It has become the norm for many premium European and Japanese manufacturers to offer small displacement engines on very expensive cars. Most of us assume this is a trend that only began in the late 2000s, but in the 1980s, one supercar brand in Italy went through pretty similar phase.
A recent article on the Official Ferrari Magazine highlighted a particular Italian rule that awarded tax breaks to vehicles which had engines smaller than 2-litres. Apparently, the amount of money saved was impossible to ignore (VAT of 18% instead of 38%), so even Ferraris were made with ridiculously tiny V8 and V6 engines.
The article highlights cars like the 2-litre powered 208 GTB and 208 GTS which produced 153hp-220hp thanks in no small part to turbocharging. The company later evolved this concept into the Ferrari 308 GTB which had extra cooling slots in the lower front spoiler, a new black grille, a redesigned engine cover and rear bumper.
