The new 2012 Ferrari 458 Spider sports car has its photos leaked just a few days ago, and today, Ferrari has officially released full details about the car.
Initially, there were speculations about a retractable hardtop for this sports car, but we didn’t think that was possible due to a lack of space in the rear engine bay. Anyhow, Ferrari managed to pull it off, and it was tricky process according to Ferrari.
The 2012 Ferrari 458 Spider will the first hardtop convertible that came out of the Ferrari’s line. It uses a flipping hard panel instead of cloth top like the 360, 355 and 348 Spiders before it. The hardtop stows away directly under the deck lid, so that it is out of sight. The result is more pleasing to the eyes. Deployment of the hardtop only takes about 14 seconds.
As for power, the 2012 Ferrari 458 Spider is equipped with a naturally-aspirated, direct-injection 4.5 litre V8 engine producing 570 horsepower (@ 9000 rpm) and 398 lb-ft of torque (@ 6000 rpm). The engine is mated to a dual-clutch, F1 paddle-shift 7-speed automatic transmission. Ferrari did not released any performance numbers, but given the engine spec, we expect it to achieve a 0-60 mph time in the 3 plus seconds.
Check out the video below to see the retractable hardtop of the new 2012 Ferrari 458 Spider in action. We will have the performance numbers coming soon, so stay tuned.
PRESS RELEASE»
THE NEW FERRARI 458 SPIDER
The world’s first mid-rear engined berlinetta equipped with a retractable hard top debuts at the Frankfurt Motor Show.
Maranello, 23rd August 2011 – The new 458 Spider joins the 458 Italia, widening the range of Ferrari’s mid-rear engined V8s and offering the same uncompromising technological solutions, handling and performance in a refined open-top configuration. It is equipped with a Ferrari patented, fully retractable hard top, a world first for a sports car with this lay-out.
The 458 Spider is powered by Ferrari’s naturally-aspirated, direct-injection 4.5 litre V8 which was nominated as the 2011 International Engine of the Year for its engineering excellence in terms of driveability, performance, economy and refinement. 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.
Certain features, such as its accelerator pedal mapping and the damping of the multilink suspension, have been calibrated to guarantee maximum sportiness and absolute driving pleasure with the top down, in line with Maranello’s exclusive spider tradition. Even the engine soundtrack has been honed to ensure that the car’s occupants are completely captivated by the drop-top driving experience.
Entirely in aluminium, the hard-top solution adopted for the 458 Spider offers a number of advantages over the traditional folding soft-top, including a reduction of 25 kg in weight and a deployment time of just 14 seconds. Fully integrated into the styling of the car, the hard-top was engineered to fit neatly ahead of the engine bay without compromising aerodynamics or the performance of the car. 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 innovative forms with the 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. The design was perfected to slow and diffuse the air in the cockpit, enabling normal conversation to be held even at speeds over 200 km/h.
New technical solutions adopted for the chassis guarantee identical levels of structural rigidity with the roof up or down. The result is a car that is truly exciting to drive, blending extreme performance with the responsiveness that has always characterised Ferrari’s open-top berlinettas.
458 Spider technical specifications
Dimensions
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 12.5:1Tyres
Front 235/35 ZR20 8.5″
Rear 295/35 ZR20 10.5″Performance
Maximum speed >320 km/h (>198 mph)
0-100 km/hFuel consumption + emissions
Fuel consumption*** 11.8 l/100 km
Emissions*** 275 g CO2/kmGearbox
Dual-clutch, 7-speed F1Electronics
E-Diff3, F1-Trac, high-performance ABS* With forged wheels and Racing seats
** Including 5 CV of ram effect
*** Combined cycle with HELE system (ECE+EUDC)
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