Along came two spiders: Ferrari F8 Spider and 812 GTS launched in Malaysia
While most automotive companies in Malaysia remain focused on getting the maintenance schedules of their customers back on track, official Ferrari distributor Naza Italia has been busy on the product front with the addition of two new Prancing Horses to its local catalogue.
The launch of any new Ferrari is usually big news on its own, especially if it's a Spider (Italian car lingo for convertible) that doesn't come along very often. So the fact that there's a pair of brand new open-top offerings gracing Naza Italia's swanky showroom floor in the heart of Kuala Lumpur right now (until 31 May 2020) is definitely something worth shouting about.
Ferrari F8 Spider
The F8 Spider was a certainty as soon as the F8 Tributo on which it is based became a thing. Ferrari has a long lineage of mid-engined roadsters after all, with the F8's predecessor providing two drop-top benchmarks in the form of the base 488 Spider and the stripped-for-track 488 Pista Spider. And like its coupe twin, the F8 Spider combines the best of both worlds; Pista-level performance with the accessibility of a street-focused package that's 20kg lighter and more aerodynamic than before.
Despite the added weight and complexities of a retractable hard top (RHT), the Ferrari F8 Spider matches the F8 Tributo's stunning performance figures on paper - 0-100kph in 2.9 seconds and 340kph vmax - such is the ability of Maranello's most powerful V8 to date. The 3.9-litre twin-turbo mill's 720PS (710bhp) and 770Nm is well within V12 territory, and it's managed by a seven-speed DCT and a host of racy electronics like Side Slip Angle Control (SSC 6.1) and Ferrari Dynamic Enhancer (FDE+). The part that gives the F8 Spider its name - its RHT - is similarly 'high-performance', as it can fold away completely in just 14 seconds at moving speeds of up to 45kph.
If you like the headlining figures, you can add them to your car collection from RM1,178,000. However, expect to pay twice as much to put a brand new Ferrari F8 Spider on Malaysian roads after factoring in taxes, insurance and customisation costs.
2020 Ferrari F8 Spider
Ferrari 812 GTS
The wait between the Ferrari 812 GTS and 812 Superfast has been much longer than the one separating the F8 Spider and F8 Tributo, but the gap separating the Prancing Horse's latest V12 spider from its most recent series-production predecessor is much longer; half a century to be exact. Limited-run specials like the 550 Barchetta and F60 America aside, Ferrari has not had a front-V12 topless mainstay in its line-up since the 1969 365 GTS4 "Daytona Spider". So the 812 GTS is rather special; "most powerful production spider" special, and especially alluring to power-hungry tycoons who find the coupe's 'Superfast' tag a tad too pretentious.
Like the consistency between F8 models, the 812 GTS manages to replicate the Superfast's sub-3.0-second century sprint and 340+kph top speed despite its structural differences that come with a 75kg increase in weight. These stats may look similar to those of the smaller-engined F8, but the 812 achieves it in a way unique to Ferrari's naturally-aspirated V12 grand tourers, with its 800PS (789bhp) and 718Nm of twist topping out at a higher rev range (at 8,500rpm and 7,000rpm respectively), such is the vintage charm of a high-capacity (6.5 litres) engine free from the complications of forced induction.
The 812 GTS seems to have received the same RHT as the F8 Spider, as roof-folding times are identical on paper: 14 seconds while the overpowered Italian supercar tries its level best to stay below 45kph.
As a 'Spider', the front-heavy 812 GTS might lack the natural visual dynamics of the mid-engined F8, but there's no denying the Superfast's open-top offshoot is an exceptional masterpiece given its heritage, or lack thereof. Something this special commands a base price of RM1,538,000 before duties, options and other on-road costs, not that you'd need to ask if you're really in the position of buying one.
2020 Ferrari 812 GTS
