With Ferrari's most powerful road-going V8 engine ever, the newly introduced 488 Pista immediately draws eyes with its radical, track-honed styling and impressive performance. However, latest Prancing Horse has a ready-made competitor from Porsche's 911 GT2 RS. Like the Ferrari, the model represents the pinnacle of what the brand can do by thoroughly overhauling an existing product. Let's put them side-by-side to see how this pair of ultra-exclusive vehicles compare.
Update:
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, so there's no point in making an aesthetic judgment of this pair. The models advertise their performance visually in very different ways, though. Other than its enormous vent in the hood and more prominent diffuser, the average person might not immediately know this is a more hardcore Ferrari. Meanwhile, the big intakes, fender louvers, and gargantuan wing immediately communicate to a general audience that the GT2 RS is ready for high speed.
| Ferrari 488 Pista | Porsche 911 GT2 RS | |
|---|---|---|
| Engine | 3.9-Liter biturbo 90° V8 | 3.8-Liter biturbo flat six-cylinder |
| Horsepower | 711 hp at 8,000 rpm | 690 hp at 7,000 rpm |
| Torque | 568 lb-ft from 3000 rpm | 553 lb-ft from 2500 rpm |
| 0-62 mph | 2.85 seconds | 2.8 seconds |
| 0-124 mph | 7.6 seconds | 8.3 seconds |
| Maximum Speed | 211 mph | 211 mph |
| Weight | 2,822 pounds | 3,175 pounds |
| Power to Weight | 0.25 hp per pound | 0.22 hp per pound |
| Transmission | 7-Speed Dual-Clutch | 7-Speed Dual-Clutch |
The table above shows how the 488 Pista and 911 GT2 RS compare in terms of specs, and the figures are surprisingly close. While the Ferrari wins most of the categories, the Porsche owners wouldn't have any reason to be embarrassed about their car's capabilities. The Pista's slight advantage in displacement and extra two cylinders likely are a big help in topping the GT2's output. However, the two models reach 62 miles per hour (100 kilometers per hour) in practically the same time – with the Porsche winning on paper by a paltry 0.05 seconds. The Ferrari would then reach 124 mph (200 kph) first, and they both run out of steam at 211 mph (340 kph).
The 488 Pista's biggest advantage over the GT2 RS is the Ferrari's weight (or lack thereof). The Prancing Horse is 353 pounds lighter than the Porsche. This comes in large part to the Italian engineers managing to trim the standard 488 GTB by 198 pounds (90 kg).
A major burning question about the 488 Pista is what the special model costs. Ferrari isn't very public about its models' pricing, and that doesn't look to change with the company's latest special model. Conversely, Porsche has no problem letting the world know what a GT2 RS goes for. The coupe starts at $294,250, including destination, and one with every option would be $359,670.
Gallery: Ferrari 488 Pista
