A Fire-Damaged Ferrari 308 GTS Is Reborn

In the face of automotive misfortune, a new opportunity can present itself.

Case in point is this 1978 Ferrari 308 GTS which has been transformed from a V8 sports car into an electric vehicle.

Before you start fretting as to why someone would do this to any Ferrari, this 308 has a salvage title due to it catching on fire because of a fuel leak. The fire destroyed the V8 engine, making it the perfect candidate to become an electric vehicle.

Engine Swap Depot explains that Eric Hutchinson bought the 308 GTS for around $10,000. Once he had the 308 GTS, he took it over to his friend Michael Bream at EV West - a company that sells parts for electric vehicles and convert a standard gas vehicle into an electric. EV West got to work on the conversion.

The V8 engine was recycled and in its place came in three AC51 HPEVS electric motors arranged in a V formation. This drives an output shaft that goes into transaxle from a Porsche 911. Power figures stand at 465 horsepower and 330 pound-feet of torque. This noticeably higher than the 240 horsepower and 195 pound-feet from the V8 engine.

Electric power is stored in 48 3.3v Li-ion batteries. 24 batteries are situated up front and the other 24 are placed in the back. Total range is said to be about 100 miles.

Of course, one of the big problems with converting a gas vehicle to an electric is the added weight of all the components. But thanks to the removal of several components in the GTS, the EV weighs about 150 pounds heavier than the standard model.

If you want a bit more information and pictures on the 308 GTS' transformation into an EV, we recommend checking out the forum thread on Ferrari Chat.

Pic Credit: Electric Ferrari Facebook Page