GTS Turbo

There's a couple of guys on here who own them.

It's basically a 328 with a sleeved-down block and a turbo added on. Most of your running costs are going to be similar, as it has the same timing belts and such. Some of the turbo-specific parts are still available from Ferrari UK

 

Hi,

Ferrari came up with the 208 series in the 80s in order to let the Italian customers avoid the 38% VAT rate that applied on every car over 2000cc.
(a nice gift from the comunists garbage)

Hence, Ferrari produced the 208 purely for the Italian market between 1980 and 1989. There are 3 series, respectively based on the 308 available at the time.

1980 - the 208GTB/GTS
Exterior: very similar to the 308i
Interior: as the 308i
Engine: a 1990cc 150BHP version of the 308i
Production data: GTB: 160 GTS: 140
Value: around 15K euro for an immaculate car

1982 - the 208 GTB/GTS Turbo
Exterior: same as the 308 Qv but a couple of NACA intakes and spoilers here and there. The front intakes were black painted.
Interior: same as the 308Qv but a turbo pressure gauge that replaced the clock on the central console close to the oil temp.
Engine: a KKK Turbo and K-Jetronic injection system were added for a total output of 220BHP. The big brother it derives from is still the 2valves 308i engine.
Production data: GTB: 437 GTS: 250
Value: around 25K euro for an immaculate car

1986 - the 208 GTB/GTS Turbo (officially they were branded only GTB/GTS Turbo)
Exterior: same as the 328 but a couple of NACA intakes and spoilers here and there. The rear spoiler was black painted
Interior: same as the 328 but a turbo pressure gauge was added between the main instruments for a total number of five: tacho, speedo, oil pressure, turbo pressure and water temp. The oil temp, fuel level and clock were located in the very same position of the 328.
Engine: a IHI Turbo, a BEHR Intercooler and a new injection system were added for a total output of 255BHP. The big brother it derives from is still the 2valves 308i engine.
Production Data: GTB: 308 GTS: 828
Value: around 30K euro for an immaculate car

Drive experience:

208 > never driven myself but a friend of my dad bought it in march 1981 and sold it the very next month. An awful car.

208 Turbo > never driven myself but I heard she was the ultimate raw experience back in 1982/1983. The Qv with her 240BHP and much more torque was an easier and a much more civilized car to drive, but the 208 turbo was pure fun! Unfortunately, she does not have an intercooler and that means that performances are really up to the weather conditions and that the cabin is very very hot!


GTB/GTS Turbo > I drove both the GTS turbo and the 328 GTS few years ago. Both were made in 1986 and both were in a better than new condition - the turbo was slightly beefed up with a special ECU , a custom rebuilt IHI turbo, a different waste gate, special manifolds and a special exhaust for a total output of 285BHP. The 328 was completely stock.
So here is what I experienced:
The turbo is a very nasty car. Both cars like to oversteer but whilst the 328 is much easier to predict and control the turbo is a real *****. When the turbo kicks in, the rear wheels start to spin until you shift into the 3rd gear! Not to mention that if you’re travelling at around 4000rpm and you suddenly floor the throttle in the middle of a curve... you do a nice 360! If you “torture” the throttle it might happen with the 328 as well, but rahter than a 360 is more likely to happen a very impressive oversteering that you can control.
Generally, the 328’s power is much more linear. It peaks early and it stays there. The Turbo (and this Turbo in particular) is completely different: the turbo lag is impressive and below 3000rpm the experience is the same you can get from a Daewoo Matiz. From 3000 to 3500 the monster gets awake and after that is pure fun! It peaks until 6500rpm and than it suddenly dies. Finally, the sound: the 328’s sound is well known to this board, besides this car was stock and therefore a bit quiet for me. The Turbo sounds like jet a fighter! At idle she’s a bit funny, becuase she delivers a sound that you wont’ expect from a Ferrari. But when you floor the throttle... weeeeeaaaaaafsscchhhh
The GTS Turbo is definitely a car to buy. The maintenance is the same as for every Ferrari: very expensive! Compared to the 308/328 is not much more expensive but the KKK and the IHI are not very reliable on the long run (especially if the car has been driven hard). As a rule, I would say that the best thing is to rebuild it as soon as you buy the car. I don’t own a Turbo, so cannot help you with figures!

CM

 

208 GTB Turbo.