Yahoo Finance Ferrari 488 Spider Revealed Ahead Of 2015 Frankfurt Auto Show: Video
The convertible version of Ferrari’s new 488 GTB has been revealed, and we can confirm that the car is simply known as the 488 Spider and not 488 GTS or any of the other names that were previously rumored. The new car replaces the mechanically-similar 458 Spider in the Ferrari stable and makes its official world debut this September at the 2015 Frankfurt Auto Show.
The shape of the vents on its rear deck looks different to that on the 458 Spider; no doubt they’ve been designed in such a way as to circulate more air around the car’s force-fed mill. The engine, a twin-turbocharged 3.9-liter V-8, is the same unit found in the 488 GTB and here its output is unchanged at 660 horsepower and 560 pound-feet of torque.
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Virtually all of the other mechanical bits are common to the 488 GTB as well, such as the aluminum spaceframe chassis, seven-speed dual-clutch transmission, active aero components and Side Slip Control 2 handling feature. Of course, the retractable hard top is unique.
Like the outgoing 458 Spider, the new 488 Spider’s spaceframe is composed of a number of materials that ensure the car’s torsional rigidity and beam stiffness remains identical to the fixed-roof model. The roof itself folds backwards in two overlapping sections to rest flush on the engine in a very compact solution. It takes just 14 seconds to go up or down.
Complex aero elements have also been implemented around the body. These ensure that the 488 Spider is the most aerodynamically efficient open-top Ferrari ever built. Some of the features include a blown spoiler and an aerodynamic underbody incorporating vortex generators. The end result is boost in downforce combined with a reduction in drag—two normally mutually-exclusive objectives.
The aero engineers also took into account factors relating to in-car comfort. The glass wind deflector at the rear, for example, can be adjusted to one of three positions to guarantee maximum comfort when the top is lowered.
As for the performance numbers for the car, Ferrari says 0-62 mph acceleration should take place in 3.0 seconds flat, and 124 mph should come up in 8.7 seconds. Top speed will be somewhere in excess of 200 mph.
Stay tuned for the full reveal of the Ferrari 488 Spider at the Frankfurt Auto Show, which gets underway September 15. For more from the German show, head to our dedicated hub.
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