Tuesday 7th November 2023

Extraordinary Ferrari 288 GTO Evoluzione for sale

Call off the search - the Holy Grail is here

---

The limited edition Ferrari production runs have become so important you’ll probably know exactly how many of your favourites were made. Just 349 F50s. 399 Enzos, plus one for the Pope. 599 599 GTOs (that’s the easy one). Plus, of course, churning out F40s like there was no tomorrow - all the way to 1,311. 

Top marks, though, for those that know the number for the 288 GTO - a mere 272. This isn’t a GTO, however, if it wasn’t abundantly clear from the outrageous design. This Ferrari is a 288 GTO Evoluzione, one of the rarest, fastest and most desirable cars ever to feature the Prancing Horse on it. Including a prototype, just six were produced. This isn’t so much automotive royalty as a four-wheeled deity. 

Though exotic and adventurous for Ferrari at the time, the standard 288 GTO wasn’t going to be competitive in Group B by the mid-1980s. Which shows how mad things were. Handily, the regulations allowed for Evolution models, where just 20 had to be made and could be renewed every year. They allowed for significant improvements to pretty much every aspect of the car so, in preparation for a Group B Circuit series, Ferrari threw everything at the GTO: the turbo V8 was overhauled to produce more than 50 per cent extra power (650hp vs 400hp), carbon bodywork slashed the weight to less than a tonne, and the wild aerodynamic add-ons boosted downforce. Nothing was left on the table in pursuit of another dominant Ferrari GTO.

Alas, it wasn’t to be. Group B was cancelled in May 1986, and the 230mph (!) Evoluzione could never be raced as intended. One car of the 20 had been finished by then, so Ferrari would hardly have been blamed for cutting its losses and leaving it there. Instead, it agreed that Michelotto (later responsible for the F40 LM) would build four more. So five production cars and one prototype, more than 35 years ago - that’s it. 

Even more amazingly, Ferrari invited the media to drive a 288 GTO Evoluzione, despite the fact it would never race and knowing there would be so few. The launch was at Imola, and served as much as anything else to show what Ferrari was capable of at the time when it came to materials like carbon fibre and Kevlar. Lots of the learnings from the Evo would be employed for the common-as-muck (relatively speaking) F40. 

This is the very car driven by the press back in 1987, chassis 79887. One of just three that were made with the circuit spec engine (another version for rallying was also created) and one of just three still in private collections - the ad states the other two are in institutions, surely unlikely to come out. This is also the only road-registered GTO Evoluzione. Some Sunday morning blast that would be. The car after this one, Evoluzione chassis 79888, was sold by RM Auctions last year, though a final sale price wasn’t published. Given everything - the provenance, the rarity, the value of 288 GTOs and the ongoing love for anything Group B-related - this must be into eight figures now. But then if the collection of ultimate Ferraris is missing that final puzzle piece, nothing else is quite going to cut it.

---

See the full ad here

 

[Cob1]

Looking at that rear end... do you think it might have had a cooling problem?

[Silvanus]

It might be rare, but it looks like a dodgy kit car.

[Wills2]

Well it's not a looker is it, bloody awful in fact.

[Slowlygettingit]

Ugly as sin though

I’ll pass

[gruntmonster]

Evolution into ugliness…

[Silvanus]

[flukey5]

Shame they had to cut up a perfectly good MR2 to make this.

[Antony Moxey]

The Ferrari dealership in Exeter had one in the window a number of years ago. It was in for some work with the front end covered in bugs - apparently the owner had just had it shipped back from a track day in Barcelona. The paint was that thin you could see the carbon fibre weave through it and opening the door (with the dealer’s permission) was like turning a page in a book, it was so light it was ridiculous. I remember the dealer saying there are only five in existence, I’m guessing he meant five others.

I saw it again at the same dealership a little while later but haven’t seen it since. Fascinating thing, and in an empty dealership midweek lovely to be able to chat to the dealer about it and take a load of photographs.

[Dohnut]

Wouldn't look out of place in the Badly Modified Cars thread.

Edit to add... You'd struggle to convince me it's a real Ferrari!

Edited by Dohnut on Monday 6th November 17:27

[GreatScott2016]

Cob1 said:

Looking at that rear end... do you think it might have had a cooling problem?

Yes that was my first thought too!

[Antj]

"Hey Carlos Fandango, what did you do with that old MR2?"

it may be rare,,,,,,,,,,but come on it looks like a dogs dinner, it looks like the definition of a homemade Ferrari replica.

[hurstg01]

Antony Moxey said:

The Ferrari dealership in Exeter had one in the window a number of years ago. It was in for some work with the front end covered in bugs - apparently the owner had just had it shipped back from a track day in Barcelona. The paint was that thin you could see the carbon fibre weave through it and opening the door (with the dealer’s permission) was like turning a page in a book, it was so light it was ridiculous. I remember the dealer saying there are only five in existence, I’m guessing he meant five others.

I saw it again at the same dealership a little while later but haven’t seen it since. Fascinating thing, and in an empty dealership midweek lovely to be able to chat to the dealer about it and take a load of photographs.

Saw it there too, out the back in the servicing area. Loved it then, lust after it still now.

Brutally gorgeous, with a purposeful stance and mean silhouette.

I'd buy it in a heartbeat if I had the means

[Bizzarini]

That chassis number belongs to Jon Hunt ex-Foxtons Estate Agents
He owns Heveningham Hall in East Suffolk
Tax the Rich YouTuber
I have written a book about the first 10 years of the Royal Concours and it is featured in there !

[Bizzarini]

Says 6 made my book says 5...LOL

[Antony Moxey]

hurstg01 said:

Antony Moxey said:

The Ferrari dealership in Exeter had one in the window a number of years ago. It was in for some work with the front end covered in bugs - apparently the owner had just had it shipped back from a track day in Barcelona. The paint was that thin you could see the carbon fibre weave through it and opening the door (with the dealer’s permission) was like turning a page in a book, it was so light it was ridiculous. I remember the dealer saying there are only five in existence, I’m guessing he meant five others.

I saw it again at the same dealership a little while later but haven’t seen it since. Fascinating thing, and in an empty dealership midweek lovely to be able to chat to the dealer about it and take a load of photographs.

Saw it there too, out the back in the servicing area. Loved it then, lust after it still now.

Brutally gorgeous, with a purposeful stance and mean silhouette.

I'd buy it in a heartbeat if I had the means

Yes, that was when it was covered in bugs. When I saw it in the window it was properly shiny. I believe the owner at the time also had an F40.

[Radec]

Rather have that kitted up Rolls.

This looks like a toy car you sent away for from a cereal box that didn't want to infringe on copyright.

[Numeric]

The 288 GTO is for me peak Ferrari - utter elegance with utter menace. I frankly don't care how it drives, I could just sit and stare.

So for me there are few cars that stray so far from to my eyes a perfect donor and deliver such a dogs dinner. The square lights at the front especially make my teeth itch.

[E90_M3Ross]

The Holy Grail sure is ugly.

[NDNDNDND]

This thread is a pretty good indicator of how few car enthusiasts there actually are on 'Pistonheads' these days...

This thing is fking epic. To think anything else is gross ignorance.

Bunch of muppets.

[Silvanus]

NDNDNDND said:

This thread is a pretty good indicator of how few car enthusiasts there actually are on 'Pistonheads' these days...

Nonsense! I think this looks terrible, how does that somehow make me not a car enthusiast? Are we supposed to all like the same things? There is a whole world of vehicles out there.