WHAT WE LOVE ABOUT THE NEW FERRARI TRIBUTO

Today’s new supercars, of course, need to be lighter, faster and more aerodynamically efficient than its forerunner. This theory of evolution is once again confirmed by Ferrari’s latest Berlinetta. The F8 Tributo embraces evolution, with the amount of engineering that’s gone into the brand’s recent hardcore 488 Pista being shaded next to this road-focused replacement for the 488 GTB.

The Tributo 2019 is out and about, and it makes a fitting celebration of the brand’s great V8.

Today’s new supercars, of course, need to be lighter, faster and more aerodynamically efficient than its forerunner. This theory of evolution is once again confirmed by Ferrari’s latest Berlinetta. The F8 Tributo embraces evolution, with the amount of engineering that’s gone into the brand’s recent hardcore 488 Pista being shaded next to this road-focused replacement for the 488 GTB.

Let’s look at the specs first: the 3.9-litre V8 makes 710bhp - 49bhp more than the GTB - and 770Bm of torque. The Ferrari F8 Tributo is 40kg lighter and 10 per cent more aerodynamically efficient, creating more downforce without extra drag. All this results in 0-62mph in only 2.9 seconds and that, even more impressive, the F8 will hit 124mph in only 7.8 seconds, and 211mph at the top end.

There is no doubt Ferrari did a decent job on making the Tributo significantly better than the 488 it replaces. Though the most interesting part of the car, if you ask us, is the newly evolved Dynamic Enhancer Plus system. This new system makes the car increasingly enjoyable to drive, regardless of the performance increase. Key to the great driving experience of the F8 Tributo is the fact that the chassis systems and electronics talk to each other to make the car reactions to your inputs as smooth as possible. This inspires any driver to drive extremely hard because you can drive fast whilst knowing that the electronic safety net is working away in the background - a great assistant boosting the fun factor, enhancing your overall driving experience. This is possible because the engine is an absolute workhorse. It revs with the aggression you would expect from a Ferrari V8, but you need not stretch it, such is the torque on offer.

The agility and level of grip are amazing for a model that juggles between being an engaging supercar and making some concessions to usability. The steering is very precise and fast, typical for a Ferrari, and while the weight is just right, the wheel does not give back a flood of information. The F8’s usability is simply deeply impressive, with the suspension’s ‘bumpy road’ mode softening off the dampers enough to make sure cracked and rucked surfaced don’t deflect the car off line or impact too harshly through the chassis.

There are but a few aspects where the new Ferrari lacks slightly. The cabin roots back in the 458, and unfortunately after a redesign the way certain functions work are just a bit fussy and not all that simple. The noise could be improved as well, though credit to Ferrari, as they have worked to pipe more natural engine frequencies into the cabin within its ‘hot tube resonator’. This definitely adds fruitiness to the sometimes droney V8.

Altogether, it would be disrespectful to end on anything less than what the F8 deserve. A car with incredible technical ability, drawn together into an enticingly accessible package. It makes for maybe even the best V8 powered car money can buy today.

Header image credit: https://www.ferrari.com/en-EN/auto/f8-tributo