Uploaded July 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
The Ferrari 288 GTO has been a dream car for Henry Catchpole since he was a boy in the 1980s. But he hasn’t driven one… until now. So does it live up to expectations? The 288 is the model that really brought turbocharging to Ferrari road cars (even if it wasn’t the first turbo Ferrari) and paved the way for the limited run hypercars of the future. But does it really deserve to sit alongside the F40, F50, Enzo and LaFerrari? We parked it next to all of them at Girardo & Co to ponder that very question.
The GTO (it was never called the 288 by Ferrari) also has a fascinating backstory that isn’t always reported entirely accurately. So, we delve into a design study by Leonardo Fioravanti that was the precursor to the way the 288 looks and we also make use of a Lancia LC2 and a Lancia Delta S4 to tell the story of the engine and its Group B specifications.
It’s certainly quite an engine, with 400bhp and a character that is both refined and also very motorsport. The 2.8-litre V8 only has around 2650lb (about 1200kg) to push around, so it feels much quicker than you might expect as well. And there is, of course, a fabulous open gated manual gearbox to delight in.
We hope you enjoy this latest episode on Hagerty’s YouTube channel. Given the choice, would you have a 288 GTO or would you have an F40? Let us know in the comments down below. If you would like to show your support for the channel then liking and subscribing really does help. And don’t forget that if you are in need of an insurance quote for that special car, then just click this link… hagerty.com/Henry
#Ferrari #288GTO #GTO #Turbo #V8 #ManualsMatter #Henry #Catchpole #Hagerty
Subscribe to our channel and turn on notifications! bit.ly/HagertyYouTube
Visit our website for an insurance quote, to join Hagerty Drivers Club, and for daily automotive news, cars stories, reviews, and opinion: hagerty.com
Like what you see? Watch our other series including:
Redline Rebuilds | Time-lapse engine rebuilds from start to finish bit.ly/RedlineRebuild
Barn Find Hunter | Tom Cotter searches the country for abandoned cars bit.ly/BarnFIndHunter
Jason Cammisa on the Icons | The definitive car review
bit.ly/JasonCammisaICONS
Revelations | Untold Stories About Automotive Legends with Jason Cammisa
bit.ly/JasonCammisaRevelations
The Driver's Seat with Henry Catchpole
bit.ly/HenryCatchpole
The Ferrari 288 GTO has been a dream car for Henry Catchpole since he was a boy in the 1980s. But he hasn’t driven one… until now. So does it live up to expectations? The 288 is the model that really brought turbocharging to Ferrari road cars (even if it wasn’t the first turbo Ferrari) and paved the way for the limited run hypercars of the future. But does it really deserve to sit alongside the F40, F50, Enzo and LaFerrari? We parked it next to all of them at Girardo & Co to ponder that very question.
The GTO (it was never called the 288 by Ferrari) also has a fascinating backstory that isn’t always reported entirely accurately. So, we delve into a design study by Leonardo Fioravanti that was the precursor to the way the 288 looks and we also make use of a Lancia LC2 and a Lancia Delta S4 to tell the story of the engine and its Group B specifications.
It’s certainly quite an engine, with 400bhp and a character that is both refined and also very motorsport. The 2.8-litre V8 only has around 2650lb (about 1200kg) to push around, so it feels much quicker than you might expect as well. And there is, of course, a fabulous open gated manual gearbox to delight in.
We hope you enjoy this latest episode on Hagerty’s YouTube channel. Given the choice, would you have a 288 GTO or would you have an F40? Let us know in the comments down below. If you would like to show your support for the channel then liking and subscribing really does help. And don’t forget that if you are in need of an insurance quote for that special car, then just click this link… hagerty.com/Henry
#Ferrari #288GTO #GTO #Turbo #V8 #ManualsMatter #Henry #Catchpole #Hagerty
Subscribe to our channel and turn on notifications! bit.ly/HagertyYouTube
Visit our website for an insurance quote, to join Hagerty Drivers Club, and for daily automotive news, cars stories, reviews, and opinion: hagerty.com
Like what you see? Watch our other series including:
Redline Rebuilds | Time-lapse engine rebuilds from start to finish bit.ly/RedlineRebuild
Barn Find Hunter | Tom Cotter searches the country for abandoned cars bit.ly/BarnFIndHunter
Jason Cammisa on the Icons | The definitive car review
bit.ly/JasonCammisaICONS
Revelations | Untold Stories About Automotive Legends with Jason Cammisa
bit.ly/JasonCammisaRevelations
The Driver's Seat with Henry Catchpole
bit.ly/HenryCatchpole
