What can you expect from Ferrari aside from creating variants off their hot-selling models, yes that is right. Ferrari is back again with another 488 in the form of the Ferrari 488 Pista Spider which was unveiled during the world-famous Concours d’Elegance® at Pebble Beach in California.
After 50 tries, the Ferrari 488 Pista is now a Spider and it is the 50th drop-top model from amongst the Ferrari stable. What a better place to announce it especially when California is one of the best places to own a drop-top vehicle especially amongst the rich and famous.
The new car sets a new benchmark for Ferrari for spider performance with an unprecedented weight-power ratio of 1.92 kg/cv. A result made possible by the adoption of the most powerful Ferrari V8 engine ever, which was recently named Best Engine in the world for the third consecutive year at the 2018 International Engine of the Year Awards. The 3902cc twin-turbo V8 unleashes 710hp and combines that power with increasing torque at all engine speeds for continuous and unending acceleration all the way to the red line. The unique engine sound is now even more riveting thanks to the open-top configuration.
The Ferrari 488 Pista Spider represents the natural development of the defining design of the coupé version. The Ferrari designers’ primary objective was to maintain unaltered the perfect marriage of aerodynamic efficiency, purity of form and racing spirit.
This concept is underlined by the characteristic central livery which runs the whole length of the car, expanding towards the rear where it finishes at the end of the rear wing next to the spoiler. This continual expansion of the stripe recalls the movement of the airflow and exalts the lines of the car.
The philosophy that imposed an uncompromising choice of materials for the bodywork is also revisited in the interior solutions, with weight being saved by the use of lightweight, pared-back components. As well as the generous use of carbon-fibre and Alcantara® throughout, the carpets have been replaced by patterned aluminium foot plates and the driver’s-side door handle is now a simple strap.
In terms of engineering, the Ferrari 488 Pista Spider is directly derived from the 488 Pista which encapsulates all the racing experience gathered on world’s circuits with the 488 Challenge and the 488 GTE. As a result, the new Spider offers the highest level yet of technological transfer from the track to a road-legal drop-top car.
The vehicle dynamics honed for this Special Series 8-cylinder convertible deliver a seamless combination of razor-sharp acceleration, braking efficiency, lightning-fast gear shifting, precision steering, grip, stability and superb handling. The result? A completely captivating and unprecedented driving experience. This was achieved thanks partly to the new lateral dynamics control system, the Ferrari Dynamic Enhancer (FDE), which makes on-the-limit driving more intuitive, controllable and predictable.
The car features new diamond-finish 20” alloy wheels with a novel 10-spoke star-effect interpretation of Ferrari’s traditional mid-rear engine berlinetta-style rims. Also available are the optional one-piece carbon-fibre wheels which offer a 20% weight reduction over the standard forged alloys.
Ferrari 488 Pista Spider
Short Technical Specification
ENGINE
| Type | V8 – 90° twin-turbo |
| Overall displacement | 3902 cc |
| Max. power output | 710hp at 8000 rpm |
| Max. torque | 770 Nm at 3000 rpm in 7th gear |
DIMENSIONS AND WEIGHT
| Length | 4605 mm |
| Width | 1975 mm |
| Height | 1206 mm |
| Dry weight | 1380 kg |
PERFORMANCE
| 0-100 km/h | 2.85 s |
| 0 -200 km/h | 8 s |
| Max. speed | 340 km/h |
