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Ferrari 488 Pista Images Leaked, the 700 HP 911 GT2 RS Rival Looks Dead Serious

Ferrari is preparing a more hardcore, track-oriented version of its excellent 488 GTB model, and the recently leaked images suggest it's going to be called "Pista."
Ferrari 488 Pista 4 photos
Photo: Ferrari - via Autocar Japan
Ferrari 488 PistaFerrari 488 PistaFerrari 488 Pista
The name seems suitable enough considering that's Italian for "track," which is where this car should spend most of its time if its buyers have any sense. The 488 Pista comes as a successor to the 458 Speciale, but it aims to take things further with its 3.9-liter twin-turbocharged engine.

Rumors say the power mill is going to drop 10 percent of its weight compared to the standard 488 GTB, with the unit in the 488 Challenge race car appearing as the most likely source. Whatever the case, it's expected to develop at least 700 horsepower (721, according to Autocar Japan), making it the most powerful V8 engine Ferrari has ever put in a road-going car.

It's not just the engine that's set to make the 488 Pista become the most hardcore road-legal Ferrari ever, but also the modifications brought to its bodywork. While they're all meant to give the track-focused Pista more downforce, they're also successful in giving the new model a more menacing look.

The front splitter gets a completely new look, as does the hood of the car which now features a very large vent for channeling the air cut in half by the splitter mentioned earlier. Carbon fiber parts are visible all around, and so is a big, big air diffuser at the back. A pair of large, rounded exhausts complete the sporty-looking picture, and we can only assume that wing extends upwards whenever needed, maybe even acting as an air brake once in a while.

According to the Japanese website, the dry weight of the Pista model is 1,280 kg, which is 90 kilograms less than the standard 488. All these things - more power, lighter weight, better aerodynamics - combine to give the mad Ferrari road-going race car a 0-62 mph acceleration time of 2.85 seconds. That's just 0.05 seconds slower than the Porsche 911 GT2 RS, which also has 700 hp coming out of its flat-six.

Continuing the tradition launched by the 360 Stradale and continued by all the following models, the 488 Pista should only be built for a couple of years, meaning even though it won't be called a "limited edition," anyone interested should still hurry up to get one. The price? About $300,000, if you have to ask.

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About the author: Vlad Mitrache
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"Boy meets car, boy loves car, boy gets journalism degree and starts job writing and editing at a car magazine" - 5/5. (Vlad Mitrache if he was a movie)
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