Ferrari 288 GTO

Ferrari 288 GTO
Ferrari
aka	GTO
Production	1984 - 1985
Class	Supercar
Body Style	2-door, 2-seat Mid-Engined Berlinetta
Length	168 in
Width	75 in
Height	44 in
Wheelbase	96.5 in
Weight	2550 lb
Transmission	5-speed manual, RWD
Engine	2.8 litre (2855 cc) IHI turbocharged V8
Power	400 hp 366 lb-ft of torque
Similar	{{{similar (competition)}}}
Designer	{{{Designer (lead designer if it was a team effort)}}}

The Ferrari GTO (often referred to as Ferrari 288 GTO) was an exotic homologation (thus the O) of the Ferrari 308 GTB produced in 1984 through 1986.

Background

The Ferrari GTO 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 {961} only raced three times in Group B, but the 288 GTO never raced and all 272 cars built remained purely road cars.

Engine

The GTO was based on the mid-engined 308 GTB. The 288 refers to its 2.8 Liter V8 engine, though, as it used a de-bored (by 1 mm) V8 with twin IHI turbochargers, intercoolers, and Weber-Marelli fuel injection. The 2855cc engine capacity was dictated by the FIA's requirement for a Turbocharged engine's capacity to be mutiplied by 1.4.This gave the GTO a theoretical engine capacity of 3997cc, just under the Group B limit of 4.0 litres.

Unlike the 308, the engine was mounted longitudinally, using the 308's rear boot space. The wheelbase was 110 mm longer at 2,450 mm, and the track was widened also. With 400 hp (almost 140 hp per liter) and 366 ft·lbf of torque, the GTO was an impressive performer. 0-60 mph times were in the upper 4 second range and Ferrari claimed 0-125 mph in 15 seconds flat. Top speed was a staggering 190 mph.

Evoluzione

Ferrari also built 5 288 GTO Evoluzione models with more aggressive and aerodynamic body styling and increased power. The engine in the Evoluzione originally put out as much as 650 hp; however, this was dialed down to 450 hp after Group B was banned as a whole in 1986. These cars form the clearest visual link between the 288 GTO and the F40, soon to follow.

Legacy

Unlike the later F40, the 288 was equipped with most of the basic luxuries – air conditioning, sound system, and so on – which made the car relatively comfortable to drive.

The GTO was the first in a series of Ferrari supercars, continued with its much-modified version, the 1987 F40. Also, the later V12-engined F50 and Enzo would not have been produced if not for the 288 GTO.

In 2004, Sports Car International named this car number two on the list of Top Sports Cars of the 1980s, behind its German rival the Porsche 959. Former Formula One driver Eddie Irvine has owned a 288 GTO since the early days of his career.

Photos

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References

• Buckley, Martin & Rees, Chris (1998). World Encyclopedia of Cars. London. Anness Publishing. ISBN 1-84038-083-7
• The Ferrari Pages Cars From Italy. Retrieved on November 18, 2004.
• Ferrari 288 GTO at the Group B Rally Cars.

External Links

• Monterey 2009: Ferrari 288 GTO owners celebrate 25 years of the Ferrari supercar
• Video: 1985 288 GTO lays claim to World's Fastest Ferrari with 275.4 mph run