By: IOL Motoring Staff
Johannesburg - Ferrari's most powerful mid-engined open-top ever, the 488 Spider, has just made its South African debut.
There's more to this sports car than just feeling the (gale force) wind in your hair at dizzying velocities - it has an engine that you're really going to want to hear in all its glory. Following its fine tradition of sonorous V8s, Ferrari specifically formulated the 488's engine to sound the part, with specialised exhaust headers and a flat-plane crankshaft.
But what can it actually do? The Spider's 3902cc turbo-charged V8, lifted straight out of the 488 coupé, pushes an insane 492kW and 760Nm, allowing it to sprint from 0-100km/h in just three seconds flat and on to 200km/h in 8.7 seconds, which is not much more than the average hot hatch needs to get to 100. The top speed, they say, is over 325km/h.
Like its tin-top sibling, the Spider is built around a lightweight space frame, hewn from 11 different types of aluminium alloys, some combined with other metals such as magnesium.
Ferrari 488 Spider now available in SA. R5.5-million before options. R400 000 premium over GTB hardtop. pic.twitter.com/SjUbwUGhVI
— Poor Boy (@PoorBoyLtd) May 19, 2016
Just as rigid as the coupé
And if you ever doubted that the 488 was engineered from the ground up to work properly as an open top, consider that the Spider boasts the exact same torsional rigidity as the coupé. There is a 50kg weight penalty, however, due to the extra reinforcements, but its effect on straight-line performance is negligible, with the open-top matching its sibling from 0-100 and coming within 0.4s from 0-200.
The roof itself is inherited from its predecessor, the 458 Spider, and it’s a best-of-both-worlds lightweight retractable hard-top solution that's actually lighter than a fabric soft-top while offering better insulation. Protecting you from the V8-induced blizzard when the top goes down (and it takes just 14 seconds to do that) is a glass wind-stop with three levels of adjustment.
Engineers also pulled out all the stops to ensure that the Spider's suspension system strikes the best balance between sporty handling and a comfortable ride, with magnetorheological dampers being part of the trickery. Also fitted is Ferrari's Side Slip Angle Control system, which was designed to make it easier for less experienced drivers to push the cornering limits more safely.
FACTS
Ferrari 488 Spider
Engine: 3902cc V8 turbopetrol
Gearbox: 7-speed dual-clutch
Power: 492kW @ 8000rpm
Torque: 760Nm @ 3000rpm
Kerb weight: 1525kg
Weight distribution f/r: 41.5%/58.5%
0-100km/h (claimed): 3.0 seconds
0-200km/h (claimed): 8.7 seconds
Top speed (claimed): 325km/h
Price: R5 594 000