Ferrari 488 GTB - Geneva auto show

After initially loving the original renders, I'm a little less certain about these pics. I'll be at the show tomorrow so hopefully the 'in the flesh' appearance will be fine. Somehow, the side vents leave the centre of the side profile with less bulk and more at the front and rear.

They are pretty large I must say.

 

I don't think the headlights go far enough up the fender.

 

What were they thinking with those side vents? Missed opportunity Ferrari.

 

I am trying to reserve judgment until I see in person.

The silver looks better to me and I am a Rosso Corsa guy... On my 3rd RC Fcar.

The best door handles were F355 which were completely hidden. Fun to see first time passengers try to figure out how to open the door!

 

The current RC does not show lines very well. I'm not a fan. This thing would look awesome in Rosso Fiorano or Bianco Italia. The Grigio is nice too.

I actually like the "simple" rims on the grey, and I think the stance looks better than the stock 458 stance with its huge wheel well gaps.

 

Not feeling it. Lack of cohesion in external design elements for sure.

 

At a quick glance I would swear this is a 458. Definitely not enough to get me to trade up from my 458. I'll wait for the complete new car in 2019 instead.

 

May grow on me. Seems very stripped down with no carbon fiber for a punch. Stock wheels are a yawn too.

 

Agree. The silver car really shows how hideous they are ...

The 458 was such a good design, one they could not follow IMO.
Pete

 

so underwhelmed

 

hate air intakes. Looks out of place.

 

I want to reserve judgement until I see it In the flesh. I cannot get over those large air intakes and the huge "divot" along the side of the car which feeds air into the intakes. it looks ridiculous. Maybe it will look a bit better in person. I doubt it though.

 

Yeah the vents on the side really do not flow well with the car.
Is it normal for manufacturers to send 100% stock cars(no options) to Geneva?

 

It is not as bad a design as some have reacted to negatively would suggest. I think the rear is quite well done, though one can debate whether it trumps the simple "T" form of the 458. The main problem is that the unfortunate side vent interrupts the voluptuous flow of sheet metal in the 458 (it has been likened to a woman's scarf). The rear fender outline now seems too low and separated from the rest of the body. Terrible it's not because it suggests some excitement; it is just not aesthetically pleasing.

PS Metallic Corsa Red is a long overdue color. It should be very nice.

 

+1

In the side view of the silver car the scoop shape is just a disaster! And that tacky detail of the horizontal line off the bottom of the scoop running back and around the wheel opening is just too baroque. Nothing like the 458 - too bad.

This car needs red or black to de-emphasize the overwrought detail around that scoop.

 

Well put! What I wanted to say ...
Pete

 

The 488 will look awesome in black, its got some good potential. Will wait judgement when I see on in person and hopefully order a spider in the future.

 

Come on guys the rear calipers are nice!

 

I am feeling older every day as I am set in the older cars' styles I favor. I think not using Pininfarina really shows a missed opportunity on this design. I'm sure PF would have brought out nice transitions and elements.

I look forward to seeing the 488's in person in April at the factory but my hopes are tempered.

Robb

 

well, I guess to see it is to believe it BUT so far, those side vents aren't really working aesthetically speaking but definitely it has its purpose...

on a personal note, it's a 458 with a plastic surgeon on both side vents...

Ferrari played to safe....

I thought the Gallardo to Huracan design wise was kind of vague, this, on my personal note is even backwards...

then again, will save final judgement when I see the car in flesh... There's just something about pictures and the real ones

 

THIS is the only thing I don´t like of this car, the rest is OK for me.

It doesn´t match the 458 perfection, but what does?

 

Well, in case you didn´t notice, the 488 actually is a 458 with plastic surgeon, just like the 430-360 and the 355-348.

 

Folks , I browsed all the pages of the thread but I didn't have the answer about the two kinds of Front hoods (The grey car has some scoops in it the red one hasn't)...

So ? can someone sum it up for me ? Thanks !!

 

Both are the same, it´s just that the angle and the color make the scoops in the grey car more visible.

 

I like your positive attitude but they could have done better.

I agree the 458 is hard to top but they should have refrained from using too many fussy details (this looks to be a Ferrari Design predilection) and less adventuresome shapes just for the sake of appearing outside the box. I find the same fault with the LaF scoop shape. These cars need refinement in design and classic eye-appealing design.