Technology
Three chapters on terms that appear in nearly every data sheet – featuring animated illustrations and figures calculated directly from the site's verified data.
Where is the engine located?
The engine's location defines a car's shape and handling. Ferrari uses both configurations – often even concurrently across the lineup.
With a mid-engine layout, the engine sits behind the seats but ahead of the rear axle. The weight is in the middle of the car – as in a racing car.
How are the cylinders arranged?
The cross-section shows the engine from the front: crankshaft, connecting rods, and pistons move exactly as the geometry dictates. The flashing indicates ignition.
In the V12, 12 cylinders stand in two rows of 6 and form a “V” when seen from the front.
The angle shown, 60°, comes from the data sheet of the Ferrari 250 GTO (2953 cm³; Tipo 168 Comp/62 60° V12; SOHC 2 valves per cylinder; 6 Weber 38 DCN carburetors; compression ratio 9.7:1).
In the data from 1947 (125 S) to 2024 (12Cilindri Spider).
What do the numbers in the name mean?
Ferrari has never named its models following a single rule. However, four patterns can be calculated directly from the displacement figures in the data sheet.
2953 cm³ ÷ 12 cylinders = 246 cm³ per cylinder
The number gives the displacement of a single cylinder in cubic centimeters – the oldest pattern, typical of the twelve-cylinder cars.
Worked out from the data sheet: Ferrari 250 GTO – 2953 cm³; Tipo 168 Comp/62 60° V12; SOHC 2 valves per cylinder; 6 Weber 38 DCN carburetors; compression ratio 9.7:1
Ferrari 250 GTO1962–1964 · V12Other models with this patternCounted are series-production models whose data sheet gives the displacement. Many names follow no number pattern – for example 12Cilindri Spider, F80, Amalfi, Luce.