The prancing horse marque has put a price tag on its latest piece of drop-top automotive art: the 458 Spider will start at $257,000 before options (which will be plentiful and pricey) when it goes on sale in January of 2012.
So, for a roughly $30,000 premium over its fixed-roof sibling, the 458 Spider nets a folding aluminum hardtop that can be raised or lowered in just 14 seconds. Ferrari says that the all-weather friendly hardtop actually saves 55 pounds over a conventional cloth top. Like the 458 Italia, the Spider utilizes a 4.5-liter V8 with 570 horsepower and 398 lb-ft that sends power to the rear wheels via a seven-speed dual clutch transmission.
Prospective buyers should be reminded that the mere possession of $257,000 is not enough to secure the privilege of 458 Spider ownership; in the absence of a long history of Ferrari purchases or extremely good connections, most Ferrari dealers require the acquisition of one or more used Ferrari models before they will place a buyer on the waiting list for a new car.
If that sounds like a bit much, you can at least watch the 458 Spider’s folding top in action below.
References
1.’Ferrari prices 458…’ view
