The Ferrari 458 Spider

Table of Contents:

Ferrari 458 Spider – Key Details

The Ultimate Guide to the Ferrari 458 Spider

FERRARI 458 SPIDER – A KINDER YET LOUDER 458 ITALIA

When the Ferrari 458 Spider first went on sale, it cost £25,000 more than its coupe sibling. That’s an entire family saloon for a new roof. So, was it worth it? The answer is subjective, of course, but the 458 Spider is quite an enticing proposition, even if it can’t quite match the regular 458 on the track. Let’s dig in to find out what makes the Spider so special.

The Spider’s most prominent feature, a 2-piece, folding metal roof, actually weighs 25 kgs less than the F430 Spider’s traditional soft top, thanks to its aluminium construction. It’s ingenuity like this that allows the drop-top 458 to weigh only 50 kilos more than the coupe version. Even if you don’t own a 458 Spider, there is quite a lot of enjoyment to be had by simply observing the roof mechanism, the first folding hardtop to grace a mid-engined Ferrari, do its thing. Taking all of 14 seconds, the back section rears up on its haunches like a frightened stallion, allowing the front section to flip over and lie flush on its back. At this point, the back section settles back down on top of the inverted front section.

So, what other sorts of changes go into a convertible Ferrari? First up for the 458, and commonly for Ferrari, the suspension relaxes a bit thanks to softer damper rates. Next, throttle response is taken down a notch via new throttle mapping. These steps are clearly an attempt to appease the top-down boulevard cruisers who aren’t chasing lap times and desire some increased comfort over the hardtop. Not all of the changes are focused on softening the car, however, as the intake and exhaust have received special attention so as to create the perfect soundtrack for those top-down drives. Otherwise, the 4.5 litre V8 has been untouched for duty in the Spider. 419 KW and 398 lb-ft allow for a top speed of 199 mph and 0 – 100 km/h time of 3.4 seconds. Not shabby, but those numbers are down by 3 mph and about 1/10^th of a second, respectively. Should you expect to feel that difference from behind the wheel? Not likely.

To sum it up, with the 458 Spider, Ferrari offered customers a vehicle that can go toe-to-toe with the original hardtop 458 while simultaneously delivering a gentler ride and an even better exhaust note. No wonder this model was so well received.

Ferrari 458 Spider – Photo Gallery

Ferrari 458 Spider – Technical Specifications

Ferrari 458 Spider – Registry & Videos

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