Ferrari has unveiled the Spyder version of their current, F430-successor, the 458 Italia, three weeks before the supercar is to be unveiled at the 2011 Frankfurt Auto Show.
The automaker from Maranello describes the 458 Spyder as the first mid-engined supercar to feature a retractable hardtop, and the 458 Italia Spyder abandons the traditional fabric top used by generations of drop-top Ferraris for an aluminum piece that shaves about 55 pounds off-of the retractable top used by the previous F430 Spyder. The retractable aluminum top folds itself into a stowage area directly behind the seats and in front of the engine bay, a process that Ferrari claims only takes about 14 seconds.
Several other enhancements have been made to ensure maximum comfort and usability at relatively high speeds, such as an electronically-controlled wind stop within the car's interior, allowing driver and passenger to be able to hold a normal conversation within the cab at up to 124mph. The stow-away area for the retractable top has also allowed for a small amount of extra space between the passenger cab and the engine bay, allowing for what Ferraristis and other "Maranello insiders" have described as a "generous rear bench for luggage."
As Edmunds so delicately points-out, most Ferraristis may not want to abandon Ferrari's traditional, Spyder fabric top for an aluminum one, but Edmunds also makes the smart observation that the engineering involved behind this new feature will probably have those same critics becoming none-other than converts!
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