Meet Ferrari’s new stallion

Welcome, everybody, to Ferrari's new supercar.
This is the 488 GTB, a car that not only suggests
there is no naming structure whatsoever at
Maranello, but also brings turbocharging to the
company's littlest supercar for the first time.
We'll suspend any shock or outrage, as that's
been common knowledge since the California T
landed. And to help ease any lingering anger,
Ferrari has ensured its McLaren 650S -fighter has a
shedload of power.
A 3.9-litre V8 may be over half a litre shy of the
unit in the 458 it replaces, but with two
turbochargers, it's quite a bit more powerful.
Figures of 661bhp and 561 pound-feet of torque
stand up exceedingly well to its 562bhp/398lb-ft
predecessor, as well as that McLaren.
The 488 GTB also compares favourably to the
Ferrari 599 GTO of only a few years ago, which had
661bhp and 457lb-ft from its 6-litre, turbo-free
V12, and ranks as one of the more extreme
Ferraris we've seen lately. The 488 GTB, then,
won't be slow.
Performance? The zero to 62mph sprint takes 3
seconds – identical to the stripped-out 458
Speciale – but the 488's zero to 124mph time of
8.3 seconds is nearly a second quicker. Its top
speed will be 205mph-plus.
Ferrari uses lap times of its Fiorano test track as a
performance benchmark; a 1 minute 23 second
run makes the 488 GTB half a second quicker than
the Speciale, which in turn makes it two seconds
quicker than both the standard 458 and the mighty
Enzo.
With a 1,370kg (3,020lbs) dry weight, the 488 GTB
is 10kg lighter than the 458 Italia, and while it's a
little longer and wider, the overall resemblance is
obvious.
Its 260g/km CO2 emissions – a core reason for
strapping a pair of turbos to a downsized engine –
represent a 15% drop over its forebear.
We're promised the throttle response and
progressive power delivery for which Ferraris –
and revvy naturally aspirated engines – are
renowned, with something called Variable Torque
Management built into the paddleshift gearbox to
deliver the torque across the rev range, just like we
sampled on the California T.
Peak power arrives at 8,000rpm, dizzyingly high
for a forced-induction engine, and a suggestion the
rev limit shouldn't be too far shy of the 458's
screaming 9,000rpm. We're also promised a
soundtrack "that is full, clear and totally
distinctive".
There are more than bald figures to be wowed by,
of course. There's Ferrari's usual gamut of driver-
flattering technology, honed using its XX track
programme.
Most exciting is a second-gen version of Side Slip
Angle Control, now working with the suspension's
active dampers for greater precision. "The 488 GTB
provides track-level performance that can be
enjoyed to the full even by non-professional
drivers," promises Ferrari.
Aerodynamics play a predictably huge role. The
488's underbody is flat, for greater airflow, while
there are all manner of active flaps and spoilers.
Aero has dictated the car's styling, too: just look at
the aggression of that rear diffuser, the intricacies
of the front splitter and those rather eye-grabbing
air intakes (with what look to be their own
moveable flaps) just behind the doors.
Trust Ferrari to somehow make geeking out on air
intakes cool. And hopefully we can trust it to
replace the sublime naturally aspirated 458 with
something turbocharged without stuffing it up.
We'll learn more about the 488 GTB at next
month's Geneva motor show, where it will share
hall space with McLaren's 675 LT.