Drive the Ferrari 488 GTB fast on the freeway and you'll notice a little DRS logo appear on the dash. That stands for drag reduction system, and signals that flaps at the rear diffuser have lowered to change the airflow around the rear of the car and make it slip more cleanly through the air. Just like the DRS system on Sebastian Vettel's F1 Ferrari. A new video from Ferrari shows off the many aerodynamic tricks employed to make the 488 GTB as slippery as possible.
0:00 / 0:00
From its split front spoiler to aero-optimized door handles to its patented blown rear spoiler, the Ferrari 488 GTB is one of the most aerodynamically sophisticated road cars on the planet. In this animation, you can see for yourself exactly how sophisticated it is. We begin in a wind tunnel with a CG model of the 2016 Ferrari 488 GTB. Here, we see how the front end directs air both to the radiators and the flat underbody. Next we move to one of the biggest visual differences between the 488 and the 458 Italia it replaces: the scalloped rear fender intakes. These new features route air to the engine and intercoolers, and accelerate the airflow through the outlets next to the taillights to reduce drag. The animation of the blown spoiler demonstrates how it increases downforce without increasing drag, and finally we're shown how the DRS works in the newly designed rear diffuser.
Check out the video below to see how Ferrari worked its aero magic on the new 488 GTB.
I can’t remember a time when I wasn’t fascinated by cars. My father was a mechanic, and some of my earliest memories are of handing him wrenches as he worked to turn a succession of down-at-heel secondhand cars into reliable family transportation. Later, when I was about 12, I’d be allowed to back the Valiant station wagon out onto the street and drive it around to the front of the house to wash it. We had the cleanest Valiant in the world.
I got my driver’s license exactly three months after my 16th birthday in a Series II Land Rover, ex-Australian Army with no synchro on first or second and about a million miles on the clock. “Pass your test in that,” said Dad, “and you’ll be able to drive anything.” He was right. Nearly four decades later I’ve driven everything from a Bugatti Veyron to a Volvo 18-wheeler, on roads and tracks all over the world. Very few people get the opportunity to parlay their passion into a career. I’m one of those fortunate few.
I started editing my local car club magazine, partly because no-one else would do it, and partly because I’d sold my rally car to get the deposit for my first house, and wanted to stay involved in the sport. Then one day someone handed me a free local sports paper and said they might want car stuff in it. I rang the editor and to my surprise she said yes. There was no pay, but I did get press passes, which meant I got into the races for free. And meet real automotive journalists in the pressroom. And watch and learn.
It’s been a helluva ride ever since. I’ve written about everything from Formula 1 to Sprint Car racing; from new cars and trucks to wild street machines and multi-million dollar classics; from global industry trends to secondhand car dealers. I’ve done automotive TV shows and radio shows, and helped create automotive websites, iMags and mobile apps. I’ve been the editor-in-chief of leading automotive media brands in Australia, Great Britain, and the United States. And I’ve enjoyed every minute of it. The longer I’m in this business the more astonished I am these fiendishly complicated devices we call automobiles get made at all, and how accomplished they have become at doing what they’re designed to do. I believe all new cars should be great, and I’m disappointed when they’re not. Over the years I’ve come to realize cars are the result of a complex interaction of people, politics and process, which is why they’re all different. And why they continue to fascinate me.Read More
