LaFerrari Spider confirmed for production

Ferrari is set to build a convertible version of its fastest and most powerful road-legal supercar, the LaFerrari. The news of the LaFerrari Spider was confirmed by Sergio Marchionne, chief executive, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles and newly appointed Ferrari CEO.

When asked about a less extreme version of the LaFerrari, dubbed LaFerrarina, Marchionne said that the only future product connected to the hypercar is the Spider which was "no secret, since potential customers have already been approached."

The LaFerrari Spider is expected to be identical to the coupé, although the car is likely to be heavier as a result of the chassis reinforcements to make up for any loss in structural rigidity. The exceptional rigidity of the LaFerrari’s carbonfibre chassis should mean no loss in torsional stiffness in the transformation from coupé to spider.

However, all 499 units of the yet-to-be-launched LaFerrari Spider have already been sold and the production run of the car is likely to be even shorter than the coupé’s. No other details have been revealed yet, but insiders are almost certain that the Spider will feature an unmodified version of the hard-top’s naturally aspirated 6,262cc V12 engine and hybrid system, making 963hp and 969Nm of torque.

Ferrari’s recent convertible models, the 488 Spider and California, feature folding hard-tops, and the same is expected for the LaFerrari Spider. However, the extra weight of a full convertible and the tight packaging of the mid-mounted V12 engine and hybrid system mean that a removable targa-style top is an option rather than a fully retractable hard-top.

Meanwhile, the manufacturer's plans of the long-rumoured V6-powered Dino is still unclear. When asked about where the potential entry-level supercar will be positioned, and how much it will cost and how it will relate to the next 488 GTB, Marchionne said: "We haven’t found answers to those questions yet."

The LaFerrari Spider is expected to arrive sometime next year.