Ferrari debuts the new 488 Pista Spider at the Paris Motor Show

After its world premiere at the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance, the new special series Ferrari 488 Pista Spider has made its European debut at the Paris Motor Show. The new drop-top model to be introduced by the Prancing Horse is also the most powerful series production spider in Ferrari history.

The Ferrari 488 Pista Spider combines the finest race-developed technological solutions with the joy of open-air driving to deliver an exhilarating experience behind the wheel. The car benefits from the greatest technological transfer from the track of any road-legal open-top car.

The model's engine, dynamics and aerodynamics are derived from two track cars - the 488 Challenge and the 488 GTE. The Ferrari 488 Pista Spider sports the most powerful V8 engine in Maranello history, which was also named Best Engine for the third consecutive year at the 2018 International Engine of the Year Awards.

The 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8 unleashes 720bhp and 770Nm of torque, calibrated to deliver a feeling of constant, ever-increasing acceleration. Its performance figures are the highest of any spider ever built by the Prancing Horse, including 0-100km/h acceleration in 2.85 seconds. 

But the innovations are not confined merely to a boost in power output - they also extend to an overall reduction in weight and beyond. In fact, the Ferrari 488 Pista Spider delivers even better handling, making it one of the most enthralling models Ferrari has ever produced, thanks also to multiple innovations in various different areas.

The bodyshell was designed to keep the car as light as possible and features ultralight materials such as carbon fibre for the engine cover, the front and rear bumpers and the rear spoiler, and Lexan for the rear window.

This is also the first time that optional 20-inch single-piece carbon fibre wheels have been made available in the Ferrari range. Made entirely from carbon fibre, it is around 20% lighter than the forged wheels that come as standard on this car. 

In-depth aerodynamics research played a big part in improving the Ferrari 488 Pista Spider's performance. The already-exceptional aerodynamic efficiency of the 488 Spider has been improved by 20%. This substantial improvement is due in great part to the radical choices made for the bodywork and underbody forms with the aim of increasing downforce without increasing the car's drag coefficient. 

Aerodynamic demands guided the work of the Ferrari Design Centre team. The 488 Pista Spider's forms have been meticulously sculpted to ensure they are more performance-oriented than ever.

The designers used innovative elements, such as the aerodynamic S-Duct at the front, as an opportunity to visually shorten the car's nose, creating an original floating wing effect. 

Most notable on the flanks is the fact that the splitter in the side air intakes of the 488 Spider has been removed. At the front, the aerodynamic profiles that start at the front bumpers run sleekly along the side miniskirts all the way to the side appendages of the rear diffuser. The concept of the front is echoed in the dolphin-tail rear spoiler, which appears suspended to provide an impression lightness and efficiency, while the rear volumes add a sense of power to the tail.

The Ferrari 488 Pista Spider also has a racing livery that runs the entire length of the car, starting at the front bumper, then diving into the S-Duct and continuing all the way to the rear spoiler.

The interior has a distinctively spare racing feel. The extensive use of lightweight, exclusive technical materials such as carbon fibre and Alcantara works brilliantly with the meticulous crafting and sophistication that is the signature of all Ferrari cockpits.

The driver zone has been enhanced by two newly-developed all-carbon fibre instrument clusters around the main instrument panel.