1 Ferrari 250 GTO
Ferrari 250 GTO !!!. This is the best Ferrari ever made. As a consequence, it also became the best sports car ever made. A bit of trivia: GTO stands for “Gran Turismo Omologata,” while the 250 is displacement of each of its cylinders. It was introduced in 1962, and in 1964 its production was halted, with a total of 36 units manufactured. This Car became such a legend, that the Ferrari actually became the Car to beat in the coming years, although Porsche continued to win more than others.
Design: With a compact berlinetta design, this car is still considered as one of the most appealing Ferraris. The concept was created by Giotto Bizzarrini and his team, based on the previous chassis of the 250 GT. The 250 GTO was designed to compete in GT racing. It was based on the 250 GT SWB. Chief engineer Giotto Bizzarrini installed the 3.0 Litre V12 engine from the 250 Testa Rossa into the chassis from the 250 GT SWB and worked with designer Sergio Scaglietti to develop the body. Unlike most Ferraris, it was not designed by a specific individual or design house. The rest of the car was typical of early-1960s Ferrari technology: hand-welded tube frame, A-arm front suspension, live-axle rear end, disc brakes, and Borrani wire wheels. The five-speed gearbox was new to Ferrari GT racing cars; the metal gate that defined the shift pattern would become a tradition that is still maintained in current models. The interior was extremely basic, to the point where a speedometer was not installed in the instrument panel. Many of its switches came from the Fiat 500, and it was said that as the car was rushed into production, the original cloth seats were made from workers’ overalls. However, in next iterations all of these defects were fixed and 250 GTO became one of the most celebrated Sports Car of all time. This Ferrari looked hot as hell and still today makes people awestruck.
Performance: This jewel had an outstanding V12 engine, each cylinder displacing 250 cubic centimeters, for a total displacement of 3 liters. It was capable of producing 302 horse power, and it could accelerate from 0-60 mph (0-100 km/h) in 6.1 seconds. Remember, we are talking about a car launched in 1962. Here is a quote from Wikipedia that says it all: “In the best Ferrari tradition, it made normal drivers look excellent and gave great drivers an unsurpassable advantage.”
Chick Factor: Between Medium and High. The ladies would probably not give the deserved value to this car. They would just see it as an historical car with some good looks. If you have the opportunity, though, please teach them about the legend behind this Ferrari.
