What's Wrong With This Picture: Along Came A Spyder Edition

Edward Niedermeyer
by Edward Niedermeyer

Oh look, a convertible Ferrari 458. And, true to the brand’s nouveau-riche poser image, it’s one of those awful, complex, weight-adding, retractable hardtops. What’s that, Autocar? You say the 458 uses a “pivoting” hardtop like the 575 Superamerica (rather than a hinged system), and that actually it’s 55 lbs lighter than the 430 Spyder’s ragtop? Plus, it leaves space for a “luggage bench behind the seats”? Well, damn. Arguing with that is like, well, arguing that no sportscar brand should ever give up the involvement of the manual transmission. No matter how badly I want to disapprove of nearly every thing Ferrari does these days, I just… well, let’s just say they don’t make it easy. Bastards.






Edward Niedermeyer
Edward Niedermeyer

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  • Seanx37 Seanx37 on Aug 23, 2011

    I hope that retractable roof is fireproof.

  • JEC JEC on Aug 23, 2011

    Anyone else see a strong nod towards the 206/246 in that rear engine cover? Kind of odd they got rid of the signature clear engine cover though. I think the 458 is spectacular - in person. In photos you don't really get a true sense of the fluid curves and elegant complexity of the thing.

  • Dukeisduke Womp womp.
  • FreedMike China's whining about unfair trade practices? Okay.
  • Kwik_Shift Hyunkia'sis doing what they do best...subverting expectations of quality.
  • MaintenanceCosts People who don't use the parking brake when they walk away from the car deserve to have the car roll into a river.
  • 3-On-The-Tree I’m sure they are good vehicles but you can’t base that on who is buying them. Land Rovers, Bentley’ are bought by Robin Leaches’s “The Rich and Famous” but they have terrible reliability.
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