The 2020 Ferrari F8 Spider
Ferrari F8 Spider 2020 protects your hearing
Not literally, of course. It's just that the F8's engine isn't unpleasantly noisy. In the sound spectrum, we would place the droptop version of the new F8 Tribute somewhere between a Porsche 911 Carrera and a Lamborghini Huracán Evo. It's a great place to exist. But if you've already turned your head and lowered your jaw in response to the barking and belligerent moans of a naturally aspirated Ferrari V-8 when you tear yourself away from a valet, the Spider may seem a bit mature. And while we can understand the appeal of a Ferrari crying out like The Who in '72, we have to keep in mind that Pete Townshend is now living with permanent tinnitus.
The F8's turbos could prevent its volume from damaging your hearing, but the engine's power far exceeds any naturally aspirated Ferrari V8 it has ever owned before. Much of the added power and many revisions of the F8 have been introduced by the 488 Pista. Horsepower is 49 horsepower compared to last year's 488 Spider, although torque gain is modest at 7 pound-feet. There is more than enough push and torque to sink the idiots who think that acceleration from 60 to 90 mph on a road is proof of performance. Launch control allows repeatable seconds under 3.0 seconds up to 60 mph. But while traction is strong over the rev range, the Spider lacks the disorienting acceleration of the latest 911 Turbo S. Unlike the Porsche, there is a little push and an extra growl when you squeeze the V8 of the F8 in its red line. 8000 rpm. To wrongly quote a certain great marquis, masochism has its rewards.
In addition to a pinch of turbo lag at low revs, throttle shots offer goodness right now. Sudden braking when cornering and using the body launch handle activates the seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission, which starts to move on its own at the right time. The column-mounted shift levers behind the steering wheel are there if you want to feel more involved in the process.
Like the soundtrack, the coolness of the F8 is quite civilized. Magnetorheological shock absorbers allow easy driving without fluctuations. Start stressing the F8 and the shocks harden as needed. Hit a bump in the middle of the corner and a brief shake will cross the aluminum frame of the spider, the only negative evidence of its ectomy on the ceiling.
The steering efforts are slightly higher than we remember the 488 Spider. A smaller diameter flywheel could play a role in this, but turning the rudder doesn't yet require a lot of muscle. Steering panels, stability control settings, wiper controls and virtually all other controls, apart from climate control, are located on the steering wheel. Unlike the last Chevrolet Corvette, the interior of this Ferrari is spacious and airy, and the driving position gives the impression that you are just in front of the car with the road a few centimeters away.
For something capable of tripling the posted speed limits, it would be nice to have a larger speedometer. Although there is an excellent digital speed reading in km / h, the mph is at the point of the microwave. Try to explain it to a police officer driving your Giallo Modena F8. (Giallo is Italian for yellow).
Fines shouldn't be a problem since the F8 Spider requires a purchase of $ 302,500. The car we drove totaled $ 396,994. It is a very adult price, and the wealthy can enjoy its daily use as much as avoiding deafness. But since we have no hope of having one soon, count us among the people who want their V-8 to shout a little louder. We brought our own earplugs.
