Following the mythical 250 GTO of the 1960s, Ferrari waited almost two decades to up the ante with the 288 GTO. A homologation special of the 308 GTB, the mid-engined supercar gained cult status among car collectors and enthusiasts alike.
The red-painted Omologato is a timeless design, with the sort of styling Ferrari has abandoned after the 355 went the way of the dodo. Strong, squared-off lines interweave with delicate touches only Leonardo Fioravanti of Pininfarina can pull off. Up front, the expressionless front fascia commands respect. At the rear, the transaxle’s housing reveals this car means business.
As fate would have it, the 288 GTO never saw racing action because the FIA killed off Group B as Ferrari was developing the full-on racing car. Therefore, the 272 examples manufactured in Maranello were all delivered as road-going cars. All of them rely on a 2.9-liter twin-turbo V8, an engine that made the 288 GTO the first production car capable of hitting 300 km/h (186 mph).
It’s no wonder, then, that Enzo Ferrari himself offered 288 GTOs to Ferrari Formula 1 drivers Keke Rosberg, Michele Alboreto, and Niki Lauda. Five go-faster Evoluzione models later, the Italian automaker went forward with developing a successor in the form of the F40. And with the F40, it was clear that the 288’s design will slowly fade away from the Prancing Horse’s menu.
Designer Matthew Parsons is one of those people who wish Ferrari would reconsider its design language with elements from the 288 GTO. With his know-how in drawing and pixel manipulation, Matthew went on to reimagine how the legendary bruiser would look like as a successor of the LaFerrari, and boy, does the result look the part! Unfortunately, however, there’s no chance at all for retro-cool such styling to make a comeback in the near future.
On the subject of what hypercar Ferrari will offer next, word has it an all-new breed will debut by 2022. And just like the LaFerrari, the tentatively named F80 will rely on a free-breathing V12 and some sort of e-assistance.
As fate would have it, the 288 GTO never saw racing action because the FIA killed off Group B as Ferrari was developing the full-on racing car. Therefore, the 272 examples manufactured in Maranello were all delivered as road-going cars. All of them rely on a 2.9-liter twin-turbo V8, an engine that made the 288 GTO the first production car capable of hitting 300 km/h (186 mph).
It’s no wonder, then, that Enzo Ferrari himself offered 288 GTOs to Ferrari Formula 1 drivers Keke Rosberg, Michele Alboreto, and Niki Lauda. Five go-faster Evoluzione models later, the Italian automaker went forward with developing a successor in the form of the F40. And with the F40, it was clear that the 288’s design will slowly fade away from the Prancing Horse’s menu.
Designer Matthew Parsons is one of those people who wish Ferrari would reconsider its design language with elements from the 288 GTO. With his know-how in drawing and pixel manipulation, Matthew went on to reimagine how the legendary bruiser would look like as a successor of the LaFerrari, and boy, does the result look the part! Unfortunately, however, there’s no chance at all for retro-cool such styling to make a comeback in the near future.
On the subject of what hypercar Ferrari will offer next, word has it an all-new breed will debut by 2022. And just like the LaFerrari, the tentatively named F80 will rely on a free-breathing V12 and some sort of e-assistance.