With head-turning styling, neck-snapping acceleration and that indescribable but incredibly potent Ferrari allure, the 458 Italia supercar (along with its open-air 458 Spider counterpart) is one of the most desirable rides on the market. This stunning 458 Spider is the star of Ferrari’s stand here in Frankfurt. Its retractable hard top is being raised and lowered every so often to wow the crowd, which is kept at bay by a short glass wall. Raising the folding all-aluminum roof panel takes only 14 seconds. When Ferrari released preliminary show information before the show, the Maranello company called this new 458 Spider "the world's first mid-rear engine berlinetta equipped with a retractable hard top.
The Ferrari 458 Spider is powered by Ferrari's 570 CV 4,499 cc V8 which was named International Engine of the Year 2011. The power is transferred to the road by Ferrari's class-leading dual-clutch F1 paddle-shift transmission through the sophisticated E-Diff, itself integrated with the F1-Trac traction control and high-performance ABS for maximum handling dynamics. The car delivers 0 to 100 km/h acceleration in under 3.4 seconds and a top speed of 320 km/h.
Helping to make the 458 Italia's sublime driving dynamics possible is a rigid, lightweight aluminum chassis that features advanced alloys and aerospace industry manufacturing and bonding techniques. The suspension is composed of a twin wishbone/multi-link setup, and an electronic rear differential helps apportion power so as to make the best of use of available traction. s expected, the superb powertrain of the standard Ferrari 458 remains unchanged, highlighted by the screaming naturally aspirated direct-injected 4.5-liter V-8 that sends 570 bhp to the rear wheels via Ferrari's dual-clutch 7-speed F1 paddle-shift transmission. Also on duty is the E-Diff, which is integrated with the 458 Spider's F1-Trac traction control and high-performance.The naturally aspirated 4.5-liter V-8 is now rated at 597 horsepower, although torque remains steadfast at 398 lb-ft. Ferrari says it’s the highest-output naturally aspirated Ferrari V-8 of all time, and that its 133 horsepower per liter is the “highest ever achieved by a roadgoing naturally aspirated engine.” Equally as important is the Speciale’s weight loss, with Ferrari quoting a dry weight of 2844 pounds—down from a claimed 3042 pounds in the Italia—which gives it a power-to-weight ratio of 4.77 pounds per horsepower. The Italian marque says that 0–62 mph will take 3.0 seconds—which we find conservative as we’ve recorded 3.0-second runs to 60 in Italia guise in previous testing—and 124 mph will arrive in 9.1 seconds.