For more than 60 years, with very few exceptions, Ferrari built its name on normally aspirated V8s and V12s. By the mid-2010s, however, worldwide emissions standards threatened the viability of these large-displacement engines. A new format was needed, and it arrived in the form of the Tipo F154 turbocharged V8.
The 488 GTB, unveiled in early 2015 at the Geneva Auto Show, was Ferrari’s first sports car to utilize the new engine (which had debuted one year earlier in the California T). In the 488, the 4-liter V8 produced 670 horsepower, a whopping 100 ponies more than the normally aspirated 4.5-liter unit in the outgoing 458 Italia, while emitting less CO2 and requiring less fuel.
Ferrari didn’t stop there, either, aiming to improve almost every aspect of the 488 compared to the ground-breaking Italia. Where the 458’s bodywork was sleek and smooth, the 488 featured a more aggressive look, incorporating visual cues from the LaFerrari, an F1-inspired nose, and gaping rear fender air intakes. Under the new skin, the model received improved magnetorheological dampers and carbon-ceramic brakes, along with more sophisticated electronic driving aids.
All this added up to a car that was faster, better handling, more communicative, and more refined than its predecessor. In fact, the only area in which the 488 didn’t better the 458 was its soundtrack; those twin turbos signficantly muffled the auditory show.
The mechanically identical 488 Spider, which featured the same folding hardtop as the 458 Spider, debuted in late 2016. Then, in early 2018, Ferrari unveiled a track-oriented variant: the Pista.
Following in the footsteps of the Challenge Stradale, 430 Scuderia, and 458 Speciale, the 488 Pista featured a spartan interior, less weight, more power, better handling, and improved aerodynamics and electronics compared to the “base” model. The drop-top 488 Pista Spider, once again mechanically identical to the berlinetta, debuted at Pebble Beach later that year.
Today, while its performance has been surpassed
by the F8 and the 296, the 488 remains a staggeringly fast car by any real-world standard. In addition, it’s easy to drive, offers impressive ride quality, and has proven very reliable. This is yet another modern Ferrari that’s very easy to recommend.
Marketplace
As is normal with Ferrari’s latest-and-greatest sports cars, the first 488 GTBs to reach U.S. shores in 2015 sold for roughly $100,000 over their already hefty price tags. The model’s base price started at $245,000, and Ferrari’s profitable habit of piling on the (mandatory) options instantly took window stickers into the $300,000-325,000 range—and beyond.
Popular items included such niceties as Apple CarPlay ($4,219), AFS headlights ($2,169), a back-up camera ($2,700), and lots of carbon-fiber trim, such as the inner door covers ($8,605), driver’s zone ($7,593), and dash inserts ($6,748). The practically de rigueur colored brake calipers and Scuderia fender shields ran $1,517 and $1,710, respectively, while Daytona-style seats cost $4,049 and full-electric ones added $7,593. In addition, these cars’ window stickers almost always include the nebulous “Other Options,” which I’ve seen range from as little as $45,000 to as much as $182,428 on one 488 GTB with a truly astonishing $512,295 window sticker.
The 488 Spider arrived in 2016 with a base price of $280,000-290,000 and a typical options list starting north of $60,000; most cars came in just under $400,000. The 488 Pista, introduced in 2018, boosted both horsepower and base price—the latter to $345,000—while average options rose to around $100,000, with out-the-door prices in the $450,000-470,000 range. Later that year, the Pista Spider arrived with a base price of $385,000 and sticker prices in the $465,000-525,000 range. Despite being the most expensive 488s when new, the Pistas have held their value well, with Spiders currently selling at more than their original window sticker.
The 488 was a cash cow for Maranello. Total production reached a whopping 23,589 examples: 7,467 GTBs, 7,881 Spiders, a surprising 5,658 Pistas, and 1,433 Pista Spiders (plus 942 Challenges and 208 GT3, GT3 Evo, GTE, and GTE Evo race cars). Since collectability is a function of availability, it’s hard to argue that any 488 is collectible—unless you have a 488 Pista Spider with delivery mileage, but what’s the point of Ferrari ownership if your pride and joy can’t be driven?
It’s far more enjoyable to look at the 488 for what it is: an extremely fast, seriously fun, good looking, user-friendly, comfortable, and reliable exotic that offers impressive bang for the buck. —Michael Sheehan
| Model | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| 488 GTB | $200,000 | $270,000 |
| 488 Spider | $225,000 | $275,000 |
| 488 Pista | $425,000 | $550,000 |
| 488 Pista Spider | $550,000 | $850,000 |
These prices are for nicely optioned, well documented,
and fully serviced cars in good to great condition as of November 2024.
The Garage
Like the FF and F12berlinetta, the 488 has proven to be as rugged and reliable as any now-nearly-10-year-old low-production supercar can hope to be. The proof is in the mileage; it’s not unusual to find examples for sale with 20,000 miles or more, and that certainly hasn’t always been the case.
Also like its V12 contemporaries, the 488’s usual wear-and-tear items have proven to be impressively robust. With the once-dreaded, twice-a-decade cam-belt replacement now a thing of the past, normal maintenance costs are minimal by exotic-car standards. You can expect to pay around $3,500 for an annual service, with much of that cost going toward fresh lubricants.
The 488’s new car warranty was good for three years and unlimited mileage, after which two one-year extensions were available at $5,000 a year. Starting with the sixth year, Ferrari offered an additional limited warranty called the New Power15, which requires a $1,500 annual inspection and costs $3,300-3,800 annually for up to 15 years from the original date of sale. It’s pricey peace of mind for those who don’t want to face the possibility of a staggeringly high bill to replace the transaxle or engine should the worst come to pass.
I didn’t come across any engine failures during my research, but transmission issues are beginning to crop up. As the cars have gotten older and covered more miles, the seals that separate the gearbox oil from the electronic differential lubricant can fail, and mixing those two very different fluids will cause serious problems. Since the transaxle needs to be removed and opened up to fix almost any issue, including sensor failures, Ferrari’s solution is to simply replace it—at a cost of roughly $55,000. However, a qualified shop with the right specialized tools can rebuild it with all-new seals, sensors, and bearings for around half that price, depending on what’s needed.
At the other end of the problem spectrum, the most common 488 problems revolve around the battery. Modern Ferraris are stuffed with dozens of ECUs, which draw substantial amperage; if the car is not kept on a battery tender, the battery will drain. In addition to possibly killing the battery, a low-voltage situation will likely start tripping fault codes, and clearing them requires a trip to the dealer.
In addition, make sure you don’t store a 488’s key fob too close to the car. Since the fob constantly “talks” to the car’s electronics, it can keep them from “going to sleep” and run down the battery.
Here in California, new cars don’t have to pass a smog test for their first five years. This has led to some younger buyers (e.g., Instagram stars, TikTok celebrities, marijuana millionaires, and tech bros) taking their new toys to “tuners,” who install larger wheels and tires, outrageous (and non-legal) exhaust systems, and modified ECUs. The problem arrives when these cars come off lease or are traded in and will not pass a smog test. One dealer told me about a lease-back 488 which was missing its original exhaust and emissions hardware; the bill to return the car to stock ran $55,000!
Turbochargers can and do wear out, and a dealer will charge around $25,000 for a single replacement turbo and associated labor—and Ferrari won’t replace one under warranty if the car has been modified (see above). There are many independent outfits that will rebuild and/or update the turbos for $5,000-10,000, and an independent local shop will charge much less in labor than a dealer.
Swapping turbochargers is one thing, but, for the most part, almost every other problem requires a trip to the dealer—both because of the understandable popularity of those extended warranties and the 488’s astonishing electronic complexity. Like all modern exotics, the 488 utilizes a Controller Area Network (CAN) that links its dozens of computer modules (e.g., engine, anti-lock brakes, stability control, climate control, keyless entry, lighting, etc.) and systems together. If something goes wrong, these systems can cross-talk, throwing off difficult-to-track-down warning codes that can only be interpreted by an official dealer’s service department or a private shop with the latest $25,000 Leonardo computer. In addition, software updates are only accessible through Ferrari’s in-house Modis computer program.
I shudder to think what problems owners will face down the road when those computers are no longer available from Ferrari. Until then, the 488 remains a fantastic exotic to own and drive. Just make sure you keep it in warranty for as long as possible…and keep it away from those tuners. —Michael Sheehan
On The Road
The 488 redefined the sports-car standards created by the legendary 458. Here’s some of what we’ve said about this fabulously fast model since its introduction.
“Unleashed,” FORZA #144
I never thought the 458 needed more grunt, and the 488 certainly doesn’t. It’s wonderfully, crazily fast, and it distributes all 670 ponies effortlessly. As in the Italia, the GTB’s electronic aids invisibly elevate the driver’s game, leaving me feeling like Kimi Raikkonen on a good day. At the same time, the newest Ferrari offers more feedback than its predecessor, and this natural, unassisted feeling is rare in such a complex, computer-controlled machine. Steering weight and feel are more Speciale than Italia, which adds to the involvement.
The 488’s superb brakes offer better stopping power and feel than the Italia’s, but the new car’s most impressive attribute is the amazing suppleness of its suspension. It’s not a question of ride quality (which is even better than the perfectly comfortable Italia’s) but of the way the car completely ignores broken road surfaces. Instead of bouncing up and down over the local ruined tarmac, the 488 goes up but then simply returns to level, no rebound necessary.
In one unfortunate way, the 488 is no 458; there’s just too much of a disconnect between the car’s breathtaking performance and its comparatively mellow engine note. The GTB doesn’t sound bad—its mellifluous howl and turbo soundtrack are rich and refined—but it ultimately leaves me unsatisfied.
Would this aural letdown keep me from buying a 488? Hell, no. Plus, it makes the new model a far more comfortable companion over the course of a day.
“Organic Tech,” FORZA #149
The incomprehensible engineering jargon of Ferrari’s technical presentation has instantly melted away, to be replaced by this sensational car’s sublimely compliant ride, electrifying steering, and turbocharged engine pumping out a gargantuan 670 horsepower. All that nerdy science is happening right now, just beneath the surface, but none of it matters any more. This is the genius of modern Ferrari: Turning tech into something that feels natural, making software feel fluid and organic. I don’t care how it’s doing it, I just want to drive and drive until I run out of fuel.
If there’s a flaw, it’s that the 488 Spider’s aluminum chassis can’t quite match the stiffness of the carbon-fiber tub found in the competing McLaren 650S Spider. While the Ferrari certainly glides over potholes and bumps, you often feel the windshield give a little shiver over the harshest impacts. It’s a sign the dampers are doing a better job than the alloy structure they’re attached to.
But really, that’s a minor grumble. The 488 is a triumph, even in the context of replacing the 458, one of the all-time greats. The Spider blows away any skepticism with the immediacy of its responses, the scale of its performance, and the desirability of the drop-top roof and turbulence-free cabin. It even feels almost exactly like the GTB; gone are the days when coupes and soft-tops drove significantly differently.
“Wish Fulfillment,” FORZA #168
As you’d expect, losing very nearly 200 pounds and adding 50 ponies aids performance. While the Pista can’t simply walk away from the outrageously fast GTB when you plant the throttle, there’s no denying the extra kick in the back, the added urgency that, when you do the power-to-weight math, is the equivalent of losing over 400 pounds from its little brother.
Dynamically, the Pista is dynamite. As we carve through the hairpin-strewn roads, we feel the advantage of the new, stiffer rubber at each corner and of every pound saved. I’ve driven pretty much every Ferrari built since the millenium over these roads, and this one has to be the best. The front end is so precise and the chassis so good at delivering almost zero roll while still offering enough composure to keep the fat tires keyed into the road that I can’t help but laugh out loud at the liberties I can take.
The brakes deserve some love, too. They’re carbon ceramic, as usual, but now the servo comes from the 488 Challenge. This makes the pedal effort surprisingly high—you really need to give it a hard shove to get maximum stopping power, just like in a proper racing car—but the feel is fantastic.
The Pista is on another plane of performance compared to the GTB, yet its ride comfort is so good and its highway noise levels so low I’d think nothing of jumping in and covering hundreds of miles. That’s in stark contrast to the raw and raucous 458 Speciale, which was definitely something to be enjoyed in a concentrated hit, rather than a longer burst.
