When Ferrari announced that they were working on a turbocharged version of the 458 Italia, they certainly were not fooling around about it. The 458 Italia came into life back in 2009 and ever since, more competitors are showing up like the McLaren 650S and Lamborghini’s Huracan with more to offer. It is now time for Ferrari to hit back as they introduce a new member in the family; the 488 GTB.
Back on the Italia, people usually relate the ‘458’ name as representing the car’s engine displacement of 4.5 litres and 8 for the number of cylinders. The 488 GTB does not have a 4.8-liter V8 engine; however it is powered by a 3.9-liter V8 engine and with the help of two turbochargers, produce 661-horsepower at 8,000rpm and 560 lb-ft of torque at 3,000rpm. As a quick recap, the 458 Italia ‘only’ had 597-horsepower and 398 lb-ft of torque.
With more than 660 horses galloping around, zerotohundred takes only 3 seconds and has a top speed in excess of 330km/h. The 488 GTB is also claimed to lap Ferrari’s Fiorano test track in a time of 1:23, making it 0.5 seconds quicker than the 458 Speciale.
Aside from the engine, the 488 GTB also gets a whole lot of improvement and innovation Ferrari gained from the XX Programme. The seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox now features a Variable Torque Management system that regulates the amount of torque so that the power is sent smoothly to the wheels and powerfully right across the rev range.
The aerodynamics of the 488 is also far superior to previous Ferrari models, granting the 488 GTB to produce as much as 50-percent more downforce than the 458. It gets a double front spoiler, special side intakes, a flat underbody with vortex generators and some active aerodynamics in the rear.
The new Ferrari 488 GTB will be making its world debut at the 2015 Geneva Motor Show.
