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Ferrari 488 GTB Spits Flames During 186 MPH Sprint

We’ve been waiting for the late summer for months now and this isn’t even related to the weather at all. Instead, we knew August would be the month when Ferrari 488 GTB units would start reaching the streets and we could all enjoy real-life experiences such as the one in the video below.
Ferrari 488 GTB Exhaust Flames 1 photo
Photo: screenshot from Youtube
The footage shows various sprints, with the car hitting 186 mph (300 km/h) in the process. This means you can closely follow the car’s speedo, but this is nothing compared to the clip showing the 488 hitting 205 mph (341 km/h) during a leg-stretching session on the Autobahn.

However, we’re here for something far more spectacular than that. Yes, the 488 GTB spits fire making things even for the Prancing Horse - back in the days of the 458, this didn’t offer a fiery breath, while the McLaren 12C came with such a factory gift, as we observed during our review.

Before rushing to thank the new twin-turbo setup for the flames, you should know naturally aspirated cars can do this in factory trim too, with the Lamborghini Aventador being the best example here.

The process includes temporarily suppressing ignition, so that a small amount of unburned petrol is evacuated into the exhaust. When the gas reaches the hot metal, the dragon breath appears. Of course, this requires the exhaust to reach extreme temperatures, so such flaming moments generally appear after hooning episodes.

The aftermarket part of the supercar world is obviously speculating this

While OEM setups see supercars spitting flames occasionally, those who seek the real high-octane barbecue experience can turn to tuners. In fact, some of the aftermarket systems we’ve seen spit fire to such an extent that we can’t help but wonder on which side of the law they sit.

And accidents can obviously happen, so seeing one of these supped-up supercars burning the scenery around it shouldn’t come as a surprise.

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About the author: Andrei Tutu
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In his quest to bring you the most impressive automotive creations, Andrei relies on learning as a superpower. There's quite a bit of room in the garage that is this aficionado's heart, so factory-condition classics and widebody contraptions with turbos poking through the hood can peacefully coexist.
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