A tribute to the Ferrari that went rally racing? We’re listening.
Italian brand AC Motorsport has unveiled a modern take on the iconic Ferrari 308, created in partnership with local engineering and racing car firm Michelotto. The car, badged the Michelotto Gruppo 4 Tributo, prioritizes a pure driving experience rather than earth-shattering performance like so many other new exotics.
Francesco Calzavara founded AC Motorsport just two years ago after working at Michelotto. The Gruppo 4 Tributo looks very much like a restomodded 308, but it’s a new car built around a custom tubular chassis with lightweight composite panels. We’d argue Ferrari designers have lost their way in recent years, giving us odd-looking supercars like the 849 Testarossa and F80. By comparison, this 308 tribute looks just about perfect.
The car’s overall shape and footprint closely match the original. The nose sits low with a blacked-out grille, horizontal DRLs, and pop-up headlights. Just like a 308, there are also gills and vents on the hood and front quarter panels, though a set of flared fenders makes the Gruppo 4 Tributo look far more aggressive.
Powered by a 3.4-liter V8 with 380 hp
AC Motorsport and Michelotto have also nailed the design brief at the sides, crafting striking rocker panels, a large intake behind the doors, and a set of star-shaped wheels clad in Pirelli tires. The rear end is also much like the 308 and sports a huge clamshell, black grilles, dual exhausts, an exposed carbon fiber diffuser, and four circular taillights.
As impressive as the car’s design is, it’s the promised powertrain that has us really excited. The car features a naturally aspirated 3.4-liter V8 producing 380 horsepower and 269 pound-feet of torque, mated exclusively to a dog-leg manual transmission. While the peak horsepower and torque figures aren’t extraordinary, the car’s 950 kg curb weight (2,094 lbs) is worth celebrating. Modern cars are heavy, negatively impacting every performance metric. At 950 kg, the Gruppo 4 Tributo is 140 kg lighter than the original.
Michelotto
The car’s interior is quite simple and, at least in this prototype, somewhat at odds with the exterior design. The dashboard is flat and carbon fiber, with a large screen in front of the driver and a bunch of physical switches and dials across the center. Other key features include a three-spoke steering wheel, a simple metal gated shifter, and carbon fiber racing seats. The cabin certainly isn’t as stylish as the carbon fiber bodywork, but it at least seems functional.
Wondering where the car gets its name from? Well, the original Ferrari 308 GTB spawned several rally versions, including Group 4 specification models that were built by Michelotto and raced in the World Rally Championship. There’s no word on when this new model will go on sale or how much it will cost.
Michelotto
