Ferrari 360 Spider Design

The most striking aspect of the 360 Spider's styling is its convertible top. With incredible care, using the wonderful shape of the 360 Maranello as a starting point, the engineers and designers created a stylish and highly effective, fully automatic folding roof. Top down, the Spider's rear fairings evoke the great era of sports racing cars, smoothing the lines of the roll hoops that protect the occupants. A design tour-de-force, the Spider gives nothing away to the berlinetta on the road, the track, or the boulevard.

The Roof:

The 360 Spider features a fully automatic roof. The driver needs only to slow below 3mph and press a button to have the roof totally disappear into - or reappear from - the special well between the engine and cabin in a mere 20 seconds. No matter the seating positions, the roof can close to form a total seal with the windshield or open to let in all the sunshine.

The mechanism involves a complex two-stage action in which the roof folds double before it slips inside its compartment to be covered by its own special tonneau made of high-density SMC to reduce noise. The roof's invisible frame is made from a combination of cast aluminum and pressed steel elements, driven by electro-hydraulic actuators. The roof is available in four colours.

Aerodynamics:

The 360 Spider is as aerodynamically efficient as its hard-top counterpart. Below the waist line the same aerodynamics are obtained by the combination of twin radiators and undertray that channel air beneath the car to the extractors under the tail. Without spoilers and wings, aerodynamic downforce of 375lbs is still achieved, partly through the incorporation of solutions first adopted on Formula 1 cars.

A favorable Cd of 0.36 is achieved while guaranteeing optimum comfort for the occupants in all conditions, a result of intense research into fluid dynamics and cabin design. Amongst the innovations are small mesh screens fitted inside and between the roll bars that eliminate the buffeting normally found inside convertibles. The engine bay benefits from similar research leading to honeycombed grilles flanking the glass cover. The hexagonal openings have been expanded from those of the berlinetta to ensure the optimal heat exchange through the Spider's smaller engine bay, and all without damaging the car's lines.