Say Hello To The Ferrari 488 Spider, The GTB's Sexy Drop Top Cousin

Feast your eyes on the new Ferrari 488 Spider. It’s just been revealed at the Frankfurt motor show, as have all the details which make for interesting reading.

Like the stunning 488 GTB that was revealed in March this year, the Spider is powered by a 3902cc turbocharged V8, which churns out 660bhp and 560lb ft.

In a race from 0-62mph, both cars will get the job done in 3.0 seconds. Where the Spider starts to fall short - due to a 50kg weight penalty over the coupe (1420kg vs 1370kg) - is in a race from 0-124mph. While the coupe has this licked in 8.3 seconds, the convertible takes 0.4 seconds longer with a time of 8.7 seconds (still an incredibly impressive time in isolation).

Top speed for the Spider is 203mph compared with the coupe’s 208mph figure.

Because the roof (which takes 14 seconds to open or close) is a structural element, Ferrari says that the Spider has the same structural rigidity as the coupe when the roof is closed. This represents a chassis rigidity improvement of 23 per cent compared with the old 458 Spider.

The roof is also very light. Although specific weights aren’t mentioned, it’s approximately 40kg lighter than a traditional hard-top and 25kg lighter than a soft-top, according to Ferrari. Also included in the roof design is a glass electric rear window/wind breaker that can be adjusted three ways.

As for the Spider’s design, the car features flying buttresses which channel air flow over the engine cover. The Spider also marks the debut of a new Blu Corsa colour.

No prices have been revealed yet, but expect it to cost around £200,000.