Motor Australia – May 2019

d motorofficial f motor_mag^59

It’sthoughtMcLaren’sV8willgivewaytoa hybrid-assisted

V6inthenear future,thesamesolutionAston’sdeveloping

foritssub-Valkyriemid-enginedsupercars.Butdon’tworry –

Ferrari’sV8isnotgoinganywherejustyet.TrustinLeiters.

“ThisisnottheendofourV8line,”hesays.“Theturbo V8

willremainanimportantpillarofourenginerange.We are

workingona V6,butit won’treplacetheV8.Downsizingwill be

important,andtheV6– combinedwithhybridtechnology at

differentlevels,notalwaysfullhybrid– willbeimportant, too.

ButthiswillnotreplacetheV8.TechnicallytheV8isdifficult to

keepalive,butweareworkingonthis,andinthemid-term we

canmaintain...atmoV12,V8turboandV6turbo.”

TherestoftheF8isbroadlyfamiliarfromthe 488 GTB and

Pista, featuring an aluminium-intensive monocoque with

double-wishbonefrontand multi-linkrearsuspension. But

Ferrari’sengineershaveworkedthrougheachofitskeysystems

makingsmall,yetsignificantchanges,fromsuspensionset-up

throughtothesteeringwheelitselftothestabilitycontrol.

“Thesuspensionset-upismoresophisticatedandwe have

anew steering wheel[smaller in diameter andthinner of

rim] for a compact feeling and a high degree of control,” says

Leiters. “We also have a new control system on the car, to help

make it easier to drive on the limit. There are many minor

improvements that add up to improve the handling.”

That control system is version 6.1 of Ferrari’s Side Slip

Control (SSC), which also bundles in the Dynamic Enhancer

miracle-worker previously reserved for the Pista. Essentially

a highly intelligent, almost predictive accessory to Side Slip

Control, Dynamic Enhancer (available in the Race and CT Off

positions on the manettino) builds on SSC’s manipulation

of the car’s limited-slip differential to bring in a little driver-

flattering brake tweaking.

The system uses SSC’s algorithms to detect an imminent

slide. If it decides the slide wasn’t deliberately provoked then

it works the brakes to counteract a sudden loss of traction and

negate the need for hurried armfuls of opposite lock. But if it

thinks you know what you’re doing it’ll merely lend a helping

hand, imperceptibly scrubbing the front and rear brakes to let

you indulge in spectacular yet safe oversteer.

“It helps a lot when you go to the limit – and especially when

you go over the limit. The system places a high demand on the

brakes and on the differential so we wanted to have it only in

certain circumstances. We need it only for the driver when they

are driving to the limit in a very sporty way – so it’s available in

Race and CT Off modes.”

The very best bits of the Pista have been wrapped in a body

that blends a little of that car’s track-bred menace with some

heart-melting retro flourishes. Same wind-cheating thinking

(for a 10 per cent increase in aero efficiency), same impossibly

waisted silhouette, new rear lights – gone are the GTB’s single

round lamps, replaced by two pairs that evoke older Ferrari

V8s like the 308. Cutting-edge technical solutions melded with

a little of the romance of the past – what better way to see off

those impudent rivals?

➜

TOPLEFT

Innovativematerials

haveshavedweight

fromthecockpit

BELOWLEFT

Louvredlexanrear

screena cutenodto

theF40(whichisalso

a twin-turboV8).The

F8Tributomakesan

impressive136kW/

litrefromits3.9

MAIN
Ferrari’schief
technologyofficer
MichaelLeiterswith
thenewF8Tributo.It
fallsjust1.0secshort
ofthePistaatFiorano

“A V6 WON’T REPLACE

THE V8. THE TRIBUTO IS

NOT THE END OF THE V8”