Summary Video: Gas vs Electric 1978 308’s.
Ferrari 308s scream Magnum, P.I. and big hair, but on the Top Gear America season finale, they showed off a 308 that has been retrofitted with electric motors so that even though it’s red, it’s also surprisingly green.
The original 308 came with a 2.9 liter V8 engine that produced 240 horsepower in the U.S. (250 hp in the European version).
The 308 EV comes with three AC-51 brushless induction motors, which are good for the equivalent of 330 horsepower and instant torque. Not to mention the EV can get 130-200 miles on a single charge.
But all that efficiency does come with one major drawback — sound. Ferrari is famous for the sound its engines and exhaust make, so is it really a Ferrari without the Ferrari engine?
Some enthusiasts may be willing to turn a blind eye — or a deaf ear — on the lack of sound because of the performance advantages. With the Stig racing both the original gas version and the EV version around the track, he picked up almost 10 seconds with the electric version.