I mean really, who can resist? When I get word that I can test drive the Ferrari 488 Pista Spider, it doesn’t take long for me to make up my mind. Simply put, accepting this offer is a no-brainer. Without hesitation, I make my way to Maranello, Italy: the beating heart of Ferrari. Although the limited quantity of this model will only be completely built and delivered in three years from now, it is already completely sold out or pre-ordered. It is barely available on the open market – and in cases where it is, then it’s as a collector car with an extremely bulky price tag. Either way, I’m now at a point where I can barely wait any longer: I finally want to get acquainted with the Ferrari 488 Pista Spider. Let’s get rolling!
The car’s dancing nervously beneath me. The engine gets going, as does my adrenaline; a mercurial feeling flows through my body. Just like that, I’m making my way through the beautiful hilly landscape of the historical Emilia-Romagna region. I sweep past medieval buildings and over ancient bridges, all while enjoying the warm spring air and its delicate scents that are blowing through the open roof. With my spirits on high, I’m casually soaking up the sun’s rays along the way. Does it get much better than this? The sultry Ferrari 488 Pista Spider is truly a road-ready racing car that makes for quite the companion. The Pista is normally made for the race track; due to its limitation, it is rarely seen out on the road. This trip of mine is a real opportunity that I simply couldn’t pass up. And I’m fascinated: I’ve never driven a car that reacts so extremely fast to accelerating, braking or steering. Its responsiveness is simply great. You can correct the path of car with precision, and it travels through corners as if it’s on rails. Another detail that shouldn’t go unmentioned is the manual gear shift. When shifting up, it’s so much fun to achieve that strong acceleration effect in the process. Over and over, I switch between the gears in order to experience this extra thrust as often as possible. What a splendid feeling. You can feel the difference right away. In a nutshell, I’m impressed! I quickly take a few more pictures, and then it’s time to carry on. I can’t leave «my» racing car along the roadside. I don’t miss out on anything along the way, and after this journey I can call myself a ferrarista.
Light, fast, aerodynamic and beautiful – the Ferrari carmakers can rightly be proud of what they have created in this new special model. It is their milestone fiftieth open Ferrari, and it’s a real high flyer. With an unexpected 1.92 kg/kW, it has the best power-to-weight ratio of all Spiders and reaches a top speed of 340 km/h. Racing is in its genes. To achieve this feat, the traditional Italian company has given its best. The engineers have optimised absolutely everything to attain this level of performance. Like true artists, they radically took on the 488 series and staunchly set out to improve everything there was to improve. This approach runs through every technological aspect of the vehicle and its complete outer shape. The weight was massively reduced and limited to the essentials. The result: 720 hp, from 0 to 100 in 2.85 seconds, and from 0 to 200 in 7.6 seconds. What acceleration! What numbers! And we haven’t even touched on the pristine design yet. This Ferrari is a real eye-catcher with style. The slender lines and elegant appearance will make anyone who is in tune with aesthetics blush. Then there’s the sound. You have to hear it! First it growls, and then a deep, full-sounding purr emerges. The beast rises up and gets ready to run... The specialists at Ferrari truly know what they’re doing. They never run out of ideas. They are constantly striving to improve and optimise their product. It therefore shouldn’t be surprising that the 488 Pista Spider was awarded the prize for best engine. It’s the most powerful V8 engine in Ferrari’s history. Wrapped up into a complete package, it exerts a magnetic attraction to anyone who has petrol coursing through their veins. This is why, even after finishing my unique and beautiful trip, I have to say it again: the Ferrari 488 Pista Spider makes a real statement! The freedom it offers knows no bounds. I can only encourage others to experience the same.
