458 Spider – Automobiles Review

Ferrari 458 Spider Concept by Carlex Design Looks Astounding!

Ferrari 458 Spider has received an extreme appearance, both inside and outside. Although only in a concept variant, this car is the current project on which the experts at Carlex Design Studio are working and concentrating efforts. They have just released their interpretation of the 458 Spider in five images (sketches actually) at their official Facebook page.

A fortunate fact is that the tuners said that these conceptual drawings will be soon transformed into reality.

Carlex Design Ferrari 458 Spider Concept Exterior

Although there isn’t much of information released, what we see is really pleasing and spoils the eyes. The first two pictures display the one-off exterior design of this Ferrari. It is painted in clean white color. It features black stripes on the hood and roof, and contrasting carbon fiber elements like the rearview mirrors.

The wheels are also decided in black; they are with V-spoke design and are fitted with huge low-profile rubbers. All in all the exterior design look fantastic and we are impatient to eventually see it taking real shape.

Carlex Design Ferrari 458 Spider Concept Interior

The cabin of this particular Ferrari 458 Spider Concept looks even better. It is infused in two contrasting colors: black and red, which is the perfect choice for the white exterior (in my opinion).

It is visible that the interior is bold and intense and almost blood-re. It features two-tone leather and Alcantara upholstery, starting from the steering-wheel, continuing through the door panels and dashboard, and ending up with the seats. There are a lot of dark accents, additional contrast stitching and leather inserts.

Drivetrain

There is no data released whether this car will feature any changes for its engine. If all stays intact, then this beautiful Ferrari 458 Spider will be driven 4.5 liters V8 engine, producing 605 hp (478 kW) and 540 Nm (398 lb-ft) of torque at 6000 rpm. This will allow the supercar to reach 0-100 km (0-62 mph) in just 3.0 seconds.

But don’t you think that this exceptional design deserves an engine uprate?

Source: Carlex Design

June 11, 2015

Liberty Walk and SR Auto Roll Out Insane Ferrari 458 Spider

In December last year we announced that the specialists at SR Auto Group have begun working on a Liberty Walk Ferrari 458 Spider. Back then there was only a couple of photos released suggesting that the black Italian supercar will have some red stylish accents. And so it has. Today we have the project fully revealed and I must admit it is crazy!

At first we must bring some attention to the LW wide body kit, which is the first factor making the car that impressive. The Japanese tuner has installed a front splitter as well as new extended side skirts. There is also the need of flared wheel arches so Liberty walk couldn’t just skip them. At the back we see carbon fibre bootlid lip spoiler and a new rear diffuser.

In fact, the lowered ride height perfectly complements the new aggressive and contrasting Davinci Red alloys. They come from PUR Wheels in the size of 20 inches at all four corners and feature exposed hardware in Gloss Black.

At last, this Prancing Horse did not receive any engine upgrades, meaning that it is powered by the direct-injection 4.5 litre V8 unit. It generates 578 horsepower (425 kW) and 540 Nm (398 lb-ft) of torque. The maximum speed is of 320 km/h (198 mph) and the acceleration from 0 to 100 km/h is under 3.4 seconds.

All in all, this project seems to be very minimalist, but this is what I really like about it: small details mixed with a lot of passion!

Source: SR Auto Group

March 10, 2015

Ferrari 458 Spider Uglier than Ever

Ferrari 458 Spider Golden Shark Side

What is going on in the automotive world? Seriously. In order to visualize their out-of-the-box thinking and in their attempts to stand out from the crowd, some tuners craft out (I am not really sure if the word “craft” is right when we talk about failures) something that is not even good enough for a low-budget cartoon production. If making a model which can only stand for displeasing intrusiveness is a skill, then the Japanese tuning company Office-K definitely has it.

Stripping down the luxurious Italian flavor of the Ferrari 458 Spider, Office-K designs (I swear such verbs simply do not fit the spoiled look of the Ferrari) an outrageously awful body styling which does nothing but obliterating the initial concept of the vehicle. The new look of the Ferrari 458 Spider Golden Shark screams out “Ugliness”, with a gigantic capital letter! If the tuner’s goal was to make a completely unattractive look, it almost succeeded. I say almost because if unattractiveness had feelings, even it would get offended by this hideousness.

The modified exterior seems to have been done in a two-stage process. Firstly, there is an underlying layer of galvanized steel, followed by a topcoat of transparent gold and pearl framework. If we exclude this eye-not-pleasing finish and the Forgiato Aguzzo-M 22-inch rims which have the same color as a matter ejected from the stomach through the mouth, there is something else that significantly contributes to the overall unpleasantness: the shark mouth painted on the front end of the Ferrari! Instead of conveying the message “danger, get away from me”, the shark front fascia theme cries out “meh, I’m ugly and it couldn’t be any worse.” Wait! It can! Did you notice the creepy teddy bear lurking between the front seats?

At least the 4.5-liter, 562-horsepower V8 engine under the hood hasn’t been replaced by a decorated brick.

Source: Office-K

January 9, 2015

Kahn Ferrari 458 Spider Shows Powerful Presence

Kahn Ferrari 458 Spider is the perfect car. First of all it is convertible Ferrari model, and secondly – what makes it even more exceptional is the fact that it is enhanced by the luxury tuning specialists at A. Kahn Design.

The car’s naturally-aspirated, direct-injection 4.5 litre V8 engine produces 578 horsepower (425 kW) at 540 Nm (398 lb-ft) of torque, making it easy for it to reach its maximum speed of 320 km/h (198 mph). Another important number here is the acceleration time which is under 3.4 seconds for the sprint from 0 to 100 km/h.

To be more precise, this enhanced Ferrari 458 Spider is shrouded in voluptuous Grigio Alloy couture, and includes Kahn’s styling package. This means that this particular vehicle comes equpped with a lowered suspension, front sections, matt rear styling detail, black painted calipers and state of the art Monza forged alloy wheels and the majestic 180 number plate.

Undoubtedly, this super-special cabrio is the right choice for those individuals who want to be seen and heard. It has discarded the fabric roof in favor of a folding hardtop. The roof folds in 14 seconds, and is 25 kg lighter than its equivalent.

The interior of the sportscar is adorned by Kahn’s luxurious Nero interior. It is black and perfectly contrasts the exterior. A contrast also makes the white stitching and several accents included.

Source: A. Kahn Design

May 10, 2013

Ferrari 458 Italia Spider – “Best Cabriolet” Award

Without any hesitation, we can say that Ferrari 458 Spider is the best convertible in the world. The car incorporates everything that a “drop-top driver” needs – extremely powerful engine, sensational noise from the exhaust and beautiful exterior lines.

That’s why, the readers of Auto Motor und Sport have crowned the 458 Spider “Best Imported Cabriolet” in the traditional “Best cars” poll.

This is second award for the 458 Spider in this category and it’s the 15^th time that a convertible Ferrari has received this award, demonstrating the esteem with which the marque is held in Germany.

The trophy was presented by Auto Motor und Sport Editor-in-Chief, Ralph Alex, to Ferrari CEO Amedeo Felisa at the prize-giving ceremony held in Stuttgart today.

The 458 Spider is powered by the same engine as the coupe – a naturally aspirated 4.5 liter V8 with 570HP (419 kW) at 9,000RPM and 540Nm (399 lb-ft) at 6,000RPM. This means the incredible 127 PS/liter from a naturally aspirated engine. Furthermore, the sports car is 1380 kg, so it has power-to-weight ratio of 2.42 kg/hp. 0-100 km/h in 3.4 seconds a top speed of 325 km/h (202 mph).

The engine powering the car has also been in the spotlight, having won the International Engine of the Year award for two consecutive years in 2011 and 2012.

Overall the 458 – in both the Italia coupé and the Spider versions – has received over 50 awards worldwide to date and is one of the most recognised and successful models in the history of Ferrari.

Source: Ferrari

January 24, 2013

Ferrari 458 Spider Through the Eyes of a Photographer

Have you ever wondered how a beast such as a Ferrari 458 Spider will look like through the lenses of a professional photographer? Well, if you have – here some great pictures which are going to “take your mind away”!

The perfection of the emblematic red sportscar is simply perfectly presented in a summer evening at the London Docklands. The contrast color of the Ferrari ideally emerges from the dark grey background of the city.

The 458 Spider debuted as this year’s model back in 2011. It widened Ferrari’s mid-rear engined V8s range, thus offering the same uncompromising technological solutions, handling and performance in a refined open-top configuration.

The car’s naturally-aspirated, direct-injection 4.5 litre V8 engine generates 578 horsepower (425 kW) at 540 Nm (398 lb-ft) of torque, making it easy for this “red beast” to reach its maximum speed of 320 km/h (198 mph) effortlessly.

Another important number here is the acceleration time which this Ferrari has for the sprint from 0 to 100 km/h – it is under 3.4 seconds. In fact, the engine it uses was nominated as the 2011 International Engine of the Year for its engineering excellence in terms of driveability, performance, economy and refinement.

The power of the 458 Spider is transferred to the road by Ferrari’s class-leading dual-clutch F1 paddle-shift transmission through the sophisticated E-Diff, itself integrated with the F1-Trac traction control and high-performance ABS for maximum handling dynamics.

Pictures Source: Tomirri Photography via Facebook

October 24, 2012

Top Convertibles 2011

Always pointed as the category cars that gives drivers the most thrilling experience on the road, the convertible rides have walked a long way from the early ragtops with leaky roofs till the nowadays quiet, fast and extremely comfy cabrios. (more…)

November 7, 2011

2012 Ferrari 458 Spider

The new 458 Spider joins the 458 Italia, widening the range of Ferrari’s mid-rear engined V8s and offering the same uncompromising technological solutions, handling and performance in a refined open-top configuration. It is equipped with a Ferrari patented, fully retractable hard top, a world first for a sports car with this lay-out.

The 458 Spider is powered by Ferrari’s naturally-aspirated, direct-injection 4.5 litre V8 which was nominated as the 2011 International Engine of the Year for its engineering excellence in terms of driveability, performance, economy and refinement. The power is transferred to the road by Ferrari’s class-leading dual-clutch F1 paddle-shift transmission through the sophisticated E-Diff, itself integrated with the F1-Trac traction control and high-performance ABS for maximum handling dynamics.

Certain features, such as its accelerator pedal mapping and the damping of the multilink suspension, have been calibrated to guarantee maximum sportiness and absolute driving pleasure with the top down, in line with Maranello’s exclusive spider tradition. Even the engine soundtrack has been honed to ensure that the car’s occupants are completely captivated by the drop-top driving experience.

Entirely in aluminium, the hard-top solution adopted for the 458 Spider offers a number of advantages over the traditional folding soft-top, including a reduction of 25 kg in weight and a deployment time of just 14 seconds. Fully integrated into the styling of the car, the hard-top was engineered to fit neatly ahead of the engine bay without compromising aerodynamics or the performance of the car. The small space needed to house the roof enables the designers to include a generous rear bench for luggage behind the seats.

The rear of the car is characterised by innovative forms with the buttresses designed to optimise the flow of air to the engine intakes and the clutch and gearbox oil radiators. For maximum comfort whilst driving top down the 458 Spider features a generously-sized adjustable electric wind stop. The design was perfected to slow and diffuse the air in the cockpit, enabling normal conversation to be held even at speeds over 200 km/h.

New technical solutions adopted for the chassis guarantee identical levels of structural rigidity with the roof up or down. The result is a car that is truly exciting to drive, blending extreme performance with the responsiveness that has always characterised Ferrari’s open-top berlinettas.

458 Spider technical specifications

Dimensions
Length	4527 mm (178.2 in.)
Width	1937 mm (76.3 in.)
Height	1211 mm (47.7 in.)
Wheelbase	2650 mm (104.3 in.)
Dry weight	1430 kg (3153 lbs)*
Weight/power ratio	2.51 kg/CV (7.42 lbs/kW)
Weight distribution fr/r	42%/58%

Engine
Type	90° V8
Displacement	4499 cc (274.5 cu in.)
Maximum power	570 CV (425 kW)** @ 9000 rpm
Maximum torque	540 Nm (398 lbs/ft) @ 6000 rpm
Specific power output	127 CV/l
Compression ratio	12.5:1

Tyres
Front	235/35 ZR20 8.5”
Rear	295/35 ZR20 10.5”

Performance
Maximum speed	>320 km/h (>198 mph)
0-100 km/h	<3.4 s

Fuel consumption + emissions
Fuel consumption***	11.8 l/100 km
Emissions***	275 g CO₂/km

Gearbox
Dual-clutch, 7-speed F1

Electronics
E-Diff3, F1-Trac, high-performance ABS

* With forged wheels and Racing seats

** Including 5 CV of ram effect

*** Combined cycle with HELE system (ECE+EUDC)

Source: Ferrari

August 23, 2011

Tag: 458 Spider

Carlex Design Ferrari 458 Spider Concept Exterior

Carlex Design Ferrari 458 Spider Concept Interior

Drivetrain