2015 Ferrari 488 GTB unveiled

This is the Ferrari 488 GTB, the hotly anticipated evolution of the 458 Italia that ushers turbocharging into a modern-day, mid-engined V8 Ferrari supercar for the first time.

The new model follows the California T in adopting turbocharging on a mainstream Ferrari, but the firm says the engine of the 488 GTB is completely new when compared with its V8 stablemate, not only in components but also in feel and character. It will go into production in September after production of the 458 Italia range ends in the summer.

Read the full Ferrari 488 GTB review

The 488 GTB’s engine is a twin-turbocharged 3.9-litre unit (3902cc); the California T’s is a 3855cc unit. It produces 660bhp at 8000rpm and 560lb ft at 3000rpm. Both outputs are significant increases over the normally aspirated 4.5-litre V8 used in the 458 Italia and 458 Speciale. This engine produces 562bhp at 9000rpm in the former and 597bhp at 9000rpm in the latter; the torque figure of 398lb ft at 6000rpm is the same in both cars.

The outputs of the 488 GTB also eclipse its likely biggest rival, the McLaren 650S. The Woking car produces 641bhp at 7250rpm and 500lb ft at 6000rpm, although an imminent new McLaren supercar called the 675LT has a confirmed power output of 666bhp. That model made its debut alongside the 488 GTB at the Geneva motor show.

The torque figure of the 488 GTB is such that it also exceeds the 509lb ft at 6000rpm of the normally aspirated V12 used in the range-topping Ferrari F12 Berlinetta.

The mighty new engine in the 488 GTB drives the rear wheels through a revised seven-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox derived from the 458. It features a new ‘Variable Torque Management’ system which, Ferrari says, “unleashes the engine’s massive torque smoothly and powerfully right across the rev range”. The gear ratios are also tuned to “deliver incredibly progressive acceleration when the driver floors the throttle”.

The 488 GTB can crack 0-62mph in just 3.0sec, 0-124mph in 8.4sec and reach a top speed of 205mph. Its 0-62mph and 0-124mph times match the McLaren 650S’s, but the Woking car's top speed is slightly higher at 207mph.

The engine also accounts for the '488' element of the car’s name, because each of the engine’s eight cylinders is 488cc in capacity when rounded up. The GTB suffix, standing for Gran Turismo Berlinetta, is a hallmark of previous mid-engined V8 Ferraris such as the 308 GTB.

Ferrari says its engineers have “dedicated great attention to perfecting the 488 GTB’s sound, creating a new soundtrack that is full, clear and totally distinctive”.

Not only is the new turbo engine more potent than the 4.5-litre V8 from the 458 Italia, but it is also more economical. Combined fuel economy is rated at 24.8mpg, compared with 21.2mpg in the 458 Italia, and CO2 emissions are 260g/km – a 47g/km improvement. Ferrari’s HELE engine stop-start system features on the 488 GTB.