The 488 GTB and its engine (below)
MARANELLO: Not every automaker is able to sell out a production run of a new vehicle before one is even built, and without having to do any media advertising. But that's how it is with the likes of Ferrari, whose most special models are often sold by invitation-only. At a gathering of Ferrari dealers and VIP customers recently, the invitees were presented with some of the key specifications of the staggering new Ferrari 488 that's been in the pipeline for almost a year now.
Even though every Ferrari is very special, this new version of the 488 sounds as though it's going to be reach another level altogether as it's set to be the most powerful V-8 model the company has ever produced. And yes, that does mean the as-yet unnamed model will even be more powerful than the LaFerrari, according to details in a leaked presentation slideshow.
Although the presentation that has been reportedly leaked to the Ferrari Photo Page website is fairly extensive, the car is still being referred to as the "New V8 Sport Special Series," and not even dealers know what the car will eventually be called.
The slide presentation states that the car will see the "highest horsepower increase vs donor car for a V8 special series," which has led to speculation that there will be more than 700hp on offer from the 488's 3.9-litre twin-turbo V-8. Even though that's still only speculation, it's hard to see the point of producing a new 488 if it isn't in that kind of ballpark as the current version already boasts 660hp and 763Nm of torque.
The engine is reported to be an evolution of the unit in the Challenge race car, which is ten percent lighter than the production model. There will also be more use of carbon fiber than any previous Ferrari has used to keep the weight down, which will include the hood, bumpers, rear spoiler, dashboard, center tunnel, and even the 20-inch wheels all being made from the lightweight material.
It seems dealers have been submitting a list of potential names for the new car to the people who matter in Maranello, but the rest of us will probably have to wait until the Geneva Motor Show in March to find out the name and more.
