Leaked Specs Say the Ferrari 488 GTO Will Carry the Most Powerful V-8 Engine in Ferrari History

TopSpeed

By Kirby Garlitos

Published Jan 19, 2018

Prepare to be shocked, ladies and gentlemen!

In case you’ve been inundated with news about Ferrari’s planned SUV and all-electric supercar, there is one other Ferrari model that you also need to pay attention to. I’m talking about the Ferrari 488 GTO, the same “Special Series” version of the 488 that’s rumored to be debuting at the 2018 Geneva Motor Show in March. There have been a lot of rumors being thrown out about the go-faster 488, including whispers that it’s going to pack in excess of 700 horsepower. Well, leaked photos from a recent dealership meeting have revealed a few more details about the upcoming monster, and one of these details point to the car getting “the most powerful V-8 engine in Ferrari history.”

The leaked images aren’t crystal clear in quality, so it’s hard to make out exactly what the presentation is pertaining to. You’re going to have to look a lot closer, but if you can make it out, you’ll notice that the aforementioned V-8 engine is going to be an “evolution” of the same V-8 engine that the 488 Challenge has. We know that the Challenge carries the same 3.9-liter turbocharged V-8 engine that the road-going 488 has. But that’s not the important bit. If you remember, the 488 Challenge’s V-8 featured a number of driving components that were revised to help improve its on-track performance capabilities. One of the improvements was a specific engine mapping system that was modified specifically to give the 488 Challenge improved racing performance. The engine also had shorter gear ratios that amounted to an 11.6% increase in acceleration out of turns compared to its predecessor.

According to the presentation, the 488 GTO’s V-8 engine will also be “around 10% lighter than the 488 GTB.” The lighter engine coincides with another important aspect of the upcoming supercar. Based on the slides, the 488 GTO will carry “the highest utilization of carbon fiber on any Ferrari range car.” That particular photo reveals a rendering of the 488 GTO with the majority of the front section and parts of the rear section highlighted in blue. Unless our eyes deceive us, the 488 GTO will feature a carbon fiber hood, front and rear bumpers, and rear spoiler.

Carbon fiber will also be used generously in the interior. According to the photos, the dashboard and front tunnel will be made from the lightweight stuff, while the floor panels will be made from aluminum. The car will also feature racing seats and will have no glovebox, presumably to continue the trend of weight savings.

Then there are the wheels. The Ferrari 488 GTO will use 20-inch carbon fiber wheels that are 40% lighter than standard alloy rims. The wheels will then be wrapped in Michelin Sport Cup 2 tires.

All these changes will result in the 488 Challenge being 20% more aerodynamically efficient than the standard 488 GTO. Combine that with what everything we’ve seen and heard, and there really is one conclusion we can come to.

The Ferrari 488 GTO will be an absolute monster.