Maranello’s latest 720hp drop-top is heavier than its fixed-top equivalent yet is equally accelerative.
Wow, that’s quite a swift introduction…
Ferrari premiered the 488 Pista at the Geneva motor show in March this year. And only six months later, the Maranello boys have swiftly given the Pista treatment to the open-top counterpart.
Making its debut at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, the 488 Pista Spider also marks the 50th open-top model produced by Ferrari. American soil was chosen for the launch due to the popularity of convertibles there.
How can it be as fast as the fixed-top Pista?
The 488 Pista Spider gets the same 720hp 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8 and seven-speed dual-clutch automatic as in its fixed-top equivalent.
The same goes for the aerodynamic tweaks made on the car’s surface, as well as the so-called Ferrari Dynamic Enhancer which makes driving on the limit as user-friendly as possible.
In a bid to reduce the dry weight down to 1,380kg, Ferrari has replaced the carpets inside with aluminium foot plates and driver’s side door handle with a strap. Buyers can also opt for carbonfibre wheels that are claimed to be 20% lighter than the standard 20in forged alloys.
Despite being 100kg heavier than the fixed-top Pista, this Spider interestingly goes from 0-100kph in a super-identical 2.85sec. However, it’s 0.4sec slower from 0-200kph, at 8.0sec.
Actually, that sounds like a good deal…
When we first drive the fixed-top Pista earlier this year, we found its performance to be very exceptional with its engine feeling lively all the way to the redline, virtually responsive as natural aspiration and loud in a mean manner.
So it’s quite safe to presume that the 488 Pista Spider appears to be a decent deal because it’s equally accelerative as the fixed-top but possibly has more aural thrills if the roof is retracted away.
The only caveat is the price as open-tops are usually more expensive to develop. But if you have as much as 30 million baht to spend on a car, a small price premium for the Spider shouldn’t hurt at all.
Ferrari has yet to reveal the official price of the 488 Pista Spider and how many will be produced.
