How much the Ferrari F8 Tributo costs and why its increasing?

The Ferrari F8 Tributo is the latest in a long line of mid-engined V8, two-seater coupes from Ferrari. The lineage started back in 1975 with the introduction of the 308 GTB, and the Ferrari F8 Tributo pays homage to two greats: the Ferrari 288 GTO and the Ferrari F40.

The past few months some information has started to trickle out here is what we know.

How much will the Ferrari F8 Tributo cost?

Ferrari F8 Tributo is the replacement for the Ferrari 488 GTB and is expected to cost at least £211,000 or around $261,000 when launched later this year. Official prices have not been announced yet as Ferrari like to keep prices close to their chest until much closer to the release date itself. 

We will be bringing you the full details on prices once they are announced. This will include full options list so you can price up your dream car! Be sure to come back, or Subscribe above if you want to be kept informed.

Why is the price of the Ferrari F8 Tributo increasing?

It is fairly normal for prices to increase when a new model is released, but the price will increase due to a number of factors. How did we get to our prices? Here is our rationale:

1. 8% increase in prices – when the Ferrari 488 GTB was launched it replaced the Ferrari 458 Italia, and at that time it saw and 8% increase in the MSRP. It’s reasonable to assume that the same type of increase will make its way onto the replacement, the F8 Tributo. 
2. Demand far exceeds supply – If you walk into a Ferrari showroom today and tell them that you want to buy a Ferrari F8 Tributo, they will probably laugh at you and happily take your deposit. The waiting list is long, and they know that they are not governed by the same economic that slump that the rest of the car industry is. Put simply, if you don’t like the price then there are plenty of people who will take your build slot. 
3. Production costs are rising – cars are being made in such a different way today compared to just 10 years ago. New technology such as hybrid and carbon-fibre means that cars are more expensive to manufacture. The result is that these increases are being passed over to the consumers. 
4. Ferrari is now a listed company – back in 2015, Ferrari became a listed company in New York. While this is great for the growth of the company, sadly it means that all decisions are made with profitability in mind. Previous decisions would also have been made around what is better for the customers overall, and this sadly is now lost to the accountants. 
5. Exchange rates or making things more expensive – over the years the Euro has been getting stronger and stronger. The knock-on effect is when you take a car made in Italy to a foreign country, the purchase price becomes higher. Not a problem if you are buying in the Euro of course! 
6. The Brexit factor – the inevitable impacts of the United Kingdom leaving the European Union is that imports will become much more expensive. Currently, the UK operates with no import tariffs from Europe but will change after October 2019. Just in time for the launch of the Ferrari F8 Tributo!

When will the Ferrari F8 Tributio be launched?

The Ferrari F8 Tributo was officially launched on 5th March 2019 at the Geneva Motor Show. However, customer deliveries will not start until late 2019 to US and European markets. RHD production may not start until early 2020. It is expected that all models will be launched as a 2020 model year.

What do you get in the Ferrari F8 Tributo for the extra cost?

Put simply a little bit extra of everything. You might think that’s a fair increase in price for only a little extra from the car, but then you will be forgetting just how brilliant Ferrari 488 GTB was. The Ferrari F8 Tributo does everything that the 488 GTB does, but just a little better.

Here are just some of the highlights:

Better looks

As much as I like the 488 GTB, I was never sold on its looks. from certain angles, the car looked chunky, and next to the Lamborghini Hurrican, in my opinion, the Ferrari always came in second place. The Ferrari was obviously a better car overall though.

The replacement, the Ferrari F8 Tributo, is just better looking from every angle. The front is more angular and more aggressive, and the rear lights modernise the design even though so you probably never realised it needed it.

With the interior design of the F8 Tributo, there are actually less drastic changes than they made on the exterior. Ferrari nailed the design with the 488 and so when they launched the replacement, fewer updates needed to be made. There are subtle enhancements such as the shape of the interior vents, button design, and design of the middle bridge, but apart from that, not a lot has changed.

Not that there was anything wrong with the seats, but the seat design has changed too, and the single stripe looks ace.

Performance

At first glance, the performance for the F8 Tributo has only improved by the smallest of amounts. 0-100 km/h has only improved by 0.1 sec, although 200 km/h comes up 0.5 seconds quicker. On the surface, these are small improvements, but the 488 GTB was already a very quick car. The fact that they were able to improve the Ferrari F8 Tributo at all, is significant.

Top speed has also increased in the F8 Tributo, from 205 mph to 211 mph. Performance can be put down to things:

1. Increased power –  from 670 CV to 720 CV
2. Reduced weight – from 1370 kg to  1330 kg

That’s mighty impressive considering the F8 Tributo is a longer and wider car than the car it replaced.

Side-by-side comparison

Other changes to the F8 Tributo

But that is not all the changes, as some of them were more subtle. Here are some of the less obvious ones:

1. More aerodynamic –  there is a 10% improvement in aerodynamic efficiency in the Ferrari F8 Tributo.
2. Cleverer aerodynamics – a great example of this is the S-Duct at the front, and the redesigned blown spoiler system at the rear. The visual improvements here give the Ferrari F8 Tributo clean yet decisive lines.
3. Better handling – the Ferrari 488 GTB was already the model with the highest performance and the greatest driver involvement. Ferrari has exceeded that with the F8 Tributo.  The new car has the latest version of Slide Slip Angle Control (now version 6.1), which basically allows the driver to attack the track quicker than he would be able to otherwise. Don’t expect to get much use of this on the road though!
4. The latest version of Ferrari Dynamic Enhancer (FDE+) – For the first time, the driver is able to activate this through the race settings on the Manettino switch. this will allow greater stability at speed, and opens up enhanced options to more drivers as a result.
5. The starting point was the Pista, not the GTB – this might not sound like much but the improvements to the engine were already tested in the 488 Pista. These improvements include Inconel exhaust manifolds derived from the 488 Challenge, Titanium con-rods, and a lighter more optimised crankshaft and flywheel. The 488 Pista already had 50% more specific components that the 488 GTB’s engine. The F8 Tributo benefits from all of that!

Is the price of the Ferrari F8 Tributo justified?

Some people will argue that the improvements are only small over the car it replaces, but in my opinion, that is completely unjustified. Improvements have been made in every aspect of the car from the looks to the performance. You could spend all day looking at the numbers but the reality is that the F8 Tribute is a better car.

But of course with Ferrari, there’s only one statistic that really matters, and that is how quickly the Ferrari F8 Tributo can get around the Fiorano test track. The 488 GTB manages to do it in 1 min 23 secs, while the Ferrari F8 Tributo shaves half a second and does it in 1 min 22.5 secs. Some will say that it’s not enough of a difference, but the reality is that Ferrari made a fantastic car even better.

Image source: Ferrari