Before making its official debut at the upcoming Geneva Motor Show, Ferrari has taken the wraps off the long-awaited hardcore version of the 488 GTB. Meet the Ferrari 488 Pista, the Italian carmaker’s latest track-focused special (Pista is Italian for track). It’s a lighter, more powerful version of the standard 488 GTB and a successor to the 458 Speciale. The 488 Pista uses the most powerful V8 Ferrari has ever made and is described as an “extreme evolution” of the turbo motor that won several international awards in the last two years. It is powered by the regular 488’s 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8 which has been reformatted to produce 711 hp and 568 lb-ft of torque. It’s a heft jump of 51 hp and 8 lb-ft of torque from the regular 488 GTB.
Ferrari has even used more extreme weight saving tricks on the 488 Pista to shave off nearly 200 pounds, giving it a dry weight of only 2,822 pounds. Thanks to the lighter weight and added power the 488 Pista will hit 62 mph in 2.85 seconds, 124 mph in 7.6 and reach a top speed of 211mph. In comparison, the 488 GTB can do the same sprints in 3.0 seconds and 8.3 seconds, respectively. What’s interesting is the performance figures claimed by Ferrari are near-identical to that of its key rival, the range-topping Porsche 911 GT2 RS. Ferrari claims the 488 Pista is “a significant step forward” from the previous special series in terms of sporty dynamics and the level of technology carried over from racing. The new supercar features aerodynamic aids derived from the Ferrari 488 GTE racecar. The front and rear diffuser designs have been carried over to increase the downforce up by 20 per cent without the need of a massive rear wing. The Pista also introduces the Ferrari Dynamic Enhancer, which is a world first. It uses Ferrari software to adjust the brake pressure at the calipers, benefiting handling in corners. Ferrari is yet to announce the pricing which is likely to be announced at the Geneva Motor Show next month.
