IAA 2011: Ferrari 458 Spider Debuts Along with New “Tailor Made” Program

Ferrari’s CEO, Luca di Montezemolo, pulled the wraps off the latest addition to Maranello’s stable, the 458 Spider, at the 64th Frankfurt Motor Show. The open-top version of the acclaimed 458 Italia sports an innovative hard-top folding roof that offers better insulation from noise and heat in the cabin and is even 25 kg lighter than a traditional fabric roof.

The opening or closing operation takes just 14 seconds and, when open, the hard top occupies a very small space, leaving room for a storage bench behind the seats. Additionally, when the roof is stored, the rear windscreen rises automatically and acts as an air deflector, reducing buffeting in the cabin.

Naturally, the 458 Spider is, in every other respect, identical to its fixed-roof sibling. It uses the same aluminium chassis and a 570HP 4.5-liter V8 which is coupled to a dual-clutch F1 transmission and provides a 0-100 km/h (0-62 mph) acceleration time in less than 3.4 seconds and a top speed of 320 km/h (200 mph).

It even incorporates the new HELE (High Emotion Low Emission) system that reduces urban consumption to just 11.8 lt/100 km (19.9 US mpg) and CO2 emissions to 275 g/km.

Apart from the 458 Spider, Ferrari also launched a new “Tailor-Made” customization program at the IAA. This program gives customers the ability to choose, in cooperation with their own Personal Designer, from an extensive range of trim, colors, finishes and materials inspired by classic models and racing. The “Tailor-Made” program includes three collections named Classica, Scuderia and Inedita.

 

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Audi previews next-generation A3 hatchback

Audi has taken an interesting approach forecasting the next-generation A3 with a sedan concept at theGeneva Motor Show – even though the current model is principally a hatchback. When it does hit showrooms sometime next year, however, the next-gen A3 is expected to be offered first with a tailgate before a trunked version comes along – the three-door model leading the five-door, then the sedan and finally the soft-top convertible.

The news comes along with a trio of sketches released by Audi to the British motor press alongside those of the R8 GT Spyder. The renderings depict the three-door hatchback, the four-door sedan and the cabin of the next-gen A3 production model, which is tipped to be even more diverse in its engine offerings than it is in its bodystyles: expect gasoline, diesel, natural gas, hybrid and full electric versions to be rolled out in succession.

The cabin, meanwhile, is tipped to feature the latest technologies, including Audi’s MMI controller and a pop-up infotainment screen. Look for the production 2013 A3 – in one body form or another – to debut in Geneva next March, a year after the sedan concept we saw there last month.

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