A Ferrari 412 GTO supercar with a Pontiac block under the hood, a manual gearbox and a slew of exterior and cabin mods is up for grabs in the USA right now.
The biggest novelty resides under the hood, where the 5.0-liter V12 is no more and an aluminum V8 sourced from a 2005 Pontiac GTO occupies its place instead. The swap will doubtlessly offend Ferrari purists, but the new engine actually has more displacement volume at 6.0 liters and delivers 406 PS (400 hp / 299 kW) to the wheels. The original was 66 PS (65 hp / 49 kW) less powerful than that.
Also gone is the fault-prone three-speed automatic transmission. A Tremec six-speed manual takes its place and should be much cheaper and easier to maintain than the original auto, if anything.
On the outside, the first thing that attacks the senses is the gaudy military-themed wrap accompanied by 17-inch Fiske rims. The cabin is not much better off with aftermarket seats, safety harnesses and steering wheel, but at least you can revert to the OEM rims and steering wheel of you want to – the seller kept them.
A day before the auction ends, the Italian sports classic is still sitting with a miserable top bid of $45,000. It is marked by BaT as ‘no reserve’, meaning it will be sold to the highest bidder regardless of the final amount.