Turn The Purists Purple With This Pontiac

Pontiac GTO engine is a nice touch since GM pinched the name from Ferrari 60 years ago

The original Pontiac GTO wasn't the first or the fastest muscle car, but it was the one with the best marketing behind it. Naming an over-engined American family sedan after a hand built Italian V12 sports car produced in tiny numbers with the specific aim of being the greatest closed-wheel racer in the world was a delicious bit of mischief that got the Pontiac talked about, and almost certainly got on Ferrari fans’ goat. Just like this engine-swapped 412 will.

Pontiac and Ferrari GTOs had precisely nothing in common besides the name, but this survivalist-themed 412 currently up for auction definitely does have some Detroit DNA. Its 5.0-liter V12 has been yanked out and replaced with a V8 from a Pontiac, in this case a 6.0-liter aluminium LS2 from a 2005 GTO, rather than an old iron block 389 or 400 used in 1960s Ponchos.

The fourth-generation GTO got an upgrade from 5.7 to 6.0-liters for 2005, boosting power from 350 to 400 hp (355 to 406 PS), which means it's much stouter than the original V12, which was rated at 335 hp (340 PS). Plus, it's hooked up to the GTO's six-speed Tremec, whereas most 412s were wheezy three-speed autos, and is probably going to be a heap simpler and less expensive to keep running.

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And if that heart transplant isn't enough to make Ferrari fans see red, the camo wrap, wheel swap and interior modifications might tip the balance. The 17-inch Fiske wheels actually suit the 412's elegant Pininfarina lines and make finding tires much cheaper and easier than getting a hold of rubber for the weird OE metric wheels. They’re included in the sale though, as is a proper steering wheel that is about 1,000 times prettier than the flat-bottom Momo rim it currently wears, but which arguably goes with the Corbeau buckets and race harnesses.

We’ve seen modified 365/400/412 Ferraris before, including one that was made into a pickup, but what's interesting about this one is that it's been in the hands of the same owner since 2001, when the car was still dressed in its original Grigio Ferro graphite. And since the engine swap was carried out in 2010 any of those annoying project niggles should have been well and truly sorted by now.

The 412 GTO is up for sale on Bring-a-Trailer. You can check out the auction listing here.