Following its unexpected world premiere at the
Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, the Ferrari 488 Pista Spider now makes its
European debut at the Paris Motor Show. Ferrari sees the venue as the
perfect occasion to drop full technical details about its most powerful
production drop-top ever, and boy there’s a lot to talk about.
With a weight-to-power ratio of 1.92 kg/PS, the 488
Pista Spider sources its engine, dynamics, and aerodynamics from two track
cars: the 488 Challenge and the 488 GTE. The 3.9-liter twin-turbo V8 produces
720 PS at 8,000 rpm and 770 Nm of torque from 3,000 rpm.
Therefore, it is 50 PS more powerful than the
regular 488 Spider and has 115 PS more than its predecessor, the 458
Speciale Aperta. Mated to an F1 seven-speed dual-clutch transmission that
shifts gears 30 milliseconds quicker than in the 488 Pista, the V8 engine
allows the hardcore roadster to achieve stellar performance.
0-100 km/h takes 2.85 seconds and 0-200
km/h is dispatched in just 8 seconds. The top speed is 340 km/h, and the 488 Pista Spider laps the Fiorano track in just 1 minute
21.5 seconds. That makes it the quickest spider ever built by the Prancing
Horse.
The 488 Pista Spider is quick when it comes to
stopping as well. It brakes from 100 km/h in 29.5 meters,
and from 200 km/h in 116 meters — improving the 488
Spider’s 200-0 km/h braking distance by one meter.
As you can imagine, vehicle dynamics are at a high
level, thanks in part to the Ferrari Dynamic Enhancer (FDE) lateral dynamics
control system, the Side Slip Control System (SSC 6.0), the improved braking
system, and the new Michelin Sport Cup 2 tires. Add to that the recalibrated
SCM-E dampers and the 10 percent stiffer springs and you start to understand
how the Pista manages to offer a 13 percent higher longitudinal acceleration
than the 488 Spider.
Furthermore, the aerodynamic efficiency of the 488
Spider has been improved by 20 percent, for higher absolute speed and lap times
on medium-fast tracks as well as “sheer fun” behind the wheel.
