Ferrari Daytona is the nickname of the Ferrari 365 GTB/4. Produced during the late 60s to 1973, this car impressed the audience who attended the 1968 Paris Auto Salon. The Ferrari Daytona was a replacement for the 275 GTB/4. Ferrari Daytona is known for its front engines. Unlike the closest competition of the Ferrari Daytona, the Lamborghini Miura; Ferrari turned the engines upfront to provide a maximum push for its GT car. The designers of the Ferrari Daytona figured out a way to solve the weight distribution concern. According to their research, the only way for them to max out the weight distribution of the car is by getting the engine upfront. Also, they decided to have it coupled with the five-speed manual transmission in the rear.
Specifications of the Ferrari Daytona
The Ferrari Daytona runs on Tipo 251 which was the newer version of the Colombo V12 engine. This, later on, showed the importance of technology in dominating the races. The Colombo V12 engine was the engine used by the predecessor of the Ferrari Daytona, the Ferrari 275 GTB/4.
The performance of the Tipo 251 on the Ferrari Daytona is unquestionably exceptional. During the 1960s, a GT car reaching the top speed of 280 kilometers per hour is already phenomenal. Also, it can accelerate from 0 to 97 kilometers in only 5.4 seconds.
There is a difference between the European to the American version of the Ferrari Daytona. In fact, the American version was a bit more conservative. It was equipped with a silencer. Not to mention, the compression ratio was trimmed to 8:8:1.
Style and Influence
The large and sharp design of the Ferrari Daytona was actually influenced by the Lamborghinis. In fact, looking into the design of the Ferrari Daytona, it was actually more of a Lamborghini than a Pininfarina design. This broke the conventional look of the Ferrari during that time.
Why Change the Name to Daytona?
The reason why the Ferrari 365 GTB/4 was given the name Daytona was because of the spectacular finish of the Ferrari sweeping first to the third spot in the 1967 24 hours of Daytona race. It was actually the media that gave the Ferrari 365 GTB/4 the name Daytona. It was one of the most popular models since then. According to the club historians, the total Ferrari Daytonas sold worldwide reaches 1,406.
Achievements
The Ferrari Daytona gained a great number of nods from the critics. In fact, in the year 2004, it was considered as one of the best cars of the ’70s according to Sports Car International Magazine. In terms of performance, the Ferrari Daytona is also popular for its feats during races.
The Ferrari Daytona won the second-ranking in 24 Hours of Daytona Race in the year 1979. If that is not enough, the Ferrari Daytona was already considered as an old model at that time.
This Ferrari car earned a great position in history due to its marvelous performance. Though faced with tough competition, its engineering marvel surpassed the top GT cars of its decade. Becoming a machine worthy of being called a GT car, this car is an instant classic. The Ferrari Daytona is simply one of those machines you can count on whether on the road or on the raceway.