2021 Preview: Chopped-Up Ferrari 308 GTB Gears Up To Piss Off The Purists

  • Only 2,897 Ferrari 308 GTBs were produced between 1975–1980. Today, a used 308 GTB goes from anywhere between $50,000 to $100,000-plus.
  • Liberty Walk debuted its widebody 308 GTB at the 2019 Tokyo Auto Salon. This will be the first 308 widebody conversion completed outside of Japan.

The 411 On The 308

Your only recollection of the Ferrari 308 is from a silly old episode of Magnum P.I. In the TV show, actor Tom Selleck drives a GTS model (Targa top, ‘S’ standing for Spider) around the streets of Honolulu. However, if you’re like me and born in the ’80s or later, you probably don’t really know what makes a 308 all that special besides the fact that it wears the emblem of a prancing horse.

The 308 GTB (‘B’ standing for Berlinetta coupe) debuted in 1975 at the Paris Motor Show (if you’re wondering, that makes it 46 years old today). Designed by Leonardo Fioravanti of Carrozzeria Pininfarina (the genius behind the shape of the F40 and 288 GTO), the 308 GTB/GTS was one of the best sports cars $50K could buy, which by today’s standards would run a cool $200,000 post-inflation.

The 308 was a true Italian stallion — a two-seater, rear-wheel-drive, mid-engined poster child with beautiful proportions, deep side air scoops, cool louvers, pop-up headlights, and signature circular taillights.

Sitting behind the sporty leather seats laid a fuel-injected 2.9-liter V8 (engine code F106) rated at 240hp and 195 lb-ft of torque (U.S. spec). I know what you’re thinking, and, yes, your Ford Focus has more horsepower than that, but we’re talking the late ’70s and early ’80s here! Its 0-60mph clocked the stopwatch in the low-6s — borderline supercar status at the time — and with a gated five-speed dog-leg manual gearbox and quad Weber carbs, the 308 drove and sounded every bit like a Ferrari born from racing (in fact, there were a handful of rally 308s that competed in Group 4 competition).

Between 1975 and 1985, there were five iterations of the 308 produced, with about 12,000 units sold worldwide. The GTB and GTS were arguably the most memorable and iconic models, in my opinion, with 2,897 GTB and 3,219 GTS vehicles in existence. It should come as no surprise that they’re holding their value with private sellers and auctions letting them go for anywhere between $50,000 and $100,000-plus, just as long as they’re in great standing condition. However, this particular 308 GTB is another story… What started out as a Rosso Corsa red 308 in tip-top shape is now heading down the path of becoming one of the most talked-about vehicle debuts of 2021, and not everybody is too pleased about it.

The Liberty Walk Conversion

The 308 GTB’s new owner is on a mission to rebuild it unlike any other classic Ferrari on American soil. Forget a period-correct restoration or anything sensible for that matter. This six-figure build will be undertaking some very drastic body modifications with the help of Southern California’s Boden Autohaus and Japan’s Liberty Walk.

You’ll recall Liberty Walk broke ground in the U.S. tuning scene in 2012 with the introduction of a ridiculous brushed aluminum-wrapped Lamborghini Murcielago. It featured one of Liberty Walk’s first LB Performance widebody conversions complete with aggressive bumpers, canards, diffusers, rear wing, and over fenders. Year after year, Liberty Walk continued to be a trendsetter and offer widebody applications for popular sports cars and supercars (including this custom Infiniti we featured). But there are only so many cool new cars you can cut up, so eventually, CEO Wataru Kato and his team began looking into vintage cars to apply their signature styling. Thus, in January of 2019, the LB-Works body kit for the 308 GTB was introduced at the Tokyo Auto Salon show. The same hardware that will find its way onto this particular 308.

The 308 kit consists of bolt-on style fender flares, a new front spoiler designed with larger air intakes, and a sweet lookin’ ducktail spoiler. The widebody conversion doesn’t have many components, but that doesn’t mean it comes cheap. Fitting with the Ferrari 308’s cost, the Liberty Walk kit comes at a premium of $12,860, according to the Liberty Walk website. Of course, there’s also the added costs associated with meticulously cutting and trimming the OEM fenders, hence why Boden Autohaus was enlisted as the caretaker for the entire project.

More Mods To Come

Going balls to the wall on a classic Italian sports car wouldn’t look right without a cast of supporting parts, which is why Boden is fabricating a bespoke titanium exhaust for the old V8 so it’ll scream even louder at its near 8,000rpm redline. Rotiform will also provide a set of custom mega-wide wheels for the build while the final suspension and interior upgrades are determined. You’ll just have to wait and see how this wild Liberty Walk 308 GTB turns out as the year unfolds. Stay tuned, as we’ll bring you a second update soon!

Related Links

Boden Autohaus Instagram
Liberty Walk Instagram
Sam Du Instagram

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