LaFerrari Spider officially confirmed

Ferrari’s newly appointed CEO Sergio Marchionne has announced in an interview that the Italian sports car maker is readying a Spider version of its 708kW LaFerrari hypercar.

Marchionne's comments, made in one of his first interviews as boss of Marenello, followed a specific question asking whether a LaFerrari roadster was on the way.

Marchionne, who’s also Fiat Chrysler Automobiles’ CEO, remarked: “We don’t normally talk about these things”, but added “the only future product connected to LaFerrari is the Spider. Which is no secret since potential customers have already been approached”.

The official announcement of the Spider is the first time Ferrari has publicly acknowledged the LaFerrari convertible’s existence, but in early March motoring.com.au reported that Ferrari had sent out 100 carbon-fibre ‘invitation boxes’ inviting some of its most loyal, VIP customers to an exclusive event at an unknown location to show off the new convertible hypercar.

Originally, just 499 LaFerrari coupes were made back in 2013, but the roadster is set to be even more exclusive with only around 200 Spiders rumoured to be planned for production.

Anticipated to cost around $2 million (plus local taxes), the drop-top Ferrari hybrid is expected to come with the same 588kW 6.3-litre naturally-aspirated V12 as the coupe that combines a 120kW electric motor in a HY-KERS petrol-electric drive system to deliver total output of 708kW/700Nm.

The LaFerrari Spider is expected to reach 100km/h in less than three seconds, continuing to 200km/h in less than seven seconds, 300km/h in less than 15 seconds and topping out in excess of 350km/h.

As well as the confirmation of the Spider, Marchionne went on to throw cold water on any suggestions that the long-awaited ‘baby Ferrari’ was on the way.

The small entry-level Ferrari was thought to resurrect the famous ‘Dino’ name and sit below the 488GTB in the sports car maker’s line-up.

Said to be powered by the same 2.9-litre twin-turbo V6 that Ferrari helped Alfa Romeo develop for its 368kW Giulia QV, enthusiasts hoped the small, lightweight coupe would be an Italian Porsche 911 rival.

But now that seems unlikely after Marchionne admitted there was an internal struggle over pricing and positioning the car -- hinting the Dino might be too close for comfort to cars offered by Maserati.

Marchionne: “Let me ask you: Where should that Dino be positioned? How much should it cost? How would it relate to the next 488? What is the right balance between too many and not enough units? We haven’t found answers to these questions yet”.