autoevolution
 

Ferrari 488 GTB vs 458 Speciale Track Battle Is an Oversteer Wrestling Match

Any battle that pits a Prancing Horse against another machine of its kind is worhty of our undivided attention and when such a brawl involves a 488 GTB and a 458 Speciale, it easily turns into a magnet for aficionados, be they the Ferrari-loving type or not.
Ferrari 488 GTB vs 458 Speciale Track Battle 4 photos
Photo: YouTube screenshot
Ferrari 488 GTB vs 458 Speciale Track BattleFerrari 488 GTB vs 458 Speciale Track BattleFerrari 488 GTB vs 458 Speciale Track Battle
This is precisely what we're here to show you today, namely an Anglesey Circuit fight that saw EVO putting the two mid-engined animals through their paces.

The idea behind this fight is not to see which of the two supercar is quicker around the British circuit, as the answer to that question is obvious. Instead, we're inviting you to focus on the in-car part of the footage. To be more precise, we find the countersteering behavior displayed here as the icing on his Maranello cake.

As evolved as the 488 GTB is compared to the 458 Speciale, it's safe to say that the twin-turbo model is still based on the original 458, the Italia. Anybody who's driven a 458 Italia knows the Fezza is a bit too tail-happy for its own good, at least when it comes to the requirements of street drivers, as opposed to racing drivers.

Let's take a bit of time to remember what the Italian automaker did to improve the drifting-friendly behavior of the machine.

For the Speciale, the engineers introduced a feature called SSC, with the Side Slip Angle Control monitoring the vehicle's side slip angle and working with the F1-Trac traction control and E-Diff electronically-controlled limited slip rear diff to help the one behind the wheel keep things under control.

When it came to the 488, the carmaker integrated the active dampers of the car into the said algorithm. To be more precise, the dampers soften up as the supercar reaches the limit, with the extra body roll giving the driver a more serious indication on the intentions of the vehicle.

Reach for the "play" button below to see how all these tech details are translated into tire-slashing track action.

If you liked the article, please follow us:  Google News icon Google News Youtube Instagram X (Twitter)
About the author: Andrei Tutu
Andrei Tutu profile photo

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.
Full profile

 

Would you like AUTOEVOLUTION to send you notifications?

You will only receive our top stories