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This week London was treated to a Ferrari family reunion and in true Italian style it was a rather large, eye catching affair. The reason? To welcome a new member to the family, a christening if you like.

The baby in question was the Ferrari 488 GTB, one of the stars back in Geneva in March. A younger sibling to the 458 Italia, the 661 bhp engine is only the second of the modern era to come twin-turbo charged, the other being the California T. Before these turbo charged cousins, you have to go back to the F40 to find a predecessor. Keeping up? You may want to draw up a family tree to help yourself.

The latest of Ferrari’s “junior range” it tops 124mph in just over 8 seconds, faster than the 458 Speciale and the McLaren 650S with a top speed of 208mph! If this Ferrari really was a baby, it would have weighed in at about 20 pounds and required a caesarean section to deliver it.

Like a grandmother itching to pinch the cheeks of a new grandchild for the first time, there is a short wait. The first UK customers should expect to get their hands on the 488 GTB early next year. However Ferrari were kind enough to keep appetites wet by organising a short family get together. Offering plenty of opportunity to add to the family photo album, with a congregation of Ferraris from a number of generations.

A number of the 488 GTB’s direct predecessors were there to welcome the new addition to the blood line.

308 GTB – The 488’s great grandfather and the original eight cylinder Ferrari, the 308 GTB was the eldest in attendance.

328 GTB – The 308’s more powerful offspring and last of Ferrari’s V8 to carry their engine transversely.

The 348tb – Everyone has that uncle with a screw loose, the one you don’t dislike but wouldn’t choose as your favourite. The 34tb was probably the least celebrated of Ferrari’s V8 models and came with some unpredictable handling on occasion. However it did offer a more affordable route into the family.

The F355 – Everyone has that successful better looking cousin that the family don’t stop talking about. Regarded as the last truly beautiful Ferrari the F355 is one of the bestselling Ferrari’s of all time.

The 360 Modena – As you welcome new additions to the family, the fabric starts to change. The Modena brought a fresh curvier design to the V8 range, improving performance in the process. The Modena is quickly becoming a modern classic.

The F430 – Each family also has one cousin that is considerably more intelligent than the rest. The larger engine of the F430 and its advanced differential electronics, eradicated previous handling traits found in older models and vastly improved the V8 Ferrari model.

458 Italia – And finally the 488’s older brother. The older brother who has already done well at school, excelled in sports and is off to university. Luckily the 488 is still in that comfortable place of showing promising potential but not yet being asked to deliver – think they call it nursery. Like most brothers it will aspire to live up to the 458 but has a few fundamental differences, forced induction being one of them, which could make it a totally different beast.

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