Just What Is This Mysterious, Beaten-Up Ferrari Test Mule?

While the brilliantly gnarly body panels on this test mule are clearly from a 458, what we're actually looking at is a 488 GTB, and it might have Kers...

Matt Robinson

05 Aug 2016

While YouTuber Marchettino initially speculates that those tatty 458 Italia panels are hiding the long-rumoured Dino successor, a very V8-like exhaust note heard later quickly extinguishes that idea. The ‘F142M M3’ markings on the windscreen mean it’s almost certainly a 488 (F142M is the internal code for the car), and the exhaust placement points to the same conclusion.

But just what kind of 488 are we looking at? Marchettino reckons he heard one of the technicians say “don’t turn on the Kers system,” when the camera wasn’t running so we could even be looking at a Kers-equipped Speciale. It would make sense: Ferrari hasn’t shied away from using lashings of tech in its previous ultra-focused cars like the 458 Speciale and 430 Scuderia, and the LaFerrari’s Kers tech was bound to filter down the range eventually.

What do you think Ferrari is up to?

Growing up on a diet of World Rally Championship highlights and lengthy Gran Turismo 2 sessions, a life in cars was as good as inevitable for Matt.

Comments

Kers?

Kinetic energy recovery system

Kinetic
Energy
Recovery
System

Captain here, KERS: Kinetic Energy Recovery System, harnesses/converts the kinetic/moving energy from brakes to chemical energy or however you put it. Think of it as the cars equipped with ‘nitro’ in most NFS games, expect that you’ll gain that extra power boost from braking(when you apply the brakes), not by driving like a maniac in the games.

the energy can go to the motors like in teslas or reserved as extra power in modes like in F1 cars.

Its where the brake disks are made of Unicorns! When you brake, the Unicorns heat up, when a button on the steering wheel is pressed, they all super-heat and make a mini nuclear based explosion in the engine block… The acronym works too;
uniKorns
hEat
Rapidly
then Speed happens

Oh I’d love to see a 488 GTO/Speciale🔥🤔(let’s hope this isn’t a one off for now )

It’s against the Special Projects to altre in any way the mode’s mechanicals. I’d say it’s the new Speciale.

[DELETED]

…. Am i the only one using common sense…… Its a 488 italia look at the front, it only makes sense

Have you actially watched the video? the guy literary says that Ferrari tests new cars’ components in older bodies…

The chassis is 488 (in case you didnt read the post or watch the video)and ferrari is no stranger to run prototypes on public roads with older body components