Ferrari 488 Pista

FIRSTDRIVE Racing-inspired Berlinetta delivers ultimate driving experience

- Sean Carson

FERRARI’S special-series mid-engined models have an illustrious history. From the 360 Challenge Stradale to the 430 Scuderia and 458 Speciale, each one enhanced the performance on offer in the standard cars. But, even by Ferrari’s levels, the 488 Pista is something else.

Firstly, the name: ‘Pista’ means ‘track’ in Italian – and Ferrari claims the car encompasses “all of the experience built on the world’s circuits by the 488 Challenge and the 488 GTE” racing cars, with many parts donated by the former.

Power is up from 661bhp to 710bhp, with 770Nm of torque. The result is a faster 0-62mph time of just 2.85 seconds while top speed now exceeds 211mph. This is so much more than a numbers exercise, though – the engineering that’s gone into achieving this performance leap is simply astonishing.

The engine features lightweight titanium connecting rods for the pistons, hollow inlet valves, a lighter flywheel and crankshaft, carbon-fibre intakes, updated twin-scroll turbos and a revised radiator layout to improve cooling. In fact, 50 per cent of the engine components are new.