Ferrari 458 Spider Is A Beauty

Created Date: 23/09/2011

One of Ferrari’s planned reveals at the Frankfurt motor show was their answer to a convertible 458 Italia, named the Spider. Spontaneous fires aside, the 458 was without question one of the best super cars in a long time. Its combination of fantastic looks, savage performance and a surprising degree of luxury gave it the edge and helped it tower over the competition. It seems only logical then that Ferrari would want to continue the 458’s dominance by giving it a sister convertible model. This doesn’t bring instant joy however, as with most supercar manufacturers this would inevitably bring a sigh of disappointment as we were treated to the second rate do-it-yourself canvas soft-tops that normally accommodate most convertible powerhouses. Not this time though, as just like the California Ferrari are making their convertible version a very classy folding hardtop and it looks every bit as beautiful as the original. Hardtops were originally shunned by super car firms due to their excessive weight, but technology has advanced far in the past few years.

Ferrari has made the new Spider’s roof using lightweight aluminum, which means the whole roof is 25kg lighter than even your average soft-top’s would be. In fact, even with its folding hardtop roof the Spider is only 50kg heavier than the Italia, which is something of an unbelievable achievement. It keeps getting better as well, as the Spider’s roof is not only low on weight but also fully mechanical too – it can go from open to closed in just under 14 seconds. The roof mechanism itself uses a pivot system which is rather rare for cabriolets and was engineered to fit ahead of the engine bay without compromising aerodynamics or performance. The system means that the roof needs less space to retract and therefore the car manages to maintain a small luggage area behind the seats. This all sits on an engine bay which is uniquely designed right down to the slats and intakes. 

In terms of engine figures it continues to impress, with the same 0-60 time as the Italia; a stunning 3.4 seconds. Like the Italia, it's powered by the same naturally aspirated, direct-injection 4.5-litre V8, which runs through Ferrari’s flappy paddle dual-clutch box and E-Diff system. The engine has undergone various tuning tweaks to make it less disruptive at normal driving speeds, such as an alteration of the engine note to make it sound quieter and more pleasant. The only thing to take a hit on the entire performance list is the top speed which is down 4mph to 198mph, still nothing to really be all that ashamed of. The Spider is really something that Ferrari should be proud of, and upon its release will almost certainly be a hit due to its innovative approach to a convertible supercar. Not only is it as quick and classy as the old Italia, it’s also lost none of the functionality that is commonly associated with super car manufacturers and their soft-top approaches. Expect more details on this in the very near future.  

Sources

http://ca.autoblog.com/2011/08/23/ferrari-458-spider-gets-superamerica-style-roof/

http://www.topgear.com/uk/car-news/458-spider-2011-08-23  

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