488 Pista Spider

Make
Ferrari
Segment
Compact

The Ferrari F40 is one of the most influential supercars of all time. Built to celebrate Ferrari's anniversary, it was the last supercar to be personally approved by Enzo Ferrari himself, while its timeless styling still looks stunning today. But how does it stack up against its modern-day equivalent, the Ferrari 488 Pista, in a drag race?

YouTube channel Lovecars decided to find out. It's not every day you get to see a brand new Ferrari 488 Pista go head to head with a 30-year old modern classic, but it's the perfect way to showcase just how automotive engineering and technology has advanced in the last three decades.

Here's how the specifications compare. The iconic Ferrari F40 is powered by a 2.9-liter twin-turbo V8 producing 471 hp and 422 lb-ft of torque. With a curb weight of 3,018 pounds, this setup enables the F40 to rocket from 0-62 mph in 4.1 seconds, and reach a top speed of 201 mph. This made the Ferrari F40 the fastest production car in the world when it debuted in 1987. Only 1,315 examples were built between 1987 and 1992.

Like the base 488, the Ferrari 488 Pista is powered by a twin-turbo V8, but with a 3.9-liter displacement. In this application, this power unit produces 710 hp and 568 lb-ft of torque. For the drag race, Lovecars used a Ferrari 488 Pista Spider, which will do the 0-62 mph sprint in 2.85 seconds and can top out at 211 mph. While the the 488 Pista Spider has more power, it's slightly heavier than the F40 with a curb weight of 3,053 pounds.

Behind the wheel of the Ferrari 488 Pista is none other than former Fifth Gear host Tiff Needell, so it's in capable hands. The F40 actually beats the 488 Pista off the line, but it doesn't take long before the newer 488 Pista rockets ahead and leaves the F40 for dust. It was always going to be the winner, but the gap is narrower than you would expect.

The F40 did the quarter mile in 12.74 seconds at 117.6 mph, which is a respectable time considering the age gap, while the 488 Pista covered the same distance in 11.17 seconds at 121.2 mph. Plus, spare a thought for poor Tiff who had the disadvantage of having to row his own gears with the F40's gated manual gearbox, whereas the 488 Pista has a quick-shifting seven-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox.