The times have changed in the automotive industry. The curtains are gradually falling for internal combustion cars – something many never thought would happen so soon. According to a report put together by the International Energy Agency (IEA), it is projected that by 2030, all new cars on sale worldwide will be electric. As a last hurrah for its renowned mid-engined V8 sports cars, Ferrari developed the F8 Tributo, its best V8 mid-engine, rear-wheel drive sports car yet. 'Tributo' is Italian for the word 'tribute', and so the F8 Tributo is a commemoration or celebration of all the V8 midships that have preceded it. This 2024 F8 Tributo review sheds light on what this car offers. The F8 Tributo horsepower figures stand at 710hp thanks to the fact that it comes equipped with the 488 Pista's engine. According to Car and Driver, the 2024 Ferrari F8 Tributo price starts at approximately $330,000 before options, destination charges, and dealer markups.
According to Emmanuele Raveglia – the F8 Tributo project team leader, the story of the F8 Tributo started with the desire to put the 488 Pista engine into a Berlinetta (sports coupé) that isn't track-focused. Raveglia and other top minds at Ferrari, like Carlo Palazzani, Marzio Maresi, Ivan Moranzoni, Salvatore de Angelis, and Fabrizio Fontana, then put their heads together to develop this concept, marrying it with Ferrari's intention to build a supercar that pays homage to the brand's award-winning V8 twin-turbo engine. The team resolved to go all out with the new F8 Tributo, taking its design, performance, aesthetics, technology, and handling to the next level. Marzio Maresi oversaw substantial revisions to the car's engine that improved drivability and performance; he also supervised an exhaust system change in order to comply with new noise and emissions regulations. Carlo Palazzani and Ivan Moranzoni masterminded the F8 Tributo's design and exterior trim enhancements. They gave the F8 Tributo all-new bodywork with a different styling philosophy from that of its predecessors, making sure that every design aspect contributed to the car's overall performance. Salvatore de Angelis handled the interior of the F8 Tributo, giving it a reworked design that seamlessly blends luxury and sportiness in a Ferrari sports car-like manner. The F8 Tributo also got chassis revisions that were overseen and tested under the guidance of Fabrizio Fontana. All F8 Tributo models are manufactured at Ferrari's headquarters in Maranello, Italy.
The Ferrari F8 Tributo horsepower and torque figures stand at 710HP at 8,000 rpm and 567.9 lb.-ft. (770 Nm) of torque at 3250 rpm. This output comes from a 3902cc twin-turbocharged V8 engine derived from the Ferrari 488 Pista – the same engine that won the 'International Engine of The Year' award four times consecutively, from 2016 to 2019. Part of Ferrari's strategy for the F8 Tributo performance-wise was to make it lighter and more aerodynamic. Ferrari's Chief Technology Officer Michael Leiters said the F8 Tributo is 40 kg (88.1 pounds) lighter than the 488 GTB. One way they achieved this was by equipping it with the track-focused 488 Pista's engine. Doing this alone yielded 18 kg worth of weight savings. The F8 Tributo's engine also gets additional customized, lightweight parts like titanium con-rods, Inconel exhaust headers, and a lightweight flywheel. For extra weight savings, this car gets an aluminium alloy block and head construction, lightweight polycarbonate bumpers (front and rear), a carbon-fibre rear spoiler, and a rear screen made from Lexan material instead of glass. Thanks to all the above and more, the F8 Tributo weighs 1,435kg / 3163 pounds without fluids (dry weight) and 1495kg / 3296 pounds with fluids. This car's engine is mated to a 7-speed dual-clutch transmission, but not your average 7-speed dual-clutcher. The software that controls it is similar to that which is used in Formula 1 cars; as a result, this transmission shifts faster and more precisely than those of most other supercars in the same segment. The F8 Spider's 0-60 mph time is rated at an impressive 2.8 seconds and can sprint to a ¼-mile in just 10.2 seconds. Equally remarkable is its 211 mph / 340 km/h top speed. In terms of fuel economy, you can count on the Ferrari F8 Tributo to return a rating of 11 mpg in the city and 21.7 mpg on the highway (18.2 mpg in combined driving)
Salvatore de Angelis, Ferrari's former Technical Director of Internal Finishes, is the brains behind the F8 Tributo's interior. Thanks to him, the F8 Tributo features refreshed dashboard and door panel designs that look more modern, as well as new-generation air vents, new leather and Alcantara seat trim, and a reshaped flat-bottomed steering that incorporates a signature manettino switch. The differences between the above features and those of the 488 GTB are subtle but noticeable. The sporty design of the gauge cluster and the F8 Tributo's fully bolstered racing seats, finished with contrasting stitching, also make the car look and feel like it is built for performance. Like most supercars, the F8 Tributo doesn't offer a lot in terms of in-cabin storage bins. It just provides a 7-cubic-foot frunk in the front that can hold small bags.
According to Raveglia, the design concept of the F8 Tributo had input from both Ferrari's styling and performance development wings because the car's styling has a direct effect on the car's performance. In the front, Ferrari changed the headlight design for the F8 Tributo, giving it smaller headlamps with new LED technology for the purpose of creating air intakes just above the headlamps. Also new for the F8 Tributo is a front S-Duct system – another feature derived from Ferrari's F1 cars. It draws air in through a central front-bumper air intake and channels it up over the car's hood and roof. According to Ferrari, this system increases frontal downforce by 10 per cent over that of the Ferrari 488 GTB. At the back, the Ferrari F8 Tributo gets a see-through Lexan engine cover with louvres reminiscent of those of the Ferrari F40. The F8 Tributo also has a body-colour carbon-fibre ducktail spoiler and a rear diffuser, both of which generate substantial downforce. Its quad circular taillights are a nod to the mid-engined V8 sports cars that came before the Ferrari 458 Italia and 488 GTB. Also standard at the rear are twin centrally-mounted exhaust outlets. Other unique design elements on the F8 Tributo are shark-like fins over the side air vents and side rockers that jut outwards with a similar shark-fin-like design. At all four corners, the F8 Tributo gets 20-inch alloy wheels with Pirelli PZero tires (other tire options are available).
When you enter the Ferrari F8 Tributo, you are sure to notice the digital gauge cluster screens on both sides of the car's prominent yellow tachometer. One of them is a reconfigurable, 8.5-inch touchscreen infotainment system with Bluetooth audio streaming and Apple CarPlay integration; Android Auto hasn't been included yet. The other display is also configurable and shows various types of vehicle data. The F8 Tributo also gets a dual-zone automatic climate control system and a 6-speaker sound system. However, these pale in comparison to the F8 Tributo's performance technologies, one of which is Ferrari's Side Slip Angle Control (SSC) system. The story of this system started back in 2013 when Ferrari debuted its first generation on the Ferrari 458 Speciale. SSC works in concert with the car's F1-Trac traction control and E-Diff electronic differential to make drifting sideways easier by balancing stability and agility. Ferrari added SCM magnetorheological adaptive dampers to the system in 2015 and then released a more advanced version of it in 2018 – the SSC6, which came incorporated with an additional technology called the Ferrari Dynamic Enhancer (FDE). FDE is designed to make a car easier to control by applying just enough brake pressure to individual wheels in on-the-limit drifting situations. The folks at Ferrari, being the perfectionists they are, honed these systems further. By 2019, they had finished developing the latest versions of these systems – the SSC6.1 and FDE+, both of which feature in the Ferrari F8 Tributo.
When it was introduced in 2019, the Ferrari F8 Tributo had a base price of around $274,280. More recent models have gotten pricier with each year. The 2024 Ferrari F8 Tributo, which comes in one trim level, is estimated to have a starting price in the US of $330,000 plus a destination charge of approximately $3950. Still, prospective buyers are likely to pay way more with options. Some of the options offered with this car include carbon fibre door panels, carbon fibre dash inserts, racing seats, engine bay covers, the racing steering wheel, a carbon fibre engine manifold, a premium hi-fi system, fully electric seats, a rear parking camera, and Apple Car Play should be standard. These options can add well over $57,000 to the F8 Tributo's base price.
The Ferrari F8 Tributo may have the engine of a track-focused race car, but it is more about offering a thrilling and satisfying driving experience on or off the track. Its perfectly dialled-in driving dynamics will keep you grinning from ear to ear through every corner, even at motorway speeds, and because of that, it is worth its lofty price. You can get more information about this and other exotic sports cars right here on Exotic Car Trader. Buying an exotic sports car can be challenging; we are here to make it easier for you with our simplified buying process. We have a vast selection of high-quality vehicles, including new and pre-owned Ferraris. If you want to sell your current car to be able to afford the car you want to buy, we can also help with that. So, does the Ferrari F8 Tributo live up to its billing as a true celebration of the Ferrari mid-engined V8 sports cars that came before it? Yes, it does. With the technology enhancements, purposeful design aspects, and potent performance the F8 Tributo offers, it is bound to remain a top pick in its segment for a long time.
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