First Drive: Ferrari’s 12Cilindri Spider takes drop-top thrills to a new level

But the transition from coupe to convertible can often be a tricky one, so does this latest Spider deliver the kind of driving style that you’d expect from a V12-powered Ferrari? We’ve been driving it in Portugal to find out.

While it might seem pretty simple to transform an existing coupe into a convertible, there’s a lot that goes on to ensure that the latter delivers the same sharp drive that you get from the former. With the 12Cilindri, that means a little extra reinforcement here and there, while the clever metal folding roof has been designed to ensure that luggage space is still usable. Remarkably, the Spider is hit with only a 60kg weight increase over the Coupe.

Ferrari never wanted to go down the route of a fabric soft top – as it has done with cars like the Roma Spider – to help ensure that when the roof is closed, the 12Cilindri is just as refined and comfortable as the hard top.

Mid-front mounted sits one of the last great V12 engines – a 6.2-litre, naturally-aspirated behemoth that provides a direct lineage through some of Ferrari’s greatest supercars. In the 12Cilindri Spider, you’re getting a heady 807bhp and 678Nm of torque delivered to the rear wheels via an eight-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox. Zero to 60mph comes in at just under three seconds and flat-out, the 12Cilindri Spider will manage a hair-blasting 211mph top speed.

It’s probably not much of a surprise that the 12Cilindri Spider isn’t the best bet if you’re looking for an ultra-efficient new car. Ferrari claims a combined fuel consumption of just under 15mpg and this could easily be pushed into single figures if you drive more keenly. CO2 emissions of 360g/km are very high, too.

The 12Cilindri Spider is a big car – it’s just over 4.7 metres long and 2.1 metres wide – so you do take the first few miles behind the wheel of it with a little extra caution. However, with its smooth-shifting automatic gearbox and predictable throttle response, it’s not all that tricky to drive. Over-the-shoulder visibility isn’t the best, but it’s not quite as intimidating as you might think. It’s quite happy to play the cruiser role, too, and at motorway speeds the 12Cilindri Spider remains quiet and comfortable, while buffeting with the roof down is kept to an impressively low level thanks to clever aerodynamics and an integrated wind diffuser.

But switch the steering-wheel-mounted Manettino dial into a sportier setting and the 12Cilindri Spider slides into a completely different character. The V12 engine provides a deep, near-unending reserve of performance and thanks to new revised gear ratios the whole experience feels urgent. The 12Cilindri meets the latest emissions regulations, too, but still manages to sound terrific. It remains one of the best exhaust notes in the business – to our ears at least.

Ferrari says that it also went for a folding hard top design to help preserve the sleek lines of the coupe 12Cilindri and you’d have to say that it has been successful. It’s a car with classic GT proportions, from its long, sweeping bonnet to the compact passenger compartment placed close to the engine. The Italian firm took inspiration from its drop-tops of the 60s and 70s and, in many areas, the Spider does have some classic touches. However, there are plenty of aerodynamic sections – including the active rear flaps which raise and lower depending on the driving situation – which help to bring this car right up to date.As with any Ferrari, there are plenty of colours, trim pieces and extras to add as a way of tweaking the look of your 12Cilindri.

The low-slung cabin of the 12Cilindri Spider offers up a high level of fit-and-finish, though you’d expect that for a car costing well over £300,000. There aren’t too many storage options, mind you, and given that drivers are likely to take this drop-top car to hotter climates, there aren’t many areas to keep water bottles. That said, there’s a good amount of width to help increase a feeling of space and even with the roof closed, the cabin of the 12Cilindri doesn’t feel claustrophobic. As with all other modern Ferrari models, the bulk of the 12Cilindri’s controls – including those for volume, lights and windscreen wipers – are located on the steering wheel. It’s odd to begin with, but these physical controls soon become quite natural to use.

The folding roof has had a knock on luggage space, with the Spider’s 200-litre boot a fair bit smaller than the 270-litre area that you’ll find in the standard Coupe. That said, it’s still large enough for a few soft weekend bags.

As with any other Ferrari model, it isn’t hard to seriously bump up the price of the 12Cilindri Spider with optional extras, but what is there as standard? Well, unlike other cars in the Ferrari range the 12Cilindri does benefit from a 10.2-inch central screen and this gives you quick access to key media functions – though Apple CarPlay and Android Auto don’t mirror on the 16-inch instrument binnacle ahead of the driver, which is a shame.

All cars get full LED headlights, carbon ceramic brakes and 21-inch alloy wheels included while a speed bump-beating suspension lifter is a handy standard feature. However, if you want to go crazy with the options list it’s not tricky to do so – opt for the Daytona racing seats and you’ll add £9,517, while a matt special exterior colour will set you back an incredible £27,396. Fancy carbon fibre wheelcaps? That’ll be £1,004. Go overboard with the options and it wouldn’t be hard to push the 12Clindre Spider’s price very close to half a million pounds.

The Ferrari 12Cilindri Spider brings all of the theatre that you’d expect from an Italian V12-powered supercar. It’s easy enough to drive at slow speeds but unlocks a huge level of performance as and when you need it. It’s refined with the roof in place, too and isn’t too blowy when it’s down, either.

In fact, the overall package is so accomplished that there appear to be no downsides in choosing this Spider over the regular Coupe. It’s the one we’d be picking.