Arachnomania

A topless supercar? Sure, why not?

First there was the Ferrari 360 Modena, and then came the 360 Spider. So when Ferrari launched the F430 last September at the Paris Motor Show, the Spider version couldn't be far off, right? The Big F unmasked the F430's alter (convertible) ego, the F430 Spider, at the recently held Geneva Motor Show.

Whoever said that F1 technology does not translate into on-road cars had to go take a hike when the F430 made its debut "� it was as close as a roadgoing car could get to the machines Schumi and Barrichello get to drive.

Now, with the Spider, the feeling is even more engaging because you can drive top down! This also means its easier to be seen in "� an important consideration with a car this sexy.

The F430 Spider drove past the buzz that it was supposed to possess a revolving hardtop, and has instead has been launched with a soft top. Though the underpinnings are all the same, Ferrari claims that for the Spider version of the F430, it had to work out vigorously, especially in the wind tunnel, to show off its new muscles.

A conspicuous rear lip spoiler, plugged into the end of the engine cover, makes an appearance in the Spider, and it gets bigger rear air intakes too.

At the front, the spoiler joins the two intakes to effectively direct the central airflow towards the flat underbody. Though the oval air inlets may take time to grow on you, their shape has been influenced by Ferrari's Grand Prix cars from the 1961 season.

The lines of the F430 Spider have been penned by Pininfarina and are an aggressive evolution of the F360's looks. However, it looks like Ferrari borrowed the taillamps from the Enzo for the F430 and the Spider.

The interiors are a result of a sporty makeover. The new and more adjustable steering wheel not only looks superb, it is also probably quite intuitive.

In the backdrop is a yellow or a red coloured speedometer choice, with a very simple-looking centre console, also available in either aluminium or carbon finish. The F1-derived starter button looks very inviting. Imagine firing up the engine through the steering wheel "� in true Schumi style!

All said and done, you obviously would not buy the F430 Spider just for a top-down drive, would you? This is the way the Spider bites "� the 4308cc V8 engine produces an obscene 483 bhp at a stratospheric 8500 rpm and 47.4 kgm of torque at 5250 rpm.

That's a full 88 more bhp and 9.4 kgm than the 3600cc V8 found in the 360 Spider. Just like an artist would proudly display his work of art on a gallery wall, this fiercely fast machine flaunts its compact engine through a glass cover (a feature borrowed from the F360), under a fully automatic electric hood.

Technologically speaking, this drop-top is a chef d'oeuvre. Its F1 technology allows the aggressive six-speed gearbox to shift gears in an incredible 150 milliseconds. The F430 comes with either the classic Ferrari open-gate manual gearbox or with the F1 paddle shift that Ferrari has developed and refined over recent years for its roadgoing berlinettas.

But where does it derive the grip levels of a four-wheel drive with the balance of a rear-wheel driven sportscar from? The key word here is the electronic differential (or E-Diff, in Ferrari lingo) "� a technology first developed by the racing division for the Scuderia's F1 cars. It helps the F430 improve roadholding and traction at all times.

It also helps the car to benefit from seamless power delivery between each of the rear wheels, based on pedal position, steering angle, bend rate and individual wheel speed. According to Ferrari, E-Diff is particularly helpful in delivering maximum grip when exiting a corner under power.

Now all that translates to some serious performance. Before you finish reading this sentence, the Spider would have done 0 to 100 kph in 4.1 seconds flat "� and it can attain a top speed in excess of 310 kph. Test drive reports of the F430 claim that the car's performance is accompanied by some solid acoustic performance too.

The F1 lineage is also brought into this manic roadgoing car through a rotary switch on the steering wheel (known to the Scuderia's drivers as 'manettino') which manages the integrated systems governing vehicle dynamics.

This rotary switch, which comes with five settings, controls E-Diff, stability control and integrates and adjusts the responses of the gearshift. Which means you can decide your level of driving involvement "� you can push the car depending on the mood you're in.

Select 'Ice' mode (the most conservative of all modes) for those effortless drives. Here, the traction control system allows the least amount of wheelspin and prevents the F1 transmission from shifting gears at high revs. The 'Grip' mode (recommended for driving on wet tarmac), on the other hand, allows the gearbox to perform those sporty high rev shifts.

However, if you're in the mood for some action, switch to 'Sports' mode, which not only loosens the stability system's electronic grip, but also shortens the shift time. This is the mode for some wheelspin and sideways action. Then there is 'Race', which gives way to quicker gearshifts and even less traction control.

And finally, the aggressive CST (Control Stability and Traction) setting switches off the traction and stability control systems. This means the car's senses go numb and now the driver has to rely on his sixth sense to find the car's confines!

Looks like Ferrari did get its formula right!