Anticipation of a born-again V6-powered Ferrari road car continues to gather momentum, this time with a new rendering from US website TopSpeed and more details from the UK's Car magazine.
Back in June, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles CEO and Ferrari Chairman Sergio Marchionne revealed that the Dino name would be resurrected, saying it’s “not a question of if, but when”, and images of a shorter, unique-sounding development mule based on the 488 GTB have added further fuel to the fire.
This rendering forms an artist’s impression of just what the new baby Ferrari could look like by the time it reaches its rumoured 2018 production date.
Of particular note are the widened, rounded air intakes that were noted on a 458-based test car, according to Top Speed. Mounted behind the rear doors, these gaping intakes indicate that the new ‘Dino’ – which could possibly take the 486 badge – is not a replacement for the front-engined California T as some have previously posited.
The Dino is rumoured to be mounted on a 120mm-shorter version of the 488 GTB’s aluminium platform and will house a turbocharged V6 engine.
Logic suggests it will be based on the Maranello-designed 375kW 3.0-litre engine seen in the upcoming Alfa Romeo Giulia QV but there’s also the suggestion of a specific 2.9-litre variant with two outputs — 356kW and 447kW — which will comfortably fall under a tax threshold in the vital Chinese market.
As well as nostalgia, the resurrection of Ferrari V6 power nicely links to the brand’s current Formula One challenger, while the downsized, turbocharged power unit will also aid in reducing Ferrari’s fleet-average CO2 emissions rating.