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.
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.
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 2855
cc 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 3997 cc, 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 (4.3 in) longer at 2450 mm (96.5 in), and the track was widened also. With 400 hp (almost 140 hp per liter) and 366 ft·lbf (496 N·m) 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 (201 km/h) in 15 seconds flat. Top speed was a staggering 190 mph (306 km/h).
