Ferrari 488 Pista Spider

The Ferrari 488 Pista Spider - almost every single word in that sentence sounds magnificently Italian and expensive. Starting at around $350,000, the second observation is 100% accurate. With GTE racing pedigree and parts carried over to the road car, it's worth the money for those who want the fastest drop-top Ferrari supercar on sale today. Bearing the company's multi-award winning 3.9-liter twin-turbo V8 engine, the Pista Spider produces a stratospheric 710 horsepower and 568 lb-ft of torque. With power being sent to the rear wheels via an F1 seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox, this is a race car for the road that features multiple aerodynamic enhancements, and little in the way of creature comforts. Nevertheless, it's compliant enough for use on back roads, and when the weather is fine, you can take in as much noise as possible by dropping the roof. Despite its inherent added mass, the 488 Pista Spider laps Ferrari's famous Fiorano test track in just 1:21.5 - barely two seconds slower than the company's groundbreaking LaFerrari hypercar.

In the interest of weight-saving, the 488 Pista Spider is 88 pounds lighter than the 488 Spider. To that end, the infotainment system and its speakers, the glovebox, and other unnecessary features have been stripped out. The crankshaft, flywheel, connecting rods, and even the exhaust manifold have been changed too, with titanium and Inconel being used for the last two items respectively. This contributes to an increase in power of 49 hp, while the body has been significantly reworked too, resulting in 20% better aerodynamic efficiency. This is more than just the 50th Ferrari that can give you a view of the stars at night - it's a proper racecar that just happens to allow you to catch a tan too.

488 Pista Spider Exterior

Carbon fiber construction is a big part of the 488 Pista Spider, with the front bumper and hood being molded from the stuff. Besides their saving in mass, they've been redesigned to enhance aerodynamic efficiency, with an S-duct improving front-end downforce. The by-product is a much more aggressive front end that makes the LED headlights look even more menacing. The car rides on 20-inch wheels, with pricey carbon fiber variants available to save even more weight. The flanks of the car bear gaping air vents that feed the intercoolers exclusively, with the regular 488 Spider's engine intakes moved to the more curvaceous rear spoiler. The rear bumper also features a design borrowed from the LaFerrari FXX K hyper racecar to help clean the air better, while a more aggressive rear diffuser sits below a pair of exhaust outlets and also houses an F1-style fog light. Every angle is smooth and yet sharp at the same time, with the whole car looking both angrily fit for purpose on a racetrack, and gorgeously sensual too. If you want even more exoticism, Ferrari will happily add carbon fiber to numerous panels, including the front splitter, rear diffuser, and side skirts. Even the Ferrari emblems on the wheels can be backed in carbon rather than the traditional yellow.

Dimensions

Everything on the 488 Pista Spider has been revisited and refined. The Pista is slightly lower, wider, and shorter in length than its more benign 488 counterpart. Length measures 181.3 inches from end-to-end, with the wheelbase at 104.3 inches. Width is 77.8 inches with the height measuring just 47.5 inches. Curb weight is down from 3,362 lbs in the regular Spider to 3,274 lbs in the Pista Spider.

Engine and Transmission

The 3.9-liter twin-turbo V8 in the 488 Pista is a magnificent engineering masterpiece, and has proven to be one of the greatest turbocharged power plants of our generation, winning Engine of the Year for an unprecedented four years in a row. Despite the award now considering electric cars too, the engine has held on to its title, beating Tesla's electric powertrain, Porsche's 3.8-liter turbo, McLaren's 4.0-liter twin-turbo, and even Ferrari's own mighty 6.5-liter V12. With more aggressive camshafts, titanium connecting rods, shorter intake runners, a lighter crankshaft, and an Inconel exhaust manifold, the engine produces an explosive 710 hp and 568 lb-ft of torque. Paired with Ferrari's F1 seven-speed dual-clutch transmission, the 488 Pista Spider rockets from 0-62 mph in just 2.85 seconds, with a claimed top speed of 211 mph. Its astonishing acceleration is helped by a phenomenal launch control system that shoves you in your seat so hard that you'd think the car is all-wheel-drive like its Lamborghini Huracan Performante Spyder rival. Despite the kick-in-your-back gear changes at full tilt, the transmission is sedate at lower speeds, if a little slow to react. However, the beautiful noise of a 458 Speciale Aperta is long gone, and the 488 Pista Spider, although still sounding very pleasing, is somewhat muted, its noise hiding how fast you're actually going.

488 Pista Spider Interior

The Pista version of the two-seater 488 Spider is set apart from the lesser model by more expansive use of the beautiful suede-like material known as Alcantara. Dual-zone climate control allows the passenger to set the air conditioning to their preference, but all other functions are handled by the driver, with most controls residing on the steering wheel that is lashed with carbon fiber. A large tachometer dominates the view, while other vitals are displayed on small screens on either side of the central gauge. Infotainment, navigation, and speakers are all stripped, but Ferrari will put them back in for a fee. The shift paddles are new carbon fiber items and have been borrowed from the 488 Challenge race car.

488 Pista Spider Trunk and Cargo Space

Cargo area is not what you'd call expansive, with the front trunk, or 'frunk', measuring just six cubic feet in volume. This is two cubes down on the original 488 Spider, thanks to that aerodynamic S-duct encroaching on available space. Nevertheless, the space is deep, and you can fit a pair of overnight bags in there without too much trouble.

In the cabin, the glovebox has been deleted, with shallow door nets doing duty in place of traditional pockets. You could fit a wallet or two in each, but not much else. A cupholder is also included, with a secondary one ahead of it if you choose not to store your key in the slot there. A pair of shallow storage areas in the center console is also included, where you can put your phone.