IT’S ALL ABOUT THE ENGINE
Ferrari’s F8 Tributo, at $485K, is something special
You can glean plenty from a name, especially with Ferrari.
The 308 made famous from the Magnum TV series had a 3.0-litre V8. Its successor, the 328, stepped up to a 3.2-litre. The 812 Superfast produces 800 horsepower from its V12, making it rather … fast.
But Ferrari’s newcomer F8 Tributo is not as easy to decode.
As the successor to the 488 (in which each cylinder is 488cc) — and as the latest Ferrari mid-engined V8, a series that started with the 308 — it uses the same basic engine and shares its roof, windows and doors.
“Tributo” implies something special. Ferrari points to the V8’s International Engine of the Year awards.
As the maker also has called the F8 Tributo “the last of its bloodline”, there’s the suggestion that change is on the way in the prancing horse brand. Speculation has centred on the imminent arrival of hybrid propulsion.
In the Ferrari sphere, things don’t get much more momentous than the engine.
The F8’s twin-turbo 3.9-litre V8 produces 530kW/770Nm, increases of 38kW/10Nm over the regular 488 this car replaces. The higher outputs are also identical to those of the 488 Pista, the track-focused final edition.
Ferrari also shaved 40kg from the Tributo to help make it moderately faster. The dash from rest to 100km/h takes 2.9 seconds — and the claimed 7.8-second sprint to 200km/h is akin to what it takes a modern family car to reach half that speed.
We struggle to achieve these on a foggy wet day in the hills surrounding Ferrari’s home in Maranello.
The dampness turns out to be just the challenge for Ferrari’s driver control set-up, including an electronic differential and what Ferrari calls its Dynamic Enhancer. This monitors grip, steering angle and power delivery to apply braking selectively for faster blasts out of bends.
The familiar F1-inspired manettino dial on the steering wheel — reduced in diameter but packed with controls for everything from the indicators and wipers to headlights and dampers — has a Wet mode among its artillery.
It’s tailored to low-grip surfaces yet also provides a semblance of sensibility for those not intent on exploiting the F8’s capacity for frenetic fury. Traction control kicks in sooner, torque gently swelling as revs build towards the full 530kW rush.
It genuinely tames the beast, to the point where the F8 is eminently controllable.
Select Sport and the F8 changes character dramatically, the suspension firming slightly and the rear wheels spitting and chattering as they fight for grip, broad Pirelli P Zero rubber occasionally losing the battle against the fury of the V8.
That it pulls so strongly from as low as 2000rpm underpins the flexibility of a fantastic V8, with lashings of thrust across its broad, freerevving range.
Ferrari would have you believe there is zero turbo lag. There is some — but there are just fractions of a second between applying the throttle and serious grunt arriving.
The Tributo also steps up its dynamic ability but, as with the rest of the car, the change is evolutionary.
The stylish body produces more downforce courtesy of the S-Duct in the bonnet that reduces drag while pushing the nose to the ground.
Steering is beautifully weighted and satisfyingly direct, any input rewarded with a predictable twitch of the nose. Carbon ceramic brakes are potent but work progressively.
The talent of this Ferrari is in its beautiful blend of pace and liveability. Underscoring the latter, the suspension adeptly deals with bumps — there’s even a “bumpy road” mode.
You’re cocooned low in the cabin, the V8 just visible; water drips into the engine bay through the slits that distort rear vision but are a homage to the iconic F40. The nose falls away sharply, the wheel arches giving a comforting indicator of the location of the front tyres.
Among the snippets of practicality, nets behind the seats keep odds and ends within reach and there’s a 200L cavity — it’s a stretch to call it a boot — under the bonnet.
The base $484,888 ask is unlikely to satisfy buyers, as the healthy list of options incorporates features that are standard on city hatchbacks. That includes the latest driver assistance (including autonomous emergency braking), reversing camera and smartphone connectivity.
None of which has stopped enthusiasts queuing to own the latest in a special line.