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Maggiore GranTurismO: a tribute to the Ferrari 288 GTO
Written by Daniel Andzhurov – September 12, 2022
Reviewed by Asaf Kedem
600 hp from a V8 unit, a manual transmission and a base Ferrari 308 sounds exciting!
Say hello to the Maggiore GranTurismO. Haven't you heard of it? It doesn't matter, you'll love the basic ingredients of this car in any case: mid-engine, rear-wheel drive, retractable headlights and a breathtakingly beautiful body. But of course, that's not the whole story. What you see in the pictures started its life as a 'regular' Ferrari 308 (or 208 or 328 – they all use the same chassis). The Automobili Maggiore creation is a spectacular tribute to the Ferrari 288 GTO. And to its creator, Nikola Materazzi.
The chassis of the 308 has been largely restored and strengthened. It was then fitted with a new aluminum suspension and Brembo racing brakes. The unit has 600 hp, is mounted longitudinally and is combined with a 6-speed manual gearbox. The 308's V8 is probably Ferrari's most modified engine. It has been experimented with for decades.
It started with the V6 racing engine of Alfredo "Dino" Ferrari, whose path can be seen in the road cars Ferrari Dino, Fiat Dino and Lancia Stratos. They put two more cylinders in it and installed it in Ferrari's wedge-shaped models – 308, 208 and Mondial. Later it got fuel injection and four valves per cylinder. Then Nicola Materazzi entered the game, putting a turbine on the V8 unit and producing the 208 and 328 Turbo, and also, the 288 GTO.
Unfortunately, the father of the 288 GTO and the F40 passed away a few days before his latest project debuted at the Hampton Court Palace Concours. Gianluca Maggiore, the founder of Automobili Maggiore, says: “Our biggest regret is not being able to share this moment with the man behind this project. Therefore, the car is a tribute to one of the greatest engineers and designers in the automotive world.”
Auto Trendy’s take:
From our point of view, the Maggiore GranTurismO is one of the most special Italian cars ever built. The history related to it and the limitation of only 19 cars made makes this vehicle even more special. It is a piece of art and we expect it to cost accordingly. However, we must still wait to get hold of that information, and share it with you.
