Ferrari 488 GTB Spider

A few months after revealing the breath taking Ferrari 488 Gran Turismo Berlinetta (GTB), and a day after announcing finishing last touches on a more track focused F12, Ferrari revealed earlier today, in some private party, maybe for Italian cooks and Mafia men, a new model : The 488 GTB Spider. It is an Aperta version of the 488 GTB, with better driving sensations.

Ferrari did not wait for the upcoming Frankfurt Auto Show to reveal its newest toy, and just went ahead with it. The 488 GTB Spider still has the same 3,9L V8 producing 670 bhp, and a staggering 750 Nm in torque, which makes it by far, Ferrari’s most powerful Aperta. Going from 0 to 100 kph will take the same time as the coupe, 3 seconds flat. However, racing to the 200 kph will be .4 of a second faster for the Spider, in just 8.7 seconds. Still with the figures, Ferrari said that the Spider gained 50 kg in weight, and has a 23 % torsional rigidity compared to the coupe, thus creating a sportier drive. Power will be transferred to the wheel through a 7-speed dual-clutch Formula one transmission. Very light shifting is expected.

No need to worry about the aerodynamic performance, in fact, the 488 Spider does look a bit muscular. Ferrari announced also some aerodynamics improvements : A new rear wing, better curves, and air vents, active front bumper and blown rear spoiler, all made to reduce the drag, and give a better downforce. All this makes it the best convertible Ferrari ever made, from an aerodynamic point of view.  In fact, it has better wind channeling. All these numbers can make the car top 325 kph. Last week, a video was circulating in the Internet for a GTB breaking 341 kph, so wait and see.

As far as the roof is concerned, it is a light material hard top, Ferrari says the soft top weighs 50 kg more, so they dropped the idea of it. It is power-retractable, in just 14 seconds, same as all Ferraris. But, unlike the other Ferraris, whose roof folds in a 180° straight back way, the 488 Spider’s is split into two parts who fold one over the other inside the 250 L trunk. For Safety reasons, and like all the convertible Ferraris, Roof folding or unfolding is only done when the car is fully stationary.

Fuel consumption will be around 11.4L for a 100 km, and C02 emissions will be around 260 g/km. There is no price tag on it yet, but it is expected to be close to the 230,000 €. It’s main rival is no Lamborghini, but it will be the McLaren 650 Spider.

Ferrari 488 GTB

Since 2009 Ferrari 458 hasn’t stopped catching attention, an in many ways, the Italia, the Speciale, the Speciale A, the least we can say about its V8 is that it is impressive. However, for the Italians, the good impression that this car left, wasn’t enough, they had to go for more.

How much more?? just a 100 bhp and a turbo more. The new Ferrari 458 is called now a 488 GTB, as in Gran Turismo Berlinetta. The first GTB Ferrari was the 308 (in your face Peugeot). It was manufactured 40 years ago, from 1975 to 1983. It had a 2.0L v8, and it was just impressive. With all that commitment, the 488 GTB came to life.

The 488 GTB kept the same body as the 458, with a few changes. It has the same large calender as the 308, it kept also the same Berlinetta spirit. In the front, the 488 has an F1 like extended nose, with two vertical blades, a bit of the Ferrari F150. It has larger air vents in the front bumper, a pseudo-spoiler. Air is channeled through two large flanks, which do remind us of the F12 Berlinetta, or THE 458 Speciale. In the rear, it has a big air extractor, going through all the width of the car. Also, to remind us more of the 458 speciale, the double exhaust system keeps the same shape. The result of all the aerodynamic development is staggering. The car has now 50 percent more downforce, and a reduced drag coefficient.

The main update, is the introduction of turbos to the 458, it is still a mid-engined car, displaced at 90°, the engine is turbocharged, a direct injection engine, and has been downsized from 4.5L to 3.9, yet, it produces a 100 bhp more than the bigger engine in the 458. Introduction of turbo was in fact, to gain power, but to lower CO2 emissions. If you want figures, the engine produces 670 bhp @ 8000 RPM, and 760 Nm tarting 3000 RPM. 0 to 100 kph is achieved in 3,0 seconds, 8,3 to 200 kph (0,8 seconds better than the 458 speciale), and a lap around Fiorano in just 1 min 23 sec, 2 seconds faster than the 458 Italia, and wait for it, the Enzo. Top speed is said to be around 335 kph, if not more.

The 488 GTB will be in a ferocious jungle, with all the Hurcan, the 650S, the Chevrolet Z06, the AMG’s of the car world. But it has a sense of its own. It is more muscular than any 458, it goes crazy sideways, and with the Side Slip Angle Control on, it can go crazier. Not only that, it has active dampers, an F1-trak traction control system. Power is sent to the rear wheels via the latest version of Ferrari’s twin-clutch gearbox. This particular gearbox uses VTM (Variable Torque Mangement) to smoothly unleash the car’s torque across the rev range.

Public appearance is scheduled to be in March, in the Geneva Auto Show, as tradition had it with Ferrari, to present a new model in that particular auto show. There is no price tag, yet, but it is expected to be above the 220,000€ of the Italia.

(watch Ferrari’s teaser here)