New Ferrari 458 Spider to debut in Frankfurt

The open-topped version of the Ferrari 458 Italia, the new Ferrari 458 Spider, will make its world debut at the 2011 Frankfurt International Motor Show next month (13 – 25 September) and it will be a world first as mid-engined supercar with a folding hard top roof – one that is actually lighter than a conventional fabric hood.

The new Ferrari 458 Spider widens the range of Ferrari’s mid-rear engined V8s, powered by Ferrari’s naturally-aspirated, direct-injection 4.5-litre engine. The power is transferred to the road by Ferrari’s dual-clutch F1 paddle-shift transmission through the sophisticated E-Diff, itself integrated with the F1-Trac traction control and high-performance ABS.

Entirely in aluminium, Ferrari says the hard-top solution adopted for the 458 Spider offers a number of advantages over the traditional folding soft-top, including a reduction of 25kg in weight and a deployment time of 14 seconds. 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 characterised by buttresses designed to optimise the flow of air to the engine intakes and the clutch and gearbox oil radiators. For maximum comfort whilst driving top down the 458 Spider features a generously-sized adjustable electric wind stop, whic Ferrari says allows normal conversation to be held in th cockpit, even at speeds over 200 km/h.

The Ferrari 458 Spider will arrive in New Zealand at the end of 2012, when prices and specifications will be announced.

Specifications

Length 4527 mm (178.2 in.)
Width 1937 mm (76.3 in.)
Height 1211 mm (47.7 in.)
Wheelbase 2650 mm (104.3 in.)
Dry weight 1430 kg (3153 lbs)*
Weight/power ratio 2.51 kg/CV (7.42 lbs/kW)
Weight distribution fr/r 42%/58%
Engine Type 90° V8
Displacement 4499 cc (274.5 cu in.)
Maximum power 570 CV (425 kW)** @ 9000 rpm
Maximum torque 540 Nm (398 lbs/ft) @ 6000 rpm
Specific power output 127 CV/l
Compression ratio 12.5:1
Tyres Front 235/35 ZR20 8.5”
Rear 295/35 ZR20 10.5”
Maximum speed 320 km/h (198 mph)
0-100 km/h <3.4>
Fuel consumption*** 11.8 l/100 km
Emissions*** 275 g CO2/km

* With forged wheels and Racing seats
** Including 5 CV of ram effect
*** Combined cycle with HELE system (ECE+EUDC)