Ferrari surprised visitors to Sunday's Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance with the unveiling of the 488 Pista Spider. The car is the 50th convertible from the Prancing Horse, and one of the most powerful on the market today.
It shares its mechanical package with the 488 Pista coupe unveiled in March at the Geneva auto show, and that means there's a 3.9-liter twin-turbocharged V-8 behind the cabin pumping out a full 710 horsepower and 568 pound-feet of torque. That's up on the 660 hp and 560 lb-ft that the 488 Spider delivers, the car on which the 488 Pista Spider is based.
The resulting performance of all the thrust, should Ferrari's numbers be believed, is a 0-60 mph time of 2.85 seconds, a 0-124 mph time of 8.0 seconds, and a top speed of 211 mph. (Pista is Italian for “track,” after all.) Drive is to the rear wheels via a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission.
Ferrari 488 Pista Spider
The car's dry weight is 3,042 pounds, or about 221 pounds more than the Pista coupe because of the automated retractable hard-top roof. Note, the quoted weight is with optional lightweight items, one of which is a set of one-piece carbon fiber wheels. The carbon wheels are said to be around 20 percent lighter than the standard forged allows, in this case a 20-inch design with a new 10-spoke design for the famous Ferrari star pattern. Further weight has been reduced by eliminating elements in the cabin, including the carpet on the floor.
As for the chassis, Ferrari has given the 488 Pista Spider features the company's Side-Slip Angle Control system, which controls multiple vehicle functions including the traction and stability control, the suspension damping, and the electronic differential. The latest version, 6.0, also includes a new function called the Ferrari Dynamic Enhancer. This adjusts brake caliper pressure at the limit to further enhance the car's performance and make it more predictable.
Ferrari says unveiling the 488 Pista Spider at the Pebble Beach Concours was a natural choice given the penchant for high-performance convertibles in the North American market dating back to the 1950s. For more coverage on the event and the rest of Monterey Car Week, head to our dedicated hub.
