THE 5 HOTTEST SUPERCAR CONVERTIBLES OF 2019
Ferrari made headlines this week following the official debut of their newest model, the Ferrari F8 Spider, a hard-top convertible version of the Ferrari F8 Tributo. To celebrate the reveal of the Italian manufacturers latest open-top model, we decided to look at some of the finest open-top high performance machines that have been released over the past months. Note, the list is in no specific order.
#5: The Ferrari F8 Spider
It takes just 14-seconds to drop the hard-top roof to unlock an open-air symphony of an Italian V8 roaring behind your neck. That’s the biggest selling point behind the new Ferarri F8 Spider which was revealed earlier this week. It’s powered by a 3.9-litre twin-turbocharged V8 that produces 530kW of power and 770Nm of torque, sending 100% of its drive to the rear wheels via a 7-speed dual clutch transmission. Interestingly, the F8 Spider weighs in at 1400kg, which is a mere 20kg heavier than the stripped down, track-focused 488 Pista. The result is a 0-100km/h sprint in 2.9-seconds.
#4: The McLaren 720S Spider
The McLaren 720S Spider features incredibly similar specs to the Ferrari, making it the most competitive rival in this segment. The twin-turbocharged 4.0-litre V8 produces an identical 530kW of power and 770Nm of torque. The 720S Spider also features a 7-speed dual clutch transmission, sending all of its power to the rear wheels. Unlike the F8 Spider, the McLaren is a bit heavier at 1482kg but it makes up for the weight by dropping the top in 11-seconds. That doesn’t mean it’s any less quicker, clocking 0-100km/h in 2.9-seconds.
#3: The Aston Martin DBS Superleggera Volante
Keeping things in the UK, we head to Aston Martin and their incredibly long named droptop DBS. It makes use of a massive 5.2-litre V12 engine, coupled to a pair of turbochargers. It takes 14-seconds to open the roof to an unobstructed experience of a screaming V12. You might also hear some tyre-screeching from the 533kW of power and 900Nm of torque that are sent to the rear wheels by an 8-speed automatic transmission, propelling the 1870kg brute from 0-100km/h in 3.6-seconds.
#2: The BMW M8 Competition Convertible
At the moment the M8 Competition is the pinnacle of BMW M and finds itself on the list because of its mind-boggling performance. A 4.4-litre twin-turbocharged V8 is the source of entertainment in the Competition Convertible, producing 466kW of power and 750Nm of torque. The roof will fully retract in 15-seconds, bringing the total weight of the German droptop to 2010kg. The real party trick of the M8, though, is its drivetrain. The 8-speed ZF automatic transmission can send power to all-wheels, or it can send 100% of the power to the rear-wheels. With launch control and AWD, the M8 Competition Convertible will do 0-100km/h in 3.3-seconds. Whether you want to get the best 0-100km/h launch or turn your tyres into dust, the M8 can do it all.
#1: The Audi R8 V10 Performance Spyder
The Audi R8 received a very recent facelift, which also happened to include a power boost. The result is an Audi R8 Spyder with 456kW of power and 580Nm of torque from a naturally aspirated V10 engine. A 7-speed S-tronic transmission chops and allocates the power between all-four wheels, which means that launching the 1770kg supercar can be done with a lot of precision. Throw it into Dynamic mode, switch the traction control off and the R8 V10 Performance Spyder will accelerate from 0-100km/h in 3.2-seconds.
