Ferrari doesn’t do duds. Sure, the Testarossa, Mondial and 208 GTB are widely considered to be disappointments and less desirable blemishes on the backside of the prancing horse, but they aren’t exactly monstrosities in the vein of the Yugo or Pontiac Aztek.
Great Ferraris are much more common and although we could sit around for hours debating the finest Ferraris ever, Enzo Magazine has at least divided up the argument by publishing a list of the five finest V8 Ferraris ever.
Around 4,500 Ferrari fans had their say in the public vote organised by the quarterly magazine and the title of the greatest ever V8 Ferrari went to… the 458 Italia.
It claimed a landslide 42 per cent of the vote, more than twice as many votes as the F355 in second place. Third was the 488GTB, followed by the F430 and 308.
Explaining why the Ferrari 458 Italia deserved to be the victor of the V8s, Enzo pointed to its mid-mounted 4.5-litre V8, which can rev to a mighty 9,000rpm and produce more than 550bhp, before hurtling it to 62mph in 3.4 seconds and on to a top speed of over 200mph.
The 458 Italia was the successor to Ferrari’s 430 and stayed in production until just a couple of years ago.
In second place, the F355 was the darling of 1990s Ferraris and was considered a real return to form for the brand, thanks to a capacity increase and the introduction of a new cylinder head.
Its longitudinal 375bhp 3.5-litre V8 cost just over £80,000 new and facilitated a 0-60mph sprint of 4.7 seconds and a 180mph top speed.
Bronze medal recipient the 488GTB – which went on sale in 2015 – received just under a tenth of the vote. It uses a 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8 to work up a 0-60mph dash in just three seconds, with a 205mph top speed.
The fourth place F430 bridged the gap between the 360 and the 458 when it was produced between 2004 and 2009. Powered by a mid-mounted 4.3-litre V8, it was capable of a 3.9-second 0-60mph and just shy of 200mph.
Finally, the Ferrari 308 is arguably the most recognised and revered. Its six-second 0-60mph sprint and 152mph top speed might seem tame in comparison to modern supercar standards, but for 1975, that was out of this world.
Which V8 Ferrari would’ve got your vote? Tell us down there in the comments.
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355 was the first reliable one that you could drive every day if I had the money I would have the 246 GT Dino but to answer the questions 488 GTB.