Putting Ferrari's surprising Spider to the test

Singapore — The 488 Spider is Ferrari’s newest model, equipped with a new, turbocharged V8 engine just like its sibling, the 488 GTB coupe.

The Prancing Horse badge carries with it the weight of decades of history and racing success. So the words “Ferrari convertible” may lead one to mistakenly assume that such a car is expensive, terribly loud, too fast for its own good and driven by the kind of people whose exploits dominate social media.

But there are very good reasons why Ferrari is the world’s most feted maker of fast machines and there is usually much more to its cars than meets the admiring eyes of stunned observers.

Here are five reasons why the 488 Spider challenges and, in some cases, defies expectations.

IF YOU OWN ONE OF THESE, YOU ARE AWFULLY GENEROUS

And we do not mean that you are generous with yourself, either. The Ferrari 488 Spider costs S$1.105 million without a Certificate of Entitlement (COE) in Singapore. Based on data supplied by the Land Transport Authority, more than half of this amount goes towards taxes.

The single biggest cost component is S$517,845, the car’s Additional Registration Fee. Thanks to the tiered nature of this tax, buyers of more expensive vehicles pay more.

Next, S$86,122 accounts for Goods and Services Tax and Excise, and a S$30,000 Carbon Emissions-based Vehicle Scheme surcharge because of the car’s 277g/km CO2 output.

Lastly, there is also a S$140 Registration Fee. Add S$55,501 (at current rates) for a Category B COE, plus a year’s road tax of S$3,796 and you get a total of S$693,404 (out of a S$1,205,501 price with COE) paid to government coffers.

So, the next time you see a Ferrari driver going by, you should applaud them for their contribution to the nation, instead of shooting them envious glances.

IT HAS QUITE A LOT IN COMMON WITH AN F1 CAR

“Derived from racing” is a marketing term that is easily thrown about these days, but in this case, it is true because Ferrari has been doing the track-to-road tech progression for decades. This is seen, for instance, in current iterations of the dual-clutch gearbox and electronic systems such as E-Diff (rear differential) and F1 Trac (traction control) that control car dynamics.

The difference on the 488 Spider is that you (and everyone else) can now see this F1 tech on board: The car’s discrete front wing and central splitter “pillar” below its nose, look like they came straight from the race track. The rear of the car incorporates technology that is now banned in F1, like a “blown” spoiler that has been integrated into the rear bodywork.

IT’LL MAKE YOU FEEL LIKE KIMI ...

The car’s new 3.9-litre twin-turbocharged V8 engine seems to have none of the drawbacks — like turbo lag, a listless soundtrack or lack of character — of more mundane powerplants.

It has 670hp, a staggering 90hp more than the model it replaces, the 458 Spider. But the real magic lies in Ferrari’s ability to make the whole so much more than the sum of its parts.

This is especially evident in how the car’s electronics give drivers just the amount of assistance they need, unobtrusively. In Race mode, the 488 Spider makes you feel like Ferrari F1 driver Kimi Raikkonen. The car bucks, squirms and roars but still does your bidding at the flick of the wrist.

... EVEN IF YOU AREN’T IN A RUSH

Off the track, Kimi’s known for being so laid back he is horizontal and the 488 Spider can be like that too — if you choose. Drive the car in its default Sport mode, and it makes little noise besides a low gurgle. It feels nimble, while the drivetrain is smooth and predictable even when creeping along. The suspension smooths out bumps, especially in “bumpy road” setting (this is actually displayed on the instrument panel) and it feels no more difficult to drive at civil speeds than a Toyota.

IT FEELS SURPRISINGLY OLD-SCHOOL

While there are still a few machines that can out-punch the 488 Spider on paper, almost none of them can match it for driving pleasure, probably because of its old-world charms.

It offers excellent visibility, superb steering setup, a quick and simple folding roof mechanism, and a cabin that still looks like a car’s, not a jet fighter’s.

Its old-school charms have been made possible with new-school technology, but the tech is never there for its own sake. A million-dollar car is hard to justify whichever part of the world you live in, but this Spider’s fantastic bite delivers an overpowering dose of irrational passion-driven spending.

FERRARI 488 SPIDER

Engine: 3,902cc, V8, twin turbo, 670hp, 760Nm

Performance: above 325kmh, 0-100kmh: 3s, 11.4L/100km, 260g/km CO2

Price: S$1.150 million without COE

On Sale: Now

PROS: Old-school charm enabled by new-school tech

CONS: You have to be generously endowed (financially) to own one