Maturo Ferrari 308 Restomod

Ferrari has been making world headlines this week, and not for the right reasons. The company’s first-ever electric vehicle, the Luce, has been universally derided for its lack lustre appearance. So it would seem the timing of the Maturo Ferrari 308 restomod was right on the money.

Dutch specialist Maturo Competition Cars landed its name on the world stage when it created restomod version of a firm fan favourite, the Lancia Delta Integrale. You can read about that limited-edition car at this link. And the Maturo Ferrari 308 restomod is the next step for the small-scale outfit.

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Looking Back to Group B

To understand why Maturo’s 308 restomod includes a rally slant, one must understand Group B rally racing. Group B was designed to be the most extreme rallying category ever conceived. Regulations required only 200 road-legal cars to be produced allowing manufacturers to create wildly powerful machines with minimal restrictions on turbocharging or engineering.

The results were legendary—and dangerous. Cars such as the Ford RS200, Lancia Delta S4, and Peugeot 205 T16 produced massive power from tiny engines, featured all-wheel drive, and had a indecent levels of pace over any surface. However, the combination of power, increasing speeds, and insufficient safety measures led to serious accidents. In 1986, following the death of driver Henri Toivonen in a Lancia Delta S4 crash, the FIA banned Group B entirely.

Ferrari’s Forgotten 308 Rally

For a team with an enviable record in F1, few know of the company’s off-roading adventures. Several teams approached Ferrari in the late 1970s requesting a rally version of the popular 308. Racing specialists Michelotto began preparing road-going 308s for competition, creating the successful 308 GTB rally version with the blessing of HQ.

Michelotto even went as far as developing a Group B version of the 308 GTB. Plans existed for an even more radical turbocharged variant. But the plan was shelved with the end of Group B. The engineering wasn’t wasted though—much flowed into the Ferrari 288 GTO and eventually helped with the creation of the legendary F40.

Making Old New Again

It is the most extreme 308 that Maturo is aiming to emulate. The Ferrari, which won over millions of fans as the ride of ‘Magnum PI’ in the hit TV show of the same name, is given a new lease on life, an extension of the ‘what-if’ scenario had the Group B 308 conquered the world of rallying.

Every donor car, of which there will be just 10, is stripped down to bare metal. The superstructure is then reinforced with 150 additional welds and an integrated roll cage, giving the car much needed extra strength. The arches are also flared to match the rally car’s and to accommodate wider tyres fitted on period-looking alloys.

More Powwaaahhh

While the body is undergoing its rejuvenation, Maturo strips and rebuilds the 3,0-litre V8. The naturally aspirated unit jumps from about 185 to 300 kW. The power bump comes from new camshafts, modern ignition, a redesigned intake, and a Capristo exhaust.

The five-speed manual gearbox is retained. However it gets stronger internals, shorter rally-inspired ratios, and a limited-slip differential. Suspension duties are handled by TracTive electronically adjustable dampers. This allows drivers to set the ride quality at the press of a button.

In an era of increasing hybridisation and electrification, the Maturo Ferrari 308 restomod is a welcome tonic, drawing on evocative shapes that created a legion of fans.