Used 2018 Ferrari 488 Spider for sale 

The 2018 Ferrari 488 Spider is available in only a single trim. The engine on duty is a 3.9 liter twin-turbo V8 paired to a 7-speed dual-clutch auto shifter. There are a lot of options to choose from, including paint, leather, stitching, materials (carbon fiber), all to make your Ferrari 488 Spider unique. 

Buying Advice

We would recommend buying this car and would recommend getting the carbon-fiber exterior trim including the carbon fiber wheels. We would also like you to get a few features from the Tailor Made division so that you can get a personalized car to your liking. 

Under the bonnet of the Ferrari 488 Spider is a 3.9 liter twin-turbo V8. The motor produces an eye-watering 661 hp and 561 lb-ft of torque.

The engine is paired with a 7-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox, which directs all the power to the rear wheels. 

The Ferrari 488 spider makes 660hp, making it the most powerful of the above cars. Following this is the Porsche 911 Turbo S cabriolet with 580hp, and then comes the McLaren 570s spider making 562hp. In torque figures, again Ferrari takes the center stage by offering the best in class 561 lb-ft.

Acceleration

The Ferrari 488 Spider can do the 0-60 in 3.0 seconds and complete the standing quarter-mile in 10.5 seconds and will continue to its top speed of 202 mph. As you can expect, it is a Ferrari and the even better part is it matches its coupe sibling’s time. The competition is tough when Ferrari competes with rivals in the quarter-mile time.

The Porsche 911 Turbo S Cabriolet does the 0-60 sprint in 2.8 seconds, the fastest of the above cars. Then comes the Ferrari 488 spider with a 3.0 second time and the McLaren 570S spider with a 3.1 second 0-60 time. In quarter-mile, Ferrari takes the cake by offering the class-leading timing of just 10.5 seconds. 

Ride and Handling

The Ferrari 488 Spider handles like a race car; you point it in a direction, and it follows there immediately, making it a thrill to drive, this is thanks to its electro-hydraulic power-assist speed-sensing steering. It also has drive modes, which set up the car as fast as possible for you to make the most of it.

Being the convertible version, it finds its home not on the race track, but you can enjoy it there, but on a curvy road, you also enjoy the wind through your hair. The ride is comfortable and stiffens when put into race mode. The suspension is double wishbone, which apart from being light also improves stability and handling. 

Braking

The brakes on the Ferrari 488 Spider feature a 15.7-inch rotor on the front and a 14.2-inch rotor on the rear. The brakes are vented and cross-drilled, high-performance carbon-ceramic brakes, like the ones found on race cars. They will remain cool even in track-like conditions, drain out excess water (if any) while driving in the wet, and will bring the car to a stop in 94 feet. 

The 911 Turbo S cabriolet has the best 60-0 mph stopping distance of 93 feet. The Ferrari 488 Spider comes second with 94 feet of the 488 Spider. The McLaren 570S Spider sets a distance of 100 feet and takes the longest of the above cars.

One can’t expect a lot from a V8 in terms of fuel economy. The Ferrari 488 Spider offers 15 mpg in the city, 22 mpg on the highway, and a combined mpg of 18. Ferrari equips the 488 Spider with a 22.7-gallon fuel tank that will allow the 488 Spider to have a range of 341 miles in the city, 499 miles on the highway, and a combined range of 408 miles. 

The Ferrari 488 Spider offers the best range of the above cars with 408 miles, then comes the Porsche 911 Turbo S cabriolet with 375 miles of range, and the least range is offered by the McLaren 570S spider of 342 miles. 

The Ferrari 488 Spider can seat 2 occupants in the cabin comfortably. Even though space might be seen less, it actually can fit people comfortably. The seats are 4-way adjustable in every direction and are sports seats. These seats can be upgraded to feature carbon fiber seats too. 

The interior upholstery is leather and has the options of multiple colors as well. Leather will be seen on all surfaces of the interior, and there is also the option of stitch colors available. There is also the option of carbon fiber to cover interior trim surfaces. If you like, Ferrari’s tailor-made program can personalize the interior for you. 

As these are performance cars, there are no specs available for all cars. However, Porsche can seat 4 occupants. But we reckon that the Ferrari 488 Spider has the most space available to the driver and front passenger.

Infotainment system

The multi-purpose steering wheel laden with all the buttons is what most owners will use to control most of the features on the car. The A/C controls and audio controls can also be controlled via the knobs that are placed in the center of the dashboard. There is no standalone screen as there are two screens on either side of the rev meter part of the instrument cluster that doubles up to display the sat nav and other information required. 

• Bluetooth connectivity
• Navigation system 
• AM/FM radio
• Smartphone connectivity - Apple CarPlay only
• 12-speaker JBL sound system

Cargo Volume

The Ferrari 488 Spider being a hardtop convertible does not have a trunk in the back, it has a front-trunk or frunk. It offers 8.1 cu.ft of space, which is big enough to hold your everyday items but is also big enough to hold a pair of large weekend bags. 

The Ferrari 488 Spider actually features the biggest trunk amongst the rivals with 8.1 cu.ft. Following this is the Mclaren 570s, which features a boot space of only 5.3 cu.ft, and then comes the Porsche 911 Turbo S cabriolet with an offering of just 4.4 cu.ft. of space. 

The car is just sensational to look at from the outside. The signature long-tailed headlights are well integrated and provide a fantastic look to the front fascia of the car. The rear fascia complete with round taillights and dual exhaust appropriately balances the character of the convertible.

The design is meant to optimize aerodynamics, that’s why you have a front spoiler to increase the grip in the front and the air will flow around the body like waves to its tail, which has a slotted flap spoiler that will help keep the car planted. Other features include carbon-fiber exterior accents, which will also reduce the weight of the car. 

The Ferrari 488 Spider rides on 20-inch alloy wheels that can be customized in terms of style as per the customer’s requirement. For the first time ever, there are custom carbon alloy wheels on offer as well for a small premium over the standard wheels.

When you speak of dimensions, the Ferrari is quite similar to the others, even in ground clearance. However, in terms of weight, it is on the lighter side of the scales when you consider the above cars, being just 48 pounds heavier than the McLaren 570S Spider but nearly 320 pounds heavier than the Porsche 911 Turbo S Cabriolet. 

Although the NHTSA and the IIHS have not given the Ferrari 488 Spider a safety rating, being a quarter of a million-dollar convertible Ferrari, you can expect absolutely no compromise on the safety standard. The car features a carbon fiber build throughout, so there are no questions about the stability of the structure of the car. There are a host of passive and active safety features as well that keep the vehicle in check. Some of them are:

• Electronic Stability Control (ESC)
• F1-Trac ABS And Driveline Traction Control
• Side Impact Beams
• Front And Rear Parking Sensors
• Tire Specific Low Tire Pressure Warning
• Dual Stage Driver And Passenger Front Airbags w/Passenger Off Switch
• Dual Stage Driver And Passenger Door-Mounted Side Airbags
• Outboard Front Lap And Shoulder Safety

Porsche 911 Turbo S Cabriolet vs Ferrari 488 Spider

The Porsche 911 Turbo S Cabriolet is a car that has seen evolution throughout the decades and has finally evolved to its present age. Neither power nor the torque figures match that of the Ferrari 488 Spider. Overall, the Ferrari looks much more like a thoroughbred roadster than the 911 Turbo S Cabriolet. However, the Porsche is significantly cheaper making it a good option for the 488 Spider.

McLaren 570S Spider vs the Ferrari 488 Spider

Both McLaren and Ferrari come from Formula 1 team’s road divisions. They both have twin-turbocharged engines, dual-clutch gearboxes, and even have similar dimensions and weights. Both cars offer similar performance and complete personalization if you choose to spend on it. The differences can be seen in the power, torque, and price, with the Ferrari having larger values to all. Considering there is a marginal difference in performance and McLaren being cheaper, it does make a good option. 

All in all, the Ferrari should be your choice if open-air thrills and a superior looking car is what you desire. The engine is now more powerful than its competition. The car handles better than ever, and there is really not much to complain about at all. The hardtop puts it in a segment where very few cars exist as most of them come with a soft top. The Ferrari 488 spider is a perfect combination of beauty and power. There are not a lot of cars that match the pedigree of the mighty Ferrari 488 Spider.