autoevolution
 

Porsche 992 Turbo S Cabrio vs Ferrari F8 Tributo: Location, Location, Location

Forget about Ford vs Ferrari, it's actually Porsche vs Ferrari you should care about these days. After having some trouble catching up with it, the F8 Tributo goes up against the mighty 911 Turbo S once again with a point to prove.
Ferrari F8 Tributo vs Porsche 992 Turbo S Cabriolet drag race 7 photos
Photo: YouTube screenshot
Ferrari F8 Tributo vs Porsche 992 Turbo S Cabriolet drag raceFerrari F8 Tributo vs Porsche 992 Turbo S Cabriolet drag raceFerrari F8 Tributo vs Porsche 992 Turbo S Cabriolet drag raceFerrari F8 Tributo vs Porsche 992 Turbo S Cabriolet drag raceFerrari F8 Tributo vs Porsche 992 Turbo S Cabriolet drag raceFerrari F8 Tributo vs Porsche 992 Turbo S Cabriolet drag race
The two cars look nothing alike, and they are indeed very different. The Italian is your classic mid-engine supercar that puts all of its eggs in the performance and exoticism basket. It makes no apologies about it and, given the legacy of its brand, it doesn't really need to. Everyone knows what to expect from a Ferrari, and the F8 Tributo delivers.

On the other hand, the 911 Turbo S is more of a GT with ridiculous acceleration performance. In this case, it's the Cabriolet version that makes driving it more interesting down a coastal road at sunset on a warm summer evening but doesn't make it quicker. According to Porsche, the 0-62 mph (0-100 km/h) sprint takes just as long in both cars - 2.7 seconds.

However, Porsche is known not to be particularly exact with those numbers - and to be fair, it's hard to be considering how many possible variables there are - so the extra 150 lbs (68 kg) the convertible brings to the table might actually put a dent in its performance, even if it's just the tiniest one.

So, the German is up on weight, but it's also down on power. The 3.8-liter flat-six makes 650 hp with a little friend from its friends, the Blowers couple, while the 3.9-liter V8 in the Ferrari pushes out 710 hp. It's not a massive difference, but it adds up.

The ace in the sleeve for the 911 is its all-wheel-drive system that enables god-like launches under almost any conditions. It's why the Ferrari had such a hard time catching up with it on the street after the Turbo S had put more than a car length between them. However, this rematch takes place on a drag strip, which means its traction advantage is severely hampered.

Between the track's sticky surface and the F8's Toyo R888R tires (we don't know what the Porsche is on), the RWD-only Ferrari can make the most of its power delivery and almost eliminate wheelspin completely. It's actually the Porsche that spins more off the line on one of the runs, suggesting it may be running on its stock tires - or another type of purely street tires. Is this race going to resemble the street contest between the two? You want answers, the video below has them - races start at 4:40.

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

"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)
Full profile

 

Would you like AUTOEVOLUTION to send you notifications?

You will only receive our top stories