Ferrari officially took the wraps off the new 458 Spider ahead of its debut at 2011 IAA. And yes, it has a retractable hard top.
The rest of it is of course identical to the 458 coupe, with a 4.5 litre V8, seven-speed dual-clutch F1 paddle-shift transmission, and the sophisticated E-Diff and F1-Trac traction control.
So the real party piece is the new roof. And what a roof! It is a world first for a sports car with this lay-out, and before you start complaining about it ruining the handling and performance, it is made of aluminum and results in a 25 kg weight reduction. It is also pretty fast to open and close and took only 14 seconds to operate. Before this Mercedes SL’s roof was the fastest at 16 seconds.
The car also comes with an adjustable electric wind stop which according to Ferrari maintains the calm in the cabin up to 200 km/h.
Apart from the roof, the Spider is characterised by innovative forms with the buttresses designed to optimise the flow of air to the engine intakes and the clutch and gearbox oil radiators. Ferrari has also adopted new technical solutions to the chassis to make sure the car is as rigid and well-sorted as the coupe.
So, ordered a 458 coupe recently?!
458 Spider technical specifications
| Dimensions | |
| Length | 4527 mm (178.2 in.) |
| Width | 1937 mm (76.3 in.) |
| Height | 1211 mm (47.7 in.) |
| Wheelbase | 2650 mm (104.3 in.) |
| Dry weight | 1430 kg (3153 lbs)* |
| Weight/power ratio | 2.51 kg/CV (7.42 lbs/kW) |
| Weight distribution fr/r | 42%/58% |
| Engine | |
| Type | 90° V8 |
| Displacement | 4499 cc (274.5 cu in.) |
| Maximum power | 570 CV (425 kW)** @ 9000 rpm |
| Maximum torque | 540 Nm (398 lbs/ft) @ 6000 rpm |
| Specific power output | 127 CV/l |
| Compression ratio | 12.5:1 |
| Tyres | |
| Front | 235/35 ZR20 8.5” |
| Rear | 295/35 ZR20 10.5” |
| Performance | |
| Maximum speed | >320 km/h (>198 mph) |
| 0-100 km/h | <3.4 s |
| Fuel consumption + emissions | |
| Fuel consumption*** | 11.8 l/100 km |
| Emissions*** | 275 g CO2/km |
| Gearbox | |
| Dual-clutch, 7-speed F1 | |
| Electronics | |
| E-Diff3, F1-Trac, high-performance ABS | |
* With forged wheels and Racing seats
** Including 5 CV of ram effect
*** Combined cycle with HELE system (ECE+EUDC)
