Ferrari announces 488 Pista set for Geneva reveal

The Ferrari 488 Pista, which will be unveiled at the upcoming Geneva Motor Show, is the latest car in Ferrari’s V8-engined special series – the 360 Challenge Stradale, 430 Scuderia and 458 Speciale

Ferrari says the 488 Pista marks a significant step forward from the previous special series cars in terms of both sporty dynamics and for the level of technological carry-over from racing.  Even the name is, in fact, a direct homage to Ferrari’s unparalleled heritage in motor sports.

The car’s development evolved directly from the company’s involvement in the FIA World Endurance Championship – where it has won five Manufacturers’ titles in the GTE class in the six years since the series’ inception, taking 29 out of 50 races – and 25 years’ experience in running the Ferrari Challenge one-make series.

Compared to the 488 GTB, the new model weighs an impressive 90 kg less which, when combined with the largest ever increase in engine power for a special series car results in a new benchmark for Ferrari’s V8 sports cars. Its turbocharged engine is the most powerful V8 in Ferrari history and is an extreme evolution of the turbo unit that punches out 709 bhp with the highest specific output of in its class (180 bhp/l) and is now lighter too, thanks to solutions adopted from the 488 Challenge, including Inconel exhaust manifolds and lightweight crankshaft and flywheel, but also thanks to additional features, such as titanium con rods and carbon-fibre intake plenums.

The 488 Challenge also supplies the turbos with integrated rev sensors along with the design of the air intake line which has been moved from the flanks to the rear spoiler area to ensure a cleaner flow of air.

Torque is higher than the 488 GTB at all engine speeds, delivering a feeling of consistently smooth, powerful acceleration with even faster turbo response times despite the increase in power.

The Ferrari 488 Pista also makes full use of Ferrari’s motor-sports experience for maximum aerodynamic performance even on the road. Among the racing solutions adopted is the front F1-inspired S-Duct and the design of the front diffusers which feature a ramp angle that was optimised for the 488 GTE to create strong suction for increased downforce.

The underbody vortex generators have also been redesigned, and the rear diffuser now incorporates the same double kink as the 488 GTE to increase the air extraction and downforce generation compared to a traditional diffuser. In addition, the rear blown spoiler is higher and longer and the shape has been optimised. The final result of all these innovations is an impressive 20% increase in overall downforce.

This was achieved by synergies between the development of the mechanical set-up and the electronic dynamic controls integrated into version 6 of the Side-Slip Angle Control system. SSC 6.0 incorporates all the following systems: E-Diff3, F1-Trac, the magnetorheological suspension (SCM) and, for the first time ever, the Ferrari Dynamic Enhancer. The FDE features a world-first: it uses Ferrari software to adjust the brake pressure at the callipers. This additional level of control further fine-tunes the Ferrari 488 Pista’s performance through, and powering out of, corners making the car’s handling even more effortless, intuitive and predictable. Ferrari says the extra confidence the system gives means that drivers can more easily control yaw angles, even on the limit, and ‘develop a completely symbiotic relationship with the car resulting in the perfect combination of genuinely extreme performance and driving thrills’.