The successor to Ferrari’s near perfect 250 GTO, the 288 GTO has quite a tortured history. Designed to race in Group B, the FIA disbanded the race series after the crash of a Lancia Delta S4 in 1986, resulting in the 288 GTO never competing on the rally scene. Ferrari built 272 GTO’s, considerably more than the 200 slated for production to homologate the never built rally variant. Based on the 308 GTB in order to reduce development time, the 288 GTO was fitted with a 2.9-litre twin-turbocharged V8 mated to a 5-speed manual, sending 400hp to the rear wheels.
Such an engine combined with a lightweight composite body consisting of fibreglass, Kevlar and carbon fibre lead to a considerable performance upgrade compared to the 308, with the GTO capable of sprinting from 0-60 in 5 seconds and a top speed of 179mph, making the 288 GTO the fastest production car in the world at the time. In terms of design, the 288 is considered by many as the prettiest modern Ferrari, accented by the rear triple vents, a nod the 250 GTO. With such a history, it’s no wonder GTO’s now sell for nearly twice as much as F40’s.
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