Ferrari's F8 Tributo Aims At Hitting McLaren Where It Hurts

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It's a bit gorgeous, isn't it? Other than looking at it as the most powerful mid-engined V8 Ferrari till date, the new F8 Tributo is a distinct echo aimed at its rival in Woking.

The new Rosso-liveried model poses as Ferrari's concrete answer to the likes of its British rival McLaren 720S and bridges the power-gap it had with the 488. Getting a bump of 50bhp the F8 Tributo is rated on par with the 720S at 710hp. This comes from the same 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8 engine that the company lauds after winning International Engine of the Year Awards for three years in a row.

'Without the slightest hint of turbo lag”, the tribute cracks a ton in a brisk 2.9 seconds and goes on to top-out at 339kph. Reigning all that power is an improved set of electronic assist including latest versions of 'Slip and Slide Control' and 'Dynamic Enhancer' with the latter acting on 'Race' position.

The Tributo scales 40kg lighter than the 488 at 1330kg. It also comes with new tech that is derived from the 488 Pista for better management of heat. Contributing to the 15 per cent more downforce is the new S-Duct that has been redesigned for deployment on the F8.

For better, cooling of brakes, the new F8 comes with more space for the brake cooling ducts around the front. At the rear, is a windscreen that shows off the monstrous engine and its features...sort of what we saw on the F40. This, however, has a job of removing the hot air from the bay.

The cabin is not disappointing either. By which we mean that the new F8 Tributo gets a new 7.0-inch touchscreen display for the passenger along with a new air-vent design and a steering wheel that's smaller in diameter.

More details on the Ferrari F8 Tributo will be uncovered by the Italian auto premiere at next week's Geneva Motor Show. Till then, let us know which car you think will win in a standoff.