Ferraris are arguably the pinnacle of sports cars, so when the brand launches a new model, it’s always a big deal. The latest one to roll off the assembly line is the F8 Tributo, which, as the name suggests, is an homage to the most powerful V8 engine in Ferrari history.
Also read: Jericho Rosales' Home Has the Perfect Laidback Beach Vibes
The car made its debut in the country via a virtual launch hosted by Motostrada, the offical dealer of the brand in the country. On hand at the launch were the company’s Chairman Emeritus Wellington Soong, and President Mody Llamas, Jr. Both expressed excitement at the entry of the newest Ferrari model in the Philippines.
“From outstanding performance, speed, and excellence, the racing legacy of Ferrari has brought a unique and exclusive experience to car enthusiasts in our country,” Soong said.
“The iconic release of the Ferrari F8 Tributo here in our country perfectly mirrors Motostrada's direction: to be the leader in automotive innovation, unafraid of fusing the historic past and the revolutionary future for the ever-growing and exclusive Ferrari community,” added Llamas.
But what exactly makes the Tributo so special?
With a massive 720 cv (chevaux vapeur or essentially horsepower) and a record specific power output of 185 cv/l, Ferrari says it is the most powerful V8 ever to be mounted in any of its non-special series cars. The turbo-charged V8 has already been used in other models in the range with various power output levels, winning “Best Engine” in the International Engine of the Year from 2016 to 2018, as well as being named best engine of the last two decades.
The F8 Tributo punches out 50 cv more than the 488 GTB, which it replaces. It is also 40 kg lighter and benefits from a 10 percent improvement in aerodynamic efficiency.
There are also a slew of high performance features introduced in the Tributo, including a new boost reserve control strategy that optimizes response time and performance in sporty driving on the limit, delivering power to the drive instantaneously. There’s also Adaptive Performance Launch, which analyzes grip as the car accelerates and then uses electronic controls to optimize the torque delivered by the clutches to suit the grip level of the road, reducing wheel slip to a minimum which, in turn, maximizes acceleration.
The front of the car is characterized by the S-Duct around which the entire front end has been redesigned to highlight the extensive aerodynamic modifications made to this area of the car. The clearest example is new, more compact, horizontal LED headlights.
The signature element at the rear of the car is the blown spoiler. Originally patented for the 488 GTB, it was radically modified to produce a much more extreme version for the 488 Pista. The new rear screen also celebrates Ferrari’s legendary V8 engine. It is made from ultralight Lexan and has been restyled to incorporate three louvres at it centre and showcase the engine compartment. The louvres also help extract hot air from the engine compartment, in line with Ferrari’s focus on functional design.
Meanwhile, inside the car, the cockpit retains the classic, driver-oriented look typical of Ferrari’s mid-rear-engined berlinettas. Every element of the dash, door panels and tunnel has been completely redesigned specifically for the car. The F8 Tributo also boasts a new generation steering wheel and steering wheel-mounted controls as well as new styling on the standard seats.
All in all, the F8 Tributo is a beautiful piece of machinery, in much the same way that all the other Ferraris that have come before it are. No wonder both Soong and Llamas kept repeating the phrase “a celebration of excellence.” The car certainly lives up to the hype.
Officials did not disclose the price of the Tributo, but insiders say it costs upwards of P30 million. How's that for excellent?
.jpg)
