Dino 246GT vs Perrari Dino 308GT4 - Baby Boomers (Part 2)

The Dino 246GT weights 1080kg and will do almost 150mph which is just fine for a classic car. It looks diminutive in the metal but promises to be more enjoyable to drive on real roads than, say, a large V12 Daytona. Delicacy abounds as you open the small driver's door via a tiny chrome catch. The cockpit is low-slung but airy and the reclined 'chair' does without rake adjustment. Your feet are well offset to the centerline, as is the steering wheel, and the view over the Veglia- stuffed instrument binnacle is through the high-arching front wings.

The Dino 246GT weights 1080kg and will do almost 150mph - which is just fine for a classic car.

You need to dab the throttle and pump some fuel into the three twin-choke Weber carbs, then twist the key. The little V6 fires with a loud roar as the chain-driven double overhead cam engine clears its throats with enthusiasm. The clutch is firm and short-travel and the trademark thin chrome gearlever requires a shove to engage first gear, out on a dog-leg.

Visibility is good and the steering improves with speed. Riding on 205/70x14 XWX Michelins, the ride flows on the all-wishbone, coil-sprung suspension. The engine and gearbox astern are mounted well within the wheelbase, which shows up as speed rises. Initially the steering seems slow and the promise of under steer looms, but then the front end bites and it scythes through bends with precision. All the while that race-derived V6 is going for the redline with verve and just listening to the noise makes you hang onto the revs just a tad longer, before the next upshift.

The gearshift, with its exposed gate, remains a bit recalcitrant and you have to match it to the revs, but the Dino's chassis is faithful and the brakes are positive, which all flatters the drive. All you really want is more power!

Visibility is good and the steering improves with speed. Riding on 205/70x14 XWX Michelins, the ride flows on the all-wishbone, coil-sprung suspension.

Ferrari specialist and historic racing driver James Cottingham loves the Dino. 'It really is one of the most rewarding Ferraris to drive even if it is not the fastest. And just look at it! It's no wonder we can't find enough good examples to sell,' he says.

And that's the killer point: the looks. Some question how Ferrari could replace the voluptuous, curvaceous and gorgeous 246 with Bertone's hard-edged 308GT4. Maybe it harks back to 1968 when Ferrari's Daytona was criticized as being plain vanilla in comparison with Lamborghini's Miura of the same year - the car that coined the supercar appellation.

Bertone designer Marcello Gandini had to package a 2+2 configuration onto the 246 chassis, so that was lengthened and the V8 engine had to remain amidships. This quad- cam V8 in 3.0-litre guise added a useful increase in power and torque but it also weighs 200kg more than the 246.

But look at the 308GT4 today and, while not conventionally pretty, it works in a very 1970s fashion. Its crisp, clean lines are understated and it has good proportions and shape. With thin pillars and a large glass area, it is considerably more modern than the 246 and has the advantage of two rear seats and more interior space. Porsche must have given it a close look; Ferrari shifted 3000, making the 308GT4 one of its best sellers.

Like the other James Bond car, the Lotus Esprit SI - admittedly overshadowed by the earlier and curvier Aston DBS - the 308GT4 is a car very much of its period and today looks damn interesting. It is sharp and distinctive and it is a proper Ferrari - well, certainly since the 'Ferrari' badge replaced 'Dino' from 1976.

Porsche must have given it a close look; Ferrari shifted 3000, making the 308GT4 one of its best sellers.

The 308GT4 is an excellent road car/ says James Cottingham. 'It is just so versatile. It has plenty of space and luggage room and you can get two normal-sized people in the back seats. Best of all the chassis is really good, as is the ride, and the V8's added grunt means it is really fun to drive hard.'

Tony Willis concurs. 'When I was working at Maranello Concessionaires the 308GT4 was the car of the day so I spent a lot of time driving them. It handles better than a 246 Dino and is much more practical. I used to borrow one off the forecourt, stick numbers on the side and take it hill climbing,' he laughs.

'The 308GT4 is a bit of a sleeper although the best examples are now approaching $75,000. You want a later Ferrari-badged car with bigger wheels and a better resolved interior.'

The clutch is sturdy and the gearlever moves through the typical open gate, as with the 246.

This 1979 Rosso Corsa example with black leather seats has a great history file and that important Ferrari badge on the bonnet. Having covered just 60,000 miles it has been lightly restored and looks superb.

Fire it up and the lusty V8 is loud through the four exhaust snaps although, being a flat- plane crank arrangement, it does not sound like a lazy Detroit V8. This one fizzes and zings in proper Maranello style. The clutch is sturdy and the gearlever moves through the typical open gate, as with the 246. On the move the 308GT4 is a peach because visibility is so good and the bigger engine offers a useful amount of torque so you don't actually have to wang through the gears... unless you want to.

The brakes are reassuring and the steering is a little slower due to the longer wheelbase, but the ride is a revelation. Like the 246 it's shod with 70-series tires; it feels unusually pliant yet retains that Ferrari sharpness and razor response. The 308GT4 is a great driver's car.

Both the 246GT and the 308GT4 are fabulous sports cars. They offer true Ferrari dynamics and are a real pleasure to drive. But a Dino 246 commands about six times the value of a Ferrari 308GT4. Is it worth it? Yes it is, because that's what the market has decided. The Pininfarina Dino is much better-looking than the Bertone Dino and that is what every Ferrari collector wants. But, while this gorgeous 246GT will always remain a Dino, this 308GT4 will always be a Ferrari...

Both the 246GT and the 308GT4 are fabulous sports cars. They offer true Ferrari dynamics and are a real pleasure to drive.