Rand per kW – This Ferrari provides the best value for money

When compared to its siblings, the Ferrari F8 Tributo provides the best power-to-price ratio in the brand’s line-up.

At a starting price of R5,505,500, you get a smidgen over 96kW for every R1 million spent.

Not only does it offer the best power-to-price ratio in the Ferrari range, it also boasts a higher output than most of its direct competitors.

The Lamborghini Huracan Evo, Porsche 911 Turbo, and McLaren 600LT cannot match it in this regard.

Rear-mounted excellence

The F8 Tributo is the latest in a line of eight-cylinder, two-seater Berlinettas from Ferrari – the first of which debuted in 1975 as the 308 GTB.

According to Ferrari, its eight-cylinder models have been world-renowned ever since, with this newest iteration “being voted the best engine of the last 20 years by industry experts”.

After all, the F8’s impressive motor is the reason it gets the best “value-for-money” accolade.

Tucked firmly behind the seats is a 3.9-litre, twin-turbocharged, V8 motor that produces 530kW at 7,000rpm and 770Nm at 3,250rpm.

The 488 Pista derived-engine pairs with a Formula 1-derived seven-speed automatic transmission, and power is sent to the rear wheels only.

This sees 100km/h reached in 2.9 seconds, 200km/h in 7.8 seconds, and a top speed of 340km/h.

Dynamics

The F8 also has heaps of clever engineering going on under the shell.

This includes a Ferrari Dynamics Enhancer which aims to deliver class-leading power delivery and handling characteristics.

Its air intakes were moved from the vehicle’s flanks to the rear to ensure greater airflow, too, and downforce is increased when compared to its predecessor.

Furthermore, the F8 adopts a new boost reserve control strategy that improves throttle response time and packs a rev limiter that only cuts off at 8,000rpm.

Innovative aerodynamics

The F8 Tributo is 10% more aerodynamically efficient than its predecessor, thanks, in part, to Ferrari’s involvement in the GT and Challenge racing championships.

Skills and knowledge gained here found their way to the F8, resulting in a car that is lighter, faster, and more aerodynamically advanced than its ancestors.

The front of the F8 is dominated by an S-Duct, which by itself accounts for a large increase in downforce when compared to the 488 GTB.

“The underbody is of pivotal importance, too, because it can generate high levels of downforce very efficiently,” said Ferrari.

To manage this, the company added a new cooling system that takes up less space, new vortex generators, and rearward-angled radiators that better fit between the front wheels to further hone in aerodynamics.

Cabin comforts

The Ferrari F8 Tributo offers luxurious leather seats, high-quality finishes, and a prestigious atmosphere.

The cockpit has a familiar driver-centric design, with only a multifunction steering wheel and a semi-digital instrument cluster providing control over the bulk of the car’s abilities.

Apart from this, you will find a minimalist centre control stack consisting of a gear shifter bridge and climate control buttons – along with an optional 7.0-inch performance display above the glove compartment.

The latest Ferrari infotainment system is fitted, too, adding Bluetooth, Apple CarPlay, integrated navigation, and a six-speaker sound system.

Driver assistance systems then come in the form of a reverse camera and rear parking sensors.

Price

The Ferrari F8 Tributo has a South African starting price of R5,505,500, and each model is sold with a seven-year maintenance agreement.

We also recently calculated how much it would cost to finance this vehicle using a credit provider, and the result came out to R102,951 per month.

Ferrari F8 Tributo