2012 Ferrari 458 Spider - FIrst drive - video Dailymotion

Motor Trend executive editor Edward Loh drops the top on Ferraris new 2012 458 Spider.

Transcript

00:00 [ENGINE REVVING]

00:07 Hey, everybody.

00:08 So I'm here in Italy with Ferrari's

00:10 all-new 458 Spider.

00:12 What am I doing just standing here?

00:14 Good question.

00:15 Let's go for a drive.

00:16 [MUSIC PLAYING]

00:31 So what exactly do we have here?

00:33 Merely another topless Italian?

00:35 Not quite.

00:36 The 458 Spider is the world's first hardtop,

00:39 convertible, mid-engine sports car.

00:41 In just 14 seconds, the 458 Spider

00:44 can drop, flip, and stow its two-piece aluminum

00:47 roof under a deck lid between the seats and engine.

00:50 But does losing its roof negatively impact the Spider?

00:52 Ferrari says the Spider gives up roughly 30%

00:55 in structural rigidity to the 458 Italia,

00:57 while gaining just over 100 pounds

00:59 and losing a bit of aerodynamic efficiency.

01:02 This means that on Ferrari's Fiorano test track,

01:05 the Spider laps about half a second behind the Italia.

01:08 But you know what?

01:09 None of that matters.

01:10 [ENGINE REVVING]

01:12 What you're listening to is the Spider's 557 horsepower,

01:16 4.5 liter V8, blow through the gears of its seven-speed dual

01:20 clutch transmission.

01:21 It doesn't sound nearly this good in the coupe.

01:24 So does that make the 458 Spider a better car

01:27 than the 458 Italia?

01:28 Not if you put pure performance above all else.

01:32 But if you like the feel of the wind in your hair,

01:34 sun on your face, and this sound in your ears,

01:38 there just isn't anything better.

01:40 [MUSIC PLAYING]

01:45 [MUSIC PLAYING]

01:48 (rock music)