Ferrari has only recently launched the 458 Italia and began the requisite promotional campaign for it. The automotive industry always thrives on the next thing, and reports are surfacing already about the 458’s model derivative, the Spyder, being confirmed by Ferrari boss Luca di Montezemolo.
To me though, it isn’t a surprise. Was there ever any real doubt Ferrari wasn’t going to produce it? That would have been the real shock. There was some noises about the possibility Ferrari would skip the 458 Italia Spyder because of feared cannibalization of the recently-introduced California drop-top. The 458 Italia is the bread and butter though, and that is what Ferrari will focus on above all else.
As is the usual with Ferrari Spyder derivatives, there won’t be a fancy retractable hardtop – it will be a conventional folding soft-top to save weight. Expect timing to follow a similar pattern to other releases – midway into the car’s life cycle it will be debuted to spark interest once again, after some of the initial hype from the first coupe model fades.