Year: 1983
Manufacturer: Ferrari Model: 512
Model Variant: BBi
Exterior Color: Rosso Corsa Interior Color: Black
Current Mileage: 4,727 miles
Version: U.S.
Chassis #ZFFJA09B000040915
Engine Capacity/Power: 4.9 liter F110 A Flat 12/360BHP
Transmission: 5-speed manual
Top Speed: 174MPH
Designer: Leonardo Fioravanti for Pininfarina
Limited Series: 1/1,007
Parent Company: FIAT S.p.A./Ferrari
Public Debut: 1981 Frankfurt Salon
Predecessor: 365 GTB/4
Successor: Testarossa
Years Produced: 1981-1984
Total Production: 1,007
Books & Tools: Yes
CarFAX: Yes
Car under went full restoration. 10 years ago and then had a refresh this past year. Jul 2003
at 25th Ferrari Club Deutschland Anniversary, Germany.
Owned by Michael Mak. Identified on F-Register.com Rosso Corsa with Nero interior. Black Boxer
trim.
Designed by Pininfarina and built by Scaglietti, the mid-engined Boxer was the successor to the
front engined V12 Daytona. The original Boxer, known as the 365 GT4 BB was first shown at the Turin
Motor Show in 1971 but did not go on sale until 1974.
Introduced at the Paris Salon in 1976, the 512 BB superseded the 365 GT4 BB; its engine was
enlarged from 4390 cc to 4942 cc, although the horse power dropped from 380 bhp at 7000 rpm in the
365 GT4 BB to 630 bhp at 6200 rpm to meet noise and
emission regulations, particularly in the USA.
The 512 BB body varied little from its predecessor, although the rear-end was widened to
accommodate new wider tires and two sets of rear lights which replaced the previous six. The six
exhaust pipes were replaced by two double exhausts and a new spoiler was added at the front under
the grille. The new engine and tires made the 512 BB a much more driveable car.
In 1981 the 512 BB was replaced by the fuel injected, but otherwise almost identical 512 BBi. This
model proved to be the most popular and 1007 were built until production ended in 1984. The 512 BB
designation can be broken down; the 5 indicates the displacement, although it is actually just
under at 4942 cc, the 12 represents the number of cylinders that are capable of producing 360 bhp.
The first B is for Berlinetta, which is essentially a closed coupe, the second B stands for Boxer.
The name ‘Boxer’ comes from the engine which is vertically opposed, meaning the cylinders are
arranged in a flat configuration and opposed to each other by 180 degrees.
This was the first time Ferrari had used a Boxer engine in a road going car and the Flat 12 made it
possible to mount the engine above the transmission, which allowed the space to create a better
driving position. The Boxer engine was extremely powerful giving a top speed of 188 mph, 0-60 in
5.5 seconds and 0-100 in just 13.2 seconds. The positioning of the engine also added to handling
the centralized weight allowing for faster cornering. The car is built around a tubular steel frame
which holds the engine, transmission, steering and suspension components.
The cabin is made of steel, the lower body panels are formed from fiberglass and the nose and tail
are clothed in alloy clamshells. The panels joints are all obvious, with no attempt made to hide
them. The wishbone suspension is surrounded with twin coil springs at the rear and the steering is
rack and pinion.
All of the details add to the pure race driving experience. When designing the Boxer, Pininfarina
did away with years of Ferrari design culminated in the Daytona and created a true racing car for
the road. The Daytona looked back, the Boxer forward to a new era of mid-engined supercars. The
Boxer was low slung and racy and was in direct competition with the mid-engined Lamborghini Miura.
Ferrari had their racing heritage, experience and dominance with the 312PB to draw from and this
gave the Boxer its competitive edge. The racing influence is carried into the spartan interior. The
car is designed and built around the driver and heightening their experience leaves little storage
space.
When introduced at the 1981 Frankfurt Salon, the 512 BBi brought about only minor changes from the
outgoing 512 BB, with the chief among those being the addition of a Bosch K-Jetronic fuel-injection
system. The BBi retained all of the 512 BB’s looks and character — but added exposed driving lights
on the nose and rectangular parking lights adjacent to the exhausts at the rear. For many owners,
the addition of the fuel injection was a welcome change, and the 512 BBi is often considered to be
the most livable of Ferrari’s Berlinetta Boxer models.
“At Curated, we do not acquire cars simply for inventory but rather based on what the car is. We
love interesting provenance, very low production, very low mileage, very special and often weird
cars.”
John Temerian, Jr.
Curated co-founder
