488 Pista

Make
Ferrari
Segment
Coupe

Ferrari never likes to offer less with something new. It must always be more power and more exhilarating performance. And if you thought the LaFerrari was king, then think again. According to information obtained by Ferrari Photo Page, an anonymous source sent in what appears to be Power Point slides from a recent presentation about the upcoming 488 GTO. We still can't confirm the car's official name but the slides describe it as the "New V8 Sport Special Series." It's also expected to debut in Geneva this March.

Based on the presentation, Ferrari isn't holding anything back. The 488 GTO (or "Sport Special Series") will be lighter, faster and more powerful than the GTB. But let's compare what we think it'll be like to, say, the 812 Superfast, which has around 790 hp. The 488 GTO presentation clearly says over 700 hp and, when combined with various weight reductions (the engine alone is 10% lighter than the V8 in the GTB), we're looking at a supercar that could very well have a greater power-to-weight ratio than Ferrari's current front-engined V12 flagship. Even the 458 Speciale will seem rather tame all of a sudden. The 488 GTO will also be very slippery - a whole 20% increase in aero efficiency over the 488 GTB.

But perhaps the most vital thing from this leaked material is this: the 488 GTO represents the highest rating of racing technology transfer to a street-legal machine in Ferrari's history. Aside from expected bits like an aluminum floor, glovebox removal, and an abundance of carbon fiber add-ons inside and out, this mid-engined supercar is really more of a street legal version of the 488 Challenge than a lighter and more powerful 488 GTB. Ferrari seems to have essentially worked with the race car to make it street legal as opposed to taking the existing 488 GTB more hardcore. Combined with a set of new Michelin Sport 2 tires, this new mid-engined V8 Ferrari sounds like it could very well deserve the "GTO" moniker. Just our opinion.

In any case, here's the complete list from the presentation: 40% weight vs standard alloy rims The engine will be the most powerful V8 ever used in a Ferrari, which means at least 700 screaming horses. It's an evolution of the 488 Challenge engine. It's 10% lighter than the engine used in the 488 GTB. It delivers a unique track-like sound. Racing interior including: aluminum floor panels and no glovebox. Highest utilization of carbon fiber on a range car. The front hood, front bumper, rear spoiler and rear bumper are fully made out of carbon fiber.

The highest racing technology transfer on a street homologated Ferrari. +20% aero efficiencies compared to the 488 GTB. GTE inspired rear diffuser. Active rear spoiler. New race gearshift strategy. Extremely direct steering ratio. New Michelin Sport Cup 2 tires. Assuming this is all true, and it sure appears to be so, then the 488 GTO could be as fast, or perhaps even faster, than the LaFerrari. Just think about that for a second. It'll probably be even faster than the 812 Superfast. Lastly, one of the show cars is said to be painted black. We'll hopefully have more details for you between now and Geneva.