Tuesday 3rd March 2015

Ferrari - Geneva 2015

Battling the scrum to see the 488 GTB!

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Well of course Ferrari is busy. There's an FF, California T and a beautiful F12 that pays homage to the Ecurie-Francorchamps 250 GTO. But the crowds are really there for the first look at the 488 GTB.

Arguably its best view

It doesn't disappoint. In the modern Ferrari way it's not what you would call classically beautiful but it's sharp and has a few really nice touches, the rear lights in particular looking great. The two show cars are in Rosso Corsa Metallic with "black and red technical fabric cabin trim" and Grigio Ferro Metallic with Black and Beige Tradizione leather. Grey with traditional beige may not sound like the most inspiring colour combo but to these eyes it's a really successful colour combo, classy and cool without being too subtle. But who buys grey mid-engined Ferraris?

Anyway, there were also some new technical details released on the 488 from the show. The vortex generator is from the 458 GT racer, contributing to a claimed 325kg of downforce at 155mph. Interestingly too Ferrari says the XX development team was "pivotal" in the GTB's creation, because it has "a unique knowledge of the dynamic behaviour of extreme cars driven by non-professional drivers." The new turbocharged V8 was also discussed at length; on top of the incredible performance Ferrari is promising a "deep, seductive soundtrack" for the 488.

There isn't a price or on-sale date for Ferrari's latest V8 Berlinetta as yet, but expect those to follow soon. Is it unrealistic to predict a price beginning '2'?

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Click here for the PH Geneva news hub!

[thatguy11]

Is anyone else slightly disappointed by the styling? It's gorgeous, yes, but it just looks purely like a facelifted 458 rather than an all-new design.