MOTORING Road Test First Drive: Ferrari’s 12Cilindri Spider takes drop-top thrills to a new level
By Jack Evans, PA Motoring Reporter
What is it?
Ferrari has a far-reaching history for convertibles.This car – the 12Cilindri Spider – is the latest drop-top to join the Italian firm’s ranks, taking its already-potent flagship V12 model and whipping off the roof to create a more open-air experience. But the transition from coupe to convertible can often be a tricky one, so does this latest Spider deliver the kind of driving style that you’d expect from a V12-powered Ferrari? We’ve been driving it in Portugal to find out.
What’s new?
While it might seem pretty simple to transform an existing coupe into a convertible, there’s a lot that goes on to ensure that the latter delivers the same sharp drive that you get from the former.With the 12Cilindri, that means a little extra reinforcement here and there, while the clever metal folding roof has been designed to ensure that luggage space is still usable. Remarkably, the Spider is hit with only a 60kg weight increase over the Coupe. Ferrari never wanted to go down the route of a fabric soft top – as it has done with cars like the Roma Spider – to help ensure that when the roof is closed, the 12Cilindri is just as refined and comfortable as the hard top.
What’s under the bonnet?
Mid-front mounted sits one of the last great V12 engines – a 6.2-litre, naturally-aspirated behemoth that provides a direct lineage through some of Ferrari’s greatest supercars. In the 12Cilindri Spider, you’re getting a heady 807bhp and 678Nm of torque delivered to the rear wheels via an eight-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox. Zero to 60mph comes in at just under three seconds and flat-out, the 12Cilindri Spider will manage a hair-blasting 211mph top speed.
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