The new 458 Spider joins the 458 Italia, widening the range of Ferrari’s mid-rear engined V8s and offering the same uncompromising technological solutions, handling and performance in a refined open-top configuration. It is equipped with a Ferrari patented, fully retractable hard top, a world first for a sports car with this lay-out.

The 458 Spider is powered by Ferrari’s naturally-aspirated, direct-injection 4.5 litre V8 which was nominated as the 2011 International Engine of the Year for its engineering excellence in terms of driveability, performance, economy and refinement. The power is transferred to the road by Ferrari’s class-leading dual-clutch F1 paddle-shift transmission through the sophisticated E-Diff, itself integrated with the F1-Trac traction control and high-performance ABS for maximum handling dynamics.

Certain of the car’s features, such as its accelerator pedal mapping and the damping of the multilink suspension, have been calibrated to guarantee maximum sportiness and absolute driving pleasure with the top down, in line with Maranello’s exclusive spider tradition. Even the engine soundtrack has been honed to ensure that the car’s occupants are completely captivated by the drop-top driving experience.

Entirely in aluminium, the hard-top solution adopted for the 458 Spider offers a number of advantages over the traditional folding soft-top, including a reduction of 25 kg in weight and a deployment time of just 14 seconds. Fully integrated into the styling of the car, the hard-top was engineered to fit neatly ahead of the engine bay without compromising aerodynamics or the performance of the car. The small space needed to house the roof enables the designers to include a generous rear bench for luggage behind the seats.

The rear of the car is characterised by innovative forms with the buttresses designed to optimise the flow of air to the engine intakes and the clutch and gearbox oil radiators. For maximum comfort whilst driving top down the 458 Spider features a generously-sized adjustable electric wind stop. The design was perfected to slow and diffuse the air in the cockpit, enabling normal conversation to be held even at speeds over 200 km/h.

New technical solutions adopted for the chassis guarantee identical levels of structural rigidity with the roof up or down. The result is a car that is truly exciting to drive, blending extreme performance with the responsiveness that has always characterised Ferrari’s open-top berlinettas.

The Ferrari 458 Italia continues to go from strength to strength and has garnered over 30 international awards in its short career. Yesterday, it added two further plaudits to that collection at the International Engine of the Year Awards when its V8 was voted “Best Performance Engine” and “Best Engine Above 4 Litres”.

The success being enjoyed by the 458 Italia with both critics and public alike crosses all borders– it has won awards in a host of different nations from the USA to the Far East and Europe. In the US, the mid-rear V8 was named "World Performance Car of the Year". It was also named “Car of the Year” by the Robb Report and topped the New York Times rankings.

On the other side of the Atlantic, the discerning British motoring media proved equally enthusiastic. In fact, the 458 Italia scooped both BBC Top Gear Magazine’s “Supercar of the Year” and “Car of the Year Awards”. Staying in Britain, CAR magazine also named the 458 Italia “Performance Car of the Year 2010”, as did Auto Express and What Car. It triumphed too as the Daily Telegraph’s “Car of the Year” and TV programme Fifth Gear’s “Fast Car of the Year”. The 458 Italia also enjoyed an enthusiastic welcome from the German and Italian public with the result that it voted “Sports Car of the Year” by the highly reputable Auto Moto und Sport and Quattroruote magazines.

Continuing around the world, the authoritative Car Middle East magazine declared the 458 Italia both “Car of the Year” and “Supercar of the Year” also. In China, Top Gear, Auto Moto und Sport, Robb Report and the popular X-Car website all named it “Car of the Year”.

Lastly, in Japan, the 458 Italia was Engine’s "Best Car of the Year", proving that the Ferrari’s extreme sportiness has a genuinely worldwide appeal.

But, don't get me wrong...I'm trying to judge supermodels here and there's no right or wrong choice

FERRARI CELEBRATES ITS 20TH ANNIVERSARY IN CHINA WITH AN IMPORTANT EXHIBITION AND A SPECIAL EDITION OF THE 458 ITALIA

Shanghai, 10 April 2012 - This year marks the 20th anniversary for Ferrari in China since the first Ferrari, a 348 TS, was ordered in Beijing. To celebrate this historical milestone, in a few weeks time Ferrari will inaugurate its first ever permanent brand exhibition outside of Maranello at the Italia Center of Shanghai World Expo Park. Covering 900 square metres the Ferrari Exhibition will last for three years and will feature some of the best collections from the Maranello Museum divided into five topics, including Ferrari in China, Green Technology, Product, Design and Racing.

Along with current and past Ferrari models, visitors will gain first-hand experience with a rich selection of images and videos made especially for this exhibition.

Another important element for the 20th anniversary celebration is the introduction of the 458 Italia special edition of only 20 cars dedicated exclusively to the China market. The car's livery is characterised by unique Chinese elements and is finished in a brand new colour called Marco Polo Red specially developed for this exclusive car which will be presented at the inauguration of the Ferrari Exhibition at the Shanghai Expo Park's Italian Center.

The inspiration behind the livery came from the longma theme which is an old Chinese idiom which means "the vigor and spirit of the legendary dragon-horse". Dragon is a symbol of Chinese culture, standing for courage, passion and success, whilst Ferrari's prancing horse logo is one of the most recognised symbols in the world representing Italian cultural identity and its unrivalled achievements in the design and engineering fields.

The 458 Italia is a very high performing and exclusive 8 cylinder mid-rear engined car which has won over 35 awards all around the world. The 458 Italia mixes very innovative technology with exclusivity and design and it perfectly encapsulates the passion and vitality of the longma spirit.

The most eye-catching element of the car's exterior is the golden dragon on the front bonnet, which is offset by gold and black livery stripes symbolising a racing track. The image of the soaring dragon and the prancing horse on the front bonnet complement each other perfectly, and are the finishing touch to the car's overall design. The symbols reflect both Chinese culture as well as Ferrari's constant innovation.

This unique design is enhanced by gold finish to the rims and the aeroelastic winglets. The interior also reflects the unique longma spirit and the celebration of Chinese culture with gold embroidery on the car's head rests, while the engine start button on each of the 20 cars is inscribed with the simplified Chinese characters for 'start', and a '20th Anniversary Special Edition' plaque is set into the dash.