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The Ferrari 488 Pista Spider has been unveiled during the world-famous Concours d’Elegance at Pebble Beach in California.
The 488 Pista Spider is the 50th drop-top model from the Prancing Horse and a premiere in the United States was a natural choice given that, ever since the 1950s, North American clients has always been keen connoisseurs of high-performance convertibles.
WATCH: Valentino Rossi drives the new Ferrari 488 Pista
The 3902cc twin-turbo V8 unleashes 529kW 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 coupe version. The Ferrari designers’ primary objective was to maintain unaltered the perfect marriage of aerodynamic efficiency, purity of form and racing spirit.
Image: Newspress
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.
Engine
Type: V8 – 90° twin-turbo
Overall displacement: 3902cc
Max. power output: 530kW (720cv) at 8000rpm
Max. torque: 770Nm at 3000rpm
Dimensions and Weight
Length: 4605mm
Width: 1975mm
Height: 1206mm
Dry weight: 1380kg
Performance
0-100km/h: 2.85 seconds
0 -200km/h: 8 seconds
Max speed: 340km/h
Race-bred dynamics
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As well as the generous use of carbon-fibre and Alcantara throughout, the carpets have been replaced by patterned aluminium foot plates and the drivers-side door handle is now a simple strap.
Image: Newspress
In terms of engineering, 488 is directly derived from the older 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.
Image: Newspress
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.
