Last year, Ferrari was scooped testing a rather strange 488 GTB prototype apparently outfitted with some kind of Kinetic Energy Recovery System (KERS).
Fast forward to the middle of 2017 and a very similar prototype has been filmed at the Nurburgring – and, as is often the case with vehicles like this, very little is known about it.
For starters, there is speculation that it could be an upcoming hardcore version of the 488 that will receive a bump in power from a KERS system. While such a setup wouldn’t be too difficult for the firm to implement, it would contradict the firm’s previous statements that it will continue to rely on turbochargers for its V8 models and offer electrification on its larger V12s.
Although adding a KERS system to a so-called 488 Speciale would add power, it would also increase weight, a big no-no when it comes to track-focused Ferraris, and in reality, they could just as easily extract more power from the current twin-turbo 3.9-liter V8.