Ferrari 288 GTO

 

The 288 GTO is the first of six supercars in Ferrari's ultimate modern road car lineage. It was produced from 1984 to 1987 and began as a modified version of the 308/328 to minimize costs and allow Ferrari to build the car quickly. When it was completed, the 288 GTO was transformed into an almost entirely different car from the 308/328. Powering the 288 GTO is a 2.9-liter twin-turbo V8 with 400 horsepower and 366 pound-feet of torque paired to a five-speed manual transmission. It can launch from zero to 60 mph in just under five seconds and tops out at 189 mph, making the 288 GTO the world's fastest road-going production car in the mid 80s. The 288 GTO is also the first-ever Ferrari turbocharged road car and was initially created for Group B racing homologation. However, the FIA suspended Group B racing by the end of 1986, and the 288 GTO was never able to compete in this motorsports division. Its body is constructed of kevlar, carbon fiber, and Nomex, and rides on a tubular steel spaceframe chassis. The most significant styling cues that differentiate the 288 GTO from the 308 GTB are the former's flared wheel arches and sets of three gills behind each of the rear fenders. Unlike a few of its successors, the 288 GTO contains more subtle styling and creature comforts, signaling its added purpose of being driven somewhere rather than just all-out performance. 

Only 272 units of the 288 GTO were ever built in the mid 80s, most of which were painted in Ferrari's signature Rosso Corsa red and making it one of the rarest Ferraris of the modern era. While it was originally primarily sold in Europe and never federalized for the US, the 288 GTO can be legally imported to American shores. Ferrari 288 GTO examples that find the open market today typically sell for between $7 million and $9 million. The most recent recorded sale of a 288 GTO occurred at an RM Sotheby's auction during this year's Monterey Car Week, in which one sold for an astonishing $11.555 million. Pictured here in this post is the only 288 GTO I ever remember seeing in person, which took place at the Ferrari Concours show in Carmel during Monterey Car Week last month. It was also the top highlight and one of the coolest cars I saw on display at the second show I attended as part of the one day I traveled to the Monterey area for Car Week this year. While it may not perform as well or turn as many heads as its successors do, the 288 GTO remains one of the most important, special, and exclusive vehicles in Ferrari's history, and I am thrilled to have seen one up close at this year's Ferrari Concours show in Carmel. Stay tuned for more from the Carmel Ferrari Concours show coming up in the next two posts. 

Vehicle Specifications Sources: Classic.com, Ferrari of Fort Lauderdale 

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