Ferrari 488 Spider

Previously on the blog, I wrote that my brother-in-law apparently bought a Ferrari. Just recently, my husband went on a brotherly touring trip with that freshly delivered Ferrari 488 Spider. Since his brother had some work-related inspections to do, he tagged along, heading north on Route 29, crossing the snow-dusted Tokura Pass, and extending their journey toward the Tottori area.

When my husband came home that day, he said, “It was pretty good.” So today, I’d like to share his impressions. By the way, when I asked him, who’s a Porsche driver,
“Have you finally sold your soul to Ferrari (；ﾟДﾟ)!?”
he replied, “No way, that’s not it,” with a laugh.

Engine & Transmission

Engine

Apparently, the Ferrari 488 Spider’s engine has won the “International Engine of the Year” award three years in a row. The 3.9L V8 turbo boasts 670PS and delivers 760Nm at 3000rpm. My husband said,

The engine was truly impressive. Despite being a turbo, there was almost no turbo lag, and it revved very smoothly. The rise in RPM was incredibly fast, with no sense of strain or friction at all.
So, just as the shift-up indicator on the steering wheel started flashing red, I thought, “Maybe around 4000rpm?” but when I glanced at the tachometer, it was already spinning above 6000rpm.
The GT3’s engine also revs quickly, but this was on par or even faster.

However, he didn’t feel like he was driving at such high speeds.

From around 3000rpm upwards, the torque and power are intense, but it doesn’t feel scary. The needle climbs quickly, but it’s not a sudden “kick” turbo feel. You can tell it’s a turbo, but there’s no awkwardness.
It’s easy to handle even at low revs, and it doesn’t feel like you’re driving a 670-horsepower car. In the city, you hardly have to be cautious, and even at very low speeds, you don’t need delicate throttle control.

670 horsepower is really something. On the other hand, my husband noticed a slight issue:

When cruising in AUTO mode at around 80-100km/h, the engine spins at about 2000rpm, but even when you lightly press the accelerator, the speed doesn’t respond proportionally.

He wasn’t sure if this was due to “too much accelerator pedal free play” or “too tall a gear ratio”, but he wished the speed would respond more linearly. (Of course, downshifting raises the speed.)

With Porsche, no matter the gear or model, the accelerator and speed always respond proportionally, and you feel a strong connection between your right foot and the engine, but that wasn’t the case here. That’s a key difference from Porsche.

Transmission

The gearbox is a 7-speed F1 dual-clutch transmission, the same dual-clutch system as Porsche’s PDK. The paddles beside the steering wheel are large, high-quality, easy to operate, and respond very quickly with a crisp “snap! snap!” feel.

However,

While there was no noticeable lag, compared to the GT3’s lightning-fast PDK shifts that make you wonder if it’s a game, this felt slightly less sharp.

Handling

The Ferrari 488 Spider features a long front overhang with the front wheels positioned close to the seats. From the passenger footwell, you can see the large protrusion of the front tires, so you realize the occupants sit just behind the tires.

My husband said,

When turning the wheel, the lateral movement of the occupants felt large, so even small steering inputs produced noticeable lateral G-forces. This is a big difference from Porsche.
You feel the G-forces clearly even during lane changes or gentle curves, giving a strong sense of driving a quick, high-performance car.
So when attacking winding roads, it felt like the G-forces were stronger than necessary, which was a bit scary, but maybe that tension is part of Ferrari’s charm.
I think the actual limits are higher, but because of how the G-forces felt and the cold, slightly wet road conditions that day, I didn’t feel like pushing harder.

He said that while he couldn’t fully evaluate the handling on this trip, once he gets used to it and masters the car, it would be fun in its own way.

Compared to the McLaren 650S my husband used to own, he felt the McLaren wins in “sharpness of handling” and “road grip,” but the Ferrari scores higher in “straight-line stability,” “ease of driving,” and “steering feel.” He thought it would be comfortable enough for longer touring.

His brother said that compared to German cars, it’s a “car that feels a bit risky in places,” but maybe that’s part of its appeal. I kind of get that feeling.

My husband added,

(If you look closely at this photo, his brother is driving in sandals, lol)

Riskiness is also part of the charm, huh…

I said, “I don’t like risky cars… I want to fully trust the car. Or maybe saying ‘riskiness is part of the charm’ is like falling for a dangerously alluring beauty like ‘Fujiko Mine’?”
He replied, “Well, maybe it’s something like that,” (lol).

Ride Comfort & Practicality

Ride Comfort

The 488 Spider has “WET,” “SPORT,” and “RACE” modes. In the calmest “WET” mode, the ride is quite refined, and if you closed your eyes, you might not even realize it’s a Ferrari.

Even in the commonly used “SPORT” mode, the ride isn’t bad at all—more like a “slightly firm sports coupe,” comfortable enough for long distances. “RACE” mode is a bit firmer but not unpleasant.

Straight-line stability is high, and the lack of speed sensation is more than adequate.
With all that power, you can reach crazy speeds quickly, so you have to be careful. The engine and exhaust sounds are gentle during normal city driving, with no annoying loudness or unpleasantness. Compared to the McLaren 650S’s constant “woo” idling noise, this felt much more comfortable even in traffic jams.

Indeed, the McLaren 650S’s idle sound was a bit tough to handle while driving.

On the other hand, once you exceed around 3000rpm and the valves open fully, the sound suddenly becomes very loud. It was surprising at first, but as expected from a Ferrari engine, the exhaust note is thrilling.
And since it revs so well, you want to push it and listen to that sound.
I’d love to hear the naturally aspirated 458’s sound someday.

The controls around the steering wheel felt natural once you got the initial explanation. The turn signals operate via buttons on the steering wheel, similar to Lamborghini, but Ferrari has separate turn signal buttons on the left and right sides of the wheel, so you must keep both hands on the wheel at all times. (Huracan has one button you press left or right.)

My husband wondered if this design was intentional to ensure drivers keep both hands firmly on the wheel in such a high-performance car.

Also, visibility from the driver’s seat, including sightlines and forward view, is good and easy to drive. At 178cm tall, my husband has plenty of headroom, and since Ferrari seats are naturally low, even larger drivers should be comfortable. However, smaller women might find the forward view a bit limited.

Also, with the roof closed, rear-right visibility is almost nonexistent by direct sight. This is common in many left-hand drive convertibles like the Boxster, but it means you need to be extra cautious when merging onto highways or exiting parking lots.

Since it’s a Ferrari, the low ride height could be a concern for daily use, but his brother said “Compared to the Huracan I used to drive, the Ferrari doesn’t scrape the bottom in places where the Huracan did.” Of course, the car is still low, so you have to watch out for bumps, but so far, no scraping has occurred.

I see. When I heard my brother-in-law got his Ferrari, I asked his wife recently, “Does ○○ usually drive the Ferrari?”

She said, “No, not really. It’s wide, you worry about scraping, it stands out in the city, and it’s hard to drive, so in the end, he mostly drives the Prius, lol.”

Husband’s Overall Impression

My husband’s overall impression was,

Personally, I think the engine is the main attraction. The sound, power, and feel really show Ferrari’s excellence. And the fact that such a high-performance engine is tamed so anyone can handle it is amazing.
Also, if you don’t worry about daily practicality, comfort, or attention and vandalism risks, it’s definitely a pass. And above all, the beauty of its design. For those who appreciate it as a work of art, it’s an incredible purchase.

He also said Ferrari is very expensive, but its depreciation is quite low, so effectively it’s a very affordable car to own. Considering that, this design and performance offer incredible cost performance.

Finally, when I asked, “If it was that good, would you buy a Ferrari?” he said,

“No. I just don’t like standing out wherever I go.
If someday a Ferrari comes out with a design that doesn’t scream Ferrari, maybe I’d buy it, but for now, no way, lol.”