This is it. This is the unicorn, the most exotic and wildly ambitious of all the Argo JM19 variants. The 1988 JM19B Motori Moderni was not just a car; it was a statement of unbound 1980s engineering lunacy, a Group C2 prototype powered by a heart with direct Formula 1 lineage.

The engine was the star, a tiny 2.0-liter V6 twin-turbo built by Motori Moderni. This was the firm founded by legendary Italian engineer Carlo Chiti, a man synonymous with Autodelta, Alfa Romeo, and F1. This was no production-based block; it was a bespoke, thoroughbred racing engine designed to scream and spool. In qualifying trim, this miniature V6 was rumored to be a ticking time bomb of incomprehensible power, allegedly capable of pushing 780 horsepower.

It was the ultimate expression of the turbo era’s “small displacement, massive boost” philosophy. The JM19B, already a lightweight and agile chassis, was transformed into an absolute missile. It was a volatile cocktail of Italian exotica and British pragmatism. While it was tragically fragile and often failed to see the finish line, the Motori Moderni-powered Argo was a staggering piece of engineering—a machine that prioritized ultimate, mind-bending performance above all else.