Ferrari F8 - TopCarNews

Ferrari F8 (2019 – present) | Expert Rating [hide]

Summary

First unveiled at the Geneva motor show in Spring 2019, the Ferrari F8 is a mid-engine sports car that is available as both a coupé and a convertible.

The Ferrari F8 is the successor to the Ferrari 488, and is the latest in a long line of mid-engined V8 Ferrari sports cars that dates right back to the 308 GTB of 1975. The F8 Tributo has the same twin-turbocharged 3.9-litre V8 engine as the 488, but the F8 produces an additional 50hp, making it the most powerful stock V8 sports car that Ferrari have ever produced.

This performance tweak has not gone unnoticed by the British media; Top Gear labelled the Ferrari F8’s engine “an absolute masterpiece”, while Motoring Research remarked that the F8 is “the finest imaginable tribute to a remarkable run of mid-engined Ferrari V8 sports cars.”

Reviewers also commend the Ferrari F8 for its stunning exterior looks that muster nostalgic memories of the V8 Ferraris of old, its great handling, and surprisingly its day-to-day practicality, prompting the Daily Mail to call the F8 Tributo the “everyday Ferrari”.

Conversely, some reviewers conclude that the Ferrari F8 does not do enough to distinguish itself from the 488, and the F8 has received criticism for its so-so in-car tech.

The biggest point of contention for the Ferrari F8 is its price tag. The F8 Tributo coupé costs £203,476, roughly £20,000 more than the Ferrari 488 coupé at launch, while optional extras like Apple CarPlay cost an extra £2,400 on top.

As of December 2021, the Ferrari F8 holds an impressive Expert Rating of 89%, based on 20 reviews published by UK media sources.

Ferrari F8 highlights

Most powerful conventional V8 Ferrari ever produced
Exhilarating driving experience
Surprisingly practical (for a mid-engined supercar…)
Stunning exterior design

Ferrari F8 lowlights

Very pricey
Disappointing in-car tech
Some optional extras should be standard
Not a big progression from the Ferrari 488

Key specifications

Body style: Coupé and convertibleEngines: petrol V8
Price: From £203,476 on-road

Launched: Spring 2019Last updated: Autumn 2019
Replacement due: TBA

Image gallery

Ferrari F8 Tributo

Ferrari F8 Spider

Ferrari F8 Tributo

Media reviews

Reviews, road test and comparisons from across the UK automotive media. Click any of the boxes to view.

Auto Express

Model reviewed: F8 Spider ConvertibleScore: 9 / 10“The F8 Spider is another sensational supercar from Ferrari. Its V8 engine is the star of the show, followed closely by the stunning shape that still manages to look beautiful while including clever aerodynamics. The in-car tech is a let down, though.”
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Model reviewed: F8 Tributo coupéScore: 9 / 10“Evolutionary approach makes the new Ferrari F8 Tributo a fitting celebration of the brand’s great V8”
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Auto Trader

Model reviewed: F8 Spider convertible“There’s a lovely balance to the car: it’s fast but feels controllable. The Ferrari F8 Spider is a reminder that all V8 Ferraris should be celebrated and, as the superlative engine that gets better with every generation, that the future remains bright for Ferrari.”
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Autocar

Model reviewed: F8 Spider convertibleScore: 9 / 10“I don’t think you need many modern supercars in your life – too fast, too wide, and they all do basically the same thing. A Huracán has astonishing engine response, a McLaren some phenomenal traits. But on balance, for how good it wants you to feel and how much fun it encourages you to have, I’d keep mine an F8.”
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Model reviewed: F8 Tributo coupéScore: 10 / 10“This may or may not be the last hurrah for the pure internal combustion V8 powered mid-engined Ferrari, but either way, you should fill your boots now. Until there’s a hardcore Special Series version, that is. And an Aperta version of both.”
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Car

Model reviewed: F8 Spider convertibleScore: 10 / 10“The exhilarating fusion of coupe refinement with open-top excitement adds a welcome extra dimension to the F8 experience; while a Tributo owner gets the same fundamental sensations, dropping the roof is like a drug that makes the F8 all the more intense.”
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Model reviewed: F8 Tributo coupéScore: 10 / 10“Overall, the Ferrari F8 is a supercar that absolutely immerses you in the excitement of driving, but delivers those thrills in a package that feels perfectly useable for regular journeys.”
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Daily Mail

Model reviewed: F8 Tributo coupé“Despite the F8 Tributo’s stunning looks and awesome acceleration from rest to 62mph in just 2.9 seconds and to 124mph in a cracking 7.8 seconds, this is an unexpectedly easy car to live with. We might even dare to call it an ‘everyday’ Ferrari.”
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Evo

Model reviewed: F8 Spider convertibleScore: 10 / 10“It’s fast, intense, and really demands a circuit to fully exploit, but the F8 Spider, like its fixed-roof counterpart, is unquestionably a great supercar.”
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Model reviewed: F8 Tributo coupéScore: 10 / 10“If the Ferrari F8 Tributo proves to be the last of the pre-hybrid, mid-engined V8s, it’s a great high to go out on. Is it better than a McLaren 720S? For my money, yes, partly because it’s better looking but mainly because I like the sense of connection with the Ferrari.”
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Motoring Research

Model reviewed: F8 Tributo coupé“This is the finest imaginable tribute to a remarkable run of mid-engined Ferrari V8 sports cars.”
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Parkers

Model reviewed: F8 Tributo coupé“Ferrari 488 Pista performance for GTB money”
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The Intercooler

Model reviewed: F8 SpiderScore: 8 / 10“The Ferrari F8 Tributo is one of the best-executed supercars you can buy right now. Peeling away the berlinetta’s roof has made the body far more flexible. It’s as though the F8 Spider has been psychoanalysed – lifting the lid has revealed the nature of its flaws.”
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The Sun

Model reviewed: F8 Tributo coupé“Ferrari’s F8 Tributo puts all the firm’s best bits in one dangerously powerful and perfect car”
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The Sunday Times

Model reviewed: F8 Tributo coupéScore: 8 / 10“This is still a yellow mid-engine Ferrari, one of the most enticing artefacts humankind has produced, and we should enjoy it while we can, either from within or gazing upon it from without, and in any colour.”
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Model reviewed: F8 Tributo coupéScore: 10 / 10“For a start, it looks great. My favourite bit is the louvred engine cover, which harks back to the F40. In some cars, features are added to improve performance and look a bit out of place, but in the F8 everything seems to fit and have a purpose.”
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The Telegraph

Model reviewed: F8 Tributo coupéScore: 8 / 10“A naturally-aspirated V8 is more alive, more tuneful and quicker to respond; however, this twin-turbo example is one of the best in the business and might even itself be a fast-disappearing breed. Great handling, a decent ride quality and a surprising amount of practicality mark this out as a Ferrari to remember, although it’s such a pity about some of the gormless design details.”
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Top Gear

Model reviewed: F8 Tributo coupéScore: 9 / 10“As it stands, the Ferrari F8 Tributo is a suitably stunning send-off for the V8 bloodline, and one of the year’s undoubted stars.”
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Model reviewed: F8 Spider convertibleScore: 8 / 10“Ferrari’s twin-turbo F8 Spider might be a facelifted 488, but it’s still a bloody good supercar.”
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Safety rating

Independent crash test and safety ratings from Euro NCAP

No safety rating

As of October 2021, the Ferrari F8 Tributo has not been crash tested by Euro NCAP. Based on its price and exclusivity, it’s unlikely to ever happen – but if it does, we’ll publish the results here.

Eco rating

Independent economy and emissions ratings from Green NCAP

No eco rating

The Ferrari F8 Tributo has not been lab tested by Green NCAP. This is a new initiative, launched in 2018 as a sister organisation to Euro NCAP.

We’re not expecting the F8 Tributo to ever get tested by Green NCAP, but if it does then we’ll provide details here. In the meantime, you’ll have to imagine just how environmentally friendly a turbocharged petrol V8 supercar is likely to be.

Awards

Trophies, prizes and awards that the Ferrari F8 has received

2020

Sport Auto Awards – Best Imported Production Coupé
Red Dot product design awards – Outstanding design quality

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