Ferrari 488 special-edition dubbed Pista

IMAGES of Ferrari’s beefed-up racy 488 supercar have leaked online, pouring cold water on rumours the beast would wear the iconic GTO badge.

Looking like the pissed-off bigger brother of the 458 Speciale, the new Ferrari 488 special edition will be called the Pista, an Italian word for track.

The name appears on the rear of the eagerly anticipated potent special edition in the leaked press photos, essentially guaranteeing it will be the 488’s new badge.

Images, which were leaked by Ferrari Photo Page, show the car in full, with extremely aggressive front bodywork and look-at-me stripes.

The Ferrari road car division has access to the F1 team’s full-size wind-tunnel, so you can be sure all those new scoops, winglets and sculpted bodywork is extremely functional, and will help the Pista stick to the track like a clingy ex-partner.

It has been speculated the car will send 530kW and 770Nm to the rear wheels via a 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8, and rumours suggest the Pista’s engine is a development of that found in the Ferrari Challenge race car.

Reports also claim the car has been on a serious diet, slashing 90kg from its weight to tip the scales at 1279kg.

The 488 special edition wasn’t expected to be officially revealed until Geneva, but Maranello has been scrambling to plug leaks for months now, with images and technical information seeping out since late last year.

With the Pista name’s literal translation, it’s pretty clear Ferrari is aiming this car directly at track enthusiasts, and probably wants to show the guys in Woking a thing or two in the process.

Ferrari’s new Pista badge follows in the tradition of other mid-engined special editions such as the 348 GT Competizione, the F355 Challenge, the 360 Challenge Stradale, the 430 Scuderia and the 458 Speciale.