711-horsepower Ferrari 488 Pista leaked

Viknesh Vijayenthiran

Feb 20, 2018

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Ferrari 488 Pista leaked

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Ferrari is very close to revealing the hardcore version of its 488 GTB, and as you might have guessed, thanks to the Internet, it's hard to keep a secret.

The first official photos and details on the car, confirmed to be a 488 Pista, has leaked ahead of the world debut next month at the 2018 Geneva International Motor Show.

Pista, of course, is the Italian word for “track,” and a track is very much where you'll want to spend most of your time with the car. Powering the 488 Pista is the familiar 3.9-liter twin-turbocharged V-8 now tuned to deliver 711 horsepower and 568 pound-feet of torque, up on the 488 GTB's 660 hp and 560 lb-ft.

Sure the increase in engine performance isn't all that much, but the weight of the car is down significantly. The 488 Pista has a dry weight of 2,821 pounds, down on the 3,020 pounds of the 488 GTB. That saving is no small feat considering the 488 GTB is hardly a heavy-weight. It also makes the 488 Pista virtually the same weight as McLaren's 720S (2,800 pounds), despite the Ferrari using aluminum for its construction and the Macca carbon fiber.

Ferrari 488 Pista leaked

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While you can't tell much from the photos, the wheels are rumored to be made of carbon fiber to save 40 pounds over typical Ferrari wheels. Nearly the entire front end is said to be made of the lightweight material as well. You can't see much of the interior from the photos either, but as you might expect, two sport seats hold the driver and passenger. And word has it the interior is stripped down to the bare essentials to save further weight.

Thanks to the combination of more power and less weight, the 488 Pista is expected to sprint to 62 mph in only 2.8 seconds and top out at 211 mph. In comparison, the 488 GTB needs 3.0 seconds to hit 62 mph and tops out at 205 mph.

Track performance has been reported as shockingly good, with lap times around the Fiorano test track reputedly faster than the brand's last hypercar, the LaFerrari, which needed 1:19.70. Making this possible is thought to be race car-inspired aero with 20 percent greater efficiency than the 488 GTB's aero; a more hardcore shift strategy for the 7-speed dual-clutch transmission; and the addition of standard Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tires.

We'll have more details soon as the Geneva auto show starts March 6. In the meantime, learn about other vehicles appearing at the Swiss show by visiting our dedicated hub.