Corvette Z06 Drags 850+ HP Ferrari 488 Pista – It's a Pleasant V8 Display of Performance

We must first know the variables to solve for X in this mathematical conundrum. In our case, a Ferrari 488 is the culprit that raised Brooks Weisblat's curiosity. The "Drag Times" YouTuber solved the mystery in about ten seconds and 440 yards (402 meters). The crash-course in Italian-American motoring was held at the Bradenton Motorsports Park in Florida.

The answer isn't a straightforward "yes" or "no" since the equation isn't a first-degree polynomial, and here's why. First of all, the Ferrari is a Pista variant, and it's not even bone stock but a mildly modified example (or so the owner claims). Tell you what, why don't you be the judge of this approximation: is it mild tuning, serious tuning, or too much tuning? (If the latter is unacceptable, choose one of the other two).

Let's see: 710 hp (720 PS) and 568 lb-ft (770 Nm), seven-speed automatic rapid-fire gearbox, dual clutches – that's how every 488 Pista leaves the Maranello factory. Twin turbos compress air into the mid-mounted 3.9-liter V8 to send every ounce of 8,000 RPM performance to the rear wheels.

Those, in turn, turn (I meant the repetition) and propel the 3,380 lbs (1,533 kg) track weapon for the road to "over" 211 mph (340 kph). The quotation marks are mandatory since Ferrari engineers themselves claim this top speed, coupled with blitzing acceleration. 2.85 seconds for the zero-to-sixty-two miles per hour (0-100 kph), and 7.6 to reach 124 mph (200 kph) from a standstill.

Let's not forget that this is a Ferrari – the first and most abundant thing the Italians put in their cars when they start building them is Speed. Stunning Looks come a near as makes no difference close second.

On its side sits the 'Murican Ferrari – the C8 Corvette Z06. You know the drill – flat plane crankshaft V8 (Ferrari gave them that idea, in the form of a 458 Italia engine), naturally-aspirated, 8,600 RPM redline. 670 hp (679 PS), 460 lb-ft (624 Nm), 5.5 liters, eight automatic speeds, two clutches, and 3,600 lbs (1,636 kg) is not as impressive as the track-destined Pista (pista means "track" in Italian).

Chevrolet claims a very conservative top speed of 195 mph (314 kph) but better acceleration times than the Pista: 2.7 seconds for the 0-60 mph (not 62!) for the regular Z06. When the Z07 performance package is added, the sprint takes one-tenth of a second less – 2.6 seconds.

So, all odds are in Ferrari's favor – and the theory holds water on the tarmac: the Pista is first across the line, despite being last off the other line. Then again, any car is only as good as its driver, and Brooks Weisblat has rattle-snake-fast off-the-tree throttle reflexes.

Scroll through the gallery – his worst start was a .16 reaction time, and his best was a 0.07. Seven-hundredths of a second – that's at the top limit of human biological abilities. For reference, consider that the best professional dragsters hit 0.02 reaction times.

The Pista is faster, but not quicker – the Z06 shoots off the line far better but can't hold the candle all the way to the end of the 1,320-foot race. That's probably due to the tuning mentioned earlier. This Ferrari makes an extra 150 hp (152 PS), for a total of 860 hp (872 PS) – give or take a few. Is a 20% increase in performance considered "mild," or a stronger adjective is more appropriate?

To all intents and purposes, the Chevy also got a minor Fabspeed treatment - exhaust and Sport catalytic converters. Accordint to the manufacturer, the improved headers and cats add a dyno-proven 26 wheel-horsepower and 28 lb-ft of torque (26 PS and 38 Nm).

Better, but t's nowhere near the steroid-fed adversary. The Ferrari 488 Pista reaches 137 mph (220 kph) trap speeds on all three rounds, while the 'Vette bests 128 mph (206). However, the race is settled after the 1,000-foot (305-meter) mark. Until then, the naturally aspirated Chevy leads the pompous rebellion stallion every single time.

The power and weight disadvantages become apparent once the mighty 488 gets up to full steam and flies by the Corvette without remorse. But let's take a moment and appreciate Detroit engineering. For less than one-third of the price tag, Chevrolet made a supercar that can give anyone a serious run for their money.