Ferrari has confirmed that it will launch the latest of its mid-engined V8 supercars, the F8 Tributo in India next year. The launch is slated for February 2020. It will be priced at Rs 4 crore (ex-showroom), and will replace the 488 GTB currently being sold here.
The F8 Tributo is the latest in a legendary line of mid-engined V8 supercars from Maranello, that can trace their lineage back to the 308 GTB from 1975. The engine is the same one from the Ferrari 488 Pista — a 3.9-litre twin-turbocharged unit that puts out 710bhp and claims to have zero turbo lag. It is now Euro 6 compliant and gets new catalytic converters and gets a gasoline particulate filter as well. There are plenty of updates to the powertrain — lighter components including the exhaust, flyweel, crankshaft and valve train have saved 18kg.
It is a successor to the 488 GTB and so has to be better than it in every way, so apart from the increase power, the aerodynamics have been upgraded too. The Pista-derived S duct is present up front, and is singularly responsible for the 15 per cent increase in downforce over the 488GTB. The underbody has vortex generators and a reworked rear diffuser and the whole design also improves aero efficiency by 10 per cent.
The Tributo is a tribute — to the V8 engine that has won them four successive engine of the year awards. And also to this format of car: the two-seater mid-engined V8 from Ferrari. With downsizing taking over and hybrid tech already filtering in to the company’s cars, this coulee very well be the last of its kind in series production guise.