Why so serious?
Novitec, not a tuner afraid of turning up the wick on already high-po stuff, has decided 661bhp from a twin-turbo Ferrari V8 simply won’t do.

It has decided, in its infinite wisdom, to increase that power so that the 488 competes with something from a weight above. You might want to sit down for this.

I’m sitting down.
Using a pair of ‘plug and play’ control modules integrated into the V8’s ECU, Novitec has reprogrammed the injection and ignition, and modified the boost pressure control to make a rather more substantial 770bhp. That’s more than a F12, for goodness sake.

But… why?
We don’t want to know the answer, frankly. And neither do you. There’s also the installation of a performance exhaust – available in lightweight Iconel too – along with electronic sound management to manage, electronically, what we imagine is quite an interesting sound.

Dare I ask, but is it… fast?
Take a guess. No seriously, guess.

The standard 488 GTB Coupe goes from 0-100kph in 3.0 seconds and maxes out at 330kph. This Novitec-tuned version goes from 0-100kph in 2.8s, and maxes out to 341kph. So yeah, it’s pretty damn fast.

And while no performance figures are given for in-gear acceleration, we’re told it’s “fascinating”. Probably not the word we’d use, but there you go…

It’s a bit wide, isn’t it?
That it is. It is exactly 14cm wider at the rear, thanks to an ‘N-Largo’ body kit (the same style applied to Novitec’s 770bhp F12). It encompasses wider front and rear arches, along with larger wheel wells and wheel-arch liners, which house 22in double spoke alloys.

There are many slats.
Cooling, you see. The brakes and engine require more fresh air to keep them minty fresh, so the front arches get gills, while the rear gets larger air vents for the engine bay. The N-Largo rocker panels at the back also help the rear brakes. Then Something Something Airstream and Turbulence is mentioned.

Downforce, much?
Much, probably. The front bumper and spoiler were finessed in the wind tunnel, and as such reduce lift and increase stability at high speed. This is important, because it can do high speed.

The rear diffuser and wing also generate downforce once you’re cooking. So there.

It looks lower.
That’s because it is lower. Novitec has installed sports springs that lower the 488 by 35mm, although tick the box marked ‘Front Lift’, and you can push a button and raise the front end to avoid scraping that wide bodykit on, y’know, a snail shell, or sweet wrapper.

It’ll automatically lower again once you’re back up to town speeds, or if you push the button again.

How much?
It’s one of those ‘if you have to ask’ etc etc. But know that only 11 modified GTB Coupes and 11 488 Spiders will be built to this widebody, 770bhp spec. So if a regular 488 leaves you cold (seriously, what’s wrong?), then perhaps give them a buzz…

Do you by any chance have a shot of it next to an F40?
Why, how prescient of you. Yes, we do. Enjoy.