shown in 1971.

Enzo Ferrari was hesitant about the rear engine placement. He feared the higher speeds and weight distribution would prove too much for his traditional customers to safely manage. But he was persuaded by the success of the Dino to build another rear engine car but with the larger and more powerful 12 cylinder engine. And also a higher price point of about $38,000.

In Ferrari tradition, the new engine was race derived from the 212 B, 312 B and 312 PB used in various racing series. This engine, designed by Mauro Forghieri, featured a flat or “boxer” piston layout but with each pair of opposing pistons moving in the same direction during operation. The engine was constructed of Silumin alloy; an alloy of silicon and aluminum, with cast iron cylinder liners. The crankshaft was forged steel. Dual overhead camshafts operated 2 valves per cylinder and the 4 camshafts were powered by timing belts rather than chains to save weight and reduce noise. 4 Weber carburetors supplied the air-fuel mixture. This combination produced 360 hp sent to the rear wheels through a 5 speed transaxle.

The body was designed by Leonardo Fioravanti at Pininfarina and reflected a 1968 prototype, the P6. The P6 features included the wedge shaped front end with hidden headlamps, steeply raked windscreen and a wide rear section to accommodate the engine and transmission. There was double wishbone independent suspension at all 4 wheels, muscle powered rack and pinion steering and disc brakes.

The model was generally well received by the motoring press for its handling and straight line performance. Road & Track testers achieved a top speed of 175 mph while Car and Driver achieved a 0-100 mph in 14.1 seconds. The series was discontinued in 1984 when the BB 512i was replaced by the Testarossa (TR), which used a revised version of the flat-twelve engine, the 512 TR can be seen to your left.