It was only a matter of time before Ferrari began developing a track-focused version of its 488 GTB, but we didn’t know when or what to call it. Finally, we have the details. Autocar reports that the Italian sports car manufacturer will have a more hardcore version of the 488 ready for sale next year.
The 488 GTO, as it will be known, will succeed the 458 Speciale as Ferrari’s most dynamic model on sale. The GTO name has been used by Ferrari to signify a more aggressive variant since the 288 GTO name was used to differentiate from the 308 GTB in 1984.
Every inch of the 488 will be tailored to on-track performance, including the chassis, brakes, engine, aerodynamics, steering, and tires. It’s expected that the Ferrari 488 GTO’s track tenacity will be on par with Porsche’s next generation 911 GT2.
The standard 488 is powered by a 3.9-liter twin-turbocharged V8 engine, which makes 660 horsepower and 561 pound-feet of torque. If the 458 Speciale is an indicator of output bump over the regular 458 Italia, then the GTO should make about 700 horses and 600 lb-ft of torque.
More power is a good start, but the GTO will need more than straight-line performance to do battle with the GT2. Ferrari will cut weight from the interior and lighten mechanical bits on the car to bring the GT0’s curb weight to just under 3,100 pounds. For reference, the 488 weighs about 3,360 pounds. The lightened, amped up GTO will hit 60 mph in 2.7 seconds and 124 mph in 7.5 seconds.
Other enhancements will include new aerodynamic pieces to generate greater downforce, more powerful carbon ceramic brakes, and new software for the 488’s traction control system.
When the limited-production 488 GTO arrives sometime in 2018, we expect it to retail for about $280,000 – $35K more than the standard car.
Photos Courtesy of Ferrari
