Ferrari F8 Tributo

You will meet the options target easy. Its only about 30 k. You will get there just with seats , shields and steering wheel

 

Just attended the reveal of the F8 at Ferrari Ontario and the car in person is stunning. Every angle looks beautiful. The improvement over the 488 especially front and rear is startling. The front bumper , unlike the box like, unresolved 488, has a flow and tasteful detail that not only creates interest, but continues the form and contours of the side of the car with an elegant continuity. There is a fluidity to the car that must be seen to be fully appreciated. Even the rear, which has created polarized opinions, conforms to the overall fluid aesthetic of the F8 and is highly appealing. Even my wife, who heretofore has not been an enthusiastic devotee of the Ferrari look, was mightily impressed. Color me likewise.So much so that I will be attending at the dealership in the next couple of days to undertake a spec.

My primary concern is the actual driving character of the car. My priorities are very much aligned with visceral and highly engaging driving dynamics. While I admired the capabilities and objective abilities of the 488, it was ultimately excessively refined and lacking in animal spirits. While I anticipate a heightened level of driver engagement with the F8, will it be sufficient to satisfy my predilections.

 

Yes ill be looking forward to the Australian launch next month. Black tie event.

Which one did they have there , the red or the blue one ?

Eagerly waiting on someone to drive and report on the car but I guess it will still be a few months away.

Did you ask if Canada was getting the GPF ?

 

Red car. No GPF for Canada. Many months before a car available for test drive.

 

My assumption is the car will be hysterically quick, like a 720 with better mid range and less lag. But also will be just as refined and composed as the 488 if not more so. It will be so capable you may find it boring on the road. I could be wrong but that’s my guess.

 

I agree that on all parameters of objective metrics, the F8 will be at an exalted level. While that will undoubtedly satisfy my left brain ( analytical, methodical, logical) which is 65% dominant, it is my right brain ( emotional, creative, artistic) that also requires nourishing. Only a test drive will settle the issue and I fervently hope the F8 successfully addresses my preferences and priorities.

BTW- The interior strikes a nice balance between a sporty look and luxe. Love the steering wheel appearance and feel and the seats, while highly supportive are very comfortable. The interior exudes high quality and is cohesive with the exterior.

 

Did they tell you last night there would be no GPF? It was my understanding that we'd get the filter in Canada & the US.

 

Seeing my dealer on Thursday. Will confirm on the GPF.

 

Would be nice no GPF for US and Canada, would make sense since it’s not required and they are already forced to come up non GPF exhaust for Aussie cars. Wishful thinking....

 

How do you compare the interior (fit and finish and over all quality feel) to you HP? Also does it feel more special inside? On the exterior, does it come around as a (finally I hope) aggressive design comparable to the HP as I think both the 458 and the 488 looks a bit "soft"?

 

Fit and finish of the interior exudes high quality and the overall feel is essential Ferrari but with a sportier slant. It definitely imparts a more special aura than its predecessors. The HP approach is definitely more modern and sportier, with less influence from the Lambo heritage. The HP represents more of a break from the past in comparison with the F8 which maintains the classic Ferrari look but with a modern twist. HP still has some cheap looking plastic pieces which are Audi holdovers. I can appreciate both interiors, although very different, since they each are consistent with the unique styling approaches of the respective companies’ exterior design philosophies.

The F8 is an aesthetic achievement. The visual cues are interpreted by my eye/ brain sensory mechanism as a fully resolved fluid and coherent design. Every angle offers a lovely glimpse of an automotive work of rolling art. The most glaring artistic advance over the 488 focuses on the front and the rear which is now consistent with the elegance and sporting nature of the side views. There is detail and interest where little existed before. The front imparts a sculptural vision that elevates the F8 to a new visual level. The
S Duct on the front hood coupled with the fluid rounded bumper and center divider is beautifully executed. The F8 is simply a beautiful vehicle that makes you root for it to possess the driving dynamics to match the excitement of its aesthetic . Hopefully it will.

 

Wow @Coincid thanks for your write - very much appreciated and I just vet my pants reading this. Now I need to buy one (you could sell them all with your last post)

As most of your previous posts here on f-chat they are extremely well thought out and well written. Your posts often comes out as the most objective (even if the aesthetics you described on your last post is of course subjective) which makes me respect your opinion(s) even more.

As you're a HP owner already (which is in my world by far the best sub 300K car you can buy at the moment), liking the F8 this much that you can consider the switch says something about the damn car

 

Whats your take on the 2 different S-Duct paths , the F8 and the Pista.

 

The Pista has the advantage due to wider air dispersion over a significantly larger portion of the hood, thereby generating greater, more uniform downforce.

 

Coincid is one of the best writers on this forum. Great stuff.

 

The HP and F8 are markedly divergent aesthetic approaches to super car design. The former is ostentatious, audacious,and flamboyant while the F8 takes a more understated, elegant approach. Both are highly successful in achieving their respective design missions. I find both extremely visually appealing.
While the exterior beauty of both cars make them candidates for purchase, it is the driving dynamics and the visceral thrill engendered thereby that clinches the deal. The car must provide a special, occasion like sensation everytime you get behind the wheel. Adrenaline should begin to be generated and the heart must commence to race as the car builds in speed. A car- driver connection must be established to the point where a unity is achieved and the machine and man meld as one.The voice of the car must command attention and heighten the emotional experience. Your focus is so intensely devoted to the task of commandeering this state of the art, masterpiece of automotive engineering, that your brain is incapable of extraneous thoughts. At the conclusion of a spirited run along winding country roads or after a day at the track, your mind- body synthesis is satiated with a feeling of contentment unique to driving a supercar. I will not give up the HP until I experience the F8.

 

Ditto but I get that out of my 488GTB.

I really want to see it up close and personal. The other reasons for interest are with every new model there are upgrades.Even above the Pista electronically. But the revised radiators front and intercoolers, the Pista engine and the iconel, the s-duct and one that I like surround the whole base of the car are black parts or carbon if you like instead of factory paint colour. Not to mention the new steering wheel and passenger display , important to me ( wifey )

Will all that be worth the 25-30% depreciation we will see.

 

Got to have an English major up his sleeve

 

Master of Science, and Doctorate of Laws.

 

Based upon the aesthetic enhancement and all the upgrades from the engine, aero dynamics to the electronics, there can be no doubt that the F8 is a significant improvement over the 488 on every level.

 

But will it deliver in performance like we all hope? I hate to keep bringing it up because dynamically you can have your own opinion, but from a pure data standpoint the 720 is the benchmark of the segment. 130 mph in less than 8 seconds. sub 10 quarter mile times. It's just a fact. The F8 has to get close if not match it because I'm sure Mclaren has something radical right around the corner as they always do.

 

My guess is that the actual numbers of the F8 will be very similar to those of the Pista, so more or less on par with the 720S.
Officially (as is already the case for the Fiorano lap time) Ferrari will not make bold claims for the F8 since the Pista needs to keep the edge (although actually it does not need that, its value proposition being more about exclusivity than performance).
An interesting fact is that the F8, in spite of being more recent, is released at a slightly lower list price than the 720S (about 3% less in France).

 

Sorry if you already mentioned it but what about the F8 sound?

 

Not as good as 458.

 

The car was only for display. Next day it was in Indiana .

I did hear the Pista as it was an owner’ s car. I do not know if the exhaust was stock, but the sound was at a minimum, acceptable and even satisfying. Not an NA V10 but I could live with it if the car’s performance predisposition hit my buttons.