Di Inferi Spettro II

Di Inferi Spettro II S2 in Rosso Apalis

5-spd Manual

The Di Inferi Spettro II was a personal luxury kammback produced between 1968-1975, replacing the Spettro I.
Even though its name was officially *Spettro II*, it is usually simply referred to as *Spettro*, either by model year or by series.

## History

The Spettro was designed by Ottavio Consoli. The Spettro was developed in conjunction with the Di Inferi Raffica concept car, and they drew significant influence from each other, notably the front grille and rear kammback. The production of the Spettro I and II overlapped slightly, and in a brief period both were available to purchase at the same time.

The design of the Spettro II was much more radical compared to that of the first generation, with a much more wedged and striking design as opposed to the more rounded and conservative lines of the first generation.

Unlike the Spettro I, the II was available as both a 2-seater or a 2+2 four-seater - this considered, the space in the back was considered minimal for adults.

The name "Spettro" is the Italian word for "Specter".

Throughout its lifespan, the exerior of the Spettro II would remain mostly the same, with changes primarily focusing on internals - the engine, drivetrain and interior.

#### Series I (S1)

The Spettro I started production in early 1968, available with either a 3.5 liter V8 or a 4.5 liter V12, producing 340 and 390 horsepower respectively. The 4.5 V12 specifically proved to be massively unreliable, leading to a recall. The Raffica concept provided much of the baseline for the interior, though the Spettro was intentionally made more conservative in design as to not alienate customers.

#### Series 2 (S2)

The Series 2 Spettro II began production in 1970, with an unchanged exterior. Horsepower had been increased to 400 horsepower from the 4.5L V12, while the V8 was dropped entirely. The space for the rear passengers improved somewhat for the 2+2 version, while the brakes were revised entirely to improve stopping distance and to reduce fade. The hydraulic clutch was softened somewhat to make handling the car easier.

#### Series 3 (S3)

The third and final series of the Spettro II, the Series 3, entered production in 1972. Improvements included wider tires, as well as a revised interior. The front of the car was also extensively revised to feature flip-up headlights, the first major exterior change to the car. The Series 3 featured an even more powerful 415-horsepower version of the 4.5L V12, though this only lasted until the 1973 OPEC oil embargo forced Di Inferi to detune the engine. US emissions requirements were even stricter, leading to the european version of the Spettro, especially the 1972 model, becoming highly valued among US-based collectors.

## Specifications

The Di Inferi Spettro was as previously mentioned initially available with two engine options - a 3497cc V8, and a 4498cc V12. Plans were in order to continue using the Spettro I's I6, though it was scrapped. Both the V8 and V12 used chain-driven dual-overhead camshafts. Power steering was not available until the Series 2, leading to a bump in the V8's popularity due on the Series 1 to the lighter front and therefore lighter steering.

Both the front and rear suspension used a dual-wishbone setup with hydraulic shock absorbers and anti-roll bars. All Spettro II models came with disc brakes on all four wheels, though they were upgraded with every series.

The Series 2 Spettro was driven to a top speed of 176 mph (283.2 km/h) in a road test in 1971.

The Series 3 Spettro was briefly available with a 4-speed automatic transmission, though this proved an unpopular option as acceleration was severely reduced.