Can you feel the generational shift? That change in the supercar game comes from Ferrari, which has unveiled its new eight-cylinder, mid-engine sports-car standard-bearer, and the successor to the much-loved 458 Italia sees the insane-revving, naturally aspirated V-8 retired in favor of a turbocharged unit. This follows Ferrari’s recent promise that all of its future engines will be turbocharged or hybridized.
POWER AND SPEED
The new engine is smaller than its predecessor, and its displacement of 488 cubic centimeters per cylinder gives the car its name: 488GTB. Multiplied by eight, that works out to 3902 cc for the new 90-degree V-8, which is mated to, as was the 458’s V-8, a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic. Despite the 0.6-liter reduction in displacement, the new engine makes more power: 661 horsepower at 8000 rpm, versus 597 horsepower at 9000 rpm for the 458 Speciale. Torque, predictably, is greater as well, reaching 561 lb-ft at a low 3000 rpm, far eclipsing the 458 Speciale’s 398 lb-ft.
The extra oomph shaves only fractions of a second from the official Fiorano lap time compared with the latest and greatest iteration of the 458, the Speciale A (which just debuted last fall). The 488GTB gets around Fiorano in 1:23.0, a half-second quicker than the Speciale A. The two cars both claim a 3.0-second zero-to-62-mph time. As speeds increase, however, the 488GTB shows its advantage, reaching 124 mph in 8.3 seconds, compared to its forebear’s 9.5. The 488GTB also is said to be capable of 205 mph, 3 mph higher than the now-completely-useless 458 Speciale A.
Those figures should help the Ferrari do battle with the Lamborghini Huracán and the McLaren 650S, the latter of which will beget a higher-performance variant, the 675LT, at Geneva.
Aside from the revolutionary change affecting the redheaded beauty under the plexiglass cover, the (limited) specs indicate that the 488GTB otherwise hews closely to the formula that has been so successful in the 458. The shapely new body is 1.6 inches longer than the 458 Italia’s, 0.6 inch wider, and identical in height. Ferrari says the new car has 50 percent greater downforce yet less aerodynamic drag. Among its airflow-managing elements are active flaps in the rear diffuser. Large, body-side air intakes are split into two sections and are supposed to reference the original mid-engine, eight-cylinder Ferrari, the 308. Ferrari’s quoted “dry weight” (at 3020 pounds) is 22 pounds lighter than it cites for the standard 458 Italia, with 53.5 percent pressing down on the rear wheels. (For reference, the lightest 458 Italia we’ve weighed tipped our scales at 3325 pounds in road-ready trim.)
FAMILIAR ENVIRONS
Inside, there’s much that looks familiar, with the photos showing aggressively bolstered, Daytona-style seats, conventional knobs and switches (no touch screen here), and a complete absence of column stalks. The multifunction steering wheel includes buttons even for lights, wipers, and turn signals, in addition to the damper setting, engine start, and Ferrari’s manettino chassis-control switch. Viewed through the steering wheel is the large, central tachometer with digital gear indicator, and it’s flanked by configurable screens.
One of the more intriguing bits of technology is Ferrari’s Side Slip Angle Control, which debuted on the 458 Speciale. It harnesses the electronically controlled rear differential, the traction control system, and—now—the electronically controlled dampers to enable greater tail-out antics. Sounds like huge fun, eh?
First, though, you’ve got to get your hands on one. There’s no word yet on pricing, but for reference, Ferrari currently asks $243,000 for a 458, so figure something north of there. For those special customers deemed worthy, deliveries of the 488GTB start in Europe in July, while U.S. buyers will have to wait until sometime in the latter half of 2015.
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