Friday 2nd January 2015

Ferrari 288 GTO: Pic Of The Week

A new year and a new wallpaper, courtesy of RM Auctions and a fabulous Ferrari

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'Gran Turismo Omologato' will always be the the most evocative Ferrari nameplate. Everyone loves a homologation special but particularly so when it's a Ferrari homologation special.

The second GTO after the 250, the 288 was of course made for Group B circuit racing; but with all other Group B focus on rallying the Ferrari was left without competition. It therefore remained just a road car. But what a road car. Today 400hp doesn't sound like a lot but then neither does 1,160kg. Especially with two turbos and not a single driver aid...

The 288 GTO used here for POTW is being sold by RM Auctions at its Arizona sale later this month. It was the first GTO sold in Japan, part of Yoshiho Matsuda's collection until 2010. It has only covered 1,000km since then in America and goes to auction with an estimate of $1.9m-$2.4m. You would if you could, right?

Full catalogue listing here.

Traditional (4:3)
Computer widescreen (16:10)
TV widescreen (16:9)
Portrait (smartphone, etc)

[Photo: Karissa Hosek for RM Auctions]

[JamesMK]

Yes, yes and another yes

[The Hypno-Toad]

The first thing you should do when the lottery rollover numbers come in....

http://www.hrowen.co.uk/ferrari/approved-used/3191...

Go and see HR Owen.

880 miles from new.

Probably the best Ferrari ever made. More want than it is conceivably possible to measure...

[kambites]

Stylistically not a patch on the 308GTB, to my eye.

[carinaman]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OZfKAD3TOKk

Karun Chandok slips up.

[daytona365]

Nice shed. Amazing how their prices have dropped......Sorry, wrong feature !

Edited by daytona365 on Friday 2nd January 13:43

[bimbeano]

I would if i could yes ... and put another 1000 miles on it the first week of ownership .... .

[bimbeano]

I would if i could yes ... and put another 1000 miles on it the first week of ownership .... .

[RobinBanks]

I used to have a poster of one and my sister said it was ugly so I asked her to name a pretty car. She replied, "Range Rover!"

[wotnot]

My absolute all time favourite car and the very first thing I'd buy once my numbers come up.
It'll be a while before this background is changed...

[redroadster]

A truly beautiful car, not bettered by the latest designs where function over form is the new design language.

[thegreenhell]

Matt Bird said:

The second GTO after the 250, the 288 was of course made for Group B but homologated too late to compete. It therefore remained just a road car

The lack of competition history for this model isn't because it was homologated too late to compete. It was actually homologated on the 1st of June, 1985, well before the class was banned. The problem was that it was intended to run in the 4-litre class in sportscar racing (Group B was for both sportscar racing and rallying) but all the other manufacturers concentrated on the rallying side of Group B, leaving Ferrari with no one to compete against and so they just didn't bother.

[carinaman]

Did the 959 compete on circuits?

[Ecosseven]

Beautiful car. My favourite Ferrari. Small, relatively lightweight, and lovely open gate manual

[thegreenhell]

carinaman said:

Did the 959 compete on circuits?

The 961 version did, but it was homologated as a prototype so wouldn't have been competing directly with the GTO.

[6th Gear]

Bill Cosby's 288 GTO is for sale here in Dubai with under 700 miles on the clock.

http://www.tominiclassics.com/collections/82/Ferra...

Stunning car.

[Sortie 10]

A friend owned one. A classic motoring memory is when a white van man pulled up alongside us at some traffic lights, and having seen some flames from the exhausts said "Scuse me mate, your car is on fire", friend replied "thanks, but they all do this". Lights turned green, cue a further backfire & ignition of the flame throwers.

A wonderful car, & a privilege to have experienced it, shame I couldn't have got behind the wheel though!

[bimbeano]

6th Gear said:

Bill Cosby's 288 GTO is for sale here in Dubai with under 700 miles on the clock.

http://www.tominiclassics.com/collections/82/Ferra...

Stunning car.

So on this one i only have to put 700 miles on the clock the first week .... Why would you wanna own a car and then drive 700 miles in 30 years ?

[s m]

6th Gear said:

Bill Cosby's 288 GTO is for sale here in Dubai with under 700 miles on the clock.

http://www.tominiclassics.com/collections/82/Ferra...

Stunning car.

Rather than a static pic, here's a video of one

http://youtu.be/UKm-wcxkl5U

[bubney72]

Beautiful.

[AndrewD]

Absolutely gorgeous, most beautiful car I have owned: