Engine: 3.9 litre V8 twin-turbo
Transmission: 7 speed dual-clutch automatic
Power: 537kW
Torque: 568 lb-ft@3000rpm
Top Speed: 340+ km/h
0-100km/h: 2.9 seconds
Price: $596,888
Pista means ‘track’ in Italian, but they should have gone with the Italian word for rocket. The 488 Pista is a direct descendant of track-heavy mid-engine V8 Ferraris such as the 360 Challenge Stradale, the 430 Scuderia and the 458 Speciale. Just like those legends, this prancing horse was developed with data sourced from the FIA World Endurance Championship.
The power behind the 488 GTB’s twin-turbo V8 is already infamous, but just to add more ammo to the arsenal, the engineers/lunatics increased it to 537kW at 8000 rpm. It’s true there are some $1 million+ hypercars out there with that weaponry – but the 488 Pista costs way way way less.
Unlike their competitors who improve aerodynamics by adding on, Ferrari prefers cutting out (parts of the body). Check out the way the front hood dips ahead of the front bumper; Ferrari calls this innovation the S-Duct, and it looks like grandpa with his teeth out – but oddly sexy.
You’ll find a much more efficient use of lightweight materials like carbon fibre and Alcantara on this model, with the lithium battery from the 488 Challenge heavily contributing to the 90 kg left on the workshop floor.
Come game time, the 488 Pista will face off against the exclusives and elusives that are the McLaren 720S, the Porsche 911 GT2 RS, and the Lamborghini Huracan Performante. Imagine a mid-engined, twin-turbo V8 supercar hanging with the snobbiest of hypercars? The Pista is ready to deliver.
For the full article grab the March 2019 issue of MAXIM Australia from newsagents and convenience locations. Subscribe here.
