Ferrari to let loose the new 488 Spider in September

Ferrari has announced that it will launch the 488 Spider, its most powerful ever mid-rear-engined V8 car to feature the patented retractable hard top, at the forthcoming Frankfurt Motor Show this September.

The House of the Prancing Horse was the first manufacturer to introduce the RHT (Retractable Hard Top) on a car of this architecture. And like in the case of all its other coupé and spider model combos, the 488 too must have been conceived in Spider form first during initial development, though the coupé was launched earlier.

According to an official release, the new 488 Spider’s RHT ensures lower weight (down by 25 kgs) and better cockpit comfort compared to the classic fabric soft-top. Just like all previous spider versions of Ferrari’s models, this car too is targeted at clients seeking open-air motoring pleasure in a high-performance sports car with an unmistakable Ferrari engine sound.

The car features an aluminium spaceframe chassis and bodyshell, a turbo-charged V8, and aerodynamics that reconcile the need for greater downforce with reduced drag along with the specific cabin air flow demands of an open-top car.

Under the engine cover throbs the same 3,902cc turbo-charged V8 that debuted just a few months ago on the 488 GTB. Its performance characteristics involves a maximum power output of 670CV combined with maximum torque of 760Nm at 3,000rpm and will send the 488 Spider sprinting from 0 to 100 kmph in 3 seconds flat and from 0 to 200 kmph in 8.7 seconds. The Ferrari communiqué said that it is also an efficient engine as it is not only 100CV more powerful than the previous naturally-aspirated V8, but also has lower CO2 emissions.

The turbo V8 is said to completely eliminate the traditional turbo lag with a throttle response time of just 0.8 seconds. In line with Ferrari tradition, this model too has its own distinctive exhaust note created using features such as exhaust headers with longer, equal-length piping and a flat-plane crankshaft. It was also further enhanced by an in-depth study of harmonics and tonality at different engine speeds, says the official Ferrari announcement.

This is also the most aerodynamically efficient Ferrari spider ever built, thanks to a series of complex aero solutions designed to guarantee optimal down-force whilst reducing drag, two normally mutually-exclusive objectives. Both goals have been achieved simultaneously by introducing several new devices, including a blown spoiler and an aerodynamic underbody incorporating vortex generators.

The air flow studies also took into account 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. Fully lowering the wind stop allows the occupants to enjoy the engine soundtrack even with the roof raised regardless of the weather or driving conditions.

The 488 Spider’s spaceframe chassis is made of 11 different aluminum alloys combined with other noble metals, such as magnesium. This yields the same torsional rigidity and beam stiffness figures as the 488 coupé, improving the chassis’ performance by 23 per cent over that of its predecessor. The RHT folds backwards in two overlapping sections to rest flush on the engine. The mechanism takes just 14 seconds for the top to fully retract or deploy.

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