While the Ferrari 488 GTB was spotted for the first time in the real world about one month ago, the supercar was filming a commercial and was unfortunately rather... idly at the time. Now we’re back on the topic since the supercar has showed up on the streets of Maranello. Better yet, this is the first time when we see the open-top version, which Ferrari hasn’t mentioned yet.
As you can imagine, carparazzi spending their time in Maranello are working overtime and they’ve recently spotted both the 488 GTB and the open-air version in the proximity of the Ferrari factory.
What's in a name?
As for the designation of the latter, it’s still not clear whether the Italians will follow the 458’s nomenclature and use the 488 Spider designation. You see, the GTB at the end of the Coupe’s name means the B, which stands for Berlinetta, could be swapped for an S, standing for Spider.
It’s difficult to tell though, since last time the Prancing Horse did this we saw the F355 receiving a GTB coupe, a GTS targa-roofed model and a Spider convertible.
The roof
Regardless, the roof will follow the metallic hardtop trend of the 458 Spider. Supplied by Webasto, the latter’s top weighs 55 lbs (25 kg) less than a soft top such as the one used by the 430 Spider and needs 14 seconds to be stowed.
With the 458 Spider, Ferrari has proved that it can build an open-top model that’s just as good as the Coupe in terms of comfort and handling. For one thing, you shouldn’t take this for granted.
While McLaren has done it too, right from the MP4-12C Spider, Lamborghini has fallen short of this target with the Aventador Roadster. The open-top model’s ride is not as refined as that of the Coupe, mainly due to the Aventador using passive shock absorbers, albeit in a pushrod configuration.
It's all about the character
While the 488 GTB was still covered in camo despite having already made its public debut, the footage allows us to indulge in the aural side of these two Ferraris. It’s obvious that Maranello engineers have put a lot of effort into modulating the voice of the twin-turbocharged 3.9-liter V8, as this offers an enticing soundtrack.
With the 458, the Coupe and the Spider were separated by a two-year gap. While McLaren likes to throw both models on the market simultaneously, if Ferrari sticks to the plan mentioned above, the 488 Spider will land at a motor show in 2017. Hopefully, we won't have to wait that long.
In his quest to bring you the most impressive automotive creations, Andrei relies on learning as a superpower. There's quite a bit of room in the garage that is this aficionado's heart, so factory-condition classics and widebody contraptions with turbos poking through the hood can peacefully coexist. Full profile
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