Drove the 488 today.. thoughts, photos and videos

Really? You're trading a Speciale for a 488 Spider? Seems like the only one that comes out ahead in that deal is your dealer... Do you really think you'll like a 488 (even in the Spider variant) better than your Speciale? If I were you, I'd think pretty hard before pulling the trigger on that one....

 

He is not the only one - I traded in my Challenge Stradale for a 488 GTB which will arrive in octobre... after 40'000 miles in the CS I am looking forward to something new!

 

Your point is a little far fetched, wouldn't you agree?
A 488 without turbo boost is a) a defective 488 or b) no 488.

 

I have my Scuderia for that, w a healthy side of fireballs and canon fire downshifts. mix & match, mix & match.

 

I guess many are missing my point. I'll try again with a different approach.

Even a modern turbo optimized vehicle such as the 488 isn't operating under boost during typical day-to-day driving conditions. If it's more than 10-15% of the time I'd be surprised as fuel mileage would be terrible. Therefore, during the remaining 85% of your daily commute, for example, the 488 is working just like any normally aspirated engine (hopefully with little exhaust restriction).

Giving these conditions, the condition where most of us will spend the majority of or driving time, I feel the 458 will feel more responsive by venture of its larger displacement. Start to drive more aggressively and that's another story.

 

There is always some boost (unless you lift off completely). You just get fool boost at the WOT position. Also, N/A engines are by definition more responsive.

 

I get it. Makes sense.

The 488 is only 0.2 sec faster 0-60. Main improvement will be on the track. For those who track alot a good choice. For those who don't track anymore (like me) the sound and responsiveness are probably more important. A friend with an Italia said: I have never had any trouble passing on the road.

 

I think now they use twin smaller turbos instead of one huge turbo, then the boosts-amount are being computer set, so it could even started with little boost at very low rpm. Turbo lag should still exist, but minimal and you won't notice. Massive torque would make it difficult to tell the lack of throttle response. You can only feel the lack of throttle response if you compare it against responsive-NA with same power range, but compared to 458 for example, which is about 100hp and huge torque less, you won't notice the lack of throttle response in 488.
This car is actually a very good turbocharged, but compared to others NA from Ferrari, it's like plastic Birkin bag, or Patek Philippe makes a digital battery watch. Just my opinion, though.

 

One wild card potentially in favor for the 488 is the combination of advanced side slip control with lots of low end torque.

Super accessible tail sliding action may be fun and make many feel like they can drive much better than they really can.

 

The feeling behind the wheel tells a much more dramatic story, even from 0-60. There is a continuous surge, then more, and then some more.

You talk like as if you're the type to floor the car at every opportunity...if that is the case, then yea, I think it probably won't be as "responsive" as a 458. But honestly, I didn't feel a lack of responsiveness or that atypical "turbo lag" everyone is so worried about on my spirited drive around monterey; it was very smooth and linear just like an NA motor. I could hear slight turbo whistles but that's as much og turbo sensation as you're going to get imho.

You wanna talk about lack of responsiveness? Drive the new CaliT, oh sweet jesus...

 

Throttle response is pretty much the same between the 458 and 488 regardless of hp and tq gap.

 

a PORSCHE 991 Turbo S is just as quick, also sounds crap and is cheaper

 

I don't get the obsession some have with tail sliding. The fastest way through a turn is minimal understeer and oversteer. Tail sliding is much slower. It may be fun. Kinda like binge drinking may be fun but it's not good for you. Tail sliding causes excessive tire wear and I can't believe it's good for the car.

When i see someone tail sliding a car i think: this person doesn't really know how to drive. Yet most the reviewers on TV and utube seem to do it. Not their car after all now is it!

You may learn better car control on a skidpad or empty icy parking lot. And such activity is easier on the car and tire wear.

End of rant.

 

Obviously the fastest way is not to slide. I tend to agree in the sense I don't understand the scope of the fascination.

However what matters is not what you or I think but what most buyers think. There is evidence that most buyers like that stuff alot!

Top Gear, Harris, and Tiff would not be doing it constantly if people were not into it.

In addition McLaren learned a tough lesson by not keeping this in mind on the first version of the MP4 12c. Fastest does not always sell as it is not necessarily the most satisfying.

To be fair I can understand there is a certain satisfaction in being in a car that will let you kick out the tail on demand with full confidence you can bring it back. It is fun to be able to (or think you can) thoroughly explore the dynamics of a car.

 

Who cares if it's slower, it's more fun. Much more.

 

T and 488 sounds a little better bad still not a good sound for Ferrari or Lamborghini

 

Does the 911 do 0-200 in 8.3? Does it sound as good as a 488? Does it looks as good? Does it turn as nimble? I don't think so...

 

now Mclaren is main competitor

 

Yes as even the 650S does 0-200 it 8.4
PERFORMANCE FIGURES ANNOUNCED FOR THE McLAREN 650S AHEAD OF GENEVA DEBUT : McLaren Automotive Media Centre

 

Currently I drive a 991 Turbo S and I can tell you that the 488 has a much better + louder sound and is also faster than the 991 Turbo S. I now change from it to 488.

 

louder sound is not enough, it's need to be more melodic

 

I travelled to Monterey today to test drive the 488 at the Casa Ferrari Carmel. Being an owner of a 458, I was curious to find out for myself how the new car would stack up against the 458. How has the car changed? How would the turbos change the characteristic of the car and is the extra torque and horsepower worth it?

Case Ferrari was situated on Highway 1 about 5 miles outside of Carmel. The test drive consisted of driving down Highway 1 along the coast and back. All in all, I had about 45 minutes behind the wheel. There was some traffic, but I was able to create some gaps to test the full acceleration of the car. I believe at one point, I did see 120 KPH on the speedometer.

Based on the test drive, I have the following observations. We’ll start with the good and work our way down.

Suspension and Handling. This is clearly the most improved aspect of the car. The ride quality is better and smoother. The car just feels more stable. Under full throttle acceleration, it is rock solid. If I had to quantify, I would say it feels 15% more stable.

Transmission. It has become more refined. Shifts are now ultra silky smooth - both upshifts and downshifts. If you had earplugs on in the passenger seat and couldn’t hear the engine, I don’t think you could tell when there was a shift. Even at full throttle in race mode, there is barely a jerk.

Brakes. For street driving, there is no difference. Since braking is limited by tire traction anyway, the only way to find a difference would be under repeated heavy braking on the track. Since I wasn’t able to go to Laguna Seca on this test drive, I couldn’t find out.

Styling. This is, of course, a matter of personal preference. I can say to my eyes, the 488 looks slightly better in person than in photos. But there is much about the styling that I don’t care for. The giant vents, the indentations in the hood, the lamboesque front end, don’t seem to come together. There seems to be a lack of coherence in the design. The 458 has a simple elegance to it, and all of the lines form a cohesive whole. The 488 seems to be a mashup of disparate ideas.

Now, I stated we’d start with the good and work our way down, and I’m sorry to say that leads to the engine. I expected the extra 100 horsepower and torque to make a big difference. For street driving, it just doesn’t. What are the quoted differences in 0-60 time, a couple tenths? I for one couldn’t feel the difference in a couple of tenths. I expected there would be a big difference in low end torque, but it didn’t really seem to make that much difference. When cruising at around 3000 RPM, then giving it full throttle, there is a noticeable fraction where you sense the turbos spooling up. I believe I read somewhere that the torque is limited unless you’re in 7th gear. It seems because of that, for normal street driving, there isn’t much difference between the 458 and 488. I suspect above 80 MPH, where the 458’s acceleration begins to taper, the 488 would power through. So really, you would only be able to take advantage of the extra power on the track.

Then there’s the 7500 RPM red line. You hit the rev limiter so much more often in the 488. When you cruising at 3000 RPM and then give it full throttle, there is much less room to rev compared the the 9000 RPM redline in the 458.

Finally, the sound. Sadly, there is no contest. Not only is the 488 significantly quieter than the 458, the scream and the wail are gone. When you’re at full throttle in the 458, from 6000-9000 RPM there is a fury and urgency to the sound. That is completely gone in the 488. At full throttle in the 488, in the upper rev ranges, you hear the turbo whistle and blowoff valve as much as you hear the exhaust note.

All in all, the 488 is an excellent piece of engineering. The handling and performance are excellent. If the 488 was the first Ferrari I owned, I would be completely satisfied with it. However, when comparing it to the 458, in terms of character and visceral excitement, the loss of the high revving naturally aspirated engine is just too big a tradeoff to make. The engine is the soul of the car, and where the 458 is spirited, the 488 is clinical. If I had a choice between the 458 and 488 irrespective of price, I would choose the 458 hands down.

 

thanks, let's hope 488 replacment will be NA + electric

 

Garak, that is a fantastic review... coming from one of our own, it carries a lot of weight. Thank you for sharing!!