Michelotto Gruppo 4 Tributo Crafts a Lightweight V8 Manual Tribute to the Rally 308

Padua’s Palazzo Moroni hosted the reveal of the Michelotto Gruppo 4 Tributo on October 10, 2026, fifty years after the Ferrari 308 received its Group 4 homologation. AC Motorsport, started by Padua entrepreneur Francesco Calzavara following his years at Michelotto, promoted the effort while Michelotto Group carried out the design, development, and construction.

Giuliano Michelotto established his workshop in 1969 and worked on almost 700 competition cars, winning an astounding 1,495 races, including 44 world championships. Ferrari later approached Michelotto’s business to acquire the Pininfarina-designed 308 GTB for Group 4 rallying. This essentially involved grafting on tubular frame sections, some seriously advanced composite bodywork, and a seriously tweaked 2 valve V8, and the results were nothing short of stunning: a 1981 Tour de France Automobile win with Jean-Claude Andruet and a close second place at the 1982 Tour de Corse, Ferrari’s only ever top level World Rally Championship podium finish.

Under the hood is a transversal 3.4-liter naturally aspirated 90-degree V8, producing 380 horsepower at 8,250 rpm and 363 Nm of torque on 98 RON fuel. The aluminum block and heads, four camshafts driving two valves per cylinder (which provides more torque on mixed surfaces than a four valve system), and electronic injection all add up to a very powerful package. The power is sent to the rear wheels via a five-speed manual with a gated shifter, dog-ring engagement, and an impressive eight different gear ratios to choose from, so whether you’re tackling tight roads or quicker circuits, you can get the car set up to fit.

The tubular frame is comprised of elliptical tubes that hold composite body panels and an integrated roll bar. This all adds up to a relatively light 950 kilos (with fluids but no gasoline), giving you a power-to-weight ratio of around 2.5 kilograms per horsepower. That’s rather similar to the original 308 footprint, however it should be noted that this is a two-seater berlinetta.

So, how is the ride? The car comes with double wishbones machined from solid, adjustable dampers, and stabilizer bars, which allow you to configure the entire chassis to your liking. Four piston calipers clamp down on the front and rear ventilated disks (which measure 345 and 328 millimeters, respectively), and the brake balance may be adjusted from the cockpit. You’ll be seated on eighteen-inch wheels with Pirelli P Zero Trofeo RS tires.

The composite bodywork is based on the classic wedge shape, but with a much more modern twist. You get a low nose, pop-up headlights, various vents and gills on the hood and fenders, flared arches, a seriously enormous rear clamshell, four circular taillights, and, of course, dual exhausts. On the inside? To keep things basic, you get composite-shell seats wrapped in Alcantara, a three-spoke wheel, and a gated shifter, all linked with a digital display and a plethora of physical switches.

Michelotto expects to build fewer than fifty of them, primarily in Padua, and hopes to confirm the final number by the end of 2027. What about price? They’re keeping that under wraps for now, but comparable restomod projects would suggest it’ll cost at least 450,000 euros. As for road registration (street legality), that is still up in the air, but the car clearly continues the work of the workshop that first took the 308 and transformed it into a true rally winner.
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