Ferrari 488 Spider

The Ferrari 488 Spider is the latest chapter in Maranello's ongoing love affair with open-top V8 sports cars, a story that started with the targa-top version of the 308 GTB - the immortal 308 GTS - and which ultimately resulted in the full convertible Spider architecture.

Starting with the RHT (Retractable Hard Top), around which the entire car was developed, every area of the 488 Spider has been designed to set new technological benchmarks for the sector. The result is the most powerful and innovative Ferrari Spider ever built, a car that marries the extraordinary prowess of the 488 GTB coupé's mid-rear V8 with the joy of tackling even the most challenging roads surrounded by nature's heady aromas and colours and accompanied by an inimitable Ferrari engine soundtrack.

The RHT, which debuted on the 458 Spider, was a world-first for such a solution on a mid-rear engined car and has rendered traditional soft-tops obsolete as it is not only lighter (- 25 kg) but also provides better protection from noise and the elements.

At the very heart of the car is, of course, the 3902cc turbo-charged V8 which set a new benchmark for this type of architecture. Thanks to a maximum power output of 670 cv and the smooth, progressive torque delivery in higher gears provided by the Variable Torque Management system, the 488 Spider sprints from 0 to 100 km/h in 3 seconds flat and from 0 to 200 km/h in 8.7 seconds. These performance figures are accompanied by a throttle response time of just 0.8 seconds which essentially eliminates the turbo lag typical of this kind of engine. In line with Ferrari tradition, the 488 Spider also has its own unique and distinctive soundtrack to reflect its performance.

This is also the most aerodynamically efficient Ferrari Spider ever built, thanks to a series of complex aero solutions. Maranello's engineers managed to guarantee optimal downforce whilst reducing drag (two normally mutually-exclusive objectives) by developing several innovative devices, including a blown spoiler and an aerodynamic underbody incorporating vortex generators.

The Ferrari 488 Spider's dynamic behaviour is exceptional with the accent very much on the ease with which it can be driven on the limit. To achieve this engaging handling balance the mechanical set-up was honed in tandem with the electronic control systems which now include an evolved version of Ferrari's side slip angle control (Side Slip Control 2 - SSC2). Over all, in fact, vehicle response times are 9% more rapid than the previous Spider.

Powetrain

Regardless of the model or its mission, the heart of every Ferrari is its engine which must, of course, deliver the classic Ferrari power unit qualities: blistering performance combined with high revs, razor-sharp responsiveness, powerful pick-up through the rev range and an exhilarating soundtrack. The new V8 featured in the Ferrari 488 Spider is the Maranello engineers' latest response to the daily challenge to constantly set new benchmarks of excellence.

This power unit offers the highest performance ever with zero turbo lag and a unique, exhilarating soundtrack. It delivers 670 cv at 8,000 rpm with a specific power output of 172 cv/l - a new record for a road-going Ferrari - maximum torque of 760 Nm in seventh gear and a throttle response time of just 0.8 seconds at 2000 rpm in third gear.

Normally, turbos have a significant impact on throttle response times: turbo lag generally increases with power resulting in response times that can be two to three times longer than in a naturally-aspirated engine. Maranello's engineers have overcome this obstacle. In fact, although this engine is 100 cv more powerful than the previous Spider power unit, it has a response time of just 0.8 seconds, guaranteeing the instant responsiveness to the accelerator which is typical of Ferrari power units.

A whole slew of features contributed to the engine's exceptional response times. The turbos are on ball-bearing-mounted shafts to reduce friction and the compressor wheels are in TiAl, a low-density titanium-aluminium alloy, which, thanks to its lower inertia, ensures maximum spool-up speed. Additionally, twin-scroll technology directs the exhaust gases from each cylinder through separate scrolls and increases the pressure of the exhaust pulses for maximum power. A special seal on the turbine housing ensures a minimum gap between it and the compressor wheel to increase efficiency.

The V8's performance is the result of a focus on achieving maximum efficiency across the board. In terms of combustion, this means new high-tumble intake ports specially shaped to optimise the flow coefficient and swirl motion in the combustion chamber for a homogeneous charge even at high revs, combined with 200-bar direct fuel injection. The new V8 also has an ion-sensing system which measures ionising currents to control ignition timing and adaptively predicts misfires, as well as a multi-spark function which enables the spark advance to be maximised at all revs.

Mechanical efficiency is guaranteed by an oil pump that supplies oil at either high pressure or low pressure, reducing hydraulic power requirements by up to 30 per cent compared to a conventional pump. Cylinder heads with roller finger followers reduce the power absorbed by the valvetrain by 10 per cent at low revs thanks to reduced friction between the valve stems and the tappets and the camshafts and the roller finger follower. The use of the flat-plane crankshaft architecture guarantees maximum compactness, lower mass and helps improve the engine's internal fluid-dynamics by ensuring equal pulse spacings and thus balance between the cylinders.

Every Ferrari has its own unique and distinctive soundtrack and the 488 Spider is no exception to this rule. The new V8's soundtrack is seductively full and powerful even at low speeds and increases in volume and clarity as revs rise, underscoring the engine's exceptional responsiveness, torque and performance. Seductive, but never invasive when the top is dropped thanks to the exhaust headers with longer, equal-length tubing and the flat-plane crankshaft, the sound was further enhanced by an in-depth study of the harmonics and tonality at different engine speeds, another area in which Ferrari has always excelled.

Aerodynamics

Minimising drag and maximising downforce are normally two mutually exclusive objectives in aerodynamics. However, the Prancing Horse's engineers have excelled themselves once again with the 488 Spider, by reconciling these two goals. The result is an aerodynamic efficiency figure of 1.53, a new record for a Ferrari production spider.

The front of the car is dominated by the central Aero Pillar and an F1-inspired double spoiler. The latter consists of two sections: the top element is designed to work in conjunction with the duct to manage the flow of air going into the radiator, thereby improving its efficiency. The larger, lower section generates suction which pulls the air flow towards the lower part of the underbody, generating downforce.

The Aero Pillar has the job of managing the powerful air flows striking the front of the car and distributing them along both the longitudinal and transverse plane. On the longitudinal plane on the lower section, it accelerates and directs an extremely fast flow to the central underbody, while on the transverse plan on the upper section, it deflects the flow towards the radiator mouth, controlling its expansion to improve the efficiency of the radiating masses.

The 488 Spider has an innovative aerodynamic underbody that incorporates vortex generators, special curved aerodynamic appendages which accelerate the air thereby reducing pressure. The result is that the car's underbody is "sucked" down to the ground and downforce is higher but drag is not. The front section of the underbody is flat, generating downforce, which pushes the car lower to the ground whilst having the smallest possible impact on the flow arriving at the front strakes.

The large rear diffuser has curved fences which optimise the expansion of the huge amount of air channelled under the car, boosting downforce. They also protect the diffuser's internal channels from the turbulence generated by the rear wheels, thereby reducing drag.

The rear diffuser features variable flap geometry controlled by a CPU, integrated with other vehicle control systems, which modifies the expansion of the diffuser. Depending on the driving conditions, this adjusts the balance between increased downforce (with flaps closed: in corners and under braking) and drag reduction (with flaps open: on straights and under acceleration).

The blown spoiler is a new Ferrari-patented solution. Air enters an intake at the base of the rear screen and exits via the bumper. This geometry enables the surface taking the aerodynamic load to have a more pronounced concave curvature which, in turn, increases the upward deflection of the flow, thus boosting downforce. This solution avoids having to extend the height of the rear spoiler and thus helps keep drag low.

The base bleed air intakes on the car's sides are divided by a central flap. The flow over the upper part of the flap, which is also used for the engine air intake, exits from the tail area to reduce the drag caused by the low-pressure wake directly behind the car. The effect is created by the airflow exiting under pressure at the rear which energises the wake that forms at the end of the car's tail, moving it further from the tail where it thus interferes less with the car's aerodynamics. The flow from the lower part of the intake leads to the intercoolers to cool the intake charge.