Ahead of the public unveil surely set to happen at the Geneva Motor Show just next week, Ferrari have pulled the virtual wraps off the successor to their most popular current model, the 488 GTB. It will, naturally, take its place as the Italian marque’s canonical mid-engine model - and what an engine it is.
Just as Lamborghini did with their Huracan Evo, Ferrari have lifted the uprated twin-turbocharged V8 from 488 Pista, meaning each ‘entry-level’ Ferrari will now have an output of staggering 536kW and 770Nm. The revised 3.9-litre unit generates enough thrust to reach 100km/h from rest in 2.9 seconds and a top speed of 340km/h.
While the powertrain is very interesting to dissect further on its own, the other layers of the F8 Tributo is even more interesting to peel back. Despite being touted as a brand new successor model, the F8 is clearly still closely related to the 488 in much the same way that it was a continuation of the work done with the 458.
Ferrari have also done the same thing quite recently with the FF being somewhat facelifted, re-engineered, and renamed as the GTC4 Lusso - similarly the 812 Superfast is very closely related to the F12 Berlinetta. And here Maranello is again with the F8 Tribute - new name, mostly new car.
Stylistically, the car takes a number of cues from Ferrari-badged mid-engine greats from years past. The most noticeable of these ‘tributes’ is the way the rear deck has been designed to resemble that from the F40. Some might argue the quad tail light array is meant to evoke a similar nostalgic nod, but we recognise it most as a shared design with the 812.
The aerodynamic enhancements here are obvious but do not impede the car’s aesthetic, still managing to appear both effortlessly aggressive, elegant, and purposeful. Most obviously, the company has incorporated its active S duct into the nose, increasing downforce at the nose considerably but also, presumably, robbing precious cargo space away.
Thanks to the thorough improvement campaign of the 488, the F8 Tributo is now 40kg lighter than the outgoing car with a dry weight of just 1,330kg. Considering that figure isn’t very far off the McLaren 720S, which utilises a carbon fibre architecture versus the Ferrari’s aluminium core, they’ve done well to keep unnecessary weight at bay.
Inside, the F8’s cabin should be instantly recognisable to anyone familiar with that of the 488 GTB. Despite being ergonomically suspect, everything is indeed geared toward the driver with nearly every control being an elbow’s extension from the steering wheel and its many many functions.
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