Ferrari Debuts 458 Spider Ahead of Frankfurt

The Ferrari 458 Italia is, by most accounts, already one of the most desirable cars in the world.  The mix of jaw-dropping styling, spine-tingling sound and acceleration, modern luxury, and cutting-edge technology means there's not much to criticize except the price tag.  So how do you make something many judge as perfect to be even more desirable?

Well, cut the roof off.  Sort of.  While the F430 Spider (and the 360, 355, and 348 before it) all used power-folding cloth tops, the 458 Spider uses a metal lid.  Unlike most folding hard tops, there's very little origami occurring.  The roof is one single piece that hinges behind the passenger compartment, the tonneau flips up from the rear, and the roof flips under it, above the engine.  Hard to imagine?  Well, here:

httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bDXz0huA1-Q

Surprisingly simple compared to, say, the Volvo C70's wild three-piece roof.  This "flipping lid" idea originally debuted in the limited-production (a relative term with Ferraris) 575 SuperAmerica, but the tonneau cover is a new addition.  This is one of the few folding hardtop cars that looks equally good with the roof up or down, and it manages to retain the roofline of the hardtop as well.  More good news?  Thanks to the simplicity of the roof design, the 458 Spider is still a pretty light car, at 3153lbs.  Which is odd, considering the weight for the hard-top is listed as 3274lbs - one wonders where the discrepancy is.

As for the rest of the car?  It's still standard Ferrari 458, meaning a mid-mounted 4.5L 562bhp V8 with direct injection behind the passenger seats mated to a 7-speed twin clutch automated manual, big brakes, variable chassis, all that good stuff.  So, nothing particularly surprising about the mechanical makeup of the car.  About the only thing missing is the trademark Ferrari window over the engine, which the F430 Spider had, but I suppose there's a price to pay for having a real roof.  Plus, to be honest I'm a fan of the treatment of the rear deck and it's sweeping vents and heat extractors - even if you can't see those gorgeous red crackle-finish valve covers.

But if you really wanted a 458 and needed that wind-in-your-hair sensation, your chariot is here.  The 458 Spider is debuting at the Frankfurt show, so expect more pictures, pricing and availability details then.  Something else to add to the Christmas list, I suppose.