The rarely known figure of the Ferrari F40's forerunner racing car

Rare ONES - As we all know, the Italian prancing horse logoed automaker is very sticked with many high-performance car products and world's sports racing since its early founding years. You can named it there're many high performance steds made by this Italian automotive breder emerged to race in various racing events to these days.

The Ferrari 308 GT/M IMSA is the first non-monoposto Ferrari to have a carbon kevlar composite body on a tubular frame built and developed by Michelotto based on a design sketch made by Boniolo Design in 1981. (Picture from: AllcarIndex)

Moreover it was the 1970s to 1980s the Maranello-based manufacturer was in an intense competition atmosphere that required huge funding and the necessary technical, logistical demands as well to compete in the top echelons of Formula One at the time.

This 1980s FIA Group B racing car was designated Ferrari 308 GT/M, with the “M” denoting Michelotto. (Picture from: Wikipedia)

Thus, in other racing events, Ferrari is not seen taking part officially, and is only represented by a row of racing cars specially made by a number of coachbuilders who have been approved by those prancing horse logoed automaker to built several racing cars based on Ferrari's production version car models.

The Ferrari 308 GT/M IMSA's body was purposefully aggressive with short front and rear overhangs. (Picture from: Saxonparts)

And one of those coachbuilders was Carrozzieri Michelotto which known before prepared many rally winning Lancia Stratos, fitted with the same engine as the Dino 246. And another racing cars was built by this Padova-based small officina of that periods which also not less phenomenal, but not much was known to the public before named Ferrari 308 GT/M IMSA.

The Ferrari 308 GT/M IMSA featured with the mid-mounted V8 engine turned from the road-car’s transverse placement to a new longitudinal position within the tubular chassis for ease of access to the engine and gearbox. (Picture from: Saxonparts)

This is the first non-monoposto Ferrari to have a carbon kevlar composite body on a tubular frame built and developed by Michelotto based on a design sketch made by Boniolo Design in 1981. The racing car intended to be competed in the FIA ​​Group B by taking the basic Ferrari 308 GTB concept to the extreme with the mid-mounted V8 engine turned from the road-car’s transverse placement to a new longitudinal position within the tubular chassis for ease of access to the engine and gearbox.

The Ferrari 308 GT/M IMSA also featured with radically flared rear fenders, a tall rear wing, and plenty of cooling vents. (Picture from: MenuDeiMotori.eu)

Furthermore the car powered by an 3-litre V8 engine, fitted with four-valve per cylinder heads, Bosch K-Jetronic injection and dry sump, developed 310 bhp at 8,000 rpm. The transmission consisted of a very fast non-syncro five-speed gearbox and a limited slip (80 ZF rear end). The ventilated discs were fitted with four-piston Brembo calipers and the power assistance had been removed.

The Ferrari 308 GT/M IMSA only raced once at the 1984 Monza International Rally, which the car should be out of race earlier after had suffered technical problems. (Picture from: UltimateCarPage)

It is thought that three of these cars were constructed during 1984 to 1986, two were constructed by Carrozzieri Michelotto themselves and a further car was assembled in the Netherlands from parts. The only race that they contested was the 1984 Monza International Rally, which the car should be out of race earlier after had suffered technical problems which put it out of serious running further.

Despite this, the 308 IMSA stands out in the annals of Ferrari as one of the important sted models because it is directly related to the birth of several models such as the 288 GTO followed by 288 GTO Evoluzione and the end as the key to the styling of the Ferrari F40. *** [EKA | FROM VARIOUS SOURCES | MICHELOTTO | CHRISTIES | SAXONPARTS ]

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