Ferrari 488 Spider (2016 - 2019) review and specs

Ferrari’s switch to forced induction for the V8 series, after 40-odd years of yelping naturally aspirated engines, was a master-class in engine design and electronics. The difficult follow-up was the Spider version, in which the 488's drop in musicality would be most obvious. High on the list of reasons for ordering a Spider in the past was the added volume and proximity to a screaming Italian thoroughbred. Did the turbo motor perform the same role with conviction?

The 3.9-litre twin-turbo motor and seven-speed dual clutch gearbox of the 488 GTB carried over unchanged for the Spider and make an astounding partnership. Freakishly devoid of turbo lag, this engine responds with an almighty kick up the diffuser from 2,000rpm, and never abates that thrust until the 8,000rpm redline. The dual-clutch ‘box is almost impossible to fault. Auto mode works seamlessly, and up and down shifts are virtually instant. The raw numbers are 0-62mph in 3 seconds dead – a match for the coupe – 0-124mph in 8.7-sec, and a top speed of 203mph. As brisk as you could possibly want, even by today's standards and a decade on.

The transformation into an open-top 488 naturally involved some fundamental changes. Gone was the elegantly sloping glass rear window, with its view of the V8 beneath, replaced by a flat deck area surrounded by flying buttresses. The multi-metal tub was bolstered at the front and rear to compensate for removing the roof panel. In doing so, Ferrari claimed the Spider had the same torsional rigidity as the coupe. However, it’s that bracing, plus the roof mechanism, that added 50kg onto the kerbweight. Depress a switch on the centre console and 14 seconds later the roof has vanished into a space over your shoulder. 

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With the roof in place wind noise is no different than in the GTB: with it lowered, turbulence is kept in check, with more exhaust noise audible than in the coupe but less turbocharger ‘hiss’. The tone is still unmistakably Ferrari: the low down timbre has that same hollow, sweet quality, but with revs the higher frequencies are undeniably subdued. It’s a subjective thing: if you were a fan of the demented howl of before, then yes, you will miss that, but this is far from a bad noise by any measure. 

Dynamically, it’s nearly impossible to tell the Spider apart from the GTB. Driven back-to-back, then yes, maybe, but realistically they are incredibly close. The structure of the Spider feels so strong: on hideously scarred, broken asphalt that made me wince in anticipation, there’s the slightest suggestion of a tremor from the rear-view mirror, but it’s something you see rather than feel through the car’s body.

The steering is quick and light in typical Ferrari style from the last decade and a half, but it’s not a difficult car to drive enthusiastically. With ‘Sport’ selected on the Manettino it can be subdued – ideal for slogging along an Autostrada or soaking up the rays on the Riviera, with a ride quality that would shame many an executive saloon. 

Switch to race, and it positively ripples with raw energy, but there’s no end of systems on your side, including Side Slip Control 2, bequeathed in principle from the La Ferrari. Such is the 488’s intelligence that it in effect attempts to adapt itself to the skills of the human at the helm. Set up like this, you can drive incredibly quickly – arguably too easily? – and never feel anxious.

Turn everything off and it’s somewhat different. The 488 has so much more torque compared to the 458 that your options can be dictated dramatically by the right-hand pedal. The 488 will power out of curves and slide over crests with 35 degrees of slip, smearing black lines on the road, but seemingly turning 99% of the energy into forward motion. It’s an exhilarating, heart-thumping experience, but the E-Diff and magnetic dampers give the car such a graceful, malleable character even in extremis.

Buying guide, rivals and successors

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The 488 Spider, per tradition, was more expensive than the £180k coupe, priced from £204,000 when new. Expensive options quite often took prices closer to a quarter of a million. Today, you can pay less than £150k for the privilege of 488 Spider ownership, at the lower end of the market.

It took McLaren a couple of years to debut the 720S Spider, so apart from the Lamborghini Huracán Spider with its awkward driving position and the slightly staid 991 Porsche 911 Turbo S Cabriolet, the 488 Spider largely had things its own way.

The 488 Spider gave way to the F8 Spider in 2019, which itself served a very short stint before the 296 GTS took over – the first convertible mid-engined Berlinetta to not be badged 'Spider' since the 355. The F8 was the last of its line, relatively unambitious in principal but the fundamentals were just so impressive, it didn't matter. Today, the 488 Spider and F8 Spider hold appeal over the more complicated 296, though the F8 is still very pricey, still priced over £200k.

The 488 Spider is seen as a solid machine. Make sure the recalls are done and that the MOT and service history are immaculate. Be sure the metal folding roof goes up and down without niggles, too. Consumables like tyres and brakes ought to have good life left on your desired example too. Ferrari’s fit and finish has been pretty good over the last few years so most 488s should have held up well.

Ferrari 488 Spider specs