Ferrari 488 GTE Evo (2018)

Replacing the naturally-aspirated 458 GT2, the 488 GTE was developed to compete in the FIA World Endurance Championship, European Le Mans Series and IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship. Completed in-house, the 488 GTE was completed by the Competizioni GT team and made its competition debut in 2016 at the 24h Daytona.

Sharing the same base powerplant with the road-going derivative, the 488 GTE is powered by a 3.9-litre twin-turbocharged V8 that produces around 600hp with restrictors; less than production car but also 230 kg lighter.

Proving to be an incredibly versatile and formidable competition car, the 488 became the first model to easily shift between GTE and GT3 specifications to be fully-legal in either formula. Across its career the 488 GTE took part in 119 races, scoring no fewer than 55 wins ( a 47% success rate!) and 114 further podium finishes across the FIA WEC, IMSA and ELMS.

In GT3 spec across all major and minor Series the 488 contested 585 races in original spec, a further 400 in Evo 2020 form scoring 322 race wins in original form, and a further 225 in Evo 2020 spec. The 2020 Evo saw attention paid to front aero, vehicle systems and ergonomics. Roll all of those results together and the total across GTE and both GT3 specifications since 2016 is 1105 races and 602 wins, very substantially better than 50%!

The 488 ended its career at the end of the 2023 season as one of the most widely successful GT cars of the modern era.

The #72 HubAuto Racing Ferrari 488 GTE competed in both the 2018 Blancpain Asia Championship and in several events throughout the 2019 season. Througout its competition history, the car would be exclusively run and prepared by Michelotto. Having earned their entrance to Le Mans for their victory in the 2019/2020 Asian Le Mans Series, the HubAuto team would see this chassis receive the complete upgrade to GTE Evo specification by the Italian specialists in 2020.

For the 2020 season, the car would run as presented today in GTE Evo specification. The car would race on just one occasion, competing at the 2020 Le Mans 24h at the hands of BMW factory driver Tom Blomqvist, Morris Chen and Asian Le Mans Series Champion Marcos Gomes.

• 2018
• 13.05.2018 – Blancpain GT Series Asia – Buriram
• 01.07.2018 – Blancpain GT Series Asia – Suzuka
• 22.07.2018 – Blancpain GT Series Asia – Fuji
• 26.08.2018 – Intercontinental GT Challenge – Suzuka
• 23.09.2018 – Blancpain GT Series Asia – Shanghai
• 14.10.2018 – Blancpain GT Series Asia – Ningbo

Final Car Mileage 2018: 6,440km

• 2019
• 03.02.2019 – Intercontinental GT Challenge – 12hr Bathurst
• 02.07.2019 – Blancpain Endurance Series – Spa Official Test
• 15.07.2019 – Spa 24hr Prep at Michelotto (New Gearbox 126)
• 28.07.2019 – Blancpain Endurance Series – Spa 24hr

Final Car/Engine Mileage 2019: 13,195km

Final Gearbox Mileage 2019: 9,052km

• 2020
• 15.05.2020 – Conversion to GTE at Michelotto
• 25.09.2020 – Le Mans 24hr (Engine #132) (Retired)

Final Car Mileage 2020: 18,526km

Final Engine Mileage 2020: 5,275km

This example presents in GTE EVO configuration, optimised for endurance racing. The Ferrari GTE upgrade package elevated the car above that of its preceding GT3 specification. Upgraded at great cost by Michelotto in 2020, the package further optimised the car for endurance, receiving a wealth of refinements as well as performance updates. With an extensively altered aerodynamic profile, with a smaller frontal section below the lights as well as additional venting for better airflow.

It is equipped with five-way adjustable Multimatic dampers and features long-distance headlights, long-distance brakes, air conditioning, a driver helmet cooling system, cockpit lighting, a drinking system from Progressive Motorsport, a carbon fiber clutch, F1-style steel wheel nuts, Motec 4G telemetry, a rearview camera, a lithium battery, and a tire pressure and temperature monitoring system. It also offers a USB data recording and download system.

• Delivered to HubAuto in 2018 as a 488 GT3
• Upgraded to GTE Evo specification in 2020 by Michelotto
• 1 of 3 cars to be run by HubAuto team and the only example to by upgraded to GTE Evo specification
• Previous competitor in Blancpain Asia & Intercontinental GT Challenge
• 2020 Le Mans 24h entrant