The fastest soft top production Ferrari has arrived in Australia, but the Ferrari Scuderia 16M will never become a common sight with just 12 earmarked for Australia and three for New Zealand guaranteeing rarity value and with all 15 already sold its already too late to own Ferrari’s 315 km/h soft top supercar.

With the all-new Ferrari California, boasting the legendary car maker’s first folding hard top, arriving later this year, 2009 will enter the history books as Ferrari’s year of supercar open air motoring.

The Scuderia Spider 16M has been created with the goal of bringing together superb performance with the pleasure of driving in the open air. The result is the best-performing spider ever created by Ferrari, a car which evokes the emotions of the barchetta models that were the protagonists of the great multi-stage races of the 1950s.

The car’s technological solutions make the most of the latest innovations in the 430 Scuderia, derived from Formula 1, to guarantee uncompromising handling on the road. This is reflected in the name, which is also connected to Formula 1: a celebration of the 16 World Constructors’ Titles Ferrari has won. The Scuderia Spider 16M is a marriage of performance and driving pleasure produced in a special, limited edition for only 499 passionate customers worldwide, including 15 in Australia and New Zealand.

PERFORMANCE

The Scuderia Spider 16M offers technological solutions that have already been tested on the 430 Scuderia. It’s an ultra-high-performance car (0-100 km/h in 3.7 seconds) designed for fast, tight driving conditions with a set-up that highlights sports driving and that offers all the enjoyment of open-top driving in the F430 Spider. In tests at the Fiorano circuit the car recorded lap times lower than any other Ferrari spider model designed for the road.

WEIGHT/ POWER

The Scuderia Spider 16M weighs 80 kg less than the F430 Spider (dry weight 1340 kg) and many details were revised and designed with this specific goal in mind. The most significant changes were made on the chassis and on the body; much use has been made of light materials and carbon fibre. All this has made it possible to achieve a first-in-class power-to-weight ratio of 5.8 lb/CV.

ENGINE

The Scuderia Spider 16M’s engine, like the 430 Scuderia’s, is an evolution of the F430’s 4.3-litre V8. It features a number of modifications designed to boost performance and raise specific power to 118 CV/l, equal to a total power output of 510 CV, while complying with the strict limits on exhaust emissions established in the Euro4 and LEV2 standards. The inlet ducts and exhaust system have been optimised, most notably through the adoption of the exhaust geometries derived from the F430 Challenge and the use of carbon-fibre on the intake manifold and for the filter housing to aid weight reduction. Thanks to Ferrari's Formula 1 experience, the Scuderia’s ignition system boasts special coils and a dedicated CPU capable of monitoring the ionising currents generated inside the combustion chamber between the spark plug electrodes. This means that every single sparking phenomenon is detected for every cylinder and sparking is faster and more accurate across the board. Cutting-edge calculation tools were employed to optimise the Scuderia’s intake and exhaust systems and sound damping also with the result that the exhaust and engine sound inside the cabin is clear, powerful and particularly thrilling in full acceleration.

SOUND

Engine sound is a distinctive characteristic of all Ferraris and has always been a fundamental element in creating a strong connection with the driver through increased feedback and driving satisfaction. This is achieved by paying special attention to the level and to the quality of sound, in order to ensure perfect acoustic comfort under any conditions.

GEARBOX

The F1-SuperFast2 gearbox is the latest evolution derived from Formula 1: a totally innovative integrated engine and gearbox management programme allows the combined disengaging/engaging of the gears to take place in parallel with letting the clutch in and out. As a result, gear-change time has been even further reduced to 60 milliseconds.

E-DIFF

In use in Formula 1 for a number of years, E-Diff has been integrated with the car’s stability control systems. Torque is intelligently distributed to the wheels by the hydraulic actuation of two sets of friction discs and their connected reaction discs. The amount of torque delivered depends on driving conditions, modifying the effect of the differential and bringing considerable advantages in terms of performance, directional stability, active safety and driving pleasure. E-Diff is integrated with the car’s other systems and allows the driver to change the set-up according to road-holding conditions from the steering wheel-mounted manettino.

F1-TRAC

F1-Trac, like E-Diff, is the traction control system directly derived from the experience of Formula 1 cars. The system guarantees maximum traction on exiting corners, stability and ease of driving even in extreme conditions, consistent performance, and drive comfort. The advantage of the combination of E-Diff and F1-Trac compared to conventional systems of stability and traction control is shown by a 40% increase in acceleration out of corners.

RACING MANETTINO

The Scuderia Spider 16M uses the Racing version of the manettino, which puts the emphasis on sporty driving and offers more options for configuration of the parameters of the car’s electronic controls. The ICE setting used on the F430 has been replaced by the CT position. This deactivates only traction control, leaving stability control in operation. Another novelty with the 430 Scuderia is a button on the tunnel which allows the suspension to be controlled separately from the predefined manettino strategy. In short this allows the driver to ensure that the car will be able to deal more efficiently with any asperities, something that is essential to guarantee maximum performance on irregular surfaces.

CARBON CERAMIC BRAKES

The Scuderia Spider 16M’s braking system with carbon ceramic discs has resulted in an overall improvement in braking performance compared to that of the F430’s system, from which it is derived. The front discs with their larger diameter allow an improved rolling radius and hence greater braking efficiency. The front brake pads are specific to the car and allow improved dissipation of the heat produced by higher performance. They are also more hard-wearing. The brake pedal feel has been optimized for all driving conditions and remains consistent even in extreme situations on the racetrack.

STYLE AND AERODYNAMICS

Traditionally, the styling of a Ferrari has been created around the forms dictated by the car’s engineering, with the aim of obtaining maximum aerodynamic efficiency. The Scuderia Spider 16M’s high performance and dynamics required a reinterpretation of numerous elements of both internal and external styling. The objective was to style the car through those aerodynamic features necessary for a car designed with the highest levels of performance in mind. Since the 16M is a Spider, the design kept in mind the needs of driving with the top down and of the pleasure this should provide. External styling has been enhanced with numerous details in carbon (front fin, rear-view mirror, headlight housing, diffuser, roll bar) as well as new colours in metallic black body and dark grey wheel rims. A new livery emphasises the lines of the car.

AUDIO EQUIPMENT

A new audio system of the latest-generation has been created for the Scuderia Spider 16M. The hi-fidelity has an 8x50 watt amplifier consisting of two woofers, two midrange speakers and two tweeters integrated in the carbon door panel. The multimedia interface offers a removable Ferrari-personalised 16GB iPod® Touch housed in the centre of the instrument panel. Alternatively, a Becker Cascade radio with Bluetooth and iPod® connection is available.

PERSONALISATION

The Ferrari personalisation programme has been enhanced and matched to the special features of the car. The programme has four separate areas: Racing and Track, Exterior and Colours; Interior and Materials, Equipment and Travel. In the Interior and Materials area it is possible to select Poltrona Frau leather as an alternative to technical fibre or Alcantara. And for this limited edition car there is also a special set of soft travel bags, a satellite anti-theft system and satellite navigation. It is also possible to select a livery in the colours of the Italian flag.