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Watch this Ferrari 288 GTO get a top-flight detailing job

Jonathon Ramsey — Wed, 02 Jan 2013 12:45:00 EST

Filed under: Coupe, Performance, Etc., Videos, Ferrari, Luxury

Detailing was once the last thing we had any interest in doing, and if such a thing were possible we had even less interest in watching someone else detail some other car. We don't feel that way anymore, fascinated by the minutiae uncovered in while watching Todd Cooperider and Polished Bliss detail some examples of Prancing Horses.

Next up on the detailing honor roll is Larry Kosilla of Ammo NYC. Company founder Kosilla said he has wanted to be the best detailer on Earth ever since he was a kid, and his company makes products to serve detailers with that kind of passion. Now, we can watch him put his knowledge and elbow grease to work on a Ferrari 288 GTO.

The biggest issue with the eighties wondercoupe is that it is made of three different materials, each of which will cause the same coat of paint to react differently to the same products according to Kosilla. There's also the fact that he's working in what appears to be a rather poorly lit garage, but by the time he gets to the end of the two-day job it's clear he knows exactly what he's doing. Detailing school begins in the video just below.

Continue reading Watch this Ferrari 288 GTO get a top-flight detailing job

Watch this Ferrari 288 GTO get a top-flight detailing job originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 02 Jan 2013 12:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: When Group B monsters roamed the earth

Jeff Glucker — Tue, 04 Jan 2011 19:58:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Videos, Audi, Porsche, Ferrari, Renault, Peugeot, Lancia

Group B monsters in action - Click above to watch video after the jump

Though it only existed for four short years, Group B racing has continued to captivate fans of all ages. From 1982 through 1986, motorsports enthusiasts around the world gathered en masse to watch Lancia, Audi, Renault and Peugeot battle for supremacy. Ferrari and Porsche even got in on the action with the legendary 288 GTO and 959, respectively. The cars were lightweight, powerful and sounded like they built in Hell by the Devil himself. In other words, the cars were a sight to behold and a treat to the ears. They were also incredibly dangerous.

Large groups of people stood on the edge of the road as the beasts rumbled by at triple-digit speeds. Accidents happened and there were a number of fatal incidents for both drivers and viewers alike. In 1986, the FIA banned Group B cars, but the legendary vehicles are still held in high regard. If you need a refresher, roar past the jump to watch the Group B monsters in action.

Once you've watched the clip, sound off in the comments and let us know what you think would be the most terrifying vehicle to try and pilot. Group B cars are near the top of the list but we're sure you can think of some others... Top Fuel Dragsters, board-track racers, land-speed record streamliners...

[Source: YouTube]

Continue reading Video: When Group B monsters roamed the earth

Video: When Group B monsters roamed the earth originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 04 Jan 2011 19:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: 1985 288 GTO lays claim to World's Fastest Ferrari with 275.4 mph run

Zach Bowman — Mon, 18 Oct 2010 14:58:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Classics, Coupe, Videos, Ferrari, Racing

World's Fastest Ferrari - Click above to watch video after the jump

We've seen a lot of special action from the Bonneville Salt Flats this year, but this just about takes the cake. The guys from P4 by Norwood, a Ferrari tuning shop, are laying claim to the title of the World's Fastest Ferrari with a record run of 275.4 mph averaged over two sprints. Using a stock-bodied 1985 288 GTO, owner Steve Trafton managed to snag not only the title of world's fastest Ferrari, but the world's fastest sports car (AA/BFMS) at the same time. The Prancing Horse beat out the previous record holder by just over 3 mph.

Interestingly enough, Thrafton skipped using a high-dollar Italian mill for this car's beating heart. Instead, there's a 540 cubic-inch big block General Motors V8 wedged down into that slinky body. Two Borg Warner 80-mm turbos help shove a full 17 pounds of boost into the eight-pot. Thrafton isn't saying exactly how much power the car is laying down, but it has to be enough to move a planet on command if need be. Hit the jump to watch the Ferrari do what it does best on the Utah salt.

[Sources: Seattle Post Intelligencer, YouTube]

Continue reading Video: 1985 288 GTO lays claim to World's Fastest Ferrari with 275.4 mph run

Video: 1985 288 GTO lays claim to World's Fastest Ferrari with 275.4 mph run originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 18 Oct 2010 14:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Rumormill: Ferrari 599 GTO? EVO says 700-hp bruiser is on the way

Jonny Lieberman — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 19:27:00 EST

Filed under: Coupe, Performance, Europe, Ferrari, Rumormill

Ferrari 599XX - click above for hi-res image gallery

Few words have greater impact when mashed together than "Ferrari" and "GTO." While there are rivals at times, the most expensive car in the word for the last three decades has been the original, Daytona Coupe battling, Le Mans winning Ferrari 250 GTO. Designed by Giotto Bizzarrini and raced into history by Phil Hill, few cars wear the moniker "legendary" quite as well. After all, only 39 were ever made.

But, like Leah, there is another. The mighty Ferrari 288 GTO. Developed -- like Porsche's 959 and 961 -- for Group B action, few if any cars set our hearts so totally on fire. Know nothings might scoff at the 2.85-liter displacement, but those of us in the know will point to the two turbochargers, two intercoolers and 400 stampeding horses. We might even tell them that if they turned the boost pressure up from 11.6 psi to something a bit higher, 600 hp is well within reach. However, the 288 GTO isn't, as just 272 examples (though some say 273) were made. Compare that to the 1,315 Ferrari F40s that were built. A car we should point out, that's basically a 288 GTO with a body kit.

Now there might be three. EVO is reporting that Ferrari is about to let loose a new GTO upon the world in the form of a 700 horsepower monster called the 599 GTO. Obviously, it's an evolution of the street 599, and in fact EVO's claiming it's the racetrack only 599XX for the street. During a recent interview, Ferrari CEO Amedeo Felisa told the Brit mag that when the 458 Italia debuted, the 599 was internally reassigned to the "Sports Car" division, instead of where it used to reside, as a "GT."

More interestingly, should it come to fruition, the 599 GTO will have specs to make Enzo owners smack their own foreheads. 700 hp will come from the raising the 6.0-liter V12's redline to a stunning 9,000 rpm. A faster transmission should shave gear change times down from 100 milliseconds to an essentially F1 quick 60 milliseconds. And it will be light. Everything should add up to a 3.2 second dash to 60 mph and an Enzo-matching top speed of 217 mph. Though if the 599 GTO went a little bit faster than that, we wouldn't be all that surprised. Tip of the Ferrari branded $50 Kimi Räikkönen baseball cap (no, really) to Kevin!

Gallery: Geneva 2009: Ferrari 599xx

[Source: EVO]

Rumormill: Ferrari 599 GTO? EVO says 700-hp bruiser is on the way originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 06 Jan 2010 19:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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