The 488 GTB puts Ferrari in the supercar premier league, discovers Cindy-Lou Dale.
I click the remote to unlock the doors and the crowd gathered around the lusciously red Ferrari 488 GTB parts, like the Red Sea before Moses. Someone enquires after its performance.
“Ferrari have taken their pedigreed and brawny supercar and made it comfortable. The ride is extremely forgiving, especially on the Bumpy Road setting. The road grip of its 20-inch Michelin tyres is massive.” The crowd leans forward, craning to inspect the wheels.
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A voice at the back asks what it’s like to drive. “Easy! The steering is light, responsive and super-fast and the seven-speed gearbox delivers instant F1 style gear-changes. Whatever gear I’m in, and no matter how fast I’m travelling, the performance is out of this world, with hypercar responses and not a second of turbo-lag. And dare I say the engine gets better the harder it’s driven.” There’s a collective intake of breath.
I continue and point out that the 488 looks like a car whose form follows function and explain that its aggressive-looking body, with its clean lines and clever aerodynamics, is sculpted in a wind tunnel. Ferrari has removed volumes from the car’s aluminium body to reduce drag and create fifty percent more downforce. So much is gained that it more than equals what has been taken away. A young man asks what makes this engine different.
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“To start with the 488 GTB is hugely efficient, it’s downsized, with a direct-injected 3902cc twin-turbocharged V8. It’s Ferrari’s automotive masterpiece and the finest turbocharged petrol engine in production. And to meet the turbo-lag challenge, Maranello’s engineering gurus’ response is a smart electronic system that restricts the amount of torque released in each gear, as releasing it all at once would give you nothing more than wheelspin. Maximum torque is delivered in the higher gears and at high speed. What this tech delivers in just 0.8 of a second is a 0-100 in three seconds flat.”
“She looks comfortable too,” another one says, looking through the open driver’s side door. “And look at all this cabin space.” He spends time examining the function-festooned steering wheel, which is undeniably a thing to behold – this is where all the controls are, from wipers and indicators to lights. I point out the oversized paddles mounted to the steering column, the wraparound infotainment pods, and explain that red LED rev lights appear at the top of the steering wheel.
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I fire her up. Everyone’s mobile phones light up. Without a doubt, the spine-tingling Ferrari baritone is the best-sounding turbo road car out there. A little industrial, something like a modern F1 racing car that’s going to take a bite out the ass of whatever’s in front of it.
“So, tell me please, how much she cost?” he beams. I explain that it’s only for the fabulously wealthy. “It’s painfully expensive – and the US$258,000 asking price is merely the starting point. By adding just a few options you’ll push it nearer the US$360k mark.”
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