“Ask a child to draw a car, and certainly he will draw it red.” Those were the words of Enzo Ferrari, founder of the Prancing Horse that every racing fan knows and loves. And fans of the Scuderia are lucky to have Ferraris aplenty to enjoy in sim racing, let alone Assetto Corsa Competizione.
Out with the old, in with the new.
The brand new Ferrari 296 GT3 was released recently for Assetto Corsa Competizione as part of the recent V1.9 update!
Ferrari has a long history in motorsport spanning many decades across various categories – they’ve won multiple Formula 1 World Championships and, of course, several GT3 Championships.
The 296 GT3 is their latest challenger that entered real-world racing earlier this year and improves over its predecessor, the 488 GT3.
If you want the latest and greatest information and setups released from Coach Dave Academy, you need to head on over and read our Under The Hood: Tips And Tricks To Drive The Ferrari 296 GT3.
If you still want to race the old Ferrari 488 GT3, then in this article, we’ll be diving under the hood of the Ferrari 488 GT3 EVO…
Introduction to the Ferrari 488 GT3 EVO
A mid-engined beast powered by a screaming 3.9-litre V8, the Ferrari sounds as beautiful as it looks. But then that’s hardly surprising given the born-and-bred racers that have galloped out of Maranello for generations. As popular on the track as off it, and a favourite marque of our very own Coach Dave, for many of us there is simply no other option.
The Ferrari 488 GT3 EVO clocks in at 4633mm in length, with a 2710mm wheelbase. With more overhang at the front than the rear, it leads to a pretty even weight distribution when considering the big beautiful engine sitting behind the cockpit. And, at 2050mm width and a height of only 1090mm, this sleek design sits very low to the ground and can blend in nicely with a field of the bigger BMW M4 GT3 and Bentley Continental GT3.
The Basic Car Setup
A great starting point when it comes to understanding what makes the Ferrari tick is figuring out what works best for it in the setup menus. We have an array of setups available here at Coach Dave Academy for the GT World Challenge and Intercontinental GT Challenge, as well as setup for British GT circuits and the recently-released American circuits that all feature our CDA3 philosophy. You can read more about that in our announcement for our world-beating ACC setup subscription service.
The biggest defining feature of the Ferrari is the mid-engine, low-height design. This means that the car can find more grip in the corners than a bigger, front-engine car, however, it is more susceptible to bumps and kerbs than those rivals. This means that the car tends to reward a smoother driving style that dances around the track furniture and glides easily from corner to corner.
Aerodynamics and Bodywork
Something that the Ferrari is excellent at is aerodynamic balance. Similar to the McLaren 720S GT3, a fellow mid-engine machine, the Ferrari is able to nicely glide around medium-speed and high-speed corners without much in the way of understeer. Tracks such as Silverstone and Kyalami can often be good examples of this, where the Ferrari is almost unbeatable in some of the sweeping corners such as Sunset.
Can’t wait to get started? Make sure to check out our ACC setup packs, including one that contains both of the tracks that we have mentioned.
Steering and Cornering
Compared to the McLaren, which performs best when it’s gliding around the corners, the Ferrari rewards an aggressive cornering style. Whilst both cars perform best when avoiding steep kerbs, which you can find at tracks such as Zolder and Imola. Lower kerbs, like you can find at Spa-Francorchamps and Indianapolis, are ones that you can take in the Ferrari without an issue.
With the Ferrari 488 GT3 EVO, practice makes perfect in order to get the very best out of the car. Our ACC setup subscription service gives you access to all of the setups and MoTeC data for every car in Assetto Corsa Competizione, as well as a 10% discount on our world-class coaching service, for as little as £7.99 per month.
Power Delivery and Braking
A twin-turbo V8, the Ferrari is no slouch in a straight line. And, under braking, it’s almost as aggressive a beast. This can provide a unique challenge when driving the car, as it is unlike many of its rivals in the mid-engine field. Whilst most mid-engine cars reward gentle approaches and trail braking, where you gently use the braking through the corner to help with cornering itself, the Ferrari will reward drivers who brake hard prior to turn-in. This is because, whilst other cars that are mid-engine are sometimes naturally aspirated, the Ferrari boasts a twin-turbo solution that allows it to deliver more power and sooner than its naturally-aspirated rivals.
Sometimes, that power can get a bit daunting. That’s why the new Coach Dave Academy setups feature a “safe” option for drivers to cut their teeth with. You can find out more about our file naming structure here.
Need any Extra Help?
Here at Coach Dave Academy, we’re always open to support you on your sim racing journey. On top of our comprehensive setup subscriptions for Assetto Corsa Competizione and iRacing, we offer a variety of Coaching sessions to help you get those extra tenths and seconds out of the car. Starting at $40 for our data-driven coaching and going up to $100 for our standout one-on-one coaching, this is an offer that you’d be hard-pressed to find anywhere else.
On our other platforms, such as YouTube, you can also watch our live setup sessions, such as one we did for the Ferrari at Brands Hatch, and our onboard laps for our setups, such as our Ferrari onboard at Watkins Glen.
