Ferrari 488 Pista Spider

After the Ferrari 488 Pista debuted as a Coupé at the Geneva Motor Show in March this year, now the somewhat surprisingly world premiere of the 488 Pista Spider followed during Monterey Car Week in California. This is not only the most powerful open model in the current program from Maranello, but also the 50th open sports car in Ferrari’s history. Since many of their vehicles traditionally land on the US market, the location for this premiere was less surprising.

Technically, the open Pista takes over the base from the Coupé version. Thus, behind the passengers is a 3.9 liter V8 biturbo engine with 720 hp and 770 newtonmeters of torque. Ferrari recently got the ‘Engine of the Year’ award for the third consecutive year, this time for the Pista engine. By opening the folding roof, the driver and co-driver can now enjoy the sounds of the eight cylinders even better on their way to the red rev range. Of course, the seven-speed dual-clutch transmission with very rapid gear changes and the outstanding sports suspension are on board of the 488 Pista Spider as well. The FDE stability system (Ferrari Dynamic Enhancer) of the latest generation is also used. For the sprint to 100 kph (62 mph), Ferrari announces a time of 2.85 seconds while it takes full eight seconds to accelerate from zero to 200 kph (124 mph). Top speed is 340 kph (211 mph).

When Ferrari designed the Spider, they consistently developed the basis, shown with the 488 Pista Coupé, and integrated the three-part folding roof into it. At the front the S-Duct diffuser is used, which is also optically highlighted by a special racing stripe design for the open version. This stripe showcases the airflow alongside the cockpit and ends on the rear bonnet. The wheelarches are filled with 20-inch alloy wheels in a new ten-spoke diamond design. Optionally available are the full-carbon rims, which debuted together with the Pista Coupé at Geneva Motor Show and reduce the unsprung weight by 20 percent.

Inside, Ferrari replaced the carpets with textured aluminium footplates and the door handle on the driver’s side through a leather strap. In addition there is a lot of Alcantara and bare carbon. Whether the 488 Pista Spider is offered as a Limited Edition or will be limited by production time is not clear, as Ferrari did not give any information in the press release.

Images: Ferrari