MOTOR TREND Names Ferrari 488 GTB 2017 Best Driver's Car

LOS ANGELES, Sept. 20, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- MOTOR TREND announced today it has selected the Ferrari 488 GTB as the Best Driver's Car for 2017. Both MotorTrend.com and the MOTOR TREND YouTube Channel highlighted exclusive videos and on-site reviews of the 12 competitors throughout MOTOR TREND's Best Driver's Car Week. The award announcement serves as the centerpiece of this five-day online event and the cover story of the November 2017 issue of MOTOR TREND.

"The Ferrari 488 GTB is one of the purest distillations of driving enjoyment ever created," says MOTOR TREND Editor-in-Chief Ed Loh. "The way the engine, transmission, and chassis systems all work together reflects Ferrari's deep understanding of high-performance road cars and long history in racing at the highest level."

MOTOR TREND's 2017 Best Driver's Car program hosted a dozen cars from 10 automakers at three distinct venues in California: Auto Club Speedway in Fontana for instrumented performance testing, the legendary Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca in Monterey for limit handling and hot lap evaluation, and a secret stretch of canyon road in central California for real-world evaluation.

"The Ferrari 488 GTB is absolutely incredible. It's so incredibly powerful and yet so linear. It's a force of nature, like being picked up by a tornado," says MOTOR TREND Associate Editor Scott Evans.

With 661 hp and only 3,412 pounds of carbon fiber and aerospace-grade aluminum alloy to move, the 488 GTB screams to 60 mph in just 2.7 seconds and past the quarter-mile in a stunning 10.6 seconds at 135.2 mph. From 60 mph, the car comes to a complete stop in just 94 feet.

"In nominating the Ferrari 488 GTB as its Best Driver's Car, MOTOR TREND is celebrating those characteristics our clients recognize and demand," says Enrico Galliera, Ferrari's Chief Marketing and Commercial Officer. "We are committed to developing Ferraris that excel in terms of driving pleasure--usable performance, razor-sharp responses, and great handling. In other words, the quintessential sports car."

Since 2009, MOTOR TREND has executed its annual Best Driver's Car program to test, evaluate, and select the very best driver's car among the year's top sports sedans, coupes, hatchbacks, and roadsters. Ferrari has won MOTOR TREND's Best Driver's Car award once before, in 2011. For 2017, the Ferrari 488 GTB battled a field of strong contenders, including:

    --  Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio
    --  Aston Martin DB11
    --  Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 (1LE)
    --  Chevrolet Corvette Grand Sport Z07
    --  Lexus LC 500
    --  Mazda Miata RF
    --  McLaren 570GT
    --  Mercedes-AMG GT R
    --  Nissan GT-R NISMO
    --  Porsche 718
    --  Porsche 911 Turbo S

To see all the exciting videos and images and read more about MOTOR TREND's 2017 Best Driver's Car winner, head to MotorTrend.com and YouTube.com/MOTORTREND.

About MOTOR TREND
MOTOR TREND®, a media brand of TEN: The Enthusiast Network, was founded in 1949 and is internationally recognized as one of the leading brands in the automotive category. The MOTOR TREND brand is composed of Motor Trend magazine; the award-winning website MotorTrend.com; Motor Trend OnDemand subscription video on-demand service; Motor Trend Auto Shows; Motor Trend Audio; Motor Trend en Español; Motor Trend India; and the renowned Motor Trend Car of the Year, SUV of the Year, Truck of the Year, Person of the Year, and Best Driver's Car awards programs.

About TEN: The Enthusiast Network
TEN: The Enthusiast Network is the world's premier transmedia network of enthusiast brands, such as MOTOR TREND, AUTOMOBILE, HOT ROD, SURFER, TRANSWORLD SKATEBOARDING, and GRINDTV. With more than 60 websites, 50 publications, 50 annual events, the Motor Trend OnDemand subscription video-on-demand service, as well as the world's largest automotive and action/adventure sports media platforms, TEN inspires enthusiasts to pursue their passions. For more information, visit enthusiastnetwork.com.

CONTACT: Rob Quigley, Senior PR and Social Media Manager, Marketing, TEN: The Enthusiast Network, RQuigley@enthusiastnetwork.com or 310-363-4086

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SOURCE TEN: The Enthusiast Network