1985
Ferrari 288GTO:
Chassis ZFFPA16B000057715, Engine 249
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(courtesy
UltimateCarPage.com)
Of the many great Ferraris built, the 250 GTO is considered the
best. No other model bearing the prancing horse badge combines class,
style and racing pedigree as well as the 250 GTO. Exactly 22 years
after the first GTO was launched in 1962, Ferrari announced a new
model with the legendary GTO badge, the 288 GTO.
For the 288 GTO's design Pininfarina clearly used the lines of
the contemporary 308 GTB model. Subtle changes to the GTB's design
gave the GTO a more aggresive overal look. Under the glassfibre
and kevlar body panels very little reminded of the GTB it was styled
after.
Most noticable difference between the 308 and the 288 is the engine
layout; the V8 in the 308 is mounted transversely whereas the 288's
V8 is mounted longitudinally. The displacement of the 288's engine
is slightly smaller as well, but this is more than made up for by
the addition of two IHI turbochargers. Even with boost at a modest
0.8 bar the engine was good for over 400bhp. The 308's naturally
aspirated 3 litre engine was good for 'only' 240bhp.
Lightweight materials were used throughout, many of them only used
in Ferrari's F1 contenders. The entire body was made of kevlar,
fiberglass and aluminum, except for the doors which for safety reasons
were made of steel. Kerb weight was low at 1160 kg, which was 115
kg lighter than the less powerful 308.
Like its illustrous name-sake Ferrari built the 288 for one reason
only; to homologate it for racing. The 'O' in GTO is taken from
the Italian word 'Omologato' or homologation in English. GT racing
was the perk of the 250, but for the 288 Ferrari had other plans.
The hugely popular Group B rally class would be the playing field
of the 288. This meant Ferrari had to build a minimum of 200 road
going GTOs to get it homologated. Production commenced right after
its 1984 Geneva launch. Ferrari planned a run of 220 cars, but in
the end a total of 273 GTOs were built.
An evolution version with a hugely revised bodywork was first shown
in 1986. This was to be Ferrari's entrant for in the Group B events.
Under the streamlined body a more powerful (600 bhp) version of
the turbo V8 was found. Five cars were constructed but none of them
were ever entered in a rally. After a number of horryfying accidents
Group B was cancelled for 1987 effectively cutting the lives of
many great racing cars short, including the 288 GTO's.
This is not the final chapter of the 288 GTO as its huge influence
on Ferrari's 40th anniversary model must not be forgotten. Launched
in 1987, the F40 was clearly styled after the 288 GTO Evoluzione
and used a slightly larger version of the turbocharged V8 engine
used in the 288.
Today the 288 GTO remains as one of the most sought after 'modern'
Ferraris. With only 273 288 GTOs produced it has the smallest production
figure of any road going Ferrari built in the last 30 years. Many
308 owners have 'modified' the appearance to resemble the GTO, a
genuine GTO is a rare sight these days.
Ferrari could not have chosen a better model to bear the legendary
three letters as type indication.
General specifications
Country of origin: Italy
Years of production: 1984 - 1987
Introduced at 1984 Geneva Motorshow
Number built: 273
Body design: Pininfarina
Weight: 1160 kg / 2557.4 lbs
Drivetrain
Engine Type: F114B 90º V8
Engine location: Mid, longitudinally mounted
Displacement: 2.855 liter / 174.2 cu in
Valvetrain: 4 valves/cylinder, DOHC
Fuel feed: Weber-Marelli Fuel injection
Aspiration: Two IHI Turbos
Gearbox: Ferrari 5 Speed Manual
Drive: Rear wheel drive
Performance
Power: 450 bhp / 335.7 kW @ 7000 rpm
BHP/Liter: 156.25
Torque: 495 Nm / 365.1 ft lbs @ 3800 rpm
Power to weight ratio: 0.388 bhp/kg
Top Speed: 190.1 mph / 306.0 km/h
0-60 mph Acceleration: <4.00 s
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