Ferrari 458 flips its lid

Prancing horse dispenses with the canvas for its latest roadster, claimed to be the world's first mid-engined car with a retractable hardtop
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Ferrari is breaking with tradition for its new 458 Spider – which debuts at the upcoming Frankfurt motor show – by equipping the alfresco tearaway with a folding hardtop.

Following in the wake of the cloth-topped F430 Spider, it's billed as the world first mid-engined supercar with a folding hard top roof – and, what's more, the retractable lid is claimed to be lighter than a conventional fabric hood.

Fabricated entirely from aluminium, the hardtop deploys in just 14sec (watch it here), and Ferrari says it's 25kg lighter than a conventional soft top.

Unlike some folding-hardtop convertibles that end up with an unsightly rump, the 458 Spider has a well resolved shape as all the ancillaries for the roof and folding mechanism have been neatly integrated into the styling of the car.

The two-piece roof flips through 180 degrees before nestling into a storage area ahead of the engine bay, and Ferrari claims neither aerodynamics nor performance is compromised. In fact, there's even enough space behind the seats for a small luggage compartment.

Visually, the Spider's most notable elements are the twin buttresses just aft of the cabin, and they were allegedly designed to optimise the flow of air to the engine intakes and the clutch and gearbox oil radiators.

In topless mode an adjustable electric wind stop deploys to slow and diffuse the air in the cockpit, so much so that Ferrari claims a "normal conversation" can be held by the two occupants even at speeds above 200km/h.

The company also claims the Spider is just as rigid as its coupe counterpart whether the roof is up or down, thanks to "new technical solutions adopted for the chassis", which we take to mean some form of structural bracing.

"The result is a car that is truly exciting to drive, blending extreme performance with the responsiveness that has always characterised Ferrari's open-top berlinettas," says Ferrari in its PR blurb.

Mechanically, the newcomer is as per the fixed-roof 458 Italia, which means power comes from a free-spinning 425kW/540Nm 4.5-litre V8. Drive is relayed to the rear wheels by the quick-shifting dual-clutch F1 paddle-shift transmission and E-Diff, itself integrated with the F1-Trac traction control and high-performance ABS.

Ferrari claims the throttle mapping and damping of the multilink suspension have been specially calibrated for the Spider, and even the engine's soundtrack has been tailored to ensure that the car's occupants are "completely captivated by the drop-top driving experience".

The company quotes a sub-3.4sec 0-100km/h split and top whack of 320km/h, so the 458 Spider will be one of the fastest convertibles on sale when it launches here at the end of 2012. Local distributor Ateco says it will announce pricing and spec levels at the launch.


458 SPIDER FAST FACTS
Engine: 4499cc 90-degree V8
Maximum power: 425kW at 9000rpm
Maximum torque: 540Nm at 6000rpm
Compression ratio: 12.5:1
Gearbox: Dual-clutch, seven-speed F1
Electronics: E-Diff3, F1-Trac, high-performance ABS
Tyres: Front 235/35 ZR20; Rear 295/35 ZR20
Top speed:  320km/h
0-100 km/h: <3.4 s
Fuel consumption: 11.8Ll/100 km (EU cycle)

DIMENSIONS
Length: 4527mm
Width: 1937mm
Height: 1211mm
Wheelbase: 2650mm
Dry weight: 1430kg (with forged alloys and race seats)
Weight distribution: 42/58 front/rear


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