Ferrari 488 GTB review, test drive

Ferrari forays into turbocharged territory with a smaller, twin-turbo V8 in the new 488 GTB. Hormazd Sorabjee gets in the driver’s seat.

Published on Aug 18, 2015 08:00:00 AM

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DIFFERENCES BETWEEN FERRARI'S TURBO V8s

This is the first mid-engined Ferrari to have a turbocharged engine since the F40, but not the first recent Ferrari. The California T received a 3855cc turbocharged motor when it was released last year, but Ferrari would like you to know the 488’s engine isn’t simply a stroked version of that. The block and cylinder positions are the same as the California T’s, it’s true, as are the bore diameter, the injectors and the plug position.

But everything else is different. It’s dry sumped and has a new crank, pistons and conrods, and there are new cylinder heads incorporating increased cooling capacity. And although the valves are the same, they’re driven by Different camshafts.

The IHI turbos are unique to the 488, and the exhaust, more obviously, has been developed for this model, too. Both power and torque peaks are developed higher in the 488’s rev range than in the California T’s. And by our reckoning, the engine sounds rather better here, too.