Ferrari has made its mid-engined V8 supercar heavier, by taking off its roof.

The new F8 Spider is a folding soft-top version of the Tributo and offers immense performance for an open-topped car.

Although the F8 Spider than a Tributo coupe, by 70 kg (due to structural reinforcement countering reduces roof rigidity), it is lighter than its predecessor. Ferrari’s 488 Spider was 20 kg heavier than this new V8 open-top Ferrari.

The F8 Spider operates an electrically retractable fabric roof, which takes only 14 seconds to stow in the rear deck area. Ferrari’s engineers had to apply a slight redesign of the F8’s aft cover panels to accommodate the folding fabric roof.

Most of the trick aero bits applied to the Tributo are applied to this new F8 Spider, which totals10% gain in drag efficiency.

Powering the F8 Spider is Ferrari’s turbocharged 3.9-litre V8 engine. With an intake system and Inconel exhausts manifold from the 488 Challenge competition car, this F8 Spider does not lack for potency.

The V8 engine boosts 530 kW, supported by 770 Nm of torque. Those outputs turn the rear wheels via a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission. It ranks as a terrifically quick car, capable of 0-100 kph in 2.9 seconds and a top speed of 340 kph – preferably with the roof in place.

Ferrari’s version 6.1 slip-angle software balances performance by mastering all the intervention and driver-assist systems to optimise performance without imperilling safety.

A specific pint of appeal concerning this new F8 Spider, as has been the case with many mid-engined Ferrari soft-tops before, is that it allows occupants more direct exposure to the acoustic drama of the brand’s engines.

The service interval recommendation for this new Ferrari are every 20000km and it comes with a comprehensive seven-year mechanical maintenance plan. Ferrari expect to deliver its new F8 Spider to customers by late 2019.

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