Ferrari 288 GTO vs Porsche 959 (video included)

We’re going back to the 1980s. Exactly between 1984 and 1988, a period in which two of the most glorious supercars of all time were produced: Ferrari 288 GTO and Porsche 959. Now, in 2010, it’s time for them to face off once again.

At least that’s what the guys at EVO magazine have decided. I think the ideal would have been to pit the F40 against the 959 since their production periods overlap better (the GTO ran from 1984 to 1985, the F40 from 1987 to 1992, and the 959 from 1986 to 1988). Either way, the GTO is the development basis of the F40 and one of the Ferrari most beautiful in history.

Before you watch the videos I’ve included below, I’ll give you a series of technical data so you can get to know better what we have on our hands. The Ferrari GTO, successor to the 308 GTB, has a 2,855 cc twin-turbo V8 engine. It produces 400 CV of maximum power and can accelerate from 0-100 km/h in under 5 seconds. It does 0-200 km/h in exactly 15 seconds and its top speed is 305 km/h. These figures are still spectacular even today.

Its opponent, the Porsche 959, the sublimation of the 911 concept. Only 367 units were produced, which makes it a very exclusive car, and it incorporated the most advanced technology available at the time: it was the first modern sports car to use all-wheel drive, it was the basis for the first Porsche Carrera 4, and it laid the foundations for all 911 Turbos from that point onward to have four-wheel drive. Its engine is a 6-cylinder boxer with 2,850 cc. Maximum power is 450 CV, and it covers 0-100 km/h in 3.9 seconds. But there’s more: 0-200 km/h in under 14 seconds and a top speed of 320 km/h. Wow! There’s no other way to describe it. Remember that this was happening more than 20 years ago.

Without further ado, here are the 2 Chris Harris videos and the corresponding photos for you to enjoy just as we did.