German tuner unleashes the beast out of Ferrari’s newest supercar
by Kirby Garlitos, on LISTEN 06:51Just as customers are now receiving their Ferrari F8 Tributos, a new aftermarket program is already available for Maranello’s successor to the 488 GTB. As most have likely guessed correctly, this program comes to us by way of Novitec, the Italian tuner that’s best known for its work on some of Italia’s finest supercars. This new program for the F8 Tributo is a chop off the old block for the German tuner. It’s tricked out with an impressive engine upgrade, a new set of wheels, and improvements to the suspension that should make the F8 more potent on the road and track. The package also comes with an aerodynamic body kit, but as it is with early bird tuning kits, the aforementioned aero kit remains in the oven and will be launched at a later time. Still, it’s hard not to like what Novitec already has on the table for the F8 Tributo. After all, it’s not easy to turn a 700-horsepower supercar into a bonafide spitfire.
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2020 Ferrari F8 Tributo by Novitec
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Year:2020
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Make:
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Model:
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Horsepower @ RPM:787
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Torque @ RPM:651
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0-60 time:2.7 sec.
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Top Speed:211 mph
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Price:
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car segment:
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Purpose:
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body style:
Does more power and a tweaked suspension sound juicy to you?
It’s a fair question to ask, especially when the subject happens to be a 700-horsepower supercar that’s already loaded with a lot of the modern tech bits that Ferrari has to offer. But Novitec has always proven itself to be up-to-the-task in building aftermarket tuning programs for the latest exotics in the land.
The German tuner follows a tried-and-tested blueprint for its F8 Tributo kit. There’s an engine upgrade program. There’s a new set of wheels. There are suspension upgrades. There’s also an aerodynamic body kit, though this part of the package is not yet available. Even with the incomplete nature of the kit, the available elements already paint a pretty picture, turning an already potent supercar into a well-tailored, four-wheeled monster.
How much extra power are we talking about here?
For the record, the Ferrari F8 Tributo packs a 3.9-liter twin-turbocharged V-8 engine. The unit produces an impressive 710 horsepower and 568 pound-feet of torque, and, according to Ferrari, the F8 is capable of accelerating from 0 to 62 mph in just 2.9 seconds. It can also split a 0-to-124-mph in just 7.6 seconds, and all of that happens before the F8 peaks at a top speed of 211mph. On its own, the F8 Tributo already lives up to the insanely high standards we have for new Ferraris. But just because that’s been accomplished, that doesn’t mean it can’t reach higher heights.
This brings us to Novitec’s N-Tronic software engine upgrade that focuses on remapping the F8’s V-8 engine and adjusting the ECU unit.
The result of this software tweak is a V-8 unit that now pumps a monstrous 787 horsepower and 651 pound-feet of torque.
Do the math, and you’re looking at improvements amounting to 77 horsepower and 83 pound-feet of torque, from a software upgrade, folks.
The increased output translates to even more impressive performance times for the F8 Tributo. It’s now capable of accelerating from 0 to 62 mph in just 2.7 seconds, 0.2 seconds faster than Ferrari’s factory claimed time. Likewise, the Tributo’s top speed has been raised to beyond 211 mph, and, just as important, throttle response is now more fluid.
The raised output also means louder noises coming out of the supercar’s equally new high-performance exhaust system that Novitec built in-house. It’s hard to understate how important an engaged V-8 soundtrack is to a supercar that now packs almost 800 horsepower. The loud and throaty response coming out of the F8’s new exhaust is cause for goosebumps, folks.
There are suspension upgrades, too, right?
It wouldn’t be a Novitec tuning program without any suspension upgrades, and this program for the F8 Tributo comes with extensive improvements on the F8’s underpinnings. Take, for example, the German tuner’s front lift system. Not only does it give the F8 Tributo different stances, but, more importantly, it’s capable of raising the supercar’s front end by over 1.5 inches. It sounds like a fraction of a number, but an increase of that much in the front end is enough to turn the F8 Tributo into a more palatable daily driver.
The supercar's aggressive stance is also owed to the addition of sports springs, which, on the other end of the spectrum, is capable of lowering the F8's ride height by as much as 1.4 inches.
A new set of 21- and 22-inch staggered forged wheels are also available with the program. Novitec even developed these wheels in collaboration with Vossen. For vanity’s sake, the tuner is also offering over 70 different wheel colors, ensuring that you’re not going to run out of options in this department.
Will there be exterior and interior upgrades?
The photos Novitec released show a heavily dressed Ferrari F8 Tributo. That’s not by accident. The tuner’s program for the Italian supercar comes with an aerodynamic body kit that not only gives the F8 a more aggressive look but, more importantly, it also enhances the supercar’s aerodynamic qualities. The front and rear sections, in particular, appear to have been dressed in some fine aero panels, making the supercar look wider in the process.
Meanwhile, the F8’s interior stands to benefit from a plethora of leather and Alcantara options. Novitec boasts one of the widest color palettes in the business, and you can have a good pick or two of the colors you’d like to see in the interior of your F8 Tributo.
Final Thoughts
The Ferrari F8 Tributo is one of a handful of supercars that’s perfectly fine on its own. It really doesn’t need any upgrades, and it certainly doesn’t need anything from aftermarket tuners. But just because that’s one way of looking at things, that doesn’t mean there aren’t other ways, too. Novitec’s program for the F8 Tributo speaks to what we all want from a tuner. The upgrade aren’t over-the-top, but they are potent and effective in tapping the true potential of Maranello’s newest exotica. That’s what you want to get from a tuner, and, as always, Novitec delivered the goods.
