Simply Abu Dhabi Magazine XIX

2 5 2 S I M P LY A B U DH A B I Homage As a child, the first Ferrari I ever loved was the 1977 308 GTB. Of course, as a boy, I didn’t own one…I had a small metal model of the 308 that I pushed around the house while making engine noises. As a five-year-old, sliding the little red metal wedge around on the kitchen floor at my mother’s feet, I thought nothing could be better looking or more special than that car. Even though I loved this car, I didn’t know much about it, barely grasping the significance of its lineage. At the time, I didn’t really understand the difference between it and a race car. Inmy childhoodmind, a Ferrari was something inwhich someone couldwin a race and then drive home. And you knowwhat? I was right. The 308 GTB was the brand’s first-ever rear-engined V8 model that offered track-level performance to an everyday driver. It’s that pedigree that has brought us to the 488 GTB. When it comes to the majestic Ferrari 488 GTB, it can be hard to tell where the racing technology ends and the road tech begin. Fully exploiting the lessons learned by Ferrari’s technicians through the brand’s triumphs in Formula 1 and the 24Hours of LeMans, the 488GTB benefits from combining world-class racing data with daily driving comfort to make not only one of the most incredible performance cars ever but also one of the most well- rounded. Exemplifying that point, let’s look at the 488’s performance figures. Fitted with a new 3902-cc turbocharged V8, which is at the top of its class for power output, torque and response times, the 488 GTB is the new benchmark in the supercar segment. The engine unleashes 660 brake horsepower at 8,000 rpm along with 560 pound-feet of maximum torque. Routed to the rear wheels through a seven-speed F1 transmission with a Variable Torque Management System, the 488’s turbocharged power isn’t offered up to the driver in one big,