It’s here! Ferrari’s turbo-charged 458 replacement

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Welcome, ladies and gentlemen, to a new era in Ferrari's illustrious 8 cylinder history. This is the Ferrari 488 GTB, the replacement for the 458 and one that brings turbocharging to 'entry level' Ferrari's for the first time.

To help ease the purists' pain at the thought of forced induction, Ferrari has ensured that the 488 will not only hold its own against the likes of the McLaren 650S, but blow it out of the water with a shed-load of power.

Achieving this goal is a 3.9 litre V8. It may well be over half a litre shy of its 'predecessor', but two turbochargers mean it's quite a bit more powerful. In fact it will produce a substantial 492kW and 760 torques. So it'll be fast, very fast indeed.

Ferrari went so far as to put some numbers to that; 0-100km/h in 3 seconds, add another 5 to hit 200km/h. Top end is over 330km/h. That's mighty to say the least.

As is always the case, the Italian firm's engineers will have dedicated great attention to perfecting the 488's sound – no easy task considering there are two turbochargers stuck in the way of the exhausts. We've been promised 'a new soundtrack that is full, clear and totally distinctive' and here's to hoping its true.

There is of course a lot of technical stuff going on underneath the 488's stunning – yet familiar – skin. There's something called 'Variable Torque Management' built into the paddleshift gearbox to deliver the torque across the rev range and ensure linear power delivery. Track performance has been honed by a second-gen version of Side Slip Angle Control, now working with the suspension's active dampers for greater precision.

Aerodynamics play a predictably huge role and significantly influence the car's styling. The intricacies of the front and rear diffusers are testament to that, along with those pronounced air intakes that sit on the car's flanks. Furthermore the 488's underbody is flat for greater airflow, while there are all manner of active flaps and spoilers to direct air over and around body panels for greater downforce and cooling.

We'll learn more about the Ferrari 488 GTB at next month's Geneva motor show – but for now it's looking a pretty darn good replacement for the brilliant 458.

Technical specifications

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

DIMENSIONS AND WEIGHT
Length 4568 mm
Width 1952 mm
Height 1213 mm
Dry weight** 1370 kg
Weight distribution 46.5% Front – 53.5% Rear

PERFORMANCE
0-100 km/h 3.0 s
0 -200 km/h 8.3 s
Maximum speed > 330 km/h

FUEL CONSUMPTION***
11.4 l/100 km

C02 EMISSIONS ***
260 g/km

* With 98 RON petrol
**With lightweight options
*** ECE+EUDC combined cycle with HELE system