Ferrari on Tuesday pulled the covers off the F8 Tributo at the 2019 Geneva International Motor Show, the Prancing Horse's newest mid-engine marvel and a celebration of the marque's legendary 8-cylinder lineage.
The car is the replacement for the 488 GTB and essentially the same package as the more extreme 488 Pista introduced just last year. In fact, the underpinnings go all the way back to the 458 Italia launched a decade ago.
That doesn't make the F8 Tributo any less desirable, however. At its heart is a 3.9-liter twin-turbocharged V-8 tuned to deliver 710 horsepower and 568 pound-feet of torque, which is the highest output of any Ferrari V-8, and all of this is sent to the rear wheels via a 7-speed dual-clutch transmission.
Performance claims include a 0-62 mph time of 2.9 seconds, a 0-124 mph time of 7.8 seconds, and a top speed of 211 mph.
The interior layout will be familiar to anyone who's been in a 488 or the car's 458 predecessor. However, almost every element of the dash, door panels and center console is new, as is the infotainment system which includes a 7.0-inch touchscreen display for the passenger. The air vent design is also new and the steering wheel has been made smaller.
2020 Ferrari F8 Tributo
Speaking of the steering wheel, the manettino that controls the driving modes selector now enables the Ferrari Dynamic Enhancer (FDE+) to be activated when in Race mode. Introduced on the 488 Pista, the FDE+ adjusts brake caliper pressure to help maintain control during lateral acceleration. The result is a car that's easier to drift.
As for the exterior, it's clearly an evolution of the 488. Ferrari says this was done on purpose as the F8 Tributo serves as a bridge between Ferrari's current design language and a new language that places extra emphasis on representing the performance and aerodynamic efficiency of Ferrari's cars. There's also a hint of the past in the design, with the Lexan engine cover with its louvres echoing the Ferrari F40.
Availability is yet to be confirmed but we expect the car to be available later this year as a 2020 model.
Interestingly, we've heard that a second mid-engine Ferrari with a V-6 engine has been developed alongside the F8 Tributo. This model is expected to come with around 600 horsepower and challenge McLaren's Sports Series.
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