38 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 7 AUGUST 2019
Δ and sounds so frenetic, but also
because it keeps on pulling violently
right the way to the 8000rpm redline,
so long after so many modern turbos
have begun tailing off.
And that high-range work ethic
isn’t there by chance. This is an
engine whose thrashing pistons
are managed and motivated more
cleverly than a Pep Guardiola cup
final squad. That it effectively saves
torque back for the higher gears while
also revving so freely makes the car’s
outright performance level seem to
h av e a l mo s t no l i m it. T h at , i n t u r n ,
also makes the process of pinning
the car’s accelerator, and then being
br av e e nou g h t o k e e p it pi n ne d a nd
hold on sh i f t b y sh i f t , a t h r i l l r ide
that’s very difficult to find an equal
for anywhere in motordom.
L au nc h i n g f r om r e s t t o 6 0 mph
on its Michelin Cup 2 R tyres in a
two-way average of 2.8sec (2.77sec
being the car’s quickest one-way run,
almost a tenth quicker than Ferrari’s
claim), the Pista would outsprint
both a McLaren Senna and a 720S
t o 9 0 mph. It w ou ld a l s o le av e a
Lamborghini Huracán Performante
trailing by several car lengths over a
standing quarter mile, and then just
keep gapping it.
Ultimately, though, both McLarens
would haul the Ferrari back in and
ov e r t a k e it w it h e nou g h r o om t o r u n
into. (The Senna’s aerodynamicseventually slow it down again above
150mph.) But the Pista needn’t
lo ok t o a b s olut e s up e r c a r c l a s s
dom i n at ion t o m a k e y ou appr e c i at e
what’s so special about its engine –
b e c au s e , i n t r ut h , a l mo s t e v e r y t h i n g
a b out it i s s p e c i a l. T he c a r i s s o f a s t
at f u l l p ow e r, ov e r t he h i g he r r e a c he s
of the rev range, that it borders on
the absurd at times. And yet it’s
responsive, tractable, docile, clean-
revving, drivable, theatrical and
expressive, too. Believe it or not, the
car is barely half a second slower
f r om 6 0 mph t o 110 mph w he n h au l i n g
through top gear than a BMW M2
is over the same increments when
pulling flat out in fourth.
You m ay w e l l w onde r i f t h at k i nd of
performance level can ever really be
enjoyed on the road in 2019; and you
can surmise that, if the answer’s yes,
it ’s on l y i n v e r y shor t bu r s t s , w h ic h i sundoubtedly a frustration at times.
But the Pista’s V8 has such power
a nd d r a m a t h at it de l i v e r s e xc it e me nt
almost every time you f lex the pedal.
It’s a wonderfully overbearing
presence in the car; too forceful, even,
at times – but it’s never anything
short of epic.
HANDLING AND STABILITY
AAAAB
The 488 Pista handles like a car that
has had its ‘Ferrariness’ dialled up to
- I f mo de r n P r a nc i n g Hor s e s a r e ,
by and large, darting, pointy, reactive
and direct in their handling, then
the Pista explores the outer limits of
possibility – and acceptability – on
every single one of those points.
With fewer than two full turns
b e t w e e n e x t r e me s of s t e e r i n g lo c k ,
the car feels like it’s up on its toes at
all times and in all situations. There
i s ju s t e nou g h w e i g ht i n t he s t e e r i n g
system to make its pace digestible,
and a little contact patch feel. Therack isn’t as brilliant as the best
produced by Porsche and McLaren
in recent years but remains very
consistent in its weighting even
under extremes of load, which allows
you to acclimatise to its directness
quite quickly.
A nd a lt hou g h it ’s v e r y f i r m a nd
lively, the 488 Pista isn’t generally
a nervous-feeling car on the road.
T h at on l y e v e r b e g i n s t o c h a n ge
on the odd occasion: when uneven
surfaces make the car bump steer a
little, when it tramlines slightly over
z In terms of power and handling for the public road, the 488 Pista lives on the edge of reason. But it rarely feels nervous and b o a st s a n a g i l i t y th a t w i l l b e h a r d to m a tc h
`
The Pista’s V8 delivers
excitement almost every
time you flex the pedal
a