Ferrari 244 GTK: a beastly Ferrari 308 GTB boosted to 1000 hp by a Honda engine!

In the world of tuning/restomods, there are two schools of thought: the "anything goes" school, and the "respect the past" school! Depending on your point of view, a Ferrari with a Honda engine is seen as either brilliant or sacrilegious.

The Ferrari 308: the first V8 sedan

Regardless of whether the build took over two years or whether the finished product is magnificent, this extensively modified 308 was built by Mike Burroughs of StanceWorks, a well-known tuner in the field, in order to enter it in the World Time Attack Challenge Australia.

Mike set his sights on a yellow 1981 Ferrari 308 GTBi, which he deemed "underpowered, too heavy and too expensive", and set about making it lighter and faster. The aim was to build a Ferrari Time Attack. Originating in Japan, these events are fast-lap competitions, or "hotlaps" as they're known in racing game jargon.

What had to happen happened: goodbye to Maranello's 2.9-liter V8, and make way for the "swap", the famous engine replacement! Using a turbocharged Honda K24 engine, Mike fabricated many of the Ferrari's parts, including the oil lines for the dry sump and the cooling systems.  

8 or 4 cylinders?

In addition to the custom suspension, bodywork and chassis, the heart of the car is now a 2.4-liter Honda K24 engine. Admittedly, we're going from 8 to 4 cylinders, but we're gaining in terms of power and, above all, weight. Supercharging comes from a Garrett G42-1000 turbo and is controlled by a Haltech Nexus R5 system, with feedback on a dashboard. A 5-speed Quaife competition sequential gearbox is used. Finally, the car is braked by AP Racing Pro 5000R brakes.

The original 2.9-liter 90° V8, the F106AB, developed 255 hp at 7,700 rpm with its four Weber twin-barrel carburetors, but when Ferrari replaced the Weber carburetors with fuel injection with the GTBi in 1980, to comply with American anti-pollution standards, power fell to just 214 hp. At first glance, does it make sense to replace the V8 with a 2.4-liter Honda K24 engine from an Acura TSX, rated at 205 hp?

Except that converting the Japanese engine is much easier, while the cost of developing the original Italian engine is absolutely absurd. There's also the question of weight: removing four cylinders obviously means a lighter vehicle. And don't forget to consider reliability, accessibility of accessories and, of course, price. Forged products and turbo components cost money, sure, but when the starting price of your engine is just 700 $, you've got some money left over to play with.

Power multiplied by 4.5!

In low-supercharger mode, the engine is rated at 640 hp at the rear wheels, but it is planned to push this to 1000 hp. The chassis, however, struggled to cope with such power. Needless to say, this is a car of exceptional quality, which even the most ardent Ferrari enthusiast would reluctantly acknowledge as impressive.

The Honda-powered Ferrari 308 GTB looks resolutely assertive with its body kit supplied by another well-known name in tuning, Liberty Walk. The 308 resembles the body-built monsters of the IMSA GTO class of the late '80s, such as the Audi 90 Quattro, with its widened fenders, wide front air intake, side skirts and imposing rear spoiler. Weighing in at 1180 kg, it is fitted with a full roll cage and safety equipment, not forgetting, of course, beefier tires than the original, which wouldn't handle the extra power.

A few setbacks...

Obviously, the first competition was the one in which we wiped the slate clean. The car, officially called the Ferrari 244 GTK, was entered in the Open Turbocharged class of the 2023 World Time Attack Challenge and finished a long way from the best. On his return to the USA, Burroughs took the Ferrari to the Global Time Attack final at Buttonwillow Raceway Park in California. While the shakedown went off without a hitch, the first day of competition ended badly. During one lap, the engine decided to drop a connecting rod through the aluminum oil pan, destroying other expensive parts in the process. Ouch, has Ferrari decided to punish Burroughs for his swap?

This 244 GTK is back in the news. A new partnership with Falken has put this "Ferronda" back in the running, and a new livery has already been unveiled. It has taken part in Time Attack events in the USA, including Gridlife. We're keeping a close eye on Stanceworks' next project, an "F40 EVO", which promises to be a real showstopper.