The Ferrari 488 was one of the Italian manufacturer’s most powerful V8 models, but did it come equipped with a stereo?
The Ferrari 488 boasted very little in the way of infotainment, but it did come with a standard stereo system that could be upgraded for a considerable cost. This upgrade came in the form of a 12-speaker, bass-boosted ‘Professional’ audio system.
Read on to learn more about Ferrari, the Ferrari 488, and why it was considered such an incredible car.
Enter Enzo
Enzo Ferrari was a pioneer in the motorsports industry, and throughout his long and prestigious life, he contributed great amounts to the market. He’d started his career as a racecar driver, winning a Grand Prix with Alfa Romeo, but quickly moved on to manage other drivers.
It was through Alfa Romeo that Enzo Ferrari began building his empire, working through the Italian company’s racing division to flex his innovation. For many years, Ferrari discredited the potential of road cars and had no interest in making them.
However, in 1947, eight years after he’d left Alfa Romeo, that’s exactly what Enzo Ferrari did, designing and building the Ferrari 125 S. It was a small but attractive vehicle, driven by a 1.5-liter V12 engine – and it bore the Ferrari badge.
Owing to the early success of Enzo Ferrari’s vehicles, Fiat, another popular Italian manufacturer, took an interest in Ferrari, buying out a fifty-percent stake. This injected a huge cash boost into Ferrari’s company, and it wasn’t long until the investment paid off in dividends.
As the twentieth century pushed on, Ferrari grew exponentially in both power and popularity, becoming the forerunner of the supercar industry. Although Ferrari still has a huge stake in racing, particularly where Formula 1 is concerned, its road cars make up the biggest portion of its offerings.
Typically, Ferrari’s cars were built around the same, generic formula: a front-engine, two-seater vehicle, with a mean and sleek aesthetic. However, as time wore on, Ferrari began experimenting with mid-engine, rear-engine, and four-seater vehicles.
Today, Ferrari’s vehicles are dramatically expensive, incredibly luxurious, and they still hold true to that original sense of power and authority. They command a dramatically impressive road presence, and they’re often considered the pinnacle of motorsports engineering.
The organization maintained a small but attractive range, offering no more than four or five models at any given time. From 2015 to 2020, Ferrari produced the Ferrari 488, a hugely powerful, mid-engined V8 road car.
Let’s Explore The 488
When the Ferrari 488 was launched, it was to an overwhelmingly positive reception. For example, Maxim wrote an expansive review on the vehicle, calling it “Ferrari’s scorchingly sexy 488”.
This beautifully-crafted vehicle was a head-turner for sure, and from the sound the V8 engine produced to the sleek craftsmanship of the body, it was an absolute winner of a car.
Ferrari later augmented the 488 to produce the 488 GTB, which means ‘Gran Turismo Berlinetta’, referring to a closed-top coupe model. This new variant boasted a turbo-charged, mid-engine V8 build that could produce 660-horsepower with ease.
It could leap from zero to sixty miles-per-hour in just three seconds, and it topped out at around two hundred miles-per-hour. But what can be said about the interior?
While it might look incredible, the interior of the Ferrari 488 was somewhat lacking, as Ferrari had excluded any real infotainment system. Of course, you don’t buy a Ferrari to listen to the radio, but to hear the whine of the expertly-built V8 engine, right?
Reportedly, the standard stereo fitted within the Ferrari 488 was a paltry affair, with one reviewer claiming it was “unquestionably the worst factory radio system I’ve heard in years”. However, you could pay an exorbitant amount to upgrade the stock system following the purchase of the vehicle.
The alternative option was a 12-speaker JBL Professional system that boasted crisp audio and booming bass notes. Or, if you’d like to do something on an aftermarket scale, there are many auto shops that will upgrade the stereo and speaker system – for a considerable price, of course.
Ultimately, the Ferrari 488 still boasts the classic racecar-styled interior that fans have come to know and love. The absence of an infotainment system isn’t necessarily a problem, as it’s highly unlikely you’ll be taking the Ferrari on a lengthy road trip anytime soon.
Although, as we have explained, it is entirely possible to drive a Ferrari every day, if you desire to do so.