The Ferrari 488 replaced the 458 in 2015 and received some pretty good reviews when it appeared in right-hand drive form. In fact, Autocar described this high performance 3.9-litre engined beast as ‘today’s greatest supercar’. So it’s with excitement that some teasing information about the Ferrari 488 GTO (moniker not yet confirmed) has leaked onto the Internet.
Ferrari has trickled down some of the successful technology and ideas from the 488 Challenge Racer, which was introduced in 2017 to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Ferrari Challenge series. This is where much of the power comes from in the guise of the V8 3.9 twin-turbocharged engine. The Challenge engine was of course based on a 488 GTB engine – what goes around…
It’s possible that it you’re one of the lucky few to be classed as a ‘loyal Ferrari customer’ that you may have been present at the exclusive presentation that the manufacturer held recently to showcase some of the 488 GTO’s spec. One of the reveals was that this 10% lighter V8 is to be the most powerful road-going Ferrari engine yet with a likely boost to something in the region of 700bhp. It will actually become the fastest Ferrari road car we’ve ever seen.
It won’t be caught short in the lightweight carbon fibre department either, becoming the Ferrari production model with the most carbon fibre anywhere, ably aiding the company’s strength and weight saving quest. Expect carbon bumpers, carbon spoiler and carbon bonnet on the exterior and carbon dashboard inside. There’s even been talk in some quarters that the supercar may sport 40 per cent lighter 20-inch carbon wheels too, along with thinner glass and weight-saving lighter ceramic brakes to help the car’s weight loss to fall substantially below the GTB’s 1,370kg. Expect the cabin to be sparse and stripped of all but the minimum essentials too.
So far Ferrari has remained pretty much tight-lipped about this project, but with all this power we can realistically hope for a 0-60mph of around 2 and a half seconds. Rumours of a potentially faster lap time than the LaFerrari already abound.
The Geneva Motor Show runs from 8th to 18th March 2018, and it won’t be unreasonable to suspect that the Ferrari 488 GTO will prove to be the star of the show, should it make an appearance.
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