Tuesday 26 / November / 2024
It is rare that one gets the chance to live a dream. And when it happens more than once, it is something very special. That is how I feel every time I get into a Ferrari.
Alfardan Motors, the official importer of Ferrari in the Sultanate, organised a ‘Ferrari Esperienza’ test drive at the Shangri-La Barr Al Jissah Resort and Spa last week. Journalists were taken to experience the power and handling of the acclaimed Ferrari 488 Gran Turismo Berlinetta and California T, along the Barr Al Jissah-Yiti mountain route.
It’s been exactly 40 years since Ferrari made its first mid-rear-engine V8 Berlinetta — the 308 GTB. And now you have got the 488 GTB in the market and it carries quite a legacy — after all there have been some big models along the way. But it is with this particular car that the company begins a new innings. The 488 GTB is the first of the illustrious family to get a turbo-charged engine. Perhaps it is time to rethink our perception of Ferrari. Noisy, hard, tight, uncompromising, capricious, unyielding, tricky — these familiar attributes no longer apply. The 488 GTB is the first new-school Ferrari model.
The day commenced with a detailed briefing on vehicle performance, handling, driving tips and innovation conducted by professional Ferrari instructors flown in from Maranello, Italy especially for the event. And I just climbed inside the car — a cave of carbon, aluminium, leather and F1-derived instrumentation. The car’s major controls group around your fingertips; even the standard seats are unexpectedly body-friendly, and there is plenty of head, leg and shoulder room too. From a low vantage point behind the wheel, the driver faces a relatively straightforward dashboard.
The instrument cluster that houses the rev counter, speedometer, and digital gear display for the transmission is clean. The display to the right operates navigation and infotainment, as the matching one to the left switches between car-related displays, including a temperature monitor connected to the drivetrain, tyres, and brakes. Fire the engine at the push of the red steering-wheel button, and the pictogram shows a healthy green for all systems.
I just pressed the accelerator and the Prancing Horse roared into the drive way. The road stretch is winding with some sharp curves, which are a breeze for the 488 GTB. Second, third, and fourth gear are required to master the roundabout in F1 style, then we shifted to the manual mode and the Italian engineer shouted “full throttle”. I just obeyed; the 488 GTB is a red rocket. Fourth and fifth gears take you past 240 kmph on the solitary straight. No matter the gear you find yourself in or the speed you’re travelling, at no point does the 488 GTB make you wait even a nanosecond when you decide to call on all 661bhp.
Launched in Oman in September 2015, the 488GTB boasts new 3902 cm3 turbo engine which is coupled with a seven-gear F1 dual-clutch gearbox featuring Variable Boost Management which optimally distributes torque (a maximum 750 Nm in seventh gear).
The key difference between the 488 GTB and the 458 it replaces is, of course, the engine. The new twin-turbo, 3.9-litre V-8 develops 660 horsepower at 8,000 rpm. Not surprisingly, the GTB lifts the performance figures to a new level. The car can go 0-100 km/h in 3 seconds flat. And goes 0-200 km/h in just 8.3 seconds.
The company officials present at the event told me that the car doesn’t share 85% of its parts with the 458. Almost all of it is brand new. The most significant changes have been carried out to specifically increase aerodynamics like the new door handles, and to increase downforce.
There is a staggering 50% more downforce on this car and that has happened because of the special features that have been added in. The F1 inspired double spoiler in the front, coupled with the aero-pillar help divert air more quickly and effectively. The car’s underbody is also reworked and now has vortex generators which almost suck the car down to the road.
You do instantly feel it when you’re driving, as the 488 grabs the road and has a terrific sense of control. On the curving mountain roads, I got a great sense of how road-worthy this car is. It is extremely quick, precise, and yet very comfortable — never once overwhelming me to the point I felt I couldn’t control this steed. It therefore is now perfect for everyday use, and also much longer drives. Then there’s also the innovation at the rear — a blown spoiler at the base of the rear windscreen which takes air in and sends it out through the rear bumper.
Though it raises the high-tech bar a full notch, Ferrari’s latest creation is more accessible, more nicely balanced, and absolutely confidence-inspiring. On the circuit, this car is a blast. On the road, it is a latent threat to your driver’s license. The GTB executes overtaking manoeuvres in time-warp mode, it approaches braking zones with zoom-lens rapidity. The brake system builds up pressure much faster to cut the stopping distance from 200 kmph to 0 by 20 feet.
Drive a 488 as hard as you dare, then tell me it’s not exciting enough. I’ll look you straight in your dead eyes and call you a liar. This thing is so intoxicating, and engaging.
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Tech spec
Engine Type: V8 - 90° Turbo
Overall displacement: 3902 cm3
Maximum power: 492 kW (670 CV) at 8000 rpm
Maximum torque: 760 Nm at 3000 rpm in VII gear
Transmission: 7-speed dual-clutch automatic
0-100 kmph 2.8 sec
