How much would you pay for this mint Ferrari 288 GTO Evoluzione?

This is an extremely rare Ferrari. Not in the way that all Ferraris are rare either. In fact, only five examples of the 288 GTO Evoluzione survived to this day, and this utterly mint one is about to be sold via sealed bids by RM Sotheby’s. 

But hang on, let’s backtrack a little, because the 288 GTO Evoluzione does look like a very strange mix of 288 GTO and F40, doesn’t it?

That’s because it was originally designed as a Group B sports car racing version of the 288 GTO, but when those regs were scrapped in 1986 the project was shelved and one Evoluzione was used as a prototype for the road-going F40. 

It’s a shame we never got to see the Evo race though, for it would have been rather mighty indeed. It was the last GT racing Ferrari to receive direct input from Enzo, and its twin-turbo 2.9-litre V8 made a massive 650bhp. Combine that with carbon, fibreglass and Kevlar bodywork for a 940kg kerb weight and you get a bonkers race car with a near-as-makes-no-difference 230mph top speed.

The car you see above is chassis number 79888 – the fourth of the five remaining cars and the one which was originally delivered to Belgian racing driver Jean “Beurlys” Blaton. Records also show that at one point it was owned by current Aston Martin overlord Lawrence Stroll.

Need more convincing to pop a bid in? Well, this car has just been in for a service and a bit of a refurb with Michelotto, the bill for which came in at a frankly staggering €133,000. Ouch. 

Guess that gives some indication of its final price tag...