The Ferrari F8 Tributo 2021

The Italian brand launches its latest proposal in the V8 engine segment in the country.

One of the latest Ferrari world premieres is already in the country: the F8 Tributo, its newest berlinetta for the sports car segment with an 8-cylinder engine, and which despite taking many elements from the most radical 488 Pista, replaces in the catalog to the more “mundane” 488 GTB.

Launched at the 2019 Geneva Motor Show, the F8 Tributo has all the ingredients of the sports cars that have made the Cavallino brand famous: two doors and two seats, a V8 engine in the rear center position, extreme aerodynamics and very high specific power. . In this case, 185 horsepower per liter, derived from the most powerful V8 engine mounted by the brand in a street car, a heart that has been awarded as the best engine of the year for four consecutive years.

This engine is the same as the 488 GTB, but in the specification that debuted in the 488 Pista. It is an eight-cylinder 90° V, 3.9 liter biturbo, which delivers 720 hp at 7,000 rpm and 770 Nm of torque from 3,250 rpm, this means that there are 40 hp and 10 Nm more than in the 488 GTB.

This block is still associated with the 7-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission (F1 DCT), and includes the E.Diff3 electronic rear differential and the optimized F1-Trac traction control. With this, the acceleration capacity is superlative: 2.9 seconds from 0 to 100 km/h, 7.8 seconds from 0 to 200 km/h and a top speed of 340 km/h.

Dynamic

If we compare it with its closest rivals, both the McLaren 720S and the Lamborghini Aventador S do 0 to 100 km/h in the same 2.9 seconds, although the Toro sports car has 20 more hp and all-wheel drive. And if we compare it to its predecessor, the 488 GTB, it is 0.1 seconds faster in 0 to 100 and 0.2 s in 0 to 200, and it reaches 10 km/h more at the top, thanks to the fact that it has more power, is lighter and offers 10% greater aerodynamic efficiency.

The F8 Tribute weighs 1,330 kilos dry, with a distribution of 41.5% in front and 58.5% in the rear, 40 kilos less than the 488 GTB. The brand indicates that this reduction has been made by acting on the engine and body components, such as the lighter plastic bumpers, the carbon fiber rear spoiler and the rear window in Lexan, a type of high-strength polycarbonate. It measures 4,611mm long, 1,979mm wide, 1,206mm tall and has a 2,650mm wheelbase.

Ferrari indicates that the F8 Tribute is also easier to drive thanks to its better electronic assists. The suspension has active dampers with variable hardness and includes an improved SSC 6.1 (Side Slip Angle Control) system, which “analyzes the vehicle’s side slip, compares it to ideal values ​​and distributes engine torque between the rear wheels with the in order to increase cornering speed without affecting stability and feeling of control.”

The FDE+ or Ferrari Dynamic Enhacer Plus is also improved, which now includes the RACE mode, and makes “the management of lateral dynamics in extreme driving situations more predictable and controllable”. 

Design and aerodynamics

Ferrari indicates that the design of the F8 Tributo represents a transition towards a new design language of the brand, “and the work, from the early stages of the project, had a double objective: to design a stylistic tribute to the V8 engine, inspired by the models with the most iconic mid-rear engine of all time, and distinguish a more sporty and functional aerodynamic style”.

The model integrates a series of aerodynamic solutions derived from competition, some of which had debuted on the 488 Pista, which somehow define the new design elements. All this results in an improvement of 10% compared to the 488 GTB thanks to a greater vertical load without generating more resistance. 

The so-called S-Duct is incorporated in the front, a channel that takes the air from the central part of the bumper and takes it out through the hood, which helps to generate 15% more downforce on the front axle. The horizontally designed LED headlamps are more compact, allowing for the addition of new intakes for cooling the brakes. And on the side, just before the rear wheels, intakes are added that feed the new intercoolers, which, as in the 488 Pista, are slightly inclined to improve their efficiency. 

The result of these aerodynamic solutions help reduce temperatures and allow this significant increase in engine power.

At the rear, meanwhile, a larger spoiler is added, which incorporates three active deflectors whose 14° rotation significantly reduces the resistance of the car in a straight line, achieving an improvement of 25% compared to the 488 GTB, to which adds a rear diffuser that evacuates low air more efficiently.

Among the non-aerodynamic design novelties, perhaps the most significant is the introduction of the mentioned rear engine cover made of transparent polycarbonate, with three slits that help expel hot air, and which pays homage to the F40, allowing all the beauty of the V8. And the return to the classic double rear headlights, which recall the design of the first 8-cylinder berlinettas like the 308 GTB.

Inside, the classic driver-focused cabin design is maintained, but the brand indicates that all elements are new. The inclusion of a new steering wheel, new round air vents with an aluminum frame, a 7″ touch screen and a classic instrument panel with the tachometer in a central position stand out.