2019-10-01_CAR_UK

Mighty engine, but still we’ll nit-pick

Pista-spec twin-turbo engine is formidable,

with instant throttle response, low-down

torque and linear, fierce power delivery. New

gasoline particulate filter does give a gruffer,

grittier edge, and the way this thing revs (partly

thanks to lighter internals) can make even an

8000rpm rev ceiling feel stingy.

Galliano, with the road funnelling downhill before levelling

out and constantly cresting and dipping, rewarding a smooth

approach with gentle brushes of steering, brakes and throttle.

Thunder cracked like warning shots when we last stopped for

a breather, and suddenly there’s one speck of rain, another, the

road surface darkens, and in seconds we’re on a road you could

probably waterski. Thankfully the F8’s new steering wheel also

features a revised thumb-wheel control for the wipers, which is

far more intuitive than the previous button. It’s also fortunate

our Pirellis disperse water better than hardcore Cups.

Time is tight, so we re-fuel before jumping on the

northbound autoroute, relieved holiday traffic doesn’t delay our

return as we arrive back outside Enzo’s place, the F8 covered in

dirt kicked up by the downpour, its tyres lightly frazzled.

In some ways, the F8 has a hard act to follow, arriving soon

after the sublime Pista. Personally, I find the Pista more com-

pelling, sharper, more incisive, and with no huge degradation in

comfort to make me question covering the 2000-3000 annual

miles like most F8 owners are predicted to. But the Pista is also

£50k pricier and it’s supposed to be the more focused drive.

It’s also tough to deliver a definitive verdict versus the more

comparable GTB without a back-to-back drive, but I suspect

I’d take the F8 over the less powerful GTB despite the grittier

soundtrack, but wouldn’t be in a rush to trade from one purely

to get the latest thing. Not as sharp as a Pista, faster than a

GTB... who’d have guessed!

Toschi strolls over, asks what I think. I tell him I love it, but

mention the gruffer noise (‘everyone is struggling with this’),

the extra roll I think it has over the Pista (‘it’s actually very close,

but you need some roll for agility’) and ask if we’ll see a Pista

version. He shrugs, saying he wants to do something more with

this V8, makes a punching motion that perfectly captures that

instant turbo explosion, then cuts himself short.

Tomorrow, the rest of Ferrari gets back to work. And on the

evidence of the F8 Tributo, you’ve got to assume that whatever

they’re working on will be pretty amazing.

Next month:

BMW M8

8-series gets treated to the full M

division Makeover... and 300 Miles With us

The 488 Pista might

ultimately be more

compelling, but it’s also

£50k more expensive

F8 so talented that

710bhp doesn’t

feel like driving a

huge accident

First drives 300-mile test

OCTOBER 2019 | CarMagaZine.Co. uk 43