1989 Ferrari Mondial T Photos, engines & full specs

Ferrari decided to keep the Mondial on the market for a few more years before retiring it, and for that, the Italian automaker decided to improve the model for the fourth and final time.

The aging Mondial started to show its age, but Ferrari was not yet ready to abandon the model. Even though many people considered that it was too old to be kept on the market, the economic situation was not so good, so the automaker played it wisely. It stayed on the safe side and invested just enough to keep the car attractive. After all, it sold in big numbers even after a decade on the market, even after the introduction of the 348 model in the lineup. But unlike its sibling, the Mondial T offered four seats and a suspension made for long travels.

When Pininfarina penned the Mondial’s shape in the ‘70s, the design studio did an excellent job, and it was difficult for the Italian automaker to improve the classic lines of the vehicle without spoiling its overall shape. As a result, there were minimal changes to the car’s exterior. Still, a keen eye for detail could notice the smaller air intakes mounted on the rear quarter panels and the wider fenders on both axles that had to cover the car’s wider track. In addition, the body-colored bumpers were now standard and sported black plastic molds on their lower side.

Inside, the leather-wrapped 2+2 cabin tried to provide enough comfort for adult-sized occupants. While that was true if all four people were just about average-sized, and even shorter ones seated in the back. The bolstered front seats were not very comfortable, and many people complained about them, while the rear ones didn’t provide enough headroom or legroom. The redesigned instrument cluster offered a much better, well-organized layout with two large dials for the speedometer and rev counter flanking two gauges stacked between them for the oil pressure and coolant temperature. On the outer sides, the automaker placed the fuel level on the left and the ammeter on the right. Between the front occupants, on the flat center console, Ferrari placed an array of buttons for several car functions, such as the HVAC controls, the power antenna, and the parking lights. In addition, the automaker placed the gated gear stick lever on the forward part of the center console. On the center stack, Ferrari added the buttons for the suspension settings, power windows, and stereo.

But the most significant change for the car was under the hood. There, the automaker reversed the engine and gearbox layout, placing the transmission in front of the V8 powerplant. As a result, the car’s weight distribution improved. Moreover, the engine gained a bigger displacement and produced 300 PS (296 hp) thanks to the advanced multi-point injection system. As a result, the Mondial T provided better road behavior and improved acceleration times. Last but not least, Ferrari developed, together with the European manufacturer Bilstein, new dampers that could provide a stiffer or a softer ride at the touch of a button.