There has been talk about a Ferrari Dino revival for quite a while now, but this is the first time the company has officially confirmed plans for a baby model.

Ferrari chairman Sergio Marchionne has acknowledged the Dino will make a comeback in an interview with Autocar. The executive said the revival of the Dino name was “not a question of if but when”. However, the new Dino will not have the same mission as its predecessors from the 1960s and 1970s.

Marchionne says the new Dino’s target won’t be boosting production, entering a lower price point or launching another sub-brand, as was the case when the first Dino badge appeared.

“We may produce a 500 horsepower Ferrari but it will not be a cheap Ferrari. The brand is unique and needs to be protected. I would always rather build 500 fewer cars than the market demanded rather than 500 more. We must not mess with customer expectations of Ferrari as an exclusive brand,” Marchionne said.

The Dino is likely to join Ferrari’s range as a fifth model line alongside the California T, 488 GTB, F12 Berlinetta and FF. It will probably be positioned as a more focused, mid-engined alternative to the California T for a similar price.

This means the Dino would be priced at around £150,000 ($230,000) or higher. While Ferrari hasn’t officially confirmed what type of engine the new model will have, all signs point to a twin-turbocharged V6 unit with around 500hp. According to Marchionne, the results of internal investigations into the feasibility of a V6 engine had been “positive”.

Not to mention that Ferrari already builds twin-turbo V6 engines for sister brand Maserati. Another reason for Ferrari to downsize to a V6 is that the company will soon be spun off as a separate company than FCA, meaning it will no longer use the FCA fleet average.

Note: 1968 Dino 206 GT pictured

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