Ferrari 288 GTO
The Ferrari 288 GTO was an exotic homologation of the Ferrari 308 GTB produced from 1984 through 1986, designated GT for Gran Turismo and O for Omologato (homologation in Italian).
Background
This car was built to compete in the new Group B Race series and a minimum of 200 cars were required for homologation. However, as only Ferrari and Porsche, with their 959, entered, the series was soon abandoned leaving just the Group B Rally championship. The Porsche 959 (as the Porsche 961) only raced three times in Group B, but the 288 GTO never raced and all 272 cars built remained strictly road cars.
Some of the Ferrari 288 GTO's styling features were first displayed on a 308 GTB design exercise by Pininfarina, which was revealed at the 1977 Geneva Salon. This included the deep front spoiler, fender flares, rear lip spoiler, front lid radiator cooling louvers, and quadruple driving lights.
Engine
At its core, the GTO was based on the mid-engined, rear wheel drive 308 GTB that featured a 3.0-litre V8. The "288" refers to the GTO's 2.8-litre V8 engine as it had a de-bored (by 1 mm) V8 with a pair of IHI turbochargers, intercoolers, and Weber-Marelli fuel injection. The 2855 cc engine capacity was mandated by the FIA that required a turbocharged engine's capacity to be multiplied by 1.4, thus giving the GTO a theoretical engine capacity of 3997 cc, just skirting the Group B limit of 4.0 litres.
In contrast to the 308's 2926 cc engine, the GTO's 2855 cc engine was mounted longitudinally, taking up much of the 308's rear boot space to make room for the turbochargers and intercoolers. This changed the dynamic of the car by increasing the wheelbase by 110 mm (4.3 in) to 2450 mm (96 in). The track was also widened to make space for wider wheels and tyres, such as the Goodyear NCT 225/50VR16 tyres mounted on 8 x 16" Speedline wheels up front and 255/50VR16 tyres mounted on 10 x 16" wheels at the rear. This new setup improved the car's cornering and brake performance, which could handle up to 400 hp (298 kW) and 366 lb·ft (496 N·m), respectively. The 288 GTO was an impressive performer with 0-60 mph times in the upper 4 second range and a top speed of 189 mph (304 km/h), making it the first street-legal production car to reach 300 km/h (186 mph).
Evoluzione
Not to be outdone, Ferrari also built five 288 GTO Evoluzione models, with a more aggressive and aerodynamic body and increased power. The engine put out up to 650 hp (480 kW), giving it a top speed of 225 mph (362 km/h), and a weight of 940 kg (2,072 lb). The Evoluzione cars are the most direct visual link between the 288 GTO and the
F40 that soon followed. Of the five models built, only three are known to be still in existence, with one also on display at the Galleria Ferrari museum in Maranello.
Awards
In 2004, Sports Car International named the Ferrari 288 GTO number two on the list of Top Sports Cars of the 1980s, trailing slightly behind the Porsche 959
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