Along came a Spider: Ferrari unveils retractable-hardtop 458

MANILA, Philippines - Autostrada Motore, Inc., distributor of Ferrari cars in the Philippines, officially presented to the Philippine market last week the Ferrari 458 Spider.

The 458 Spider is a mid-rear-engined berlinetta (sporty coupe) with a retractable hard top. It’s powered by Ferrari’s 570-ps (at an astounding 9,000 rpm) naturally-aspirated, direct-injection 4.5 liter V8 (with 540 Nm of torque) and is the brand’s first mid-rear engine convertible which has won the International Engine of the Year award for its engineering excellence in terms of drivability, performance, economy, and refinement.

Joining the 458 Italia, the 458 Spider widens the range  of  Ferrari’s  mid-rear- engined  V8s  and  offers  the  same  spectacular performance  in  a  refined  open-top body style. It boasts Ferrari’s patented, fully retractable hard top, a world-first for a sports car with this configuration.

“It is with great honor that we formally present the 458 Spider to the Philippine market. In line with Maranello’s exclusive spider tradition, the 458 Spider guarantees maximum sportiness and absolute driving pleasure with the top down. Designed for the most discerning clients, the 458 Spider is truly worth the wait,” said Marc Soong, executive director of Autostrada Motore, Inc., in a statement.

The power of the 458 Spider is transferred  to  the  road  by  Ferrari’s  class-leading  Formula 1-derived dual-clutch  F1  paddle-shift transmission  through  the  sophisticated  E-Diff,  itself  integrated  with  the  F1-Trac traction control and high-performance ABS for maximum handling dynamics. The car rolls on ultra-wide 255 and 295 35-series tires on 20-inch lightweight alloy wheels.

Some of the car’s features, such as its accelerator pedal mapping and the damping of the multilink suspension, have been calibrated and  even  the  engine  soundtrack  has  been  honed  to  ensure  that  the  car’s occupants are completely captivated by the drop-top driving experience.   

Made entirely  of  lightweight aluminum,  the  hard-top  system  adopted  for  the  458  Spider  offers  a number of advantages over the traditional folding soft-top, including a reduction of 25 kg in weight and a deployment time of a mere 14 seconds. Fully integrated into the styling of the car, the hard-top was engineered to fit neatly ahead of the engine bay without compromising aerodynamics or the performance of the car. The small space needed to house  the  roof  enables  the  designers  to  include  a  generous  rear  bench  for  luggage behind the seats.

The rear of the car is characterized by innovative forms with the buttresses designed to optimize the flow of air to the engine intakes as well as the clutch and gearbox oil radiators. For the occupants’ maximum comfort while driving top down, the 458 Spider features a generously-sized adjustable electric wind stop. The design was perfected to slow and diffuse the air in the cockpit, enabling normal conversation to be held even at speeds over 200 km/h. The 458 Spider accelerates from zero to 100 km/h in less than 3.4 seconds and hurtles to a top speed of 320 km/h

New technical solutions adopted for the chassis guarantee identical levels of structural rigidity with the roof up or down. The  result  is  a  car  that  is  truly  exciting  to  drive, blending  extreme  performance  with  the  responsiveness  that  has  always  characterized Ferrari’s open-top berlinettas.

The price? Well, if you have to ask…