FERRARI 488 Spider 2016-2019 Photos, engines & full specs

Ferrari introduced its first turbocharged open-top model in 2016 with the model 488 Spider and proved that it could provide the same thrills as its coupe sibling.

When Ferrari introduced the F40 with a turbocharged engine, its fans were in shock, but soon they learned to appreciate that Formula 1-inspired supercar. Its successor, the F50, marked the return to naturally aspirated engines. But times changed, and the turbocharged technologies became better and better. In 2015, Ferrari introduced the 488 in both versions, the GTB (Gran Turismo Berlinetta) and the GTS (Gran Turismo Spider).

Ferrari Styling Center designed the 488 range. At the front, a new air intake was divided in two by a splitter. Its wide front spoiler featured a double profile to improve the thermal efficiency of the radiators placed on the sides. The car looked more like a targa-top vehicle due to its raised shoulders on the engine compartment's sides, which Ferrari needed to cover the safety arches. Two big air intakes were placed behind the doors for better cooling and to feed the two twin-scroll turbochargers. The rear round taillights and the two exhausts were other specific signatures of the car.

The engine was a newly developed 3.9-liter V8 fed by two turbochargers with two parallel ball-bearing. They were built with aviation-grade materials, with low-inertia turbine wheels. Thus, the turbo-lag was drastically reduced to a mere 0.8 seconds at 2000 rpm. The electronically controlled differential, E-Diff, offered more grip or allowed extended drifts, depending on the program set by the driver.