Prancing Differently: Ferrari Mondial t

2+2 cabriolet by Ferrari

By Hardy Drackett

HEARING as much about fancy manual transmissions as I have lately – most recently the dual-clutch variants being offered by several German manufacturers, and before that, sequential manual gearboxes -  I thought I’d offer you a look back at a road car that quietly pioneered this technology.

I credit Ferrari for starting the automated manual transmission trend – but not where you might think.  In 1998, Ferrari introduced the F1 transmission on the 355. But five years before the F355 F1 was introduced, Ferrari was testing the waters.

Enter the 1993 Ferrari Mondial t Cabriolet, which could be had with an optional automated clutch, courtesy of French manufacturer Valeo.

When I imagine collaboration between the French and Italians, I envision the result to be beautiful, or delicious, but not an engineering marvel.  So it was with some skepticism that I climbed behind the wheel.

Once seated, everything looked and felt about as expected: prancing horse on the steering wheel, orange and black Veglia gauges, notched stainless-steel shift gate.

My first observation was how much of the car was behind me.  This was no front-engine V-12.  Had Ferrari borrowed a page from Chrysler’s then-popular Cab Forward Design?  I was practically sitting under the windshield, and the pedals were offset slightly to the center of the car to accommodate the front wheel well.

Which immediately led to a second observation: this particular Mondial had no clutch pedal.

As the owner explained, “You shift but the car works the clutch for you.  It senses when you put tension on the shift knob to change gears and disengages the clutch while you shift and match RPMs.  Once the shifter is in the next gear – higher or lower – the clutch hooks up and you’re off.  Starting and stopping is like an automatic.  Hit the brakes, and when the car approaches the stall point, it disengages the clutch.  When you’re ready to go again, hit the gas and the car will take off.”

Counter-intuitive?  You bet.

It took me at least half a dozen gear changes before I stopped reaching for an imaginary clutch pedal and overcame my fear of turning the transmission into a coffee grinder.

But once accustomed to letting the car do the work for me, I was impressed at how well the system worked, and amused by all the technology making it happen.

From a standstill, the Mondial took off flawlessly every time, with aggressiveness in direct proportion to right foot.  Without lurching or slipping the clutch, the Cabriolet was able to do drag strip launches and navigate parking lots with equal finesse.  Gear changes were not of the one-size-fits-all variety.

The Cabriolet seemed almost telepathic, knowing whether a lightning-quick 2-3 shift was required under hard acceleration, or a leisurely smooth 3-4 shift would fit the bill while cruising around town.

Impressive, I thought, considering that modern versions require the driver to adjust settings manually.

Top down, the Mondial had relaxed sportiness to it.

It seemed purpose-built for a leisurely weekend drive to soak in beautiful surroundings, listen to great music, and enjoy the wind in your hair.

You could call on the V-8’s 300 horses or electronically adjustable suspension for great fun behind the wheel.  But what set the Mondial apart from any other car I’ve driven is the way it invited the driver and passengers to enjoy the driving experience beyond the car.

When I parked the Mondial t that afternoon, I walked away with a profound respect for a car quickly dismissed or ridiculed by most Ferrari aficionados.  I saw it as a practical convertible, fun for the driver and the rest of the family. And purists might say that’s exactly what was wrong with it.

Indeed, while the automated manual transmission lives on, Ferrari has not made a four-seat convertible since.

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Editor’s Note: Hardy Drackett worked for BMW of North America from 2007-2008. Automobiles De Luxe featured Hardy as an E60 5er owner in our BMW Trio segment which aired on CPTV.