The 1500 cc V12 engine that powered the first Ferrari, the 125 S, was given that name because, when you split 1500 cc by 12, you get 125. This approach was used to label more than just V12 automobiles. The 500 Mondial, the first four-cylinder Ferrari, had a 1985 cc 4-cylinder. You are capable of math. The Ferrari 456 (5473 cc / 12 cylinders = 456) was replaced by the 612 in 2003, making this type of designation quite unique.
The names of the majority of the rounded designations, like the 400 Superamerica and 500 Superfast, were determined by dividing the engine capacity by 10. The Italians took out their calculator and divided the engine capacities of the 550 and 575 (5500 cc and 5750 cc, respectively) by 10. The 599’s moniker comes from its 5999 cc V12.
This strategy worked just fine when Ferrari focused solely on making race cars, despite the fact that it requires some arithmetic. The classification wasn’t made with marketing in mind; it was just a way to give the cars names. However, a new approach had to be developed when Ferrari began producing more road vehicles and wanted to advertise them.
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What Do the Model Numbers on Ferrari Mean?
The majority of Ferrari enthusiasts are familiar with the answer to this query. It might not be to others since the solution is more complicated than you might imagine. When it comes to Ferrari Model numbers, there aren’t really any rules, much like the English language. The instant you start to see a pattern or rhythm, it changes on you, returns to the previous pattern, changes again, etc.
In general, Ferrari employed a three-number naming system based on the vehicle’s engine displacement for the majority of its models up until 1980. The first two digits of the V6 and V8 models’ serial numbers were the displacement, and the third digit was the number of engine cylinders. For instance, the 3.4L V8 engine that powers the 348 is what gives it its moniker (3,4, and 8). This layout is also followed by the 206 and F355. The 360 Modena and the F430, on the other hand, just discuss engine displacement and leave out the number of cylinders. The 458 Italia, which replaced the F430, reverts to the traditional practice, naming engines based on their displacement followed by the number of cylinders. There were also other patterns employed. For instance, the Flat 12 (boxer) models employed a naming scheme where the first digit represented the engine displacement in litres and the last two digits represented the number of cylinders. The Mondial and Testarossa are two examples of models that did not use the three-number system. Because various models have the same engine type and the naming system has changed, this can be highly confusing. For this reason, the majority of Ferraris also have designations related to their body style. The following guidelines were generally followed:
M: In Italian, it stands for “Modificata” (modified in English). A modified version of the model, not a whole new model, appears at the end of the model number. Maranello, for instance, 575 M
GTS: An acronym for “Gran Turismo Spyder,” a convertible vehicle. The word “Spider” is now spelt with a “I” for convertible vehicles. *In more recent models, this is reserved for targa top variants (such as the F355 GTS), with the 348 TS being the only targa with a distinct nomenclature.
GTO: Stands for “Gran Turismo Omologata,” and like M, it occurs at the end of a model number to indicate that the vehicle is an improved version of the model before it. The vehicle is still legal for use on public streets, but it has been modified and upgraded for the racetrack. *Only three models—the 250 GTO (1962), the 288 GTO (1984), and the 599 GTO—sport those three letters (2010).
F: Added to the start of all models in the middle of the 1990s, but dropped after the F355, then added once again with the F430, but not with the 458 Italia that followed.
Although Ferrari’s naming convention is inconsistent and doesn’t always follow the same pattern, one thing is for certain: every model is amazing. Therefore, even though there isn’t a clear pattern that applies to all the models, you can be sure that each model’s unique name and number has a purpose.
Here are all the other ridiculous names Ferrari’s cars have gone by over the years. Ferrari will call its 2022 Formula One car the F1-75.
In Formula 1, a lot is about to happen. New drivers are entering the sport, new rules are bringing in new automobiles, and a few new circuits are appearing on the schedule. The way renowned teams name their cars is one thing that you’d have assumed might remain the same, though.
Now, the majority of reasonable teams, like Williams or McLaren, simply add one to the number in the previous car’s name to designate the new car. In 2019, the McLaren MCL33 evolved into the MCL34, which in turn evolved into the MCL35 in 2020.
You won’t be shocked, though, to learn that throughout that time its automobiles were known as the SF71H, SF90, and finally the SF1000. Seriously, Ferrari?
This bothered me. So I started looking for solutions, which led me to discover the absolute absurdity of the F1 Scuderia’s naming practices.
Over the course of Ferrari’s 75-year F1 career, I believe there have been at least ten distinct naming schemes. These may all be grouped into five different categories, after which Italian logic takes over in a large, clunky way.
The first magnetic toothbrush, in luxury brushing mode, turns to dock in any outlet. With soft, tapered bristles and a two-minute timer to ensure you’ve thoroughly cleaned your molars, the brushing experience is as opulent as it appears.
Do you know why each of Ferrari’s Formula One cars has a unique name?
The names that most teams give their cars tend to be quite reasonable and have clear justification. For instance, the Red Bull RB15 is Red Bull’s 15th F1 vehicle, but the Renault R.S.19 simply stands for Renault Sport, 2019.
Ferrari, though? One can find a vast range of distinct car naming styles over their extensive history, with the convention appearing to change every few years. Some have quite clear causes, while others come from slightly less well-known places. How much do you, however, know about the origins of the names?
This quiz should satisfy your curiosity or satisfy your desire to impress your friends if you’re a Ferrari enthusiast who wants to show them off.
Ferrari Termology
I started considering Ferrari model names for their street cars with the debut of the new Roma (and earlier the Portofino). The model Roma is unusual for Ferrari because it is simply the name of a city, albeit an important one as it is the nation of Italy’s capital. Another Italian city is Portofino. The engines of these two variants don’t have any numerical identifiers.
Ferrari model names typically have a purpose; the numbers in the name indicate the size of the engine. There are instances where this isn’t the case, such the F40 and F50, where the number denotes the length of time since Ferrari’s founding.
Except when it is the name of a race like the Mille Miglia or a location like the 360 Modena, 550 Maranello, 250 GT California Spyder, 330 America, Roma, or Portofino, letters or words in model names typically refer to the body style. Informally, the 365 GTB/4 is referred to as Daytona because it is not an official Ferrari model name, and Lusso, which means luxury.
I wonder if Ferrari will find it challenging to use numbers to describe engine displacement capacity as they have in the past with the arrival of turbocharged engines and hybrid electric power (like the upcoming SF90 Stradale). The engine capacity of these new engines will not accurately reflect their performance potential.
What is the origin of the name Ferrari?
Similar to the English and American surname “Smith,” the Ferrari name is fairly widespread; it is the third most popular surname in Italy. Ferrari derives from ferraro, which means “blacksmith.”
How are Ferrari’s Formula One cars named?
The most well-liked naming practice used by Ferrari has been to name their vehicles after the engines that drove them.
With the introduction of the Ferrari 246 F1, this began in 1958. The number in this case refers to the engine’s capacity and cylinder count. Thus, the “246” in the name denotes a 2.4-liter V6 engine, which is cool.
The Ferrari 158 F1 in 1961, which had a 1.5-liter V8, and the Ferrari F310 in 1996, which was the first Ferrari driven by Michael Schumacher and featured a three-liter V10 engine, are examples of vehicles that used this technique during the 1950s, 1960s, 1970s, and even the late 1990s.
The Ferrari 312B of 1970 had a three-liter, 12-cylinder boxer engine; subsequent years added an extra number to the end; the Ferrari 312 B2 followed, and was followed by the 312 B3. In the 1970s, Ferrari appended letters to their titles to designate the engine arrangement.
Ferrari wanted to do the same in 1981, but discovered that the boxer engine it used in its cars limited its impact. However, Formula 1 was changing at the time, and several teams were utilizing ground effect in their cars to boost downforce.
Ferrari didn’t go back to its previous naming conventions, though; instead, those lovely Italians chose to place the degree of the engine mounting first, followed by the number of cylinders. As a result, the team returned to a “V” arrangement for its cylinders.
Thus, the Ferrari 126C was created, with six cylinders because the automobile had that many and 12 because the cylinders were positioned at a 120-degree angle.
It was a peaceful four years while the team modified and enhanced the 126C over the following years, adding an extra number onto the end to show subsequent revisions of the same design idea.
1995’s Ferrari 412 T2, piloted by Jean Alesi and Gerhard Berger, had a four-valve, 12-cylinder engine with a transverse gearbox; the “T” refers for “transverse”; this was a blip in the 90s when the scarlet team opted to call its cars by the number of valves, followed by the number of cylinders.
Ferrari didn’t want to remain with this arrangement, despite the lengthy tradition of naming automobiles after their engines.
What do Ferrari enthusiasts go by?
The term “Tifosi” is frequently used to describe Scuderia Ferrari fans in Formula One. Even while they have also been ardent followers of other Italian automobiles like Maserati, Lancia, and Alfa Romeo, Italian motor racing enthusiasts are best recognized for their adoration of Ferrari.
At the Italian Grand Prix, the Tifosi cover the grandstands with a sea of crimson, supplying Formula One. During Formula One weekends at every race circuit, a huge Ferrari flag is displayed in the grandstands, with particularly sizable contingents appearing in Ferrari livery at home and nearby European venues. This is one of the most common Tifosi sights. The San Marino race, which was held at the Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari near the town of Imola, 80 kilometers (49.7 miles) east of the Ferrari plant in Maranello, had a similar sight in previous years.
It’s not unusual for the Tifosi in Italy to cheer for a foreign driver in a Ferrari overtaking an Italian driver in a different brand of vehicle to take the lead in a race. When Riccardo Patrese crashed his Brabham out of the lead six laps from the finish line during the 1983 San Marino Grand Prix, giving Frenchman Patrick Tambay the victory in his Ferrari, the Imola crowd roared heartily. Only a half-lap earlier, Patrese himself had overtaken Tambay to take the lead.
The ascent of Michael Schumacher, who raced for Ferrari from 1996 to 2006 and helped the team win the Constructors’ Championship from 1999 to 2004, is directly responsible for their recent rise in the rankings.
Frenchman Jean-Louis Schlesser is one driver who never actually competed for Ferrari but is backed by the Tifosi. He filled in for a sick Nigel Mansell when driving for the Williams squad at the 1988 Italian Grand Prix in Monza. The leading McLaren-Honda of Ayrton Senna was destroyed in an accident at the Variante del Rettifilo chicane on lap 49 of the 51-lap race, giving Ferrari’s Gerhard Berger and Michele Alboreto an emotional victory in the Italian Grand Prix just one month after Enzo Ferrari’s passing. McLaren suffered their lone loss during Berger’s victory during the 16-race 1988 season.
2019 saw Ferrari win in Monza for the first time since 2010, and Charles Leclerc’s victory was celebrated by a large group of tifosi who gathered at the winner’s podium. There is a love-hate connection between the tifosi and Mercedes, who have consistently won in Monza from the beginning of the turbo hybrid era through 2018. David Croft confirmed this during the podium celebration. The tifosi would boo the driver whenever a Mercedes finished on the podium or won the Italian Grand Prix.