willingness to spin still has me blundering into the rev cut-out
before I’m fully reacquainted. The speed is sensational, if
somehow without the burning intensity of the Pista, maybe
because of the small extra payload, maybe also because the
gearshifts don’t have quite the visceral hit – engineers confirm
the Pista’s ‘gun-shot’ shift to chase ultimate tenths has been
dialled back. Nonetheless, quick doesn’t do it justice.
Through Maranello’s fast direction-changes the F8 is so
adjustable that if you’re driving neatly, you’re probably going
too slowly: the front dances with a feathery lightness and
moves almost impulsively, understeer only available if you
do everything wrong. But there’s also some bodyroll over the
outside front, certainly a bit more than I remember from the
Pista, which encourages the F8 to pivot around its centre and
oversteer if you carry a lot of speed to the apex.
There’s also easy oversteer if you’re early with the throttle on
corner-exit. I say this not as a negative, because it’s this agility
and willingness to oversteer that makes the F8 so responsive
and throttle-adjustable on track. It’s immersive and interactive
in the best possible way, but your brain’s CPU works hard to
get you lapping as quickly as possible without over-driving and
being scrappy.
A few gulps of water and we’re navigating out of Maranello’s
industrial suburbs towards the autoroute, traffic behind disfig-
ured by the slats in the Lexan rear glass, but quickly vanquished
with a squirt of throttle. Boost and speed come so easily, the
F8 feels so settled and the brakes are so capable that sticking to
the speed limit feels like crawling down the pavement on your
hands and knees. And we’re on factory plates. We make good
progress, but whenever there’s traffic cars swarm around, eager
for a closer look at a car that shares only its roof and doors ⊲
First drives 300-mile test
To the twisty stuff. Swear F8 is a
bit stiffer than GTB, but still rides
undulating tarmac supremely
well. Helps calm the whole car
down, and makes 710bhp feel
perfectly in balance. Mad.
Panoramica highway. F8 easy to
drive, but instant throttle response
can make it hard to be smooth at
gentle throttle. Softer wet mode or
cruise control helps.
£200k motor
and he didn’t
even leave a tip
57 MILES 95 MILES
38 CARMAGAZINE.CO.UK | OCTOBER 2019
