It’s hard to keep a balanced perspective when you say anything about the 2016 Ferrari 488 Spider. It has a turboacharged engine with a presentation that can make your eyes stick to the vehicle like glue. However, pretty much everything about this car is identical to the 488GTB, and perhaps the main difference here is the Spider’s roof.
The 2016 Ferrari 488 Spider Has Its Own Eight-Cylinder Sound System
While looks are similar to the 488GTB, the 2016 Ferrari 488 Spider is still fantastic nonetheless. Going back to its roof, it is as impressively clever as ever. It is a two-part metal folding hardtop which can motor itself up or down in just 14-seconds. When the roof is raised, the only thing that will give away its non-permanence look is the line that is clearly visible to form the gap between the painted panels.
Once the roof is neatly stowed away, it will hide invisibly right below the rear panel. This rear panel also conceals the rollover-protection system that is found right behind the seats. There is also an electric glass window found at the rear which doubles as a wind deflector.
When the roof is down, there is no doubt that you will be driving an open-topped car (obviously). However, there is little buffeting and conversation can still be conducted at reasonable volumes. When the roof is up, the cabin has equally effective noise cancellation performance as found in the GTB.
When it comes to the roar of its engine, the 2016 488 Spider certainly has it. The new 661-horsepower turbocharged engine can really deliver a mechanical soundtrack when sampled unfiltered. Although this mechanical orchestra sounds good when extended, still, it can’t match the angrier and animalistic noise found in its predecessor. Strangely enough, the only time your ears will detect the evidence of the turbocharging taking place is when the roof is up and not down.
To the surprise of many, the new 488 Spider has a wide array of assistance systems, albeit you can’t readily see them. For instance, there is the manettino mode switch in Sport, in which you will feel the stability of the system to gently rein with much enthusiasm.
There are many who claim that Ferrari is just full of hot air, but the 2016 Ferrari 488 Spider is able to disprove all those claims. The car manufacturer does not only boast about giving out luxurious looking sports car, this type of premium feel can also be found under its hood and through the driving experience. Ultimately, the 488 Spider is a remarkable feat of car engineering taken form.