Ferrari sets price for the 458 Spider

Ferrari has set the price of the 458 Spider at $257,000, with U.S. sales to start in January, In Europe, the sports car will cost 226,800 euros, or $309,000 at current exchange rate. Sales begin in October.

When compared with the 458 Italia coupe, the Spider costs about 15 percent more. It's a price premium that Ferrari has been charging for the last decade for the open-air versions of models such as the 430 and 360.

Ferrari customers in Europe also usually spend the equivalent of 15 percent to 20 percent on top of the car's list price to purchase personalization items from the company's Carrozzeria Scaglietti program. These items include carbon fiber seats ($7,800) and a rearview camera ($3,600).

The 458 Spider replaces the 430 Spider and features an aluminum retractable hardtop instead of the canvas top offered on its predecessor. Webasto AG supplies the 458 Spider's roof system. The German supplier also sources the roof system on the Ferrari California four-seat convertible.

Ferrari says its patented, fully retractable hardtop is a world first for rear-engine sports cars. The all-aluminum hardtop solution adopted for the 458 Spider offers a number of advantages over the traditional folding canvas top, including a 55-pound weight reduction and a deployment time of 14 seconds.

Fully integrated into the styling of the car, the hardtop was engineered to fit neatly ahead of the engine bay without compromising aerodynamics or the performance of the car.

Ferrari says the small space needed to house the roof enabled the designers to include a generous rear bench for luggage behind the seats.

The 458 Spider's powertrain is the same as that on the 458 Italia coupe--a normally aspirated 4.5-liter V8 delivering 570 hp coupled with a Getrag seven-speed dual-clutch transmission.

The 458 Spider accelerates from 0 to 62 mph in less than 3.4 seconds. Its top speed is 198 mph.

By Luca Ciferri- Automotive News Europe