Photo: Valentino Rajar on Behance
Back in the 1980s when Enzo was still running the business, the Prancing Horse came up with a rather exotic machine in the guise of the 288 GTO. The precursor to the F40 and the grandfather of the LaFerrari may look like a 308 GTB on steroids, but the 2.9-liter V8 with IHI turbochargers is what makes it truly special.
As far as road-going cars are concerned, Ferrari didn’t have too much experience in terms of forced induction. The peeps in Maranello did experiment a little with the ill-fated 208 Turbo, and thanks to Gestione Sportiva head of powertrain Nicola Materazzi, the Gran Turismo Omologata exceeded all expectations.
By means of air-to-air intercoolers from Behr, fuel injection from Weber-Marelli, and a longitudinal layout as opposed to the transverse mid-engine 308 GTB, the Prancing Horse managed to extract 400 PS or 395 horsepower along with 496 Nm or 366 pound-feet at 3,800 rpm. Thanks to a curb weight of 1,160 kilograms (2,557 pounds), it’s easy to understand why the 288 GTO was such a wowzer when it rolled out in 1984 with wedge styling cues from Pininfarina’s Leonardo Fioravanti.
272 units were built in total, and famed racing driver Niki Lauda was gifted with the final example of the breed – chassis 58329 – by none other than Enzo. The 288, however, was overshadowed by the F40 although the F40 wouldn't have happened without the know-how of its forebear. Because the Omologato doesn't receive as much respect as it truly deserves, automotive design graduate student Valentino Rajar decided to fire up his 3D modeling software suite and come up with a modernized version of the Fezza.
“Bringing the 288 back to the modern age by pumping it with creatine and adding some meat to its shoulders,” said Rajar, who modeled the widebody stallion in Maya and rendered in KeyShot. Even the wheels have been redesigned with respect to the original, and the same can be said about the LED lights up front as well.
Dive planes on the front fenders, LED turn signals incorporated into the side mirrors, carbon-fiber side skirts, and a generous wing towering over the rear deck add to the visual drama. The finishing touch? That would be the red paint on the brake calipers, coming courtesy of official supplier Brembo.
By means of air-to-air intercoolers from Behr, fuel injection from Weber-Marelli, and a longitudinal layout as opposed to the transverse mid-engine 308 GTB, the Prancing Horse managed to extract 400 PS or 395 horsepower along with 496 Nm or 366 pound-feet at 3,800 rpm. Thanks to a curb weight of 1,160 kilograms (2,557 pounds), it’s easy to understand why the 288 GTO was such a wowzer when it rolled out in 1984 with wedge styling cues from Pininfarina’s Leonardo Fioravanti.
272 units were built in total, and famed racing driver Niki Lauda was gifted with the final example of the breed – chassis 58329 – by none other than Enzo. The 288, however, was overshadowed by the F40 although the F40 wouldn't have happened without the know-how of its forebear. Because the Omologato doesn't receive as much respect as it truly deserves, automotive design graduate student Valentino Rajar decided to fire up his 3D modeling software suite and come up with a modernized version of the Fezza.
“Bringing the 288 back to the modern age by pumping it with creatine and adding some meat to its shoulders,” said Rajar, who modeled the widebody stallion in Maya and rendered in KeyShot. Even the wheels have been redesigned with respect to the original, and the same can be said about the LED lights up front as well.
Dive planes on the front fenders, LED turn signals incorporated into the side mirrors, carbon-fiber side skirts, and a generous wing towering over the rear deck add to the visual drama. The finishing touch? That would be the red paint on the brake calipers, coming courtesy of official supplier Brembo.
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