Ferrari 512BBi (1983)

In October 1976, no doubt spurred on by the imminent arrival of Lamborghini's wild LP400 Countach S, Ferrari upstaged the financially troubled Sant' Agata manufacturer by releasing their 512 Berlinetta Boxer at the Paris Auto Salon, a revised version of the 365 BB, one that was more driveable in all conditions and with an enlarged 5.0-litre engine to provide greater torque.

With the exception of a wider rear track, few set-up changes were made, the outgoing 365's 4.4-litre flat-12 engine undergoing the most fundamental revisions. Despite no fundamental changes being made to the bodywork, a couple of detail alterations do help identify 512's from 365 BB's. Most obviously was a new wraparound chin spoiler, NACA ducts carved out from in front of the rear wheel arches and twin rear lights rather than distinctive triple clusters. New wing mirrors and a mildly reworked rear valance housing four exhaust pipes instead of six also differentiated the new version.

Inside some minor switchgear and instrument relocation could be noticed. The 512 Berlinetta Boxer continued in production until late 1981, by which time some 823 left hand drive examples had been completed and only 106 right hand drive examples.

Later in the year 1981, during October Paris Salon, Ferrari's 512 BBi most notably marked the arrival of fuel injection on Ferrari's flat-12. Replacing the familiar Weber carbs (seen on almost every previous Ferrari model) fuel injection not only improved an engine's flexibility but made it much easier to maintain, to live with, to start from cold as well as prolonging the lifetime of the engine.

The BBi would remain in production for almost three years. A few minor detail changes were made to the bodywork with clear reflectors inserted into the front bumper and supplementary driving lights now exposed in the grille and even new wing mirrors. 1,007 fuel injected Berlinetta Boxers were completed of which just 37 were UK RHD supplied making this the rarest variation of the RHD Boxers. This took entire BB production to just over 2,300 examples.