Ferrari has made some great cars that are known for their performance, luxury, and hefty price tags. Since Ferrari was founded 81 years ago, in 1939, in Modena, Italy, the company has built a reputation for itself as a premium car company.
The fastest Ferrari in the world is the Ferrari 812 Superfast. This car packs a 6.5-liter V12 engine that produces 789 horsepower and 530 lb-ft of torque. While this might sound like too much, it is Ferrari's signature to stand out from the crowd.
When it comes to going over the top, the Prancing Horse does it in style. Ferrari V8 engines are pushed to the limit and maxed out to make sure that every bit of horsepower and torque produced is utilized. On that note, let us look at ten of the most extreme Ferrari V8 engines.
10 Ferrari 288 GTO
When talking about the greatest Ferraris ever made, one cannot leave out the Ferrari 288 GTO. The 288 GTO is the homologation variant of the iconic Ferrari 308 GTB and certainly one of the coolest homologation specials ever!
This beautiful stallion was powered by an intercooled 2.9-liter twin-turbo V8 engine with a Weber-Marelli fuel injection system. The max power output from this engine was an impressive 400 Horsepower and 366 lb-ft of torque. The Ferrari 288 GTO hit a top speed of 189 mph. Originally, this work of art and stunning engineering was built to race in the Group B Race series. However, it never did because the series was abandoned. Ferrari built 272 units of this car.
9 Ferrari 308/328
Whether you are a fan of classic Ferrari cars or modern Ferrari cars, one thing you can agree on is that the Ferrari 308/328 was one of Ferrari’s best works. This ride was designed by Pininfarina, Italy’s best car design house.
Its powertrain featured a 2.9-liter V8 engine that pushed 252 horsepower. This car accelerated from 0 to 60 mph in 6 seconds, which is not bad for a 1970s car. The top speed of the Ferrari 308/328 was 152 mph.
8 Ferrari 348 GT Competizione
The Ferrari 348 GT Competizione is one of the rarest Ferrari Limited edition cars. This beauty made its debut in 1993, one year before the unveiling of the Ferrari F355. This Prancing Horse was built to meet the GT Championship homologation regulations. Ferrari made this ride to be lighter than the standard Ferrari 348. Its powertrain was also better. The Ferrari 348 GT Competizione was powered by a 3.4-liter V8 engine that pushed 320 horsepower.
Its low weight was achieved by carbon Kevlar that was used to make the bumpers, doors, and bucket seats. The interior was stripped down to the basics to maintain the car's 2,822 lbs weight.
7 Ferrari 458 Speciale
Ferraris are most of the time an instant hit when they are unveiled, but the Ferrari 458 Speciale was more special. This car had a fan base months before it was unveiled. The Ferrari 458 Speciale debuted in 2013 and was an instant hit. Ferrari enthusiasts rank it as the greatest naturally aspirated mid-engine Ferrari ever made.
The powertrain in this beauty was a 4.5-liter naturally aspirated V8 engine that pushed 597 horsepower and 398 lb-ft of torque. According to Ferrari, the 458 Speciale is 0.5 seconds slower on a 0 to 60 mph sprint than the F12 Berlinetta that is powered by a V12 engine. Only 499 units of this car were made and sold worldwide.
6 Ferrari 488 Spider
If you were to rank the best performing Ferraris, the Ferrari 488 Spider would be at the top of the list. The 488 Spider is one of Ferrari’s best works of the past decade. This car made its debut in 2015.
The Ferrari 488 Spider is powered by a 3.9-liter twin-turbocharged V8 engine that pushes 661 horsepower and 560 lb-ft of torque. This car accelerates from 0 to 60 mph in 3 seconds. The Ferrari 488 Spider hits a top speed of 205 mph without breaking a sweat.
5 Ferrari 360 Challenge Stradale
When Ferrari unveiled the Ferrari 360 Modena in 1999, many Ferrari enthusiasts felt let down because of the car’s basic and standard features. This led Ferrari to build the Ferrari 360 Challenge Stradale that made its debut in 2003.
The Ferrari 360 Challenge Stradale packed a 3.6-liter V8 engine that pushed 420 horsepower, 25 horsepower more than the 360 Modena. This Prancing Horse managed a 0 to 62 mph sprint in 4.1 seconds faster than its predecessor by 0.8 seconds.
4 Ferrari F355 Challenge
To keep up with competition as well as to motivate the team’s morale, Ferrari started its own championship. The Ferrari F355 Challenge that took part in this competition was powered by a 3.5-liter V8 engine that was paired with a gated six-speed manual transmission. This engine pushed 375 horsepower to the car’s drivetrain.
This car’s features include a roll cage, a lightweight exhaust, racing seats, 14-inch Brembo brakes, 18-inch magnesium wheels that were fitted with Pirelli racing tires, and extra cooling ducts.
3 Ferrari F40
The Ferrari F40 is considered the best supercar ever made by some Ferrari enthusiasts. This beauty is the last car that Enzo Ferrari signed off on before passing away in 1988.
The Ferrari F40 was built to succeed the iconic Ferrari 288 GTO. This beauty was in production for five years (1987 to 1992) before it was discontinued. Under the hood of this Prancing Horse was a 2.9-liter GTO IHI twin-turbocharged V8 engine that pushed 478 horsepower and 425 lb-ft of torque. Out of the 1,311 units of the Ferrari F40 that were made, less than 1,000 are in existence today.
2 Ferrari F430 Scuderia
In 2007, Michael Schumacher unveiled the Ferrari F430 Scuderia. This car was built to succeed the Ferrari 360 Challenge Stradale. It was also built to go up against the Lamborghini Gallardo Superleggera and Porsche RS 911s.
The Ferrari F430 Scuderia was a lightweight car that was powered by a 4.3-liter naturally aspirated V8 engine that pushed 503 horsepower and 346 lb-ft of torque. This engine was paired with Ferrari’s F1 gearbox instead of the standard six-speed manual transmission. The gearbox in this beast was fine-tuned and combined with the 599 GTB traction control system and extra stability control.
1 Ferrari SF90 Stradale
The Ferrari S90 Stradale is one of the latest cars unveiled by Ferrari. This beauty was unveiled in late 2019 and production of this car started in 2020. Only 500 units of the Ferrari SF90 were made. When you first look at the SF90 Stradale, you are reminded of the Ferrari F8 Tributo. While the exterior might bear some similarities to the F8 Tributo, what lies underneath is like nothing that has ever been seen before.
Under the hood of the Ferrari SF90 Stradale lies a 4.0-liter V8 beast that pushes 986 horsepower and delivers 590 lb-ft. This V8 engine is mated with three electric motors making this Prancing Horse a thoroughbred hybrid with one of the most powerful V8 engines from Ferrari.