We drove a $393,000 Ferrari 488 Spider to see what the supercar's coolest features are — here's the verdict

Benjamin Zhang/Business Insider

• The Ferrari 488 Spider is the convertible sibling of the astonishing 488 GTB.
• The 488 Spider delivered an awe-inspiring driving experience and is one of the truly great modern supercars.
• We were also impressed by its sleek lines, melodic V8 engine, and sumptuous cabin.
• Our Ferrari 488 GTB test car carried an as-tested price of $393,000.

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The Ferrari 488 Spider is an absolute marvel of a supercar. In 2016, we drove a stunning racing red 488 GTB (it stands for Gran Turismo Berlinetta) coupe. It was so good it nearly nabbed Business Insider's 2016 Car of the Year award. 

In his review of the 488 GTB, Matt DeBord wrote, "Brilliant in a straight line, brilliant in the curves, just brilliant, brilliant, brilliant. Fast and tight, the 488 fills you with confidence and makes you a better person."

Recently, we had the chance to spend a week behind the wheel of a Ferrari 488 Spider, the GTB's convertible sibling. 

Instead of a conventional racing red paint job like the one found on our 488 GTB, our Spider came with a rarely seen "avorio" or ivory paint scheme. 

It isn't the prettiest color we've seen, but off-white certainly stands out from the crowd.

Regardless of color, the 488's sleek lines are simply beautiful. It's aggressive, stylish, and unmistakably Ferrari. 

Again, DeBord took on the responsibility of reviewing the 488. After a road trip through the Connecticut countryside, he found the Spider to be equally enthralling.

"All it takes is a Ferrari after you haven't piloted a Ferrari for a while to make you fall in love with Ferrari all over again," he wrote in his review of the 488 Spider. "The Masters of Maranello truly know what they're doing."

Needless to say, this grand example of automotive excellence doesn't come without a price. In this case, our test car costs a solid $393,000. 

Here's a look at the Ferrari 488 Spider's coolest features: 

1. The steering wheel: Ferrari borrows heavily from Formula One both in terms of technology and tradition. In the case of the 488, it's the steering wheel. Ferrari has replaced all of the traditional stalks with steering-wheel-mounted buttons or switches. It's very F1.

Benjamin Zhang/Business Insider

2. The Manettino: The Manettino translates to "little switch" or "little lever" in Italian and is Ferrari's steering-wheel-mounted drive mode-controller. It debuted back in F430.

Benjamin Zhang/Business Insider

3: The gauge cluster: The 488 doesn't have a central infotainment screen, so the gauge cluster doubles as the infotainment system. The center analog tachometer is flanked by a pair of configurable screens. The two screens are actually operated using separate control panels.

Benjamin Zhang/Business Insider


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