FERRARI F8 TRIBUTO SPIDER

Ferrari never ceases to surprise with their nomenclature. In South Africa, their most recent unveiling is of a car that is named after their most acclaimed engine of the last couple of decades, the 3.9-litre V8.

CHALLENGE EXCEEDED

Over the last decade, Ferrari has been working increasingly hard to produce mid-engined sports cars that appeal to a broader, and more sophisticated category of buyers. Spurred on by rival McLaren’s stratospheric rise in this segment in the last ten years, Ferrari has been upping its game in almost every respect. Besides the proven performance aspects of the F8’s predecessors, Ferrari cabins – and the F8 in particular – are exceptional environments worthy of the heritage and performance pedigree that form the bedrock to the brand’s success.

We would not dare surmise that this has anything to do with what McLaren (or any other rival automaker) has brought to market. Still, there is no doubt that the increased competition from other brands has encouraged Ferrari to go to great lengths to make the F8’s interior, spectacular.

At this level of competition, and price, neither Ferrari, nor any of its competitors can afford to employ anything but the highest grade materials and most luxurious finishes in their cars, so there is much of the same in the F8 as you would find in other Ferrari products.

However, if a direct comparison were to be drawn between the McLaren 720S and F8, the latter’s cabin is a substantially roomier environment than that of its British competitor. Whereas the Mclaren relies on a carbon fibre tub platform – which necessitates that the driver and passenger seats are placed closer together – the F8’s all-aluminium frame allows for more space between the front seats, and an inevitably roomier cabin layout.

From previous experience in the 488, the F8’s similarly proportioned layout is one of the easiest to understand, and use of any of its rivals. Changing drive modes, for example, is managed by a single switch on the steering, and three buttons control gear selection for the seven-speed dual-clutch system on the middle console.

LAST WORD

The beautifully specified reveal model that Ferrari South Africa showed us during the car’s reveal earlier in 2020 is a testament to what Ferrari buyers can look forward to on this car. Swathes of carbon fibre finishing on the exterior, Nero leather with yellow stitching on the seats, door panels and the dashboard, and carbon fibre interior finish (standard on the F8), round off this work of automotive art. All that remains for us now is to drive it, for the opportunity to fully appreciate the heart, and soul, of one of Maranello’s finest.