Ferrari 488 Pista Drops Its Top

We at ZigWheels collectively swooned earlier this year in February when Ferrari showcased the 488 Pista. The recipe was simple (sort of). Take the 488, bump up the power, tweak the aero and humiliate rivals. Now though, there’s a version that’s even more desirable. Folks, meet the new 488 Pista SPIDER!

Let’s dive straight into what powers this topless thunder machine. There’s a 3.9-litre V8 twin-turbo motor sitting right behind the driver that develops an eye-watering 720PS of power and 770Nm of torque. Now we know what you’re wondering. Same amount of power as the coupe plus the added weight of the convertible mechanism = slower car. And that, my friend, is where you’re wrong.

With the roof up, the Spyder is as quick as its coupe cousin, hitting 100kmph in just 2.85 seconds. 200kmph comes up in 8 seconds on the dot, whereas top speed is rated at 340kmph. With the optional lightweight components ticked, we’re looking at a dry weight of just 1380kg.

Like the coupe, the Spider too is a direct descendant of the 488 Challenge and GTE race cars. Ferrari claims the convertible has the ‘highest level of technological transfer’ from a race-spec to a road-legal convertible. There’s a new ‘lateral dynamics control system’ or ‘Ferrari Dynamic Enhancer (FDE)’ in Ferrari speak that ensures the Pista doesn’t feel like a handful when you’re on the limit.

Ferrari says that the design was approached with an aim ‘to maintain unaltered the perfect marriage of aerodynamic efficiency, purity of form and racing spirit.” We think they’ve nailed that down to the T. It does look properly pretty, like a topless Ferrari should. As you can see, the trademark central livery is very much in place, starting off from the nose of the car and ending at the rear wing. The Spyder also wears bespoke 20-inch alloy wheels, which can be swapped (for a price) with one-piece carbon fibre wheels.

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There’s some weight saving on the inside too, with carbon fibre and Alcantara being used heavily throughout the cabin. Close attention has been paid to the smaller details too, like chucking out the carpets for patterned aluminium foot plates, and the door handles being replaced by a strap.

What do you think of Ferrari’s fiftieth convertible? Let us know by typing in your thoughts in the comments section below.