9 Ferraris That Fail To Impress And 9 That Truly Earn Their Speed Stripes
Ferraris are supposed to be dream machines – screaming V12s, head-turning curves, and a badge that makes hearts race. But not every Prancing Horse lives up to the hype.
I once saw a Mondial at a car meet tucked between a Miata and a Civic Type R, and honestly, it didn’t draw half the crowd.
Meanwhile, someone rolled in with an F40, and the parking lot practically tilted from everyone sprinting to it.
Some Ferraris nail the balance of beauty, performance, and pedigree. Others, despite the badge, just miss the mark and leave fans scratching their heads.
1. Ferrari Mondial
Often ridiculed as the runt of the Ferrari litter, the Mondial attempted to blend practicality with performance and failed at both.
Its 2+2 seating arrangement came with lackluster acceleration that had owners constantly explaining, “But it’s still a Ferrari!”
Maintenance costs rivaled the GDP of small nations, while performance numbers barely scared hot hatchbacks.
The Mondial remains the Ferrari you buy when you can’t afford a proper Ferrari but need four seats to justify the purchase to your spouse.
2. Ferrari 348
Sandwiched between the beloved 328 and the revolutionary F355, the 348 is Ferrari’s awkward middle child.
Notorious for its twitchy handling, drivers nicknamed it “the widow maker” – not exactly a selling point for a prestigious sports car.
Quirky side strakes mimicked the Testarossa but came across as trying too hard.
Mechanics still wince at the maintenance requirements – engine-out service every few years means your 348 spends more time on the lift than on the road.
3. Ferrari California
Luxury dealers call it the “entry-level Ferrari,” which is like calling something “discount caviar.”
The California became the go-to for wealthy realtors and Instagram influencers who wanted the badge but couldn’t handle a proper Ferrari.
Its retractable hardtop added weight in all the wrong places, while the front-engine layout betrayed purist expectations.
Even Ferrari seemed embarrassed, giving it the least aggressive exhaust note in the lineup – perfect for not disturbing the neighbors at the country club.
4. Ferrari 208 GTB
Created specifically to dodge Italian tax laws on engines over 2.0 liters, the 208 GTB is the Ferrari equivalent of ordering a diet soda with your super-sized meal.
Its tiny 2.0-liter V8 wheezed out a pathetic 155 horsepower – less than today’s Toyota Camry. Zero to sixty took a glacial 7.7 seconds.
Ferrari owners club members still avert their eyes when one shows up at gatherings. The 208 proves that even the most prestigious brands will compromise their values when tax laws come knocking.
5. Ferrari Dino 308 GT4
Imagine asking Picasso to paint you a portrait and getting a cubist nightmare instead. That’s the 308 GT4 – the first Ferrari designed by Bertone instead of Pininfarina, and boy does it show.
Its wedge-shaped body and awkward proportions made it the black sheep of the family.
Ferrari was so uncertain about this oddball that early models only wore Dino badges, as if the company was testing the waters before admitting paternity.
Despite decent driving dynamics, it remains the Ferrari that styling forgot.
6. Ferrari 400i
Nothing says “I’ve given up on life” quite like a Ferrari with an automatic transmission.
The 400i was Ferrari’s bizarre attempt at a luxury four-seater, complete with an optional three-speed GM automatic borrowed from Cadillac.
Leather-lined mediocrity wrapped in a shape only an accountant could love.
The 400i targeted wealthy executives who wanted Ferrari prestige without Ferrari excitement – basically missing the entire point of the brand.
Its V12 engine deserved better than being muzzled by American slushbox technology.
7. Ferrari FF
Ferrari’s first-ever four-wheel-drive vehicle looked like a supercar that had swallowed a station wagon.
The FF (Ferrari Family?) attempted to create a practical supercar with its shooting brake design, but ended up with something that couldn’t decide what it wanted to be.
Snow-driving capability seemed pointless for a brand synonymous with Mediterranean sunshine.
Despite packing a magnificent V12 engine, the FF’s ungainly proportions and identity crisis made it the Ferrari most likely to be hidden under a car cover when friends visit.
8. Ferrari Portofino
Named after an Italian fishing village, the Portofino fishes for compliments but comes up empty.
Replacing the already underwhelming California, Ferrari somehow managed to create an even more forgettable grand tourer that seems designed specifically for rental fleets in Monaco.
Too heavy to be sporty, too stiff to be comfortable, the Portofino exists in automotive purgatory.
Its retractable hardtop performs an impressive mechanical ballet, briefly distracting onlookers from the car’s confused personality.
Perfect for people who want others to think they enjoy driving.
9. Ferrari GTC4Lusso
Ferrari’s attempt to create a practical family supercar resulted in this confused four-seater with a split personality.
Replacing the already questionable FF, the GTC4Lusso doubled down on the shooting brake design while adding an absurdly complex four-wheel steering system.
Inside, passengers found a bizarre dashboard layout with a separate display for the front passenger – because nothing says “family togetherness” like letting your spouse watch their own speedometer.
10. Ferrari F40
Automotive brutality in its purest form. The F40 was Enzo Ferrari’s final gift to the world – a twin-turbocharged, carbon-fiber monster with no driver aids, no carpets, and definitely no apologies.
Racing to 60 mph in 3.8 seconds (blistering for 1987), the F40 terrified drivers with its lag-then-launch power delivery.
No radio, no power steering, not even proper door handles – just a pull-string that would look cheap in a child’s toy.
The F40 wasn’t transportation; it was mechanical violence that demanded respect.
11. Ferrari 288 GTO
Born for a racing series that never happened, the 288 GTO became the forbidden fruit that launched the modern supercar era.
Ferrari took the relatively tame 308 GTB and transformed it into something borderline demonic.
Kevlar, fiberglass, and twin turbos created a 400-horsepower monster when most sports cars struggled to hit 200hp. Only 272 were built, making unicorn sightings more common than 288 GTO encounters.
Its exotic materials and Group B racing pedigree cemented its legacy as the thinking person’s Ferrari supercar.
12. Ferrari Enzo
Named after the company’s founder, the Enzo wasn’t just a car – it was a carbon fiber manifesto.
Ferrari essentially took their F1 technology, made it barely street legal, and charged $650,000 for the privilege.
Its styling followed function with all the subtlety of a sledgehammer, featuring a nose that could double as a snowplow.
The naturally-aspirated V12 screamed to 8,200 rpm, delivering a soundtrack that made owners forgive the plastic interior.
Limited to 400 examples, it’s the Ferrari that laughs at depreciation.
13. Ferrari LaFerrari
“The Ferrari” (yes, that’s literally what LaFerrari translates to) combined hybrid technology with hypercar insanity.
Its 950-horsepower powertrain paired a V12 with electric motors, creating acceleration so violent it should require a medical waiver.
Active aerodynamics and carbon-ceramic brakes kept the savagery somewhat contained.
Production was limited to 499 examples, plus one extra auctioned for charity – because nothing says charitable giving like a $7 million car.
The LaFerrari proved hybrids don’t have to be boring, just unobtainable.
14. Ferrari 812 Superfast
Sometimes a product name tells you everything. The 812 Superfast houses a naturally-aspirated 6.5-liter V12 that produces 789 horsepower without turbos or electric assistance – a dinosaur in the best possible way.
Reaching 60 mph in 2.8 seconds and topping out at 211 mph, it transforms drivers into grinning lunatics.
Ferrari’s engineers somehow made this front-engine grand tourer handle like a mid-engine sports car.
The 812 might be the last of its kind – a naturally-aspirated V12 Ferrari before electrification takes over.
15. Ferrari 458 Speciale
Automotive journalists still get misty-eyed talking about the 458 Speciale – the car that represents peak naturally-aspirated Ferrari.
Its 4.5-liter V8 revved to a stratospheric 9,000 rpm, producing sounds that make grown enthusiasts weep with joy.
Active aerodynamics and a diet program shed 90 kg from the already lightweight 458 Italia.
Ferrari’s Side Slip Control system allowed even amateur drivers to feel like heroes while dancing on the edge of adhesion.
The last hurrah before turbocharging changed Ferrari forever.
16. Ferrari 599 GTO
Ferrari doesn’t bestow the GTO badge lightly – only three models have earned it in the company’s history. The 599 GTO earned its stripes by lapping Ferrari’s Fiorano test track faster than the mighty Enzo.
Limited to 599 examples, this front-engine monster packed 661 horsepower when that number still raised eyebrows.
Ceramic brakes, transmission tech from F1, and aerodynamics that generated actual downforce made this grand tourer a wolf in wolf’s clothing.
17. Ferrari SF90 Stradale
Ferrari’s first plug-in hybrid delivers an eye-watering 986 horsepower – enough to question the laws of physics and your own mortality.
Three electric motors work with a twin-turbo V8 to create acceleration that feels like being launched from an aircraft carrier.
Despite weighing more than typical Ferraris, clever torque vectoring and all-wheel drive help it rocket to 60 mph in 2.5 seconds.
The SF90 can even drive silently on electric power alone, though that’s like buying a trumpet and never blowing it.
18. Ferrari Testarossa
Those side strakes! That width! The Testarossa defined 1980s excess and became the bedroom poster that launched a thousand automotive obsessions.
Its flat-12 engine produced a sound so distinctive you could identify it blindfolded. Comically wide at nearly 78 inches, parking required a zip code rather than a parking space.
The name “Testarossa” (red head) referred to the red-painted cylinder heads, though most remember it as the white car from Miami Vice.
Not Ferrari’s fastest, but certainly its most recognizable silhouette.