Ferrari 488

This lot will be auctioned via Iconic Auctioneers, The Iconic Sale at Race Retro 2026 - Competition Cars on Saturday the 21st of February, Stoneleigh Park, Stoneleigh Rd, Coventry, CV8 2LG. , If you exclude the Italian-market 208 GTB Turbo tax-break special of the 1970s and 1980s, the 488 GTB is only Ferrari's second turbocharged mid-engined car after the F40. Its engine retains the flat-plane configuration of all Ferrari V8s and has a capacity reduced from the 4.5-litres of the 458 to just 3.9-litres but its power output has been raised by an incredible 100bhp. The car's construction is still all-aluminium, Ferrari resisting as ever the lure of anything more than cosmetic carbon fibre in its production models, but even so, there are no fewer than 12 different alloys in its structure and body and, despite the additional turbos, wastegate and 20% increase in required cooling capacity, the 488 is still 10kg lighter than the 458 it replaces.Born as a racing car manufacturer that made road cars to pay the bills, Ferrari has never forgotten its illustrious sporting heritage and the firm produced an unrivalled range of racing cars for customer motorsport specifically built for the marque's single-make series which, prior to the arrival of the 296 in 2024, was the 488 and subsequently the 488 Challenge EVO. The concept is similar to the Challenge specification variants of the 348, F355, 360, F430, and 458, all of which were based largely upon their relevant road-going versions specifically developed with upgrades and lightweight materials to make them more suitable for the strains and stresses of one-make racing.With each new model, Ferrari pushed the limits on what it considers to be a suitable package for an amateur driver, perhaps accepting that Challenge entrants, although obviously sufficiently comfortably-off to spend their summers motor racing in Europe are now more likely to be focused athletes who take it a little more seriously and with the 488 Challenge Ferrari took this mentality a little further, producing a car that was four seconds quicker than a LaFerrari around Fiorano.Compared to the production 488 GTB V8, the Challenge's powertrain featured specific engine mapping, optimised for racing and shorter gear ratios. In terms of dynamics, Ferrari's patented Slip Slip Control (SSC) software made its first-ever appearance on a Challenge car and this was integrated with the vehicle's electronic dynamic controls and calibrated, along with the traction control and E-Diff3, to improve turn-in, cornering, and acceleration out of corners ensuring that maximum traction was available throughout.Externally, a massive carbon-fibre rear wing from the 488 GTE dominated proceedings, with lower side skirts, a new bonnet, and a reprofiled nose section completing an aerodynamic package that created 10% more downforce than its predecessor, the 458 Challenge Evo. In the pursuit of weight loss, lightweight plastic panels replaced the main windows and internally the car featured a fully stripped-out motorsport cabin with integrated roll bar, fire-extinguisher system, racing steering wheel, and fixed racing bucket seat.Introduced in late 2019 for the 2020 season, the 488 EVO was available as a full car or an upgrade kit for existing 488 Challenge owners differing from its three-year old predecessor mainly in its aerodynamics. It featured a redesigned front end with a new U-shaped intake, longer overhang, and aggressive aero profiles for a 30% increase in efficiency and +50% overall downforce over the standard 488 Challenge. The forward shift in aerodynamic balance enhanced turn-in and reduced understeer, a  new steering wheel (from FXX-K Evo/GTE) offered better feedback and new Pirelli tyres provided better grip and consistency, reducing brake wear. The EVO's electronics benefitted from Ferrari's Slip Angle Control software and a new system with two separate manettinos (TC1 for grip levels, TC2 for intervention intensity) for tailored control. On offer here is a striking example of a 488 Challenge Evo that was delivered in 2023 to its first owner through Ferrari in Central New Jersey. It was raced in the US taking part in a couple of Ferrari Challenge North America races in 2023, at Sonoma Raceway and Road Atlanta, run by AF Corse, and may have been entered in some other events but was obviously lightly used as the indicated mileage is only 5,204km from new.Our vendor, the car's second owner, purchased the Ferrari in the US and correctly imported it to the UK meaning that there is no VAT due, quite rare for a car of this nature. Since its arrival here, it has been kept in heated storage and not used, however, a change in direction means that it is now available for its next lucky owner.Finished in gleaming Rosso Scuderia, the 488 presents really well in the metal and must certainly be one of the best on the market today. Eligible for a variety of top-class motorsport here in the UK or further afield and offered at