A While back I went out with the 288 GTO, a 85 TR, a 84 Boxer and 85 Countach for some fun with the owners to do a fun comparison of what was available when the GTO came out. The GTO laid waste to this group. There was nothing in its performance envelope. Now, the 959 was sold to customers after that and having driven one, it was pretty impressive. But, by then, the F40 was starting to kick dirt in the face of the competition.... I also bring my 288 GTO to Ferrari track events from time-to-time. While on the track, the GTO passed F40s, F50s, Enzos, etc., etc. (So there is no confusion, a good driver should be faster in those cars than in a GTO. The brakes on a GTO can't keep up with those cars.) The most interesting thing, to me, was following a F40 and Challenge Stradale at Laguna Seca coming on to the main straight. The Challenge Stradale has 430 HP, more than a GTO, and no lift shifting. You just plant your right foot and pull the paddle. I didn't loose an inch to the Challenge Stradale on the straight. And I had to lift off the throttle, dip the clutch, move the gear lever through the gate, release the clutch and hit the gas again. And it still didn't loose any ground. And the GTO was a mid-80s car, not some post-2000 add as many three letter acronyms for electronic wizdary as you can type of car. Oh, the F40? The guy, I believe, missed a shift, or let us by. GTOs, though, are not without their problems. Ferrari, in my opinion, relased them before really finishing them. Otherwise, for example, they wouldn't have used unshielded wiring. This alone has accounted for untold numbers of mechanics scratching their heads as one bank of cylinders tows the other. Shield the wires, all goes away. The fuse panel is a joke, like all Ferraris of the era. You'll eventually have to take it apart and properly solder the connections. Ferrari will build you a new one, for $5500. GTO specific parts can be a bit of a challenge to find. Long term owners generally have squirelled away all sorts of hard to find parts (dash material, fuel rails, injectors, fuse panel, turbos, etc.) Then, every know and then, you get to rob a part off a "lesser" car. GTO fuel pumps have been unavailable for years. Most people just use Bosch fuel pumps these days on the cars. But, low and behold, the Maserati Bi-Turbo used the exact same, unobtainium, Marelli fuel pump (just one of them). I've been able to find perfectly fine feul pumps for GTOs off of junk yard Bi-Turbos. Cheap too. The 288 GTO is the Ferrari I've kept the longest and the only one I've never flipped. Steve
Steve's response is well put an an interesting comparo to the CS (since I have both). The GTO is actually nicer to drive on "bad" roads than the CS since its damping is much more road appropriate. It flows with the road, put it in 3rd, leave it there on a twisty road and you can surge out of bends on the turbo boost. Very addictive and it brings a huge grin. Allied to IMO one of the 2 most beautiful cars ever made, makes it a keeper, and why they are finally being recognized and trading ever closer to the magic 1m
Steve, Great write-up. But, it begs pointing out a few things: You are an above-average driver, driving an above-average GTO. See where Im gong with this? No wonder you are passing other Ferrari Supercars on the track. BTW have you met Tom Williamson? He purchased his GTO new and races it in the Historic Series. He and the car are pictured earlier in this thread. Also, you are probably one of the more experienced GTO owners out there, and we are glad to have you here as a real asset to this thread. Joe www.joesackey.com
Thank you so much for the info!! It is truly a car WAY ahead of it's time and is not even dated 20 plus yrs later. That IS a Super Ferrari. I hope to be able to see one up close one day. As I said I am new to the Ferrari world and I absolutely LOVE learning about the marquis. My first Ferrari is my Oct build 2006 F430 coupe. I have had the car 13 1/2 moths and I just passed 15,000 miles on her. Im addicted and loving it!
Just focus on the car in the background of the first image Joe www.joesackey.com Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
Cavallino 2008... Joe www.joesackey.com Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
Ferrari SpA and Ferrari North America's commitment to the Classiche Program means its here to stay... Joe www.joesackey.com Image Unavailable, Please Login
Gentlemen, I am aware of a US-spec version of the F40 (different bumpers, side markers), is there such thing as a US-spec version of the 288GTO? Or were those rules not (yet) in effect during the GTO production..? Gr. Martin
Hello Joe, Great photo of the PF Cab and 288 GTO in post 872. Did you take it? If it's not too much trouble could you email me a hi res version. Thanks, David
David, I agree its a stunning image. It was e-mailed to me by a freind from Michigan and the version I have posted is exactly how it was presented to me. Joe www.joesackey.com
Correct. The rules were in effect during GTO production but at the time the car was being conceived, Ferrari SpA did not submit any prototypes to the USA for Homologation to acheive Type Approval from the DOT for road-use (as they were to do later for the F40). Apart from the obvious expense of millions of dollars this would have cost, Ferrari's position was that the cars were truly being Homologated for competition and that remained the focus. Accordingly, USA buyers of new GTOs had to sign personal importation paperwork and the cars were essentially "factory-delivered" with the responsibility of export to the USA left to the buyer. Thats exactly the reason that majority of them were indeed collected at the factory and drove away with those EE (Escursionisti Esteri) plates affixed. Once in the USA the owner had a certain amount of time to Federalize the cars and Dick Fritz on the East Coast and Larry Englehardt on the West Coast performed most of these for the USA. They are both still around and remember many of the individual cars... Joe www.joesackey.com
Only Dick Merritt can give us an exact number and that after some detailed research but he has told me circa 40 cars came in. I estimate that 20 cars remain in the country. Joe www.joesackey.com
I wonder if they remember which ones were really federalized and which ones were "clean-piped"? Nah, that didn't happen, did it? Years ago when I verified with Dick Merrit that the GTO I was about to purchase had authentic DOT, EPA & CARB documentation he mentioned how some GTOs still had some outstanding bond issues. For some, it (probably) was just a matter of cleaning up some paperwork (this is/was the case for a well known BAR label car), for others, there seems to be an issue of whether the cars was actually certified or used another car's test results. This was really common with Countaches back in the day. Steve
Tamiya is releasing a 1:12 GTO, can't wait to get one. http://www.tamiyausa.com/product/item.php?product-id=23211 Image Unavailable, Please Login
The factory's Supercars... Joe www.joesackey.com Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
Courtesy of Mark Shannon, chassis number 54791 the 108th GTO... Joe www.joesackey.com Image Unavailable, Please Login
Yellowed halogen driving lamps on a car that lived in France... Joe www.joesackey.com Image Unavailable, Please Login
