Please lets not make of this thread another 458 vs 488 debate. No one’s talking about the 458 here. We’re trying to uncover why the 488 doesn’t rev all the way up to 8,000rpm as per Ferrari marketing and as per rev counter marking, as well as why the rev limiter/fuel cutoff varies depending on gear engaged. The 488 is a great car and its performance isn’t one bit dented by not revving up to 8,000rpm. However, technically, mechanically, electronically, computer programingly speaking, it would be interesting to know why it doesn’t. Kind regards, Nuno.
Having seen many cars being tuned with after market ECU's its just how Ferrari tuned the ECU. It will take readings from the many sensors and adjust accordingly Like wise it does with boost by gear With Forced Induction the VE( volumetric efficiency ) is way up and things can go dead very fast ( knock ) The ECU just tames everything and if that means going full cut or lower RPM its just the ECU taking care of the engine. Can it go to 8,000 rpms probably yes, when ? well when everything is ok. Low intake temperature, engine warm, no heat soak of the intercoolers etc etc. FI engines need more electronics and hence why Ferrari did boost by gear to really eliminate turbo lag and get more of the N/A feeling. And my reference to the 458 is not a 458 vs 488 debate its the fact the N/A engine is less complicated. When these sensors are detecting something they will pull back the power, as with altitude less Oxygen. With FI the VE is so much higher it can push much more oxygen so the electronics really have to come up to the task, and that's what they do. If anyone has Telemetry added to their car they can down load the logs and they will see it. There will be different maps depending on whats going on. Hence why people will report their car driving faster on a cold morning rather than a hot 39 degree Celsius day
Has anyone experienced full throttle to 8000rpm in manual transmission mode under any condition? Angelo, do you have an information source or is it a hypothesis?
Well, maybe less complicated regarding of managing pressure etc, but not less challenging or expensive to build. I don't know if this is related to the 488 cut off, but when a senior Alfa engineer was asked about the very low cut off (5800 RMP I think) on their new 2 litre petrol engine in the Giulia and Stelvio, he said that it was due to emission restrictions and that there wasn't much they could do about it.
I have made some tests with my 488, in Germany we have 102 European octane ( Aral) also Shell Vpower 100 octane at 5 degrees celsius and 25 celsius and also 98 octane. No change at all of early rev limiter, my car is running in rev limiter from 4 th to 5 th gear at 7450 rpm. Independent from fuel quality or ambient temperature
No what i wrote isn't information on the 488 but what I have experienced seeing my own engines being tuned and many , many others. Tuning with an aftermarket ECU can literally take days, weeks. Data is filled into map grids Im 99.999% its just Ferrari putting a fuel cut based on data in the grids. Any racing 488 groups using other ECU's will know for sure. Or if the data is available on the telemetry option .
There might be no rev limit change , again its how they have tuned the ECU but given being a Turbo , power output will change. Can see it on a Dyno , heat soak with the intercoolers. And if the dyno isn't changing ild say the engine can actually put out more power.
I gave it a try and got to around 7,600 in 3rd and 4th gear, before I got 5 red lights on the steering wheel with 100 Shell Octaine at 82 Fahrenheit (about 28 Celsius), on the 488 spider... so, did not get 8.000 either..
There's usually another 50 - 100 rpm to redline/fuel cutoff after the 5th light comes on. There's a "cushion" so that you have time to shift after seeing the 5th light.
I hit the rev limiter twice on my 488GTB test drive - I was watching the rev counter and not going off the LEDs. Why didn't they change the rev counter to match the true limit? I think the limiter was at about 7400rpm. Very odd, but I suppose you get used to it and either use the LEDs or just engine sound.
I've read all 312 posts and while I'm disappointed and surprised at the RPM trickery, it doesn't negate the fact that the 488 is one heck of a fantastic car. It's incredibly quick, beautifully styled, technologically sophisticated, comfortable, elegant, classy and has an abundance of character!
