We’re the first to admit that there’s a bit of restomod fatigue out there at the moment. So much so, a number of us have considered a start-up where we offer a service to give these old classics their dignity back, removing their leather lined engine bays and Faberge Egg throttle pedals and re-engineering in oil leaks and air-con that doesn’t work. And then we saw the Maturo 308 Stradale, put down our cynical hats and read the details.
Starting life as a 308, Maturo (of Integrale restoration and rebuild fame), strips the mid-engined V8 to its bare chassis and rebuilds it to create a Michelotto Group 4 rally-inspired homage. Including the original’s wide arches and it’s quite the car to behold.
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There’s an integrated roll cage and 150 new welds to provide the strengthening absent from 1970s vehicle engineering. The 308’s 2.9-litre V8 gets an equally suitable 21st-century makeover, taking it from the original Weber carb’d engine’s 255bhp up to a peak of 400bhp.
The work undertaken to achieve the Maturo’s 308 power hike includes extensive upgrades using more modern, lighter components from cranks to the valves in the four-valve cylinder head. A new airflow system has also had to be redesigned along with a new Capristo exhaust. New camshafts and the latest ignition technology are also required to provide the performance to match the new look. There’s also a new five-speed manual gearbox with stronger internals, shorter ratios and a plated limited slip differential. The open gate shift mechanism remains.
Suspension specialist Tractive has been brought in to develop the Maturo’s 308 chassis, which has resulted in electronic adjustable dampers being fitted to take Magnum PI’s company car from a GT to a more direct, motorsport inspired car. It may be inspired by the stages of world rallying, but Maturo says the set-up is very much focussed on getting the most out of tarmac surfaces.
Should you find yourself inside a Maturo 308 you’ll discover some old school design blended with modern materials from carbon fibre, anodised aluminium, Alcantara and leather replacing the plastics of 40 years ago.
And the cost for this hand built in the Netherlands classic? €425,000 excluding VAT and donor Ferrari 308, adding circa £80,000 to the bill (cheaper if you can find one that needs restoring). It makes some restomods look expensive, and so too some modern Ferraris.
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