New 2020 Ferrari 488 GT3 EVO racer launched

This is the 2020 Ferrari 488 GT3 EVO. It’s an updated version of the Italian marque’s existing 488 racer, which will compete in a variety of GT3 racing series, including the Blancpain GT Series and the International GT Open Championship. Revisions over the current car include upgraded aerodynamics, a lighter chassis, an improved cabin and better reliability.

The main aerodynamic changes come at the front for the 488 GT3 EVO, where the updated bumper gets a smaller grille, a revised front splitter and dive planes to improve the airflow along the sides of the car. Ferrari says the new component improves the car’s downforce and stability – and that over 18,000 hours of calculations, computer simulations and wind tunnel testing went into its development.

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Ferrari has also fitted larger vents to racer’s front wings, along with a new rear spoiler and a pair of redesigned doors with a tapered leading edge, which channel air more efficiently along the car’s flanks. Buyers also get a lighter racing seat, developed by Sabelt, with fresh harnesses and a new buckle.

The wheelbase of the 488 GT3 EVO is longer than the road-going 488 GTB’s, which Ferrari says reduces tyre wear and optimises tyre use. It’s also lighter than its predecessor: this means that more ballast is required to meet the minimum required FIA GT3 race-weight, lowering the centre of gravity while allowing teams and engineers to play with the car’s weight distribution to a greater extent.

The GT3 EVO is powered by a twin-turbocharged 3.9-litre V8 engine which is mechanically identical to the unit found in the road-legal 488 GTB. However, to comply with FIA regulations, which restrict the power output for cars in the GT3 class to between 500bhp and 600bhp, Ferrari has fitted a new ECU to limit the road car’s 660bhp figure.

An optional 24-hour endurance package is also available, adding additional driving lamps for the front bumper, quick-fill couplings for the engine oil and coolant, a carbon fibre clutch, uprated brake calipers and steel wheel nuts. Buyers can also spec a coolant level sensor and Le-Mans style, LED headlamps.

What do you make of the new Ferrari 488 GT3 racer? Let us know in the comments section below…