Limited edition track-only Ferrari 488 GT Modificata unveiled

This is the new Ferrari 488 GT Modificata. It’s a track-only version of the 488 GTB, designed to rival the likes of the McLaren Senna GTR and the Lamborghini SCV12.

It’ll be produced in very limited numbers, as Ferrari plans to only sell the Modificata to drivers who participated in its Competizioni GT and Club Competizioni GT racing series. Specific production numbers are yet to be confirmed, but every example will be built to order.

Like its rivals, the 488 GT Modificata doesn’t conform to any racing regulations. Instead, Ferrari’s engineers simply designed the car to be as fast as it could be by fitting a host of chassis and drivetrain tweaks, along with a brace of aerodynamic appendages that would be illegal in most FIA-approved racing series.

To start, Ferrari swapped the standard 488’s body panels for carbon fibre replacements, just like its 488 GTE Le Mans racer. Ferrari then completely reworked the 488 GTB’s aerodynamics, fitting a new front splitter, deeper side skirts, broader engine intakes, a more aggressive rear diffuser and a suitably sized rear wing.

Ferrari says the aero tweaks can generate 1,000kg of downforce at 143mph – and, as the upgrades don’t rely on an enormous rear spoiler to generate that pressure, they have a minimal effect on the car’s overall drag.

The 488 GT’s cabin gets a similarly race-inspired overhaul. The leather and aluminium trim from the road-going supercar has been banished, replaced by a pair of Sabelt bucket seats, racing harnesses, a full roll cage and an F1-style racing wheel. However, as this isn’t a fully fledged racer, Ferrari has elected to retain the road car’s air-conditioning system.

It’s powered by a tuned version of the twin-turbocharged 3.9-litre V8 engine found in the 488 GTE World Endurance racer – although Ferrari hasn’t yet provided a solid answer on how much power it generates. All we know is that the brand’s engineers have loaded the unit’s ECU with a new map that pushes performance from 600bhp to “around 700bhp.”

We know a bit more about the car’s chassis, though. It features upgraded Brembo brakes lifted from Ferrari’s world championship racers and the same suspension setup as the 488 GTE Le Mans car. Buyers also get the same ABS system as the current 488 GT3 Evo racer.

What do you make of the new Ferrari 488 GT Modificata? Let us know in the comments section below…