Ferrari 458 Spider launched in Malaysia
Ferrari’s mid-engined V8 sports car, the 458 Italia, is now joined by convertible sister car, the 458 Spider, officially launched at the Naza Italia showroom in Petaling Jaya yesterday. Featuring the same award-winning bent-eight mill as the Italia, the 458 Spider is equipped with a fully-retractable aluminium hard top, a design patented by Ferrari.
A few interesting facts describe the 458’s innovative new roof. It is 25kg lighter than even traditional soft tops, but it is claimed to be lighter and ‘thermally more efficient when raised’. We assume it means that the roof is better at keeping the cabin cool in a hot day, though that would be technically incorrect. It opens and closes in 14 seconds, and it stows away neatly in a small space ahead of the engine room.
Like it does in the 458 Italia, Ferrari’s 4,499cc V8 makes 562hp to propel the Spider to a 100kph from rest in 3.4 seconds and a top speed of 320kph. The International Engine of the Year award winner of 2011 for Best Performance Engine is paired with Ferrari’s dual-clutch F1 paddle shift transmission.
In the area of aerodynamics, Ferrari has sculpted the rear windscreen to double as a wind-stop and channel air into the engine room for the air intakes as well as transmission and clutch cooling systems. It has an adjustable electric wind stop that opens to reduce turbulence in motion and reduce noise levels. Normal conversation is said to be possible even at speeds above 200kph.
Safety is a great area of concern for roadsters and convertibles, and the 458 Spider’s all-aluminium chassis incorporates new alloys and castings from the Italia, ensuring that it complies to safety legislations set for the year 2020. Ferrari claims that the chassis has identical levels of rigidity with the roof up or down.
Newly available to Malaysian consumers in conjunction with the 458 Spider’s launch is the Ferrari Tailor-Made programme, which offers three distinct trim lines – Classica, Scuderia, and Inedita. In creating a truly bespoke car, clients will be assisted by their own Personal Designer throughout the decision-making process, right up until delivery.
How much does it cost, you ask. Well, you know what they say, “If you have to ask…”
