► Ferrari F588 scooped in the wild
► It’s the replacement for 488 GTB
► Due in 2019 – with V6 version!
We’ve been digging around for information about this secret new Ferrari prototype our spy photographers caught recently. And we’re pretty sure it’s the new F588 – essentially the replacement for the 488 GTB range.
CAR’s sources indicate the next iteration is due in 2019, four years after the entry-level V8 supercar was launched. Sounds about right to us.
And the big news is there will be a V6 version this time, too… Remember the Dino we’ve scooped previously? It’s happening, folks.
What’s new on the 2019 Ferrari F588?
Rather a lot, as designated by the new model name. Ferrari has a long history of flip-flopping between clean-sheet new models and heavy modifications, as it cycles model ranges over two generations to amortise development costs.
As the 488 GTB is essentially an upgraded 458, it’s time for a new model based on the company’s latest modular platform.
The F588 project is therefore a next-gen model and our spies caught this prototype winter-testing in Scandinavia ahead of a planned launch in 2019.
V6 power is coming to the junior Ferrari, you say?
You’d better believe it. Ferrari is working hard on a multi-engine strategy, as it’s forced to squeeze down emissions and boost the mpg of its supercars.
Hence the new 2.9-litre V6 engine planned for its ‘entry-level’ supercar. Our sources in Maranello suggest that the V6 model could be a short-wheelbase model, effectively splitting the GTB range into two.
In that regard, it echoes the approach taken with the GTC4 Lusso shooting brake range, now available with V12 or V8 power – depending upon your performance needs and depth of pockets.
Expect the V6 SWB to be positioned as a separate model, however. Whether or not the Dino name will be used remains unknown…
How powerful is the new Ferrari V6?
Our sources suggest the bi-turbo V6 will develop up to 600bhp, enough to distinguish it from the Alfa Romeo 2.9 which is – ultimately – related to the new Ferrari powerplant.
And the V8 destined for the 588 is said to be capable of 680bhp, or 720bhp in focused Challenge/Stradale versions. And that’s before a hybrid electric pack is bolted on, potentially adding a further 150bhp should the e-Ferrari be given the nod.
Click here for Ferrari reviews by CAR magazine
