Ferrari 488 Spider: Roofless Turbocharged Italian Wonder
When Ferrari unveiled the replacement for the 458 Italia, the 488 GTB, we deduced that there was a convertible version on the way. Indeed, the Italian manufacturer just published the first images of the 2016 488 Spyder, which will be officially launched at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September.
Heralded as the most powerful mid-mounted V8 Ferrari with a retractable top ever made (that’s oddly specific, but it means that the 488 Spyder is faster than both the 458 Spyder and the 458 Speciale A), the 488 Spyder comes standard with a 3.9-litre V8 and a pair of turbochargers to generate 670 horsepower.
- Also: 2012 Ferrari 458 Spider: A brilliant masterstroke
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Since the car is a convertible, it had to be strengthened; no less than 11 alloys are used in the chassis (along with some magnesium). Now, the 488 Spyder is 25% more rigid than the 488 GTB.
The piece de resistance is the convertible roof; it will split into two distinct parts that will then retract themselves on top of one another. According to the manufacturer, the whole manoeuver takes only 14 seconds.
Ferrari also knows that one of the most fun parts of driving a mid-engined convertible is hearing the engine roar behind your head; the exhaust has been fine-tuned to deliver the finest Italian symphony.
After the launch of the 2016 488 Spyder at Frankfurt, we expect that we will see a lot of these cars in Monaco and Newport Beach.
- Here are specifications for the 2016 Ferrari GTB
- Or if you prefer your Ferrari roadsters naturally-aspirated, the 458 Speciale Aperta