I love the engine. Electric cars are amazing, but there’s something fundamental about the way an internal combustion engine distributor works. It doesn’t accelerate as seamlessly as an electric car, but that’s irrelevant – it’s the journey to performance that’s fun. Gasoline engines deliver thrills in a way that electric cars cannot. When it comes to engines, one manufacturer emphasizes them like no other, idolizing engines in every other aspect of the car – and that, of course, is Ferrari.

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I admire Ferrari, I have loved it since I was a child. But the F8 Spider I drove recently left me completely bewildered. According to Ferrari, this is the last, non-hybrid engine of the V8 sports car line, making it special and historically relevant. Newer models (like the SF90) will be more powerful, but they will also be heavier and more complex.

As a car enthusiast, I generally agree that you certainly can’t have too much power; I often like too much or too little. However, eʋen doesn’t have a hybrid engine, the F8 really makes you ask, “Is this too much for the road? Do I really like this?” Conflicting feelings all start from that motive.

At the heart of the F8 is Ferrari’s F154GC 3.9-liter twin-turbo V8 engine, producing 710 horsepower and 568 pound-feet of torque. It propels the F8 Tributo to 60 mph in 2.9 seconds, with the Spider in the right rear – really think about that for a second. This standard production Ferrari can beat almost all of Ferrari’s previous halo supercars, falling just 0.4 seconds short of the LaFerrari’s 0 to 60 mph time. F50 – no chance. F40 – not in the same league. Enzo – close, but no cigar. That’s Ferrari’s crazy rate of progress.

The secret to this engine’s performance lies in its cooling. Ferrari placed the radiators at a more comfortable angle aft than the 488 to aʋoid temperature permeating the intake, resulting in a 27 degrees F (15 degrees C) change in air temperature entering the plenum. Combined with the Inconel injectors, improved intake system and charge air cooler, the result is a significant increase in specific power output compared to its predecessor.

Aerodynamics is another area where Ferrari has developed. Up front is the famous S-Duct repeated from the 488 Pista. It produces 15% of the 488’s overall 10% increase in downforce, giving the front end greater stability. At the rear, the F8 has an integrated spoiler that helps create a 25% increase in total downforce for the 488. Three small fins inside the spoiler help clear airflow and turbulence further from rear, increasing drag by two percent. These may seem like insignificant tweaks to a design that is clearly related to the 488 Pista, but they all add up.

The result is a car with two personalities. Honestly, you can relax and move around in automatic mode and never realize there’s anything special about this car. The level with which it handles everyday use is astonishing – it’s not what you might expect from a Ferrari. But all that ends immediately when you hit the gas.

This is crazy. Motives actively dominate experience; there is no way to escape it. Such power through two rear-drive wheels is simply insane and often scary. It requires deliberately honed focus, with all the downward pressure and the amazing dryer aids on. Most people who order an F8 probably won’t get anywhere near this car’s limits, so that question comes up again, “Is this too much?”

Which depends. If you want to celebrate all that Ferrari has learned with their V8 family then this is definitely the car. It’s fast and beautiful, modern and functional, and it would be considered something extraordinary today. But if you really want to enjoy a sports car on public roads, there may be older Ferraris that scratch that more satisfying itch for immortal drivers. Regardless, it depends on what you want.

As an engine lover, I am saddened to hear that we are witnessing the end of Ferrari. However, if this truly is the conclusion of non-hybrid power for one of the world’s most famous engine manufacturers, then what a finale.