Beyond Imagination

Ferrari unleashes its first-ever production plug-in hybrid convertible, and it’s every bit as quick as it looks

About a year and a half ago, Ferrari launched the SF90 Stradale. The SF90 Stradale was the most powerful and fastest accelerating road car ever built by the storied Italian carmaker. It was also Ferrari’s first series production plug-in hybrid vehicle. It was, then, only a matter of time before the convertible version of the SF90 Stradale came out, which it did in the second week of November.

Meet the SF90 Spider, Ferrari’s first-ever production plug-in hybrid convertible, which is every bit as quick as it looks. Under its hood is a humungous 4-litre, twin-turbo V8 engine that works in tandem with three electric motors and produces a combined output of 1000bhp and 800Nm of torque.

Power is sent to all four wheels via an eight-speed dual-clutch gearbox, and the SF90 Spider, which has a top speed of 340kph, can breach the ton in a mind-numbing 2.5 seconds. Prospective buyers will also appreciate the fact that the convertible’s aluminum retractable hard-top can open and close in just 14 seconds. Keen drivers and Ferrari fans will also tell you that the Spider is almost as quick as the hardtop SF90 Stradale and a touch quicker than the fixed-roof LaFerrari.

Most people would be more than happy to have a car such as the SF90 Spider in their garage, but just in case it doesn’t cut it for you, there is always the option of going in for the Asseto Fiorano package that shaves the Spider’s weight by some 21 kg and kits it out with Multimatic shocks and Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 performance tyres. The Asseto Fiorano package will set you back by some £39,000, ($51,800) but if you are already spending £376,000 ($500,300) on the Spider, we’d suppose that’s just loose change.