Looking back at the 1972–1989 Ferrari front-engined two-door four-seater grand tourer, which was called the 365 GT4 2+2, the 400, and later the 412, it’s not at all clear why it’s still considered one of the brand’s worst models. It is a unique, more family-oriented V12 Ferrari designed to cover large swathes of the continent. It was one of the longest-running model lines in the company’s history, and its typical 1980s design has aged well.
Despite not being perfect by the standards of its time, the 365 GT4 2+2, 400, and 412 were criticized for its somewhat subdued styling, its lower performance compared to other Ferrari models, as well as its more comfort-oriented road manners and less sharp handling. Another issue was that the vehicle was launched around the 1970s oil crisis, which made fuel expensive and further diminished the car’s market appeal.
Its big V12 engine, which grew from 4.4 to 4.9 liters throughout production, wasn’t too good on fuel, and this was further penalized by the three-speed automatic you could select as an option back in the day. The V12’s efficiency was improved when its carburetors were replaced by fuel injection, but this change didn’t add any power, so it did little to change the car’s image.
Yet, Ferrari still built almost 3,000 of these big Pininfarina-designed coupes over the 17 years it was in production, and it’s become quite a sought-after classic today. The clean design, V12 engine, four usable seats, and more relaxed nature attract collectors today since it’s considered an unusual Ferrari. It was replaced by the 456, another underrated Ferrari, and its equivalent today is the GTC4Lusso.
Performance
Despite the Colombo V12 engine, these vehicles weren’t as quick as other Ferrari models of the era. The 4.4-liter V12 in early 365 GT4 2+2 cars made 340 horsepower at 6,200 rpm or around 77 horsepower per liter. In 1976, Ferrari updated and rebranded the model and gave it a bigger displacement version of the V12, stroked to 4.8 liters. But it produced the same 340 horsepower as before, or around 70 hp per liter. A luxurious long-distance cruiser, the car needed an automatic gearbox, which was added with this update in the form of a General Motors-sourced three-speed transmission.
Ferrari gave the car fuel injection instead of carburetors in 1979 and renamed the model the 400i. The transmissions remained the same five-speed manual and three-speed automatic for this version. The final iteration of the car, the 412, was introduced in 1985, and its fuel-injected engine grew in displacement to over 4.9 liters. But power remained the same at 340 horsepower, so the engine dropped below 70 hp per liter.
The car’s performance never changed while it was still in production. Ferrari said the 412 could accelerate to 62 mph (100 km/h) in 6.7 seconds for the manual and 8.3 seconds for the automatic,