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Ferrari 488 Pista Spider drops its top in the sun at Pebble Beach

Ferrari, as Ferrari does, has been moving fast. In the space of just five months, we were introduced to the new Ferrari 488 Pista at the Geneva Motor Show, had the chance to drive a Pista prototype and then a production version of the $345,300 supercar, and finally we were tantalized by the mere-mortals-can't-have it Pista Piloti Ferrari. Now Ferrari has its latest Special Series variant at Pebble Beach, the Ferrari 488 Pista Spider concept. Ferrari says it is the 50th convertible in company history and has the lowest weight-power ratio yet in a droptop at 1.92 kg/cv (or about 4.22 pounds per horsepower). That equation is helped in no small part by 710 horsepower, driving a car with a dry weight of just 3,036 pounds — it's that slight if you've checked all the boxes for lightweighting options, that is. That's about 200 pounds more than the coupe, but Ferrari says this car still does 0-to-62 in 2.85 seconds and has the same 211 mph top speed. Ferrari says it maintained the aerodynamics of the coupe, and the convertible also shares the coupe's lightweighting from gobs of carbon fiber and simplification. The driver's door handle is a mere strap. This species of Spider can be identified by a central stripe down its back, which, Ferrari says in its announcement, "recalls the movement of the airflow and exalts the lines of the car." The blue stripes over a white body also happen to be traditional racing colors of the United States, another nod to the car's debut site and America's love of convertibles. Assisting the car's at-the-limits driving dynamics is a new lateral control system called the Ferrari Dynamic Enhancer. The Spider has 20-inch diamond-finish alloy wheels with berlinetta rims, though you can opt for one-piece carbon-fiber wheels offering a 20 percent weight reduction. No mention of whether the 488 Pista Spider will enter production, but Ferrari notes the popularity of its droptops in the U.S., so we're going to assume it's happening. And if Lamborghini can do a droptop version of its hardcore Huracan Performante, why shouldn't Ferrari with the Pista? Related Video: Featured Gallery Ferrari 488 Pista Spider at Pebble Beach View 16 Photos Related Gallery Ferrari 488 Pista Spider Image Credit: Ferrari Design/Style Ferrari Convertible Performance Supercars Pebble Beach

First test of Formula 1 shield cut short, Vettel reports dizziness

At this weekend's Formula One British Grand Prix, Ferrari driver and four-time world champion Sebastian Vettel tested the "shield," a polycarbonate canopy intended to protect a driver in an accident. Teams have tested other protective devices like the "halo," but Vettel was the first to trial the new shield. In theory, the shield would protect from debris like a loose wheel or a bouncing spring without hampering visibility. Unfortunately, Vettel called it quits early after getting dizzy out on the track. There has been a big push in recent years to make the sport safer for drivers, especially after the death of Jules Bianchi in 2015. In 2009, Felipe Massa missed much of the season after being hit in the head by a broken suspension part. The shield is essentially a windshield or canopy, protecting the driver from anything coming into the car. The open top allows the driver to escape quickly. Vettel said the curvature of the shield distorted his vision and made him dizzy. He also complained about irregular airflow coming over the shield on the back straight, forcing his head forward. We'll have to wait to see how things develop. The FIA is determined to introduce some sort of head protection, but the current solutions are proving difficult to implement. Related Video:

Listen to the Ferrari 488 GTB for the first time

We've received the initial information, seen it on the floor of the Geneva Motor Show and even played around with the online configurator. The one thing we haven't seen (or heard) just yet is the new Ferrari 488 GTB actually firing up. (Well, that and driving the thing, but let's not get ahead of ourselves.) Fortunately some paparazzi with a video camera have caught the new mid-engined, eight-cylinder Ferrari undergoing testing – still under wraps despite having already been unveiled – in Maranello, entering and exiting the factory. And in case you were worried that the twin turbochargers would muffle the exhaust note, it seems the boys in red have invested some time making sure that wouldn't be an issue. Not only that, but we appear to have here our first glimpse at the convertible version, expected (in accordance with traditional Ferrari nomenclature) to be dubbed the 488 GTS – that S standing for Spider instead of the B for Berlinetta. Expect a similar folding hardtop mechanism to that found on the outgoing 458 Spider. Then again, the last time the GTB handle was used on this line was with the F355, where the GTB was the coupe, GTS was the partial convertible with the removable roof panel, and the full convertible was called the F355 Spider. (The more recent, twelve-cylinder 599 GTB Fiorano only led to the limited-edition 599 SA Aperta, as Ferrari doesn't typically offer twelve-cylinder roadsters in "regular" production.)