488 GTB Review

I had the opportunity to test drive a 488 GTB and I have resisted putting this review up here because there have been many reviews posted. This hasn't been edited yet so forgive any errors. Its a fairly long review.

Ferrari, the mere mention of the word conjures up many different things to many different people but common themes are: beauty, passion, speed and that unmistakable mystique that has always been associated with the works of art built at Maranello.

Ferrari’s have always been cars people aspire to own, aspire to experience and aspire to be in the presence of. That much was clear during the 1960’s when members of prominent royal houses arrived at Maranello to take delivery of a car and in some cases they arrived to personally explain to master coach builder Sergio Scaglietti how they would like their car to be styled.

I have been incredibly fortunate to experience many Ferrari’s and all have moved me in some way. It’s difficult to comprehend how a mere car can connect so deeply into ones emotions but this happens for the simple reason each Ferrari contains the passion of every person who helped build and develop it and each car carries the weight of nearly 70 years of racing history. The experience becomes an intangible emotive one.

Walking up to the 488 GTB I quickly forgot every single picture I had seen, in the metal it’s simply stunning and it’s a car that looks best outside and away from artificial light. In natural light its curves and lines become more pronounced and walking around it one notices details, the front of the car in particular looks both back and forward. There are La Ferrari styling elements but equally to my eye there are elements of the 1960’s 312P and the way the front curves is not dissimilar to that of a TR60. Nothing disturbs the eye and everything seems to flow in a harmonious way. There are no jagged styling elements and walking around the car one is greeted by the controversial side intakes. In person these look fantastic, again the sculpting on the door leading to the intake is very reminiscent of the 308 GTB, in essence like the 308 did, the 488 marks a new era for Ferrari.
The back of the car is very harmoniously curved and again everything just seems to flow. If the 488 were a model it would be one wearing a tight fitting dress. The styling is cohesive, restrained and not outlandish.

Ferrari courts controversy from time to time, they replaced the 246 Dino with the 308 GT4, a move which shocked many. The V8 engine itself was a shock, even though it was directly related to the 248 racing car. The 365 GTB/4 eschewed a mid-engine layout favoured by upstart Lamborghini and kept the tried and trusted front engine layout. The 355F1 adopted the first generation of paddle shift gearbox which had its origins in Formula One.

“It is turbocharged”, many discussions about the 488 have started like that, it’s odd that this wasn’t of much importance back in 1984 when Ferrari introduced, what would become a legend, the 288 GTO and it definitely wasn’t frowned upon when Enzo Ferrari himself unveiled the mighty F40 in 1987. Both those cars are today viewed as icons.
Lowering myself into the 488’s passenger seat the cabin architecture is very similar to the 458 and that’s no bad thing, everything is at hand, the addition of the central “bridge” from the F12 adds drama to the interior and as with any new Ferrari one is treated to that sweet aroma of fine leather.

The seat itself is comfortable without being lounge like. There is an ambience of sportiness here and from the very beginning you are aware the tone is more sports car than it is GT car, though the 488 would be a very accomplished GT. Sitting and looking around there is a definite sense of occasion which is vitally important.
Like the 458, the 488 has a fantastic level of forward visibility and the way the front wings curve is very pleasing to the eye.

Thanks to keyless go the key is now redundant and behind me the V8 wakes up with a growl which is not altogether dissimilar to that of a 458 and settles down to a purposeful idle. Yes, it’s not quite as loud as the 458 but it’s not quiet either.

On the move at low revs the engine remains purposeful, the balance between tune and noise being difficult to strike but to me the engine sounds loud enough low down in the rev range to enhance the sense of occasion and the sound is very Ferrari like. Immediately obvious is the smoothness of the gearbox, in fact at low speed gear changes are virtually seamless. What is immediately noticeable is the prodigious level of the torque produced by the 3.8 litre V8, acceleration is effortless.

Flex the right foot and the 488 erupts towards the horizon, one is being slammed back in the seat and ones ears being serenaded by a staccato V8 beat overlaid with the faint whistle of the turbo’s. The mighty mid-range torque allied to top end power gives a sensation I have only felt in one other V8 car: the F40.

Yes the 488 isn’t as loud as the 458 at the top of the rev range but no turbo V8 would ever be able to match the operatic prowess of the 4.5 litre V8., itself one of greatest engines ever built. What the 488 does do is offer stonking performance at any revs in seemingly any gear. It has this ability to make you re calibrate your thinking such is the rate it gathers speed and such is the sheer effortless rate at which that speed is gathered. At high revs the engine does bellow purposefully and there is still a lot of soul in the powertrain. Enzo Ferrari always believed the engine to be the heart of the car and this is still very much true of the 488, the engine defines it.

From the passenger seat the handling appears to be surefooted and my impression is of a car that offers accessible thrill to anyone irrespective of skill and car that’s been set up to feel special irrespective if one is doing 80 km/h or 180 km/h. The agility which so astonished me 6 years ago when I sampled a 458 is still very much present, in fact it seems to have been enhanced. Cornering is mesmerising, the way the car seems to change direction. It’s as if the car is dancing around a corner, there is a lightness of the feel which manifests itself in supreme agility which combined with the turbo engine creates driving joy. My sense is that anyone lucky enough to own a 488 could drive the car for 10 years and still learn something new each day; still be dazzled by the way it changes direction and still be thrilled to simply just look at.

A few weeks after this passenger ride I was offered the opportunity to drive the 488 which was a real privilege. One can only learn so much from the passenger seat and I was extremely happy to be afforded this unique opportunity.

Sitting in the driving seat, the V8 idling behind me, there was a sense of calm and I was glad the saleslady afforded me those few moments of solitude. Every Ferrari I have driven has been an event and each started with a few quiet minutes of contemplation. Each time I have felt this inherent calming effect. The prancing horse staring at me and my mind reflecting on nearly 70 years of Ferrari history, the drivers who raced them, the iconic cars and the legendary tales about Enzo Ferrari.

First order of business is to take the gearbox out of auto mode. The paddles on this particular car are finished in carbon fibre and have a lovely feel to them and precision to the way they work. The steering wheel feels great to hold and within fifty metres it becomes clear the 488 is about precision. Turning the steering wheel produces instant response and one needs to get used to the fact big steering movements are not required such is the directness of the steering.

The engine is truly mighty, the first thing I did was short shift to 7th gear to feel the full 755NM of torque and what a feeling this is, one punched back into the seat. Throttle response even at low revs is instant, there being no discernable lag at all.

My main worry with the 488 was that Ferrari chased headline performance numbers at the expense of theatre. Furthermore I worried the sheer amount of technology would rob the car of that mythical and intangible quality otherwise known as Ferrari passion. Third gear 4500 rpm and a flex of the right foot, the 488 explodes towards the horizon as if powered by a rocket, the acceleration is astonishing but I frequently found I wasn’t using all the revs such was the power combined with the prodigious mid range torque. When one does use all the revs the acceleration is just plain savage, you need those change up lights on the steering wheel because the speed at which the car is chasing the horizon means one does not have time to look at the rev counter.

I didn’t get to the point the 488s nose at too many corners due to a slightly damp road but the corners I did negotiate inspired massive confidence in the car. The steering is extremely sharp and it quickly became apparent the 488 is a car that rewards precision and measured inputs. Around one sweeping corner the steering loads up nicely and you can place the car with total accuracy, It goes without question but the brakes are an equal to the acceleration abilities, the pedal being ultra responsive but it is also easy to modulate the brakes.

For all its power the 488 is accessible, never at any time did I feel like the car was doing anything but looking after me. Even in Race mode on a slightly damp road the power was usable. Throughout the drive I was immersed in an experience, there was theatre, drama and at high revs the engine really sounds great. Everything about the 488 is an event, looking at it is an event and to me if I were lucky enough to own a 488 I’d spend many hours driving, finding new quiet roads, exploring the car and simply being immersed in sheer driving joy. To have a 488 and not drive it often is to deny oneself one of the great pleasures of life: the ability to experience that Ferrari magic and indulge in a car that can be whatever you want it to be. It’s brilliant at everything it does and it will make you feel equally brilliant.

I have never defined Ferrari’s by numbers, for me a number is irrelevant, a bare statistic with little individual meaning. For me Ferrari’s will always be about how they make me feel, the emotions they elicit and the way everything combines to create an unforgettable experience. Yes, Ferrari builds cars but these aren’t mere cars, they are cars instilled with over 60 years of history. In the 488 Ferrari have once again created something special and provided me with another unforgettable memory.

 

Sadly he 488 is not a possibility for me at the moment. Was great to test drive one and spent some time driving one.