Jardine Ferrari Colchester invited our members to their Ferrari F8 Tributo Test drive Day
Words by David Ball / Photos by Syeed Ali
The 29th September arrived but just to make sure, I checked the diary to confirm. Yes, it was the 29th and today I was going to have a drive in the new Ferrari F8 Tributo. Two slices of toast and an expresso later the garage doors rolled up revealing my Honda Civic and the Ferrari 430 spider.
It had been raining so it was going to be the Civic. I looked at the 430, and for some reason thought it looked sad, as if I were about to embark on an affair with another Ferrari. I patted the roof and put her mind at rest.Set the sat nav to Penshurst Place in Kent, fired up the Civic and I was on my way.
Arriving at the Tudor mansion that is Penshurst Place I parked the Civic and walking through a stone gateway spotted the Tributo, or to be more accurate, twelve of them formed up in a semi-circle.
This gave me a chance to wander around and take a good look at the cars. My first impressions were what a beautiful car, but then are not all Ferraris beautiful. So, I started to look closer and in more depth. It was still a beautiful car but perhaps if you look hard enough you can find fault, perhaps not fault but areas of design to address.
As an example, let’s look at my black 430. In my opinion and many would probably disagree, the profile of the tin top just doesn’t look right. The haunches and the roof line where they meet doesn’t look a natural blend, unlike the 360 which does. The 360 flows whereas the 430 is too abrupt.
However, without the roof the 430 spiders’ lines look more natural and flowing, hence my preference for the Spider. I felt this with the Tributo. the spider’s lines seemed cleaner. I also wasn’t keen on the rear view, again this may seem like nit picking but to paraphrase the TV program catchphrase. Say what you see.
On a positive note you can see why the lines are where they are. This car is a very heavily face lifted 488GTB. I believe the only original bits that remain from the 488 are the doors and roof. This car was built for performance, but performance is not all about the engine and its 720Bhp. You could drop a 720Bhp engine in a London bus and you would most definitely have the quickest bus in London but at the end of the day its still a bus. So, this is where aerodynamics come into play. Every curve and scoop every bit of the car has been designed to cut through the air as cleanly as possible and I think it’s this that just detracts slightly from the overall look of the car.
Please allow me a weak analogy. As a teenager back in the 1960s I had a girlfriend who was quite a stunner. A beautiful girl. But she insisted on wearing huge spectacles. When I say huge, they were very big. They didn’t suit her. I suggested she try not using them for a while which she agreed to do. But after walking into a few lamp posts she reverted to her old glasses. I couldn’t even convince her to have a better pair (glasses I mean).
Another example would be if you think back few years to F1 cars. An example would be Schumacher’s car. There were so many bits stuck on the car, a winglet here a winglet there. Even a winglet on the mirrors. All of this made the car slice through the air and hang onto the tarmac like chewing gum on your shoe. Did it look great. No, it did not. A friend of mine worked at McLaren F1 team at the time and they thought their car looked bloody awful, even though it did go very fast.
My point being that the F8 is not an ugly car it is a beautiful car but the quest for performance has not added to the beauty of the car
After going through the various checks to confirm who I was and the fact that I can drive legally I was introduced to my co pilot Andy. A pleasant chat ensued to ask him what colour it was, charcoal was the reply.
Now a bit about me before we continue. I am fast approaching my 73rd year on this planet. I rise to a height of six feet and weigh quite a bit more than I should. Chubby would be a polite word to use.
My Ferrari world has been a 348, 360 and now 430. I have not driven anything as powerful or valuable as the F8. I felt a burning excitement at the prospect of driving this 720bhp £200k car, although nearer £300k with options. (don’t get me started)
So, first impressions on entering the cockpit. Being of the afore mention age and size, the car was extremely easy to slide into. Unlike a McLaren I had tried a few weeks earlier. Falling into the McLaren was easy. Getting out was a very different matter. The hire of a small crane was required together with a few levers to finally extricate me. But entry and exit to and from the F8 was a simple task.
The seat hugged me, and I felt comfortable and at peace with the world. Andy pointed out the instrument cluster and controls most of which were on the steering wheel including indicators. No stalks on this car. I had a small chuckle when I mentioned to Andy my old dads 1937 Austin 7. Similar technology in as much as you Flicked a switch on top of the steering wheel and after a few seconds a red semaphore arm would slowly drag itself out of the door pillar to inform people behind that that we were about to make a manoeuvre. Sometimes it only came up halfway so my job as an eight-year-old was to put my hand out of the window and pull it up. Happy days.
So belted up, mirrors adjusted I was given the command to start engine. I nervously help my finger over the red start button, I had no idea what 720BHP was going to sound like. I asked Andy if Mission control in Houston Texas was aware of our take off.
I stabbed the button and grasped the steering wheel. I felt a slight tremor in the car. I checked the rev counter. That all seemed ok, but I couldn’t hear the engine. Andy confirmed that we had fired up and that we could proceed. I pulled the paddle towards me and checked that the number one appeared on the Dash. Didn’t feel it engage, so slightly disappointed I pointed the car at the stone arch and headed quietly along the mansion’s single lane tarmac road until we came to the main entrance/ exit. Turn left Andy instructed.
We were going on a pre set route which was mostly country lanes for about 45 minutes, but we ended up doing 30 minutes I think due to the weather. The roads were wet with added clumps of mud deposited by tractors to catch you out. The 720 Bhp was going to be of no use here so I looked forward to a pleasant drive in the country I flicked up and down the gearbox. The changes were seamless. This was engineering to a supremely high level. A bit of a panic ensued when we went through some traffic-controlled road works. Apparently Red did not mean stop to the cars coming towards us. I was in the middle of about eight cars when I had to reverse. I pointed out to Andy that this is where I needed a reversing camera. There is he replied [pointing to the right side of the Dash. To me that seemed a bit of an afterthought on Ferraris part but its one of those things that you adapt to after a while.
Arriving back at penshurst place I returned the car to its position in the semi-circle and turned the engine off. A moments silence before Andy asked what I thought of the car. I replied beginning that he would have to understand that as I said earlier I have not driven anything with this power or of this value before and so my judgement was really based on expectation, while also appreciating that due to the weather I couldn’t give it the full beans as they say to get my adrenalin levels on a high. So, barring those parameters in mind, my thoughts were as follows.
Good looking car but not beautiful. If parked in a row of Ferraris it wouldn’t stand out from the crowd. Sitting in the car? Excellent. Comfortable, everything to hand. Build quality superb and great design job for the interior. Reversing camera in the wrong place if I was being picky.
Driving? The car starts which is always a bonus. No wow factor. No noise, just a slight jolt and a purr from the engine. Perfect everyday car. Very quiet inside the car. It rode bumps without a thump or a spasm going up your spine. Gearchange was seamless. No chance to exploit the car due to conditions.
Did I enjoy the experience, and did I like the car? Yes, and yes. Great car and a good drive. The engineering is to be applauded and congratulations to Ferrari.
There is always a BUT though isn’t there and this is my BUT. If this is the future of Ferrari, then it’s not the road I’m going to be travelling down. I know there is no comparison between the F8 and my 430. However, in my opinion the 430 has more excitement and more of an experience. When I stab the start button, I just know the engine has fired up as do my neighbours. Pushing down on the throttle and grabbing third gear you feel that thump from behind you as the clutch engages. Run over a matchstick and you feel it.
I found the F8 to be bland. Yes, I know. Wash my mouth out for saying a Ferrari was bland. I think people will buy this because they can or probably always buy the latest model from Ferrari. That is not a criticism it is just my opinion and of course I could and probably am wrong. In my modest opinion Ferrari have left two things out of the car. I know it is a cliché but the car lacks character and soul.
I asked myself the question, If I were in the financial position of buying the F8 would I go for it. I think the answer is probably no. My choice would be a late 458. So, if anyone wants to test that theory and drop me £250k, (I will limit the options) I would be very happy to indulge.
Many thanks to Jardine Ferrari Colchester for the opportunity to drive the Ferrari F8 Tributo
What did our other members think of the Ferrari F8?
“On first sight, I was completely blown-away by the Tributo. It gave me the ‘shiny-eyed’ supermodel kind of impact, but I cannot help but agree with your earlier review of the event.
It was an exciting opportunity to be given the chance to drive this amazing supercar. However, the roads were wet and the chosen route did not allow the car to even begin to show its true driving capabilities or characteristics. Adjusting the Manettino switch was a no-no, and deselecting the Auto-transmission was only possible for the final 10mins. It was still a thrilling opportunity, but disappointed that the driving experience was dialled-down to such an extent, that it felt more like a driving lesson!
The F8 was breath-taking to look at from every angle. Truly beautiful in proportion and design, but… (and it is a big but), it did not give me the same raw experience that I was expecting; both in terms of sound and feel. I drive an Audi most days and my F430 on sunny weekend, the F8 refinement felt closer to my Audi that to my F430!.Don’t get me wrong, the Tributo was an amazing instrument; very comfortable, super-sharp, well-built with an unbelievable transmission , however, regrettably, the legendary Ferrari soul just was not there on the day…”
Luciano
“Unfortunately it was a rather wet day when we took the F8 Tributo for a test drive so driving was considerate, especially given that it was not my car. It is undoubtedly a technical tour de force, but seemed to lack something, a soul. Having also driven a 458 the same afternoon, I realised that if I were to be given one it would be the later. It felt like I was in command more, the auditory sensation eclipsed the F8 which to aids the excitement. Driving home in my 328, basic mathematics suggested that for the price of a medium specced F8 Tributo you could purchase a 328, 599 AND 458 for approximately the same money. Three different Ferrari experiences for the price of one. Given that the majority of owners will not have the required skill level to get close to the limits of the F8 Tributo’s capabilities, especially on the public roads, it seems to me that a three car garage would be more pleasing, space permitting. Saying the above, given a dry day and a track, maybe the car would come to life and I would be hooked on the involvement.“
David Pearce
“The F8 was a very impressive car - great acceleration and it felt tight in corners. I would certainly consider it going forward but having just bought a 458 there didn’t seem to me enough blue water between the two models to justify moving up the marque. If I was starting from scratch I would absolutely consider the F8.”
Member (Anonymous)
"The day out to test drive the F8 Tributo was, in a nutshell, excellent. Firstly – the history behind the location – walking through the gardens it was easy to imagine a young Henry VIII trying to woo Anne Boleyn right in front of you.. The organisation was faultless – really well thought out COVID safety precautions, cars wiped down immediately after use and so on. The team couldn’t have been more friendly and I’m especially grateful to Sean Hudspeth, Ferrari’s on hand pro driver, for chatting to my partner whilst I was out making a fool of myself, grinning ear to ear. Next onto the cars – a great selection of F8s lined up outside in the sunshine – all spotless and enticing. And now that I’ve used the “F” word – what a generous drive alongside a great (and patient) instructor. All in all a superb day and one I would repeat in a heartbeat. A big thanks to everyone who made it possible."
Nigel Glen