Tuesday 19th October 2010

Ferrari GTO Hits 275mph At Bonneville

288 GTO is world's fastest Ferrari - and it's 25 years old

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This is, we're told, the world's fastest Ferrari. It's a 1985 288 GTO that's hit 275.401mph at the Bonneville salt flats in Utah.

As well as being the fastest Ferrari ever, it is also now a world record holder in the 'AA/Blown Fuel Modified Sport' class (that's for cars with engines over 500 cubic inches or 8.2-litres, don't yer know...).

Sharp-brained PHers may now have spotted what's coming next - this Modenese beauty hasn't got its original motor any more. Instead, the car's creators - at Ferrari tuning shop P4 by Norwood - have dropped in an 8.8-litre GM V8 that, with the help of two Borg Warner turbos, puts out between 2000bhp and 2500bhp. A little bit more than the original managed, in other words.

Editor Chris-R reckons it's a rather exciting vehicle, but I reckon it's tantamount to a sacrilegious desecration of one of the finest Ferraris ever, a car that I pretty much worshipped at the altar of the bedroom wall poster... for shame... At least the Bonneville-bound Ferrari Enzo we reported on in August had been rebuilt from a write-off.

So, a 275mph Ferrari GTO: blasphemous or brilliant? Have a look-see at the video below and decide for yourself...

 

 

[[AJ]]

There's no denying that's a great achievement, but I have to agree with Riggers. It's such a shame to desecrate such a beautiful classic Ferrari. Ripping out it's soul and replacing it with a GM demon makes it more of a Frankenstein monster than angelic GTO.

[hornetrider]

[AJ] said:

There's no denying that's a great achievement, but I have to agree with Riggers. It's such a shame to desecrate such a beautiful classic Ferrari. Ripping out it's soul and replacing it with a GM demon makes it more of a Frankenstein monster than angelic GTO.

Absolutely plus one. This is no Ferrari.

[snorkel sucker]

hornetrider said:

[AJ] said:

There's no denying that's a great achievement, but I have to agree with Riggers. It's such a shame to desecrate such a beautiful classic Ferrari. Ripping out it's soul and replacing it with a GM demon makes it more of a Frankenstein monster than angelic GTO.

Absolutely plus one. This is no Ferrari.

Plus another. What a waste of a GTO

[GPT]

I agree, this is stupid. Weld that engine into anything slippery and you'll get the same result.

They could have at least whacked it in a Prius or something.

[lazyitus]

Yes, a shame it's one less proper 288.

But credit to the guys who have achieved this result in the best shaped body ever produced.

[Kong]

I somehow knew this would involve a chevy V8 before i even clicked

[Maldini35]

Agreed - a beautiful car ruined.

Don't care how fast it can go in a straight line with a different engine. Utterly pointless and culturally irresponsible.

[ceebmoj]

GPT said:

I agree, this is stupid. Weld that engine into anything slippery and you'll get the same result.

They could have at least whacked it in a Prius or something.

Surely there is lots of stuff out there that is far more slippery and hence would give a better result

[Mr Gearchange]

snorkel sucker said:

hornetrider said:

[AJ] said:

There's no denying that's a great achievement, but I have to agree with Riggers. It's such a shame to desecrate such a beautiful classic Ferrari. Ripping out it's soul and replacing it with a GM demon makes it more of a Frankenstein monster than angelic GTO.

Absolutely plus one. This is no Ferrari.

Plus another. What a waste of a GTO

+1. What a complete and utter waste of a classic, rare and wonderful sports car. Once you replace the engine with a lump of GM Pig Iron then it ceases to be a Ferrari.

WTF could they not drop the engine into something else?

[BBS-LM]

2000-Bhp and only 275-mph, not really that impressive when you consider the Bugatti Veyron had half the power and can do 256-Mph, I thought with 2000-bhp they could have got 300-Mph out of the car? Don't even get me started on putting a bloody GM V8 in a Ferrari.

[GTRene]

I like it, even with that other engine
its the package, also a nice silhouette such GTO.

[TommyBuoy]

Mr Gearchange said:

snorkel sucker said:

hornetrider said:

[AJ] said:

There's no denying that's a great achievement, but I have to agree with Riggers. It's such a shame to desecrate such a beautiful classic Ferrari. Ripping out it's soul and replacing it with a GM demon makes it more of a Frankenstein monster than angelic GTO.

Absolutely plus one. This is no Ferrari.

Plus another. What a waste of a GTO

+1. What a complete and utter waste of a classic, rare and wonderful sports car. Once you replace the engine with a lump of GM Pig Iron then it ceases to be a Ferrari.

WTF could they not drop the engine into something else?

+1 again. There are probably plenty of better cars to fit it in anyway, don't see why they would use a classic; and expensive, car.

Top marks for the engineering though.

[gib786]

TommyBuoy said:

Mr Gearchange said:

snorkel sucker said:

hornetrider said:

[AJ] said:

There's no denying that's a great achievement, but I have to agree with Riggers. It's such a shame to desecrate such a beautiful classic Ferrari. Ripping out it's soul and replacing it with a GM demon makes it more of a Frankenstein monster than angelic GTO.

Absolutely plus one. This is no Ferrari.

Plus another. What a waste of a GTO

+1. What a complete and utter waste of a classic, rare and wonderful sports car. Once you replace the engine with a lump of GM Pig Iron then it ceases to be a Ferrari.

WTF could they not drop the engine into something else?

+1 again. There are probably plenty of better cars to fit it in anyway, don't see why they would use a classic; and expensive, car.

Top marks for the engineering though.

+ another one. Why ruin such a iconic car, yes the work they put in is amazing but its just not right

[Galsia]

They should have just put the engine in a 308 instead.

[vetteheadracer]

Waste of a good crate motor if you ask me, dropping it in a written off old Fiat.

[hairyben]

A GM powered ferrari. Next week, the colleseum gets a makeover with some smart fake stone cladding.

[TommyBuoy]

vetteheadracer said:

Waste of a good crate motor if you ask me, dropping it in a written off old Fiat.

Ha ha, I resent the GTO being used a bit more, but it is a shame they didn't use a slippery American car, it would seem right.

I've played about on Google, but I can't find anything - what is the Drag Cd of the 288 GTO - I realise it is very low which decreases the value, but what was it at standard height?

[Andysywv]

I wonder what they did with the original engine ?

[jontysafe]

Maldini35 said:

Agreed - a beautiful car ruined.

Don't care how fast it can go in a straight line with a different engine. Utterly pointless and culturally irresponsible.

^ this.

[P4ROT]

Bloody Americans