There is something magical about a Ferrari V8. The responsiveness, the sheer power, oh and that wonderful noise. Unmatched in the automotive industry, a Ferrari V8 produces a throaty warble Pavarotti himself would have been proud of and when you get it into a tunnel... goosebumps.
That famous V8 is a key cog of The Prancing Horse’s latest offering, the F8 Spider. Convertible, so you can feel the wind in your hair, feel closer to the road and have everyone staring at you, the F8 is a big upgrade on the previous model, the 488 Spider. A new design allows for improved airflow and aerodynamics, sticking the car to the road, while a tweak from the engineers has removed the unwanted turbo-lag that blighted its predecessor.
710 bhp is produced from that 3.9 litre engine, making it one of the most powerful V8s Ferrari has ever produced. They are not messing about with this one. It isn’t all just straight-line speed however, as although it does do 0-60mph in a ridiculous 2.8 seconds, this car shines on the bends.
The biggest selling point of this particular Ferrari has to be the sheer grip and cornering ability. The Michelin Pilot Super Sport tyres stick to the road and give you the confidence to really throw this car into the corners. The carbon ceramic brakes can handle even the toughest of treatment and ground you to a halt.
If you want a bit more slip and slide round the bends, the manettino dial allows you to stick it in either ‘Race’ or ‘CT Off’ mode, which engages slip slide drifting, giving you a little bit of play around the corners, whilst keeping the car under control.
The cockpit feels pure Ferrari, with the racing steering wheel and interior leaving you in no doubt that you are driving a seriously special car. The carbon fibre seats are lightweight yet comfortable if you fancy a grand tour, while that raked windscreen gives you the perfect view of those apex’s that you will not miss.
The seven-speed dual clutch transmission smoothly takes you through the gears and while you have the option of changing gear manually on the flappy paddles, the intelligent system always has you in the right gear. Just change down when you want to hear that engine roar one more time.
Ferrari as a brand is simply getting stronger and stronger. In fact, the stock price has trebled since 2015. Starting at $300,000 (£230,000), this doesn’t come cheap but then again, Ferrari’s shouldn’t.
You aren’t just buying this brilliant car, but a piece of history.
