Ferrari 488 Spider Preview
A high technology has been an ever-bigger part of the marque’s DNA. As examples, consider the aluminum spaceframe of the 360 Modena, the all-wheel drive of the FF touring car, hybrid-boost in the LaFerrari, and now state-of-the-art turbo power in the Ferrari 488. When the Prancing Horse was still a colt, drivers typically had a sound grasp of their car. Now that the snorting black horse has reached full maturity, however, the new world order favors machine over man. So without further ado, let’s hit the road and compile our personal set of likes and dislikes about the new 2016 Ferrari 488 Spider.
From Forli in the middle of Italy to Cesenatico on the Adriatic coast wends its way through a spectacular no man’s land of roads that zigzag across Ektachrome-tinted mountains over lush, voluptuous hills and through narrow, barren valleys. The quality of the road surface ranges from outrageous to downright dangerous, so the first thing you do after starting the engine of the 488 Spider is set the dampers to soft. In this neck of the woods, traffic density and driver discipline probably haven’t changed much since the Mussolini era. When you do encounter an oncoming vehicle, it likely is a wayward school bus, a Fiat Panda piloted by an escapee from the home of the blind, or a white Ducato van on steroids hugging the racing line.
So let us dive deep into the bag of significant digits: the twin-turbo V-8 responds 0.8 second faster to throttle inputs than the naturally aspirated 4.5-liter unit; it takes just 8.7 seconds to accelerate the Spider from 0 to 125 mph; and the new car beats its predecessor in terms of acceleration by a remarkable 25 percent, gear for gear. The new car also stops shorter. And while aerodynamic downforce has increased front and rear, fuel consumption has decreased.
2016 Ferrari 488 Spider Specifications
On Sale: Fall
Price: $255,000 (est)
Engine: 3.9L twin-turbo DOHC 32-valve V-8/660 hp @ 8,000 rpm, 561 lb-ft @ 3,000 rpm
Transmission: 7-speed dual-clutch automatic
Layout: 2-door, 2-passenger, mid-engine, RWD convertible
EPA Mileage: 14/19 mpg (city/hwy) (est)
L x W x H: 179.8 x 76.9 x 47.7 in
Wheelbase: 104.3 in
Weight: 3,362 lb
0-60 MPH: 2.9 sec
Top Speed: 203 mph
A high technology has been an ever-bigger part of the marque’s DNA. As examples, consider the aluminum spaceframe of the 360 Modena, the all-wheel drive of the FF touring car, hybrid-boost in the LaFerrari, and now state-of-the-art turbo power in the Ferrari 488. When the Prancing Horse was still a colt, drivers typically had a sound grasp of their car. Now that the snorting black horse has reached full maturity, however, the new world order favors machine over man. So without further ado, let’s hit the road and compile our personal set of likes and dislikes about the new 2016 Ferrari 488 Spider.
From Forli in the middle of Italy to Cesenatico on the Adriatic coast wends its way through a spectacular no man’s land of roads that zigzag across Ektachrome-tinted mountains over lush, voluptuous hills and through narrow, barren valleys. The quality of the road surface ranges from outrageous to downright dangerous, so the first thing you do after starting the engine of the 488 Spider is set the dampers to soft. In this neck of the woods, traffic density and driver discipline probably haven’t changed much since the Mussolini era. When you do encounter an oncoming vehicle, it likely is a wayward school bus, a Fiat Panda piloted by an escapee from the home of the blind, or a white Ducato van on steroids hugging the racing line.
So let us dive deep into the bag of significant digits: the twin-turbo V-8 responds 0.8 second faster to throttle inputs than the naturally aspirated 4.5-liter unit; it takes just 8.7 seconds to accelerate the Spider from 0 to 125 mph; and the new car beats its predecessor in terms of acceleration by a remarkable 25 percent, gear for gear. The new car also stops shorter. And while aerodynamic downforce has increased front and rear, fuel consumption has decreased.
2016 Ferrari 488 Spider Specifications
On Sale: Fall
Price: $255,000 (est)
Engine: 3.9L twin-turbo DOHC 32-valve V-8/660 hp @ 8,000 rpm, 561 lb-ft @ 3,000 rpm
Transmission: 7-speed dual-clutch automatic
Layout: 2-door, 2-passenger, mid-engine, RWD convertible
EPA Mileage: 14/19 mpg (city/hwy) (est)
L x W x H: 179.8 x 76.9 x 47.7 in
Wheelbase: 104.3 in
Weight: 3,362 lb
0-60 MPH: 2.9 sec
Top Speed: 203 mph
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