Ferrari F8 Tributo

We rented out 3 cool cars: Ferrari F8 Tributo, Lamborghini Huracán, Porsche 911 Carrera. After spending 10 days with them - here is what I loved and hated about them. At the end each one of them will receive scores based on 5 main categories: good as a daily, performance, driver's satisfaction, looks and value for money.

Where do I begin?! F8 Tributo has earned praises from the most popular car reviewing establishments. After all it's the successor of the 488. But there’s something about Ferrari you need to take into consideration - car journalists are scared to say what they really think, because Ferrari might put them in their “banned list”. Just google any Ferrari model and the first few search pages are full of “10/10” reviews. This is practically impossible and a two-edged sword because thanks to this way of doing marketing, the Ferrari brand name comes with tons of expectations and with that comes the disappointment. The existence of the “banned list”, scared journalists and paid articles - all the reasons why I dislike this brand. But what about the F8 Tributo?

My first thoughts were: “This is a gorgeous looking car”. I still think that. It’s a masterpiece from every angle you look at it and I didn’t expect to like its looks this much. And the Ferrari red really made an impact in a place where the skyscraper and the desert hues dominate the landscape. We couldn't wait to see its true personality and immediately took it on a 2-hour long trip outside Dubai.

Believe me when I say this is a proper GT car. The “frunk” was bigger than expected and can casually fit a small suitcase, 2 backpacks and some shopping bags. Surprising, but not so much, considering Ferrari is famous for its GT cars. Another typical GT characteristic was the level of comfort, which also exceeded the expectations. The seats were incredibly comfortable and you can tell they used premium leather, at least on the seats. The rest of the interior, and this is my personal opinion, was a bit of a letdown. It didn't feel expensive, the top stitching wasn't as clean as someone would expect from a brand like Ferrari. Like they say - “the Devil is in the detail” and there were some questionable design decisions. Could be the rental company, who chose this exact spec, or maybe, just maybe, Ferrari aren't as luxe as people think. I’ll leave this statement with an open end, inviting you to be the judge. This was entirely my own experience and my own observations.

Another thing that really messed with my head was the fire extinguisher. It’s where the passenger’s legs are supposed to be? I understand they catch fire often, but it was a traumatic experience having it there. And for the sake of the honest review - I was also a passenger. I’m slim (49kg / 169cm). Getting in and out was a bit of a struggle with the fire extinguisher in my way: “What if I step on it and open it?”. My bag got entangled with its handle multiple times. The conclusion is - this is not where it should be kept. I understand it’s part of their design language, but for the sake of the passenger’s comfort - move it elsewhere or just do what they did in the 911.

The somewhat negative experience continued with the A/C. In a place where you depend on it, its performance was average.

The infotainment was a little nightmare, too. Maybe we kept doing something wrong, or maybe we didn’t possess the witchcraft required for the magic to happen?! Eventually I succeeded, but it’s not intuitive and simple in any way, especially if you're spoiled by Mercedes’ infotainment.

Another thing that we noticed was the brakes are a bit grabby. I found only 2-3 reviews mentioning this, but they’re quite temperamental and it took some time to get used to them. The visibility is actually great, if you don’t have to use the rear view. The slatted engine cover is made out of Lexan, which is a high-performance resin. I don’t know why they didn't use glass, because once it’s heated, it blurs the view. The wing mirrors are just perfect with minimal blind spots.

But what truly stood out was the brilliant handling and this is coming from someone who’s used to the best handling in the industry - McLaren’s. It is compliant at low speed, but even so at high speed. At one point you forget you’re driving a Ferrari and you start switching lanes in heavy traffic like a Russian in an old BMW. It gives you the confidence to do so. So, well done Ferrari! You’ve done it, at least in that department. It felt very easy to drive, smooth. Take it however you want, but this is a feminine car and somehow all of the three cars we rented shared this feminine character. It's not a bad thing - actually the opposite. This makes it the perfect daily. If you can afford the Ferrari keep-up, I think it's also easy to live with it.

The performance was breathtaking with the twin-turbocharged 3.9L V8. It produces 710 horsepower and is the same one that lives in the 488 Pista. It is rear-wheel drive and comes with 7-speed auto transmission, which felt slow at times, so my advice is to switch to paddle shifters for ultimate performance. The top speed is 340km/h and it takes 2.9 seconds from 0 to 100km/h. Another thing worth mentioning is how light it is - only 1495kg. This puts the F8 Tributo in a direct competition with the 720S and the Huracán.

During one of our trips we stopped to take some photos of the car. A GMC approached us, lowered the windows and young guys said to us “That’s a very good-looking car!”. Turned out they were YouTubers and also took some photos for their content. With that I want to say that the F8 Tributo is an attention grabber. It’s a stunner and you won’t go unnoticed even in a place full of abundance and opulence - like Dubai. We received many compliments for the time we were driving it. On our last evening with the F8 Tributo we went for a dinner at Burj Al Arab. What can I say?! It does matter how you show up, because we didn’t even comply with the dress code and the doors were wide open for us. For all these people who dress up for hours before they go out for dinner: you just need the F8 Tributo in your life!

Starting at $330.000 for a brand new F8 Tributo, you can find a used one for 270k. I honestly expect a bit more drama in every aspect at this price point. The doors don't go up and once you get settled, it felt too normal (which as I said is great for a daily). I'm used to cars that keep me on my toes. Yes - better cars exist for less money, but you don't have to be a Ferrari fan to justify buying it!

Final scores:

good as a daily : 9/10

performance : 8/10

driver's satisfaction : 8/10

looks : 10/10

value for money : 7/10