Ferrari ‘Door Slammer’ Drag Racer is a Head-Scratcher

By Zachary Mayne - January 14, 2020

Ferrari Drag Racer

Ferrari-inspired drag racer uses a custom steel frame and is powered by an 8.0-liter, supercharged V8 race engine.

The Internet is chock full of weird and unusual things. Take this Ferrari-inspired drag racer for sale on the Racing Junk website. Racing Junk user Stickshift is selling the car in Auckland, New Zealand and is asking $75,000. It is truly a creation that needs to be seen to be believed. Though the listing says the car’s body is based on the looks of the 12-cylinder Ferrari Boxer, after looking at the photos more closely it actually appears to emulate the profile of the V8-powered 308 GTB. Regardless it’s an interesting beast, not least of which because of its stated purpose, which is drag racing. Ferrari and drag racing aren’t usually used together in the same sentence but here we have exactly that. Weird, I know.

According to the text accompanying the ad, the faux-Ferrari was built in the early ’90s to compete in the professional-level Australian Top Doorslammer class of drag racing. Some quick Internet research reveals that vehicles in the class are usually replicas of American or U.S. production vehicles. In this case though it’s a replica of a car mid-engine car made by an Italian manufacturer known for producing some of the most beautiful cars in the world.

That massive engine sticking up out of the front of car is a 489 cubic inch V8, which equates to a generous 8.0-liters of displacement. The primary source of power appears to be a Helix supercharged affixed to the motor. In addition to forced induction the engine features a forged crankshaft from Callies Crankshafts, Carillo pistons, GRP connecting rods and a whole host of other modifications. There are also Big Chief heads and an Indy intake. The transmission is a 4-speed Lenco backed up with a Titan triple-plate clutch. The description isn’t entirely clear, but it appears that the fake Ferrari runs the 1/4-mile in 7.4 seconds. The listing also says the car was completely rebuilt in 2011. If you’re in the mood to check out a weird car, head on over to the Racing Junk website to see this Ferrari-inspired drag racer. A word of warning though. Ferrari purists may want to look away.