Ferrari, at its core and early on in its history, was not by any means a road car manufacturer. It’s common knowledge that Enzo decided to start making road cars so as to fund his racing, and then things took off when the cars he built gained notoriety.
However, they were expensive and by no means for every sports car lover and this is where the Dino range came in.
XCar says the Dino line of sub-Ferraris is actually what lead to the creation of the modern 458 and its derivatives, as well as any other mid-engined model with less than 12 cylinders.
The video posted below is part 458 drop-top review, part history lesson. It does a great job of adding context to non-V12 Ferraris with their engine in the middle, as well as the tragic fate of Enzo’s late son, Alfredo (“Dino”). The 458 is the last of its kind, though, the final model without a turbocharged power plant.