Ferrari 458 Italia Spider Revealed

By Author: Passione Rossa
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The acclaimed, new Ferrari 458 Italia Spider has been revealed in the web last August 23th and will debut at the upcoming Frankfurt Auto Show in September. The new 458 Spider is the world’s very first mid-rear engine V8 with a retractable hard top, featuring the uncompromising technological enhancements, handling and performance seen in the multi award winning Ferrari 458 Italia.

Patented by Ferrari, the 100% aluminum hard top weights 25 Kg (approximately 55 pounds) less than a traditional soft-top, it deploys in only 14 seconds and, when lowered, it fits neatly ahead of the engine bay without compromising aerodynamics or car performance. The reduced space needed to house the roof enables the designers to include an extensive rear bench for luggage behind the seats.

The 458 Spider is powered by Ferrari’s 570 HP direct injection 4.5 liters V8, nominated the 2011 International Engine of the Year thanks to its engineering excellence in terms of performance, drivability, refinement and economy. Ferrari engineers developed a special rear silencer to obtain the right mix between intake and exhaust, in order to meet ...
... drivers’ sound expectations when driving top down. The 458 Italia Spider featured Ferrari’s dual clutch F1 paddle shift transmission, E-Diff, F1-Trac traction control and high performance ABS to guarantee superior handling dynamics.

The new Ferrari 458 Italia Spider has been designed to ensure superior handling and driving dynamics in its class. Among the engineering solutions implemented, the strengthening to the six extrusions and the introduction of structural buttresses contributed to significantly increase the car structural rigidity compared to the F430 Spider. The 458 Italia Spider benefits also from an ideal weight balance of 42% over the front axle and 58% over the rear one.

Overall, aerodynamic efficiency is improved by 12% over the predecessor model, the F430 Spider. The result has been achieved mainly thanks to the buttresses design and the roof double curving, which allow optimizing the clutch and gearbox oil radiators as well as the air flow to the rear engine cover intakes without compromise the engine breathing and cooling.

The 458 Spider features the electric glass wind-stop which it is adjustable in height and provides ideal protection for the driver and a passenger even at higher speed. When opening the roof, the wind-stop in fact automatically adjusts its position for optimal comfort and in-cabin noise control.

The new technical solutions adopted for the 458 Italia chassis guarantee equal levels of structural rigidity with the roof up or down. The result is a car truly exciting to drive, which blends superior performance with the responsiveness that has always characterized Ferrari’s open-top berlinettas.

As every Ferrari, the 458 Spider has a unique design approach and technology innovations to achieve indisputable performance and driving experience. Inquiry about the Ferrari 458 Italia today.