Ferrari’s Upcoming Turbocharged Era: Meet The 488 GTB
For ages, the Ferrari name has been associated with naturally-aspirated engines that can rev up to the stratosphere while sounding like an angel’s chorus (or the Devil’s own band, depending on your opinion). With few exceptions, every car that has come out of Maranello has been powered by one of these V8 or V12 engines.
However, it seems that even Ferrari has had to admit that a smaller turbocharged engine has the potential to make big power while being ‘’greener’’ than a larger, naturally-aspirated unit. So, without further ado, here is the latest turbocharged road-going production Ferrari: the 488 GTB.
First, it’s not an all-new car: a quick glimpse is enough to show us that it is a new iteration of the wildly-successful 458 Italia. Its lines are smoother, its front bumper reminds us of the LaFerrari and its side air intakes are larger. The rear spoiler has been modified to integrate active aerodynamics, and the wheels are also new.
The engine is yet another known element: unveiled in the California T, the twin-turbo, 3.9-litre V8 has been modified for its new location amidships. The Italian engineers also uncorked the powerplant; while it was limited to 560 horsepower in the California T, it now produces a very healthy 670 horsepower at 8000 (!) rpm and 560 pound-feet of torque. With the addition of a seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox, the car can hit 100 km/h in 3 seconds flat, 200 km/h is dealt with in 8.3 seconds and a whole lap of the Fiorano circuit takes 1 minute and 23 seconds, which is as fast as an F12 Berlinetta and a half-second faster than the 458 Speciale. This new GTB can also post fuel economy ratings of 11.4L/100 km, in case you were wondering.
We will be able to marvel at this Italian prancing horse at the Geneva Auto Show next month.
Ferrari’s future seems to be heading towards turbocharging. Performance-wise, we have nothing against that.