Ferrari 488 Spider

Drop-top super car has already blown us away. Now we try it on British roads

- James Batchelor

THE launch of a new mid-engined, two-seat Ferrari convertible is always a special event; it’s all about excitement, glamour and noise. We last drove the 488 Spider nine months ago in its natural habitat of the rolling hills surrounding Modena, Italy (Issue 1,393). But now is our chance to get behind the wheel of a right-hand-drive version in the UK.

As the 488 GTB Coupé is one of the performance cars of the moment, lopping the roof off is a sure-fire way of guaranteeing extra sales. That’s the philistine’s view, of course; to everyone else, the Spider is something just a little extra special.

The newcomer carries over the retractable hard-top first seen on its predecessor, the 458 Spider. It’s a clever arrangement; a simple pull on the button mounted on the center console sees the metal roof fold backwards. At the same time, a small cover in front of the engine bay rises up and the top peels back into the gap. The process takes a mere 14 seconds and, unlike with the 458, it can happen at up to 30mph.