Alfardan Sports Motors, the official Ferrari importer-dealer in Qatar, unveiled the Ferrari 488 Spider yesterday at the Qatar Motor Show 2016, which opens to the public today at the Doha Exhibition and Convention Centre.
“This model is an innovative and distinguished addition to the Ferrari family and a true representation of the history and excellence of the brand combining strength and luxury at the same time,” said Charly Dagher, general manager, Alfardan Sports Motors.
The Ferrari 488 Spider’s global debut was held in September last year at the Frankfurt Motor Show. It is the latest chapter in Maranello’s ongoing history of open-top V8 sports cars.
This model is also Ferrari’s most powerful ever mid-rear-engined V8 car to feature the patented retractable hard-top, along with the highest level of technological innovation and with innovative design.
Dagher expressed confidence that people in Qatar will receive the new Ferrari 488 Spider warmly due to its excellent performance and the driving comfort it provides.
This model is the first RHT (retractable hard-top) introduced from Maranello on a car of this particular architecture. This solution ensures lower weight (-25kg) and better cockpit comfort compared to the classic fabric soft-top.
Just like all previous spider versions of Ferrari’s models, this is a car that is aimed at clients seeking open-air motoring pleasure in a high-performance sports car with an unmistakable Ferrari engine sound.
Every area of the car has been designed to set new technological benchmarks for the sector: from the aluminium spaceframe chassis and bodyshell to the new turbo-charged V8, aerodynamics that reconcile the need for greater downforce with reduced drag along with the specific cabin air flow demands of an open-top car, and vehicle dynamics that render it fast, agile and instantly responsive.
Beneath the engine cover throbs the 3902cc turbo-charged V8 that debuted just a few months ago on the 488 GTB. Its performance levels are nothing short of extraordinary: a maximum power output of 670 CV combined with maximum torque of 760 Nm at 3000 rpm send the 488 Spider sprinting from 0 to 100 km/h in 3 seconds flat and from 0 to 200 km/h in 8.7 seconds.
This is also an exceptionally efficient engine; it is not only 100 CV more powerful than the previous naturally-aspirated V8 but also has lower CO2 emissions.
The turbo V8 has a unique character, delivering increasing levels of power right across the rev range, and completely eliminating the traditional turbo lag with a throttle response time of just 0.8 seconds.
Also the most aerodynamically efficient Ferrari Spider ever built, this model features a series of complex aero solutions designed to guarantee optimal downforce whilst reducing drag.
Designed around the concept of the retractable hard-top, the 488 Spider has a spaceframe chassis made of 11 different aluminium alloys combined with other noble metals, such as magnesium, each one used in a highly specific way.
This yields the same torsional rigidity and beam stiffness figures as the coupé, improving the chassis’ performance by 23% over that of its predecessor.
The RHT folds backwards in two overlapping sections to rest flush on the engine in a very compact solution. The mechanism is exceptionally smooth and takes just 14 seconds for the top to fully retract or deploy.