Ferrari announces the launch of the 488 Spider

Ferrari will be premiering the 488 Spider at the Frankfurt International Motor Show and is the first manufacturer to introduce the RHT (Retractable Hard Top) on a car of this particular architecture. This solution ensures lower weight (-25kg) and better cockpit comfort compared to the classic fabric soft-top. 

Every area of the car has been designed to set new technological benchmarks for the sector. Beneath the engine cover throbs the 3,902cc turbocharged V8 that debuted just a few months ago on the 488 GTB.

Its performance levels are nothing short of extraordinary: a maximum power output of 661bhp combined with maximum torque of 760Nm at 3,000rpm send the 488 Spider sprinting from 0 to 100km/h in three seconds flat and from 0 to 200km/h in 8.7 seconds.

This is also an exceptionally efficient engine as it is not only 99bhp more powerful than the previous naturally aspirated V8 but also has lower CO₂ emissions.

Maranello's engineers managed to achieve both goals simultaneously by introducing several innovative devices, including a blown spoiler and an aerodynamic underbody incorporating vortex generators. They also accounted for factors relating to in-car comfort. The electric glass rear wind stop can be adjusted to one of three positions to guarantee maximum comfort when the top is lowered. 

Designed around the concept of the retractable hard top which retract in 14 seconds, the 488 Spider has a spaceframe chassis made of 11 different aluminium alloys combined with other noble metals, such as magnesium, each one used in a highly specific way. This yields the same torsional rigidity and beam stiffness figures as the coupe, improving the chassis' performance by 23 percent over that of its predecessor. 

To make its dynamic behaviour even more engaging, the development team honed the car's mechanical set up in tandem with its electronic systems which are now fully integrated with the SSC2 Side Slip Angle Control System, resulting in 12 percent faster acceleration out of corners than the 458 Spider. Overall, response times are nine percent more rapid than the previous Spider without any compromise whatsoever being made in comfort. It is remarkably easy to drive on the limit thanks to flawless handling even on the most demanding of roads.