Ferrari’s history of building race cars that can be used on the street dates back to the earliest days of the company. But by the 1970s, as cars built by the racing team were becoming more specialized and too brutal for the road, the race cars and road cars parted ways. The occasional special edition would come about but rarely were they full-production cars, and typically even still, they were too extreme for daily usage. This all changed when Ferrari brought out the 360 Challenge Stradale- claimed to be built for 80% street use and 20% track use- the 360 was less hardcore than a dedicated race car, while still offering desirable track-focused upgrades. The Challenge Stradale was such a success that, for each successive generation of Ferrari’s mid-engine V8 cars, a track version was created. In March of 2018, Ferrari showed their newest addition to this line of vehicles- the 488 Pista. Utilizing many of the tricks that Ferrari used in both the 488 Challenge and 488 GTE race cars, the Pista’s design was a significant departure from the standard car, and the engine and gearbox upgrades meant that it had performance to match. The first thing you notice when looking at the Pista is the dramatic, sloping front trunk lid which leads to large air vents in the front bumper- air passes through these vents and dramatically increases front grip at high speeds. The under-car diffuser is shared with the 488 GTE and when paired with the other aero-aids on the car, gives the Pista 20% more downforce than the standard 488 GTB. When the 488 GTB debuted, it was the first mid-engine V8 Ferrari since the F40 and thanks to massive technological steps, it produced nearly 200 more horsepower. For the Pista, Ferrari didn’t simply increase the boost for more power, the entire engine was updated with new camshafts, stronger pistons, titanium connecting rods and larger intercoolers- resulting in 710 horsepower and 568 lb-ft of torque. The overall weight of the car was dropped by 200 lbs thanks to the extensive use of carbon fiber and Alcantara and, when combined with the increased power, made 0-62 mph happen in just 2.85 seconds and 0-124 mph came in just 7.6. There is no doubt that the 488 GTB is a fantastic driving car and plenty fast for most people but the 488 Pista adds more than just performance. The stripped-out interior and lack of sound deadening make the driver feel one with the road and mean that even when you aren’t driving flat out on the track, you are far more connected with the car.
This absolutely stunning 2020 488 Pista is a nearly new example, showing just 421 miles at the time of cataloging. The paint scheme on this Pista was inspired by the launch car from the Geneva Motor Show back in 2018- with a base of Rosso Corsa, a wide Bianco Avus over the top stripe was added with a Blu America stripe positioned down the middle of it. This is paired with a set of grey-finished wheels and a host of exposed carbon fiber including the front flaps, side air splitter as well as the front and rear diffusers. The window sticker for the car shows nearly $95,000 in factory options, including “Special Equipment” that was custom ordered for this car. The interior is finished in Cuoio leather with Rosso Ferrari red leather detailing on the dashboard and door pockets. The “large” size bucket seats are finished with a special order leather Italian flag stripe down the centers and a red embroidered prancing horse on the headrests. Beautiful exposed carbon fiber is found throughout the interior with the door cards, center console, and custom door sill plates all finished in the lightweight material. With so many unique options, you will be spotting small special touches around the car for a long time- as an example, the steering wheel was custom ordered with hand stitching in the colors of the Italian Flag which pops off the black leather rim once you notice it. From a practical standpoint, the important options of a front-end lift and adaptive headlights were optioned to make the car more enjoyable to use more of the time. With so many unique options, this Pista is truly a one-of-a-kind car, and given the ultra-low miles, it presents in essentially brand-new condition throughout.
