zzdcar
Home
/
Reviews
/
Racing
/
Spend The Next Ten Minutes In An Untouchably Expensive Vintage Racing Ferrari 250 GTO
Spend The Next Ten Minutes In An Untouchably Expensive Vintage Racing Ferrari 250 GTO-July 2024
2024-02-19 EST 22:10:50

Image for article titled Spend The Next Ten Minutes In An Untouchably Expensive Vintage Racing Ferrari 250 GTO

It’s Friday, people! Act like it! Kick off your weekend by riding onboard with Marino Franchitti in an authentically-recreated Ferrari 250 GTO for a few laps of the Goodwood circuit. Obviously this is the kind of experience that very few people in the world get to enjoy, because most of us aren’t as talented behind the wheel as Marino Franchitti is. But that doesn’t mean we can’t sit over his right shoulder and enjoy a fierce battle as he spends a stint of this race right up the chuff of a TVR Grantura and a Bizzarini 5300GT.

The 250 GTO is a recreation of the extremely rare Series II car, built with exacting detail to the original over ten years—finishing in 2008—and used extensively since. The real deal would cost someone several handfuls of millions of dollars, so it makes a lot of sense to run an exact replica, even a quite expensive one, in vintage racing, rather than risk the real thing. And I’m quite glad they did.

This is a wonderful ten minutes of video, despite little actually happening in the form of on-track passing. I don’t know who was driving that Grantura, but they’re wicked quick in the thing. That the whole dance is set to the glorious high-revolution sounds of a wailing Ferrari V12 only helps amplify the incredibility of it all.

It’s flat out from the chicane across start/finish, nearly making it to the top of fourth gear before feathering the throttle through Madgwick. The Ferrari catches its rivals quite nicely here with mid-corner speed. Onto the straight, there’s a shift into fifth, and hard down on the accelerator for just a second before breathing through Fordwater. Down to fourth and scrub some speed with a drift from the tail at St. Mary’s. Hard back on it, then down to third to negotiate Lavant. Upshift, upshift, dodge the grass on the left, then let it sing until you get to Woodcote. Second is necessary for the chicane, and you’re back across the line.

Astonishing stuff. I could watch it again and again.

Comments
Welcome to zzdcar comments! Please keep conversations courteous and on-topic. To fosterproductive and respectful conversations, you may see comments from our Community Managers.
Sign up to post
Sort by
Show More Comments
Racing
NHRA Explosions Are The Stuff Of Nightmares
NHRA Explosions Are The Stuff Of Nightmares
Explosions aren’t great, especially when they happen behind the wheel of a car. But NHRA explosions are their own wacky, terrifying thing. Just watch that car go boom at more than 330 mph! That does not look like an ideal Friday evening. This explosion came from Courtney Force’s Funny Car...
Jul 9, 2026
Cars Will Still Race In Detroit This Weekend Despite The Protests Against It
Cars Will Still Race In Detroit This Weekend Despite The Protests Against It
Welcome to the Jalopnik , where we let you know what’s going on in the world of racing, where you can see it, and where you can talk about it all in one convenient place. Where else would you want to spend your weekend? Detroit is the popular place to...
Jul 9, 2026
How To Watch The Baja 500 Today
How To Watch The Baja 500 Today
Good morning race fans! The 2017 Baja 500 is underway, motorcycles are storming the course and the fastest four-wheeled vehicles will be following close behind soon enough. . Meanwhile, here’s where to keep tabs on the action live. SCORE, the sanctioning body that runs the Baja 500 and a few...
Jul 9, 2026
Bask In The Glory Of Awesome Sports Cars Racing In Detroit
Bask In The Glory Of Awesome Sports Cars Racing In Detroit
This weekend, a pack of IMSA’s best took to the Raceway at Belle Isle Park, and I was on the ground to cover the action. There were plenty of fast cars just begging to be photographed, so, naturally, I did. I picked out a selection of shots you may or...
Jul 9, 2026
Brighten Your Afternoon With This Glorious, Glowing Corvette That'll Race At Le Mans
Brighten Your Afternoon With This Glorious, Glowing Corvette That'll Race At Le Mans
Over the years, BMW’s art cars have been... interesting. For instance, last year’s car in a strangely narcissistic, minimalist way. The most recent . But this art car from Team Larbre Competition for the 24 Hours of Le Mans just blew BMW out of the water. The team shared photos...
Jul 9, 2026
Monaco Races Rock When The Cars Can Actually Pass Each Other
Monaco Races Rock When The Cars Can Actually Pass Each Other
Unless you get mesmerized by the fact that they’re hustling über-expensive, state-of-the-art formula cars from every barrier, the Formula One Monaco Grand Prix can be a dull parade. But not in vintage cars. They’re narrow enough to pass on Monaco’s twisty roads and holy crap, they sound awesome. Here’s about...
Jul 9, 2026
Copyright 2023-2026 - www.zzdcar.com All Rights Reserved