Ferrari is an ever-present name when it comes to sports cars with timeless designs and innovative ideas to get the most out of each new product. Over the past 70+ years, the Laferrri, the Testarossa, the Daytona, and tens of other successful Ferraris say a lot about Ferrari’s sublimity. Attempting to rival Ferrari is one of the most challenging jobs imaginable.
Among all the carmaker's masterpieces, there’s one other-worldly Ferrari that appeared to bring some new characters to the automaker's family. It pushed Enzo Ferrari’s limits to a large extent and had a lot of power to boast of, with a considerably different taste in design. The 365 GT4 Berlinetta Boxer was a true game-changer.
The rear-wheel-drive, two-door Berlinetta didn’t let down its predecessor, the well-known Daytona. As the first Boxer, the 1973 365 GT4 BB was somehow of a turning point for Ferrari, and we can appreciate it for the outstanding performance it offered. Now, let’s get back to 1971 when the first Berlinetta Boxer went into showrooms.
Let's take a closer look at the 1973 Ferrari GT4 BB.
Fussy Enzo Ferrari Wasn't Easily Convinced Of Making A Mid-Engined Road Car
The 365 GT4 BB was initially introduced at the 1971 Turin Motor Show. Some near-fundamental changes could be noticed. It wasn't the ‘BB’ label nor the super clean and sleek body, but the way it sounded that changed the game. That's because Ferrari’s new sports car was carrying an engine unusual to the previous ones.
The 365 GT4 BB drove with its V12 situated in the center, and that wasn’t something Mr. Ferrari could instantly accept since he thought the handling would take a bit more effort. Mid-engined cars seemed to gather more popularity among buyers a while before the BB entered the market. Ford already started to put this layout to the test with its GT40 MK1 back in 1965. Then Lamborghini released the V12-equipped Miura the following year.
Not that Ferrari was unfamiliar with positioning the engine behind the driver. There was the classic Dino 246 GT (which, after all, wasn’t carrying Ferrari’s name) and the 1960 246 P Formula 1, which was performing exceptionally well on the racetracks. Still, a rear-engined road-going Ferrari was pretty far from expectations at the time. However, the competition between Ferrari and Lamborghini was tough; the newcomer for Lamborghini, the Miura, seized most of the sales, and the Daytona was beginning to fade away.
But Marallano wasn’t also-ran. Therefore, they evenly distributed the car’s weight by fixing the engine in the middle, just like in the famous marque, the Dino, but this time with a powerful flat-12.
Estimable Enough To Take The Flagship Ferrari
1973 marked the first time the world encountered a flat-12 engine supplying power for a road car. Twenty-five years of making road cars with V-shaped cylinder banks was pretty much enough for the Italian carmaker. Hence, they decided to continue with the horizontally opposed design.
The new Berlinetta Boxer came with a dog-leg five-speed transmission. The gearbox was smartly placed below the engine rather than behind. Consequently, there was more room in the cockpit, and the wheelbase remained the same size. Built around tubular steel spaceframe chassis, the 365 GT4 BB turned out to be one of the finest handling cars with a wheelbase of 2500mm.
The rear-engined 4.4-liter V12 made the 365 GT4 BB bump to 339 HP at 7,200 rpm with 302 lb-ft of torque at 3,900 rpm. That’s a fair amount of output showing that this car wasn’t only cool on paper. With a sprint to 60 MPH over in 5.4 seconds, the 365 GT4 BB could paddle its own canoe and outshine all its rivals in practice.
Warning: Do Not Mess With The Alien-Looking Ferrari
All the genius behind the freshly produced Ferrari begged for a unique and aggressive design, and it got what it deserved. The Pininfarina-touched body was in absolute harmony with the flat-12 growling to testify this is not a ride you’d treat like others.
Many following models received some styling cues from the BB, such as the signature pop-up headlights placed above a pair of fog lights. Designed by Leonardo Fioravanti, the 365 BB had a different look as opposed to the previous Daytona. However, it kept the big grille set across the front side, covering another pair of headlights. Moreover, the hood got shorter with a gentle slope above the front axle and an aluminum louver atop it.
But it’s not all about the front; the rear-view was massively captivating as well. The engine cover was aluminum, as well as the doors and the decklid. You could see triple-round rear lights parallel to three exhaust pipes right below them on each side. It would be a thrilling experience to chase a 365 BB.
It didn’t take long for Lamborghini to respond with the Countach, and the Testarossa, as the successor. They blurred the BB’s name in the history of the Maranello. However, the 1973 365 GT4 BB left a lasting impact on Ferrari’s later models, and indeed it did, and as Ferrari’s first mid-engined 12-cylinder road car, the ’73 365 BB deserves to be honored and remembered.