The Italian automobile industry is well-known for its V12 engine setups, especially when it comes to powering their thundering flagships; cars like the LaFerrari and Aventador. That may yet change though as the automobile space leans ever more slightly towards hybrid and electric powertrains.
However, in addition to these V12 cars, there are several other Italian cars that are powered by 8-cylinder engines; and some of them are actually pretty good too. All, but one, of the cars featured here, offer compelling arguments that a V8 engine makes for the greatest sports cars. They are able to dish out a considerable dose of excitement as you slip behind the wheel.
10 Ferrari 288 GTO
We should be grateful for the FIA’s Group B racing homologation requirements because it directly led to the creation of one of Ferrari’s most iconic cars, the 288 GTO. The GTO name is not used lightly by Ferrari and in the carmaker’s 70-plus years, only three models have had that special privilege.
One of them, the 250 GTO, is currently the most expensive car ever sold. 272 units of the 288 GTO were produced and each one was powered by a 2.9-liter twin-turbocharged V8 that cranks out 400 hp. The car could leap to 60 mph in about 5 seconds, on its way to its 189-mph top speed.
9 Alfa Romeo 33 Stradale
The only ‘downside’ of this legendary car is the fact that not enough were made, with less than 20 units during a production run that spanned 1967 to 1969. The 33 Stradale, derived from the Tipo 33 race car, was a sublime blend of design perfection and performance.
A major design highlight for the car was its unique butterfly doors, a first for a production vehicle. The sleek automobile was powered by a 2.0-liter V8 that squeezed out anything from 227 hp to 254 hp. The Alfa Romeo 33 Stradale is a rare gem in the automobile world today with existing examples reportedly worth as much as $10 million.
8 Maserati Ghibli Spyder
The Maserati Ghibli Spyder is a timeless classic that stands out in the Italian carmaker’s storied history. For some reason, Maserati has so far used the Ghibli name for three different vehicles. However, the first generation, produced from 1967 to 1973, is arguably the best of the trio.
That run saw the production of 1,295 vehicles of which only 125 units were the Spyder version. The Ghibli Spyder relied on a V8 that cranked out 335 bhp at 5,500rpm. In January 2017, one of these beauties commanded a value of $920,000 at auction. Yes, they are that special.
7 Ferrari F40
The status of the 288 GTO meant that any successor would have very big shoes to fill indeed. However, the legendary F40 showed that it was up to the task and then some. This was the poster car for any gearhead born in the ‘80s and rightly so too.
It was the first road car to cross the 200-mph barrier and incorporated several elements of Formula One technology in its framework. At the heart of the car’s insane performance was a twin-turbocharged V8 powerplant that spewed out 477 hp (US spec).
6 De Tomaso Pantera
The intriguing De Tomaso Pantera is an Italian sports car with strong American connections. It was designed by an American, Tom Tjaarda and unveiled at the 1970 New York Auto Show. There was more too; the Pantera had a beating heart sourced directly from the American continent.
First, it was a 351 Cleveland V8 that produced 355 hp, enough to get the Pantera to 60 mph in just 5.5 seconds and then on to a 159 mph top speed. In 1990, that engine was replaced with a 5.0-liter 302 V8 powerplant for the last Pantera iteration before the model was finally phased out in 1993.
5 Iso Grifo
This sleek Italian was once described as ‘the Italian Corvette you knew nothing about.’ That may be due to the fact that it was produced from 1965 to 1975, a period where the dominant Italian powerhouses like Ferrari, Lamborghini, and Maserati reigned supreme.
The Grifo utilized different engines during its time but there were all Chevy-sourced V8 blocks. The car was no slouch when it came to performance and a 171-mph top speed meant it had the power to surprise the unwary driver cruising along in his Ferrari on the highway.
4 Bizzarrini 5300 GT Strada
The Italians are in a class of their own when it comes to car designs and this elegantly styled Bizzarrini Strada ranks up there among the best that was created during the ‘60s. The car shares a striking similarity with the Lamborghini Miura, especially with that low nose and mid-engine stance.
However, the Bizzarrini Strada was front-engined and instead of a V12, it had a 5.3-liter V8. That engine was mated to a 4-speed manual gearbox that fed the 365-hp power output to the rear wheels.
3 De Tomaso Longchamp
Buoyed by the success it enjoyed during the 1970s, De Tomaso decided to expand its lineup and target a different market segment than the Pantera. The new car, dubbed the De Tomaso Longchamp, was a luxurious coupe powered by a Ford V8 that generated 330 hp.
That power, mated either to a 3-speed automatic transmission or 5-speed manual, was able to get the big coupe to a top speed just shy of 150 mph. The Longchamp was not as popular as its sporty sibling, the Pantera, but the carmaker kept it in production for 17 years.
2 Ferrari 458 Speciale
The superb 458 Speciale is sad, as it was the last of the naturally aspirated V8 supercars from Ferrari, but what a sign-off the car proved to be. In creating this masterpiece, Ferrari engineers took the already fantastic 458 Italia and then dialed everything up by several notches.
The result was an uncompromising, hardcore supercar that begged to be pushed to the limits every time. The sonorous 597-hp V8 engine strapped to the car could deliver a 3-second sprint to 60 mph and a top speed just north of 200 mph.
1 Ferrari Mondial 8
It is quite ironic that the brand that produced some of the best ever V8-powered cars is also responsible for making one that resides at the other end of the spectrum.
The unfortunate Mondial 8 probably gets more than its fair share of knocks but it simply was not a good car, a fact made all the more galling by the prancing horse logo it wore. The 2+2 seat configuration was a good idea but the execution was deeply flawed. The car was too heavy and a flimsy 214 hp from its V8 engine did not help matters.