After being crowned the 2011Motor TrendBest Driver's Car champion, it has come time for the Ferrari 458 Italia to step down and let a new supercar into the spotlight. The Italian automaker will replace the model with the new Ferrari 488 GTB. While most of the attention has been directed at the new 660-hp 3.9-liter twin-turbocharged V-8, which replaces the outgoing car's naturally aspirated 557-hp 4.5-liter V-8, the styling of the new model has also evolved.
Up front, the Ferrari 488 GTB's front fascia features a three-section air intake, while the hood gains a pair of heat extractor vents. Although the projector headlights and LED running/marker lights that wrap over the front fenders remain, their detailing has been revised. The 458 Italia's small air inlets near the headlights and vents on the top of the fenders don't make it over to the 488 GTB.
The Ferrari 458 Italia's side air intake aft of the quarter window had been moved onto the 488 GTB's quarter panel, which features a complex shape starting at the door that directs airflow into a stepped air intake. A more pronounced lower rocker sill directs airflow along the bottom of the car.
While the large round taillights are still pushed to the top outside corners of the rocker panels, the detailing has been revised. The triple center-mounted exhaust tips from the standard 458 Italia has been replaced with two wider set exhaust tips similar to those on the 458 Speciale. Although there are similarities to the 458 Speciale, the 488 GTB's rear fascia and lower diffuser are unique to the new model.
