Introducing you to the exquisite Ferrari 458 Spider. In Ferrari speak Spider means convertible – and that’s what makes this 458 even more special. Driving one of these superb Italian supercars is exciting enough but make it a car with the top down and you’ve got yourself one flamboyant and fabulous drive. Let’s hope the weather plays ball!
Waxing lyrical about the 458 when it was launched as the successor to the F430 a certain car journalist called Jeremy Clarkson commented: ‘A modern Ferrari feels like no other car on the road. It feels miles better. And this one? Oh this is the best of the lot’. Praise indeed then from someone who has owned and driven a fair few cars in his time.
So why is the Ferrari 458 and in particular the Spider version so revered? Well just look at it. Some say the rear view is the best. Nothing like provoking a sense of jealousy when there’s a Ferrari in front of you on the road is there? All the Pininfarina classic lines are there. It’s sleek it’s curvy and it’s a thing of beauty to look at with that famous prancing horse right in the middle of the boot. But is it equally beautiful to drive?
In a word yes. Driving a 458 convertible takes some getting used to though. For a start all the controls are on the steering wheel. And that includes everything from wipers and indicators to start button and a very intriguing switch selector that displays Race Wet and Sport modes. Behind the two seats is the 4.5l V8 (hence the name 458) and it even has it’s own window so you can just look and drool at it.
The engine is without doubt a masterpiece. The 458 was the first Ferrari to introduce newer technology such as E-Diff and F1-Trace to assist drivers. Even the hard top roof is highly engineered. It’s made out of aluminium and open or closes fully automatically in just 14 seconds. Fingers crossed for good weather as driving the Ferrari 458 Spider with the top down is really what it’s all about.
