Ferrari 288 GTO

Ferrari 288 GTO

Ferrari 288 GTO

Ferrari 288 GTO

Ferrari 288 GTO

Ferrari 288 GTO

The 288GTO, along with its arch-rival the Porsche 959, is a supercar milestone. For most of the ’70s and early ’80s ultimate road car power and performance figures had remained on a plateau. Brake horsepower in the mid/late 300s, 160-175mph and 0-60 in the low ‘fives’ were the benchmark. Then in 1982 the FIA introduced Group B, for 200-off race and rally machines, and the world went homologation-crazy. A new dawn was breaking and when Maranello’s protagonist finally appeared at the 1984 Geneva Show, the overblown ‘Testosterossa’, latest and lardiest in a series of imperious, range-topping 12-cylinder berlinettas, found its thunder nicked by this upstart V8 underling.

With 400bhp on tap (thanks to the emergent art of turbocharging), 60mph took under five seconds and 190-plus was a reality. These were magic figures 20 years ago, a quantum leap forward that continued exponentially as GTO begat F40, and F40 begat F50, and F50 begat Enzo, and…well, who knows? So what makes the iconic GTO special – and justifies its £185k value – even in the cosy, claustrophobic confines of Middle England?

Giorgetto Giugiaro once generously described Leonardo Fioravanti’s 308GTB as “the most perfect car I’ve ever seen” and the 288, if anything, improves on it, with its swollen arches and 110mm-longer wheelbase (to accommodate a longitudinal rather than transverse engine, for easier pit-lane servicing). Unlike the all-steel 308, the GTO’s bodywork is an exotic cocktail of GRP, Kevlar, Nomex, aluminium and steel, saving 140kg. The most beautiful of all Ferraris? It makes a good case for itself. Aside from the ravishing basic shape, detailing is superb. Look, for example, at the three inclined vents behind the rear wheelarches (a homage to the car’s legendary 250GTO forebear) – functional, simple, inspired. As is the interior. Like many low-slung exotics, a dignified, pain-free entry requires a sort of corkscrew action to ensure clearing both sills and roof. Inside, there’s lots of black velvety fabric trim, creating a purposeful, minimalist ambience that’s also light and airy, thanks to the generous fenestration. You sit a bit low in relation to the classic three-spoke wheel – no airbags here – but the leather seats are supportive and comfy (initially at least – after an hour or two my buttocks weren’t so sure).

The twin-turbo V8 is based on the 268C engine developed by Ferrari from the 308 for the Lancia LC2 Group C car, its 2,855cc capacity chosen to provide a nominal four litres under the FIA’s equivalency rule for turbo engines (multiply by 1.4).