The 488 GTB signals a brave new era for Ferrari

Rosso corsa means "racing red" in Italian and is the country's signature color for motorsports. But it's become synonymous with Ferrari and its exotic, highly coveted, bright-red supercars.

Now Ferrari is redefining that red legacy, with a new sports car: the 488 GTB.

The 488 is the successor to the 458 Italia, believed by many to be the greatest car Ferrari ever built.

The big change for the 488? The design of the 458 was updated by Ferrari's in-house studio - and the old naturally aspirated 4.5-liter V8, a majestic engine, was replaced with a new twin-turbocharged 3.9-liter powerplant, also a V8, and making a massive 661 horsepower, more than the outgoing 458's 562.

The rosso corsa was also modified, becoming Rosso Corsa Metallizzato - Ferrari red with a touch of orange.

We recently sampled the 488, and we were quite impressed. Ferrari is ready for its brave new era.