Ferrari confirms $485K pricetag for F8 Tributo

FERRARI’S latest V8 Berlinetta, the 530kW/770Nm F8 Tributo, made its Australian debut at White Bay Cruise Terminal in Sydney this week, with a starting price of $484,888 plus on-road costs announced ahead of initial deliveries in the first quarter of next year.

Essentially a heavily revised version of the 488 GTB it replaces with an engine, aerodynamic trickery and weight-saving methods borrowed from and inspired by the hardcore 488 Pista, the F8 Tributo has the distinction of being Ferrari’s most powerful non-special-series V8 yet.

Outputs from the 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8 mounted behind the F8 Tributo’s passenger compartment are up 38kW and 10Nm over the 488 GTB, enabling the rear-drive coupe to smash the 0-100km/h sprint in 2.9 seconds.

Keep the pedal pinned and it will reach 200km/h in 7.8s – five tenths quicker than its predecessor – and carry on all the way to 340km/h, which is 10 clicks higher than the 488 GTB could manage and puts the F8 Tributo comfortably in the 200mph club.

If this all sounds a bit intimidating, fear not as Ferrari claims the F8 Tributo’s searing performance is “accessible to a larger number of drivers thanks to vehicle dynamics systems that make driving on the limit an easier and more confidence-inspiring experience”.

Contributing to the mooted ease-of-use is a new version of Ferrari Dynamic Enhancer Plus technology and the latest ‘6.1’ iteration of the Side Slip Control system.

In addition, Ferrari says the F8 Tributo achieves a 10 per cent aerodynamic advantage over the 488 GTB – largely due to the S-Duct pioneered by the Pista – generating extra downforce without increasing drag for more confident high-speed cornering.

At the same time, the Italian supercar specialist goes on to say the F8 Tributo offers “superior ride comfort”.

Despite packing trickle-down technology and performance from the sold-out $645,000 limited-run Pista, Ferrari has managed to keep the F8 Tributo’s starting price under half a million and undercut the $489,900 McLaren 720S.

On the subject of McLaren, the F8 Tributo’s stats, from power and torque to 0-100 and 0-200km/h acceleration are eerily identical to those of the 720S coupe, which ekes out an extra 1km/h at the top end from an engine just 100cc greater in capacity.

This is perhaps why Ferrari makes much of the fact its turbo V8 took the top gong in the International Engine Awards for three consecutive years and was in 2018 hailed as the best engine of the last two decades.

History is also on the Prancing Horse’s side. As suggested by its name, some of the F8 Tributo’s styling references Ferrari’s heritage of mid-engine V8 berlinettas dating back to 1975, including a louvred engine cover inspired by the iconic F40 of the 1980s.

But the company simultaneously describes the F8 Tributo’s styling as “essentially a bridge to a new design language”. That future is previewed by the limited-edition plug-in hybrid SF90 Stradale performance flagship that will also arrive early next year, with all 20 examples bound for Australia already sold to select high-rolling customers.

Ferrari sold 147 vehicles in Australia to the end of July this year, up 8.9 per cent, while McLaren’s 55 sales represented a 3.8 per cent improvement. Lamborghini, on 99 units, was up 26.9 per cent courtesy of the Urus SUV that contributed more than half its volume.