NEW FERRARI F8 SPIDER

The new F8 Tributo and Spider captivate at a standstill. The mid-engined berlinetta and drop-top introduce a new design language that emphasises Ferrari’s key characteristics of high performance and extreme aerodynamic efficiency. The emotive in-house designs see the return of four round tail lights and the most curvaceous flanks since the iconic 308 GTB. Meanwhile the F8 name is a tribute to the mainstream Ferrari’s V8 engine that has won countless engineering awards. It still majors on character despite the adoption of turbochargers that boost power beyond 700bhp.

The front view of both models is characterised by the S-Duct around which the entire front end has been redesigned to highlight the extensive aerodynamic modifications made to this area of the car. The clearest example is new, more compact, horizontal LED headlights.

And the rear spoiler has been entirely redesigned for the F8. It is now larger and wraps around the tail lights, visually lowering the centre of gravity and allowing a return to the classic twin-light cluster and body-coloured tail, another styling cue from the early V8 berlinettas, like the legendary 308 GTB.

The F8 Spider was designed in parallel with the F8 Tributo and features the Prancing Horse’s compact and efficient (operation takes 14 seconds) retractable hard top. It extends a bloodline of open-top V8 cars begun by the 308 GTS in 1977.

Ferrari says the F8 Spider is less extreme than the 488 Pista Spider, but is sportier than the 488 Spider which it replaces. The F8 models deliver an extra 37kW over the outgoing 488 GTB and Spider, and the F8 Spider (with a dry weight of 1400kg) is 20kg lighter than its predecessor. Incredibly, 18kg has been saved in the engine bay alone, with Inconel exhaust manifolds derived from the 488 Challenge contributing 9.7kg to engine weight reduction.

The engine shared by Spider and Berlinetta is a development of the V8 that has won the International Engine of the Year Award for four consecutive years from 2016. It unleashes its power instantaneously without turbo lag, while amplifying the engine’s unique V8 soundtrack courtesy of the new exhaust system.

On the electronics front, Adaptive Performance Launch analyses grip as the car accelerates and then uses electronic controls to optimise the torque delivered to suit the road’s grip level, reducing wheel slip and maximising acceleration.

And Ferrari says the rev limiter’s so-called Wall Effect strategy is a leap forward in terms of extreme engine performance. Rather than gradually limiting the revs towards the limit, it cuts off right at the 8000rpm red-line, maximising the amount of power available in power-on dynamic driving situations and consequently improving lap times.

Meanwhile a new version of the Ferrari Dynamic Enhancer can now be activated in the manettino’s Race position, a move designed to make performance on the limit easier to reach and control.

For specifications, click on SPECS tab on main image.