2020 Ferrari F8 Tributo Demands Driver Involvement

Before you crack open the throttle of the 2020 Ferrari F8 Tributo, you’d better be ready to steer it and shift up a gear. And we mean ready. Ferrari makes you work for your dinner in its latest mid-engine machine. Its 710-hp twin-turbo 3.9-liter V-8 revs with manic speed, dialing up rpm like a pneumatic drill and easily overwhelming its rear Pirellis. If you want the added security of all-wheel drive, call 1-800-Lambo. The F8 Tributo is rear-wheel drive and marks its territory with long black stripes of expensive rubber.

Drive it with a firm hand, a heavy foot, and considerable talent, and it can perform lurid powerslides and second-gear burnouts all day long. However, the F8’s genius runs deeper. It also delivers as much—and, in some cases, more—comfort, refinement, and civility than its competitive set that includes commuter-friendly supercars such as the McLaren GT and Porsche 911 Turbo S.

Driven by Downforce

Don’t let the F8 Tributo’s new name fool you; this is not an all-new machine but a mid-cycle refresh of the previous 488GTB and the coupe version of the F8 Spider. In fact, much of its aluminum spaceframe dates back to the 458 Italia. Its engine has been around since 2016. However, none of this supercar’s hardware feels like it’s past its sell-by date.

Ferrari F8 Tributo Channels the 488 Pista

Tested: 1991 GMC Syclone vs. Ferrari 348ts

Ferrari’s compact V-8 is worthy of the Engine Hall of Fame. The latest version, handed down from the special-edition 488 Pista, is 40 pounds lighter, revs more quickly, and cranks out 710 horsepower at 8000 rpm and 568 pound-feet of torque at 3250 rpm. That’s not only 50 horses and 7 pound-feet more than you got in the 488GTB, it’s also 182 ponies per liter of displacement. It is the most power-dense V-8 that Ferrari has ever stuffed inside one of its production models.

The V-8’s exhaust system has also been rerouted to intensify its sound. The 488’s voice was muffled by its turbos and lacked some of the high-rpm wail that characterized previous naturally aspirated Ferrari V-8s. The F8 is certainly more vocal, especially above 4000 rpm. It’s still not quite as operatic as we’d like, but its throaty rumble is more than mere noise. It’s an actual exhaust note. Thankfully, Ferrari has resisted any urge to dial in artificial pops and bangs when you lift off the accelerator.

Ferrari says the F8’s new bodywork is 10 percent more aerodynamically efficient than the 488’s and generates 15 percent more downforce. Its new nose features compact horizontal LED headlights topped by new brake cooling ducts. The downforce generating S-duct in the hood is reminiscent of the Pista’s. But the Tributo is most attractive from the rear, with its larger, reshaped spoiler that wraps around its four round taillights.

The F8’s louvered Lexan engine cover channels the classic F40’s. It’s part of a weight-saving regimen that has shaved 88 pounds from the car. Just as this setup did back in the 1980s, though, the lacerated clear plastic panel quivers at speed, distorts your view out the back, and allows rain inside the engine compartment.

There are a couple other small annoyances. The clumsy door handles borrowed from the 488 look like tacked-on afterthoughts, and the F8’s rear diffuser is easily damaged on driveways. Its optional front-end lift system helps keep its chin splitter from grinding on speed bumps, but the new diffuser under the rear bumper, which Ferrari says accounts for 20 percent of the car’s overall improvement in downforce, is simply too low for most inclines. It doesn’t take long for its blades to look like they’ve been hit with a cheese grater. It’s an unfortunate design element on a car with a $275,580 base price.

Checks and Balances

Inside the F8 Tributo are new round HVAC vents, relatively simple controls, and oversized carbon-fiber paddle shifters. The upright seating position, thin A-pillars, and low cowl result in an expansive view forward. An optional 7.0-inch performance display puts a redundant tach and speedometer in front of the passenger but only allows limited access to the audio and navigation systems.

That display was one of 25 options that added $90,000 to our test car’s bottom line. Those additional extras included a $9787 carbon-fiber intake manifold for the V-8, an $8100 set of 20-inch forged-aluminum wheels, $6750 for carbon-fiber dash inserts, a $6243 premium audio system, and $2531 for titanium exhaust pipes. Price as tested: $365,741, which is about a new Porsche 911 more than the last McLaren GT we tested.

Carbon-ceramic brake rotors are standard, and the Tributo’s stoppers require a strong leg to actuate. They’re also a bit grabby around town, which makes smooth stops an acquired skill. The F8’s magnetorheological dampers have been retuned to improve its ride comfort, which is about as good as you can expect in a supercar. Even large impacts are soaked up with grace. Push the “bumpy road” button on the steering wheel, and they switch to an even softer setting, but it’s rarely needed. The F8 Tributo glides over roads but never feels distant or disconnected. Its steering is wonderfully light and precise. The cabin is impressively quiet on the highway.

The F8 Tributo explodes out of corners and changes direction like a single-seat aircraft. Ferrari claims it weighs a tidy 3164 pounds. We’ve yet to test one, but it should match the 141-foot stop from 70 mph and the 1.10 g of skidpad grip that we recorded during our test of the 488 Pista.

Wickedly Quick

Amongst the controls for the turn signals and windshield wipers on the F8’s cluttered Formula 1-style steering wheel is a red dial to select between its various drive modes. Click it over from Sport mode to Race. Now, with the seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission in manual mode, reach down and push the PS button on the center console. PS stands for Partenza Sportiva. That’s Italian for Sport Departure, which is Ferrari-speak for launch control. Activate it and you’ll see PS appear in the F8’s center-mounted tachometer. Notice its 8000-rpm redline is basically straight up. There’s also a row of shift lights at the top of the small-diameter steering wheel. You’re going to need them as the F8 blasts off the line. When they go full red at about 45 mph, flick the right paddle shifter and snatch second gear. But don’t forget to steer, as this Ferrari’s rear tires will start spinning at around 5000 rpm.

Driven hard, the Ferrari’s transmission doesn’t have the fluid refinement of Porsche’s PDK dual-clutch gearbox. Leave the F8 in Auto, and it upshifts in corners, even in Race mode. But it snaps off sharp, rapid gear changes when you’re manually selecting its tightly spaced ratios. Grabbing second gear keeps the experience on full boil, and the F8 reaches 60 mph, tires ablaze, just before third gear is needed. We estimate it all takes about 2.7 seconds.

Keep your foot down, and the F8 Tributo should continue to match the acceleration of the 488 Pista, which does zero to 100 mph in 5.2 seconds and returns a 10.1-second quarter-mile at 144 mph. The Lamborghini Huracán Evo and Porsche 911 Turbo S are a blink or two quicker to 60 mph, thanks to their all-wheel-drive traction. But the F8 demands more driver involvement to travel quickly, which rewards its pilot with a greater rush.

Don’t misunderstand us. The Ferrari F8 Tributo is an easy car to drive even at insane speeds. But it isn’t a supercar that does everything for you. To get the most out of the Tributo, you’ve got to work up to its limits and sync with its character. Get a feel for its balance. And if you’re going to crack open the its throttle, you better be ready.

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Source: Reviews - aranddriver.com