Ferrari F8 Spider revealed

The first of two anticipated Ferrari reveals due this month has officially broken cover – the Ferrari F8 Spider.

The new drop-top joins the existing F8 Tributo within Ferrari’s mid-engine cavalry, taking the fight to convertible rivals including the McLaren 720S Spider.

Furthermore, Ferrari is set to bolster its drop-top fleet within weeks when it reveals the second of two planned reveals – the 812 Superfast Spider, which was leaked yesterday.

Whether either car debuts at this week’s Frankfurt motor show remains to be seen as Ferrari is reportedly skipping the event.

In any case, the F8 Spider is set to accentuate the sound of Ferrari’s awe-inspiring 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8, bringing to play a new retractable hard-top roof and updated rear deck. The F8 Spider’s roof takes 14 seconds to open or close, at speeds of up to 45km/h.

Power is sourced from an identically-tuned 530kW/770Nm V8 also found in the F8 Tributo.

Despite tipping the scales 70kg heavier than that car, it matches an official 2.9 second 0-100km/h claim as well.
Nought to 200km/h takes 8.2 seconds while top speed is rated at 340km/h, in case you were wondering.

Compared with the previous 488 Spider, the F8 Spider’s 1400kg kerb weight is 20kg lighter.

The Ferrari F8 Spider is purportedly more slippery through the air than its predecessor, boasting a 10 per cent aerodynamic improvement that coincides with improved engine cooling and downforce at high speeds.

The F8 Spider employs Ferrari’s latest stability control system, and takes cues both inside and out from the 488 Pista.

The Spider’s reveal is hardly a revelation, given the predecessor 488 Spider’s success for Ferrari and its long lineage of drop-tops dating back to the original 308 GTS of 1977.

Ferrari’s Australian distributor is yet to confirm local pricing for the new model, but its predecessor, the 488 Spider, started at $526,888.

The Ferrari F8 Spider’s arrival is expected in late 2019, not long after the F8 Tributo’s landing in the first quarter.