The Ferrari SF90 Spider makes its first appearance in Singapore

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Just slightly more than a year ago, the Ferrari SF90 Stradale was brought to our shores and unveiled at Como Dempsey. Today, the convertible version of Ferrari's first plug-in hybrid has arrived and it is sitting within the showroom of Ital Auto, the official importer for Ferrari here.

The Ferrari SF90 Spider is the Prancing Horse's first-ever production plug-in hybrid spider. While it is understood that customers in Singapore will only get their cars sometime next year, Ital Auto has brought in a unit for its customers and the media to preview the convertible supercar.

Like the Stradale, the Spider version of the SF90 is powered by a 4.0-litre twin-turbocharged V8 engine, the most powerful V8 turbo engine ever build by Ferrari, assisted by two electric motors at the front and one at the rear to produce a maximum power of 986bhp and 800Nm of torque - the most powerful of Ferrari road cars available today.

The enormous power is transmitted to the wheels by the means of an eight-speed DCT gearbox with E-diff, the Cornering Angle Regulator, Electric (RAC-e) electric front axle equipped with two independent electric motors, along with the F1-derived Motor Generator Unit, Kinetic (MGUK) rear electric motor.

The SF90 Spider can be driven in three modes, Electric mode with power delivered only to the front wheels, Hybrid mode, with power from the V8 engine and the MGUK to the rear wheels, or in 4WD hybrid mode where the electric front axles aids with corner exit traction as well as energy recovery during braking.

Power isn't the only edge that the SF90 offers, the engineers have developed the car's dynamics to improve not just lap times and performance, but to ensure that drivers of all kinds can fully enjoy the car's potential and have fun behind the wheel.

While working on integrating the hybrid architecture with the existing vehicle control logics, a new electronic Side Slip Control (eSSC) vehicle dynamics control system was developed.

It features Electronic Traction Control to distribute both the engine's and electric motors' torque to suit the driving conditions, Torque Vectoring on the front axle to manage electric traction on the outside and inside wheel, as well as Brake-by-wire control with ABS/ESD to manage the braking torque between the hydraulic system and electric motors to boost brake performance and feel.

Despite the heft of the hybrid system, Ferrari's extensive weight reduction work has kept the overall weight of the SF90 Spider to just 1,670kg - a mere 100kg more than the Stradale.

The SF90 Spider's chassis also boasts 30 per cent higher torsional rigidity than previous platforms, improving the car's dynamic prowess.

The SF90 Spider's shares a highly similar silhouette with the Stradale, and unlike previous Spider models, the V8 engine is clearly visible whether the retractable hard top is deployed or stowed away.

While its stunning exterior is designed to be visually stunning with plenty of beautiful curves, the SF90 Spider's design has been penned with functionality in mind. Aerodynamic development allows the SF90 to produce downforce and efficiency figures unmatched by its competitors in the category while exuding a sporty and extremely desirable design.

The SF90 Spider features a shut-off Gurney at the rear, an active control system that varies downforce over the rear axle, front underbody with vortex generator strakes and forged wheels with wing profiles to generate a plenty of downforce at speed.

Orders can now be placed for the new Ferrari SF90 Spider, Ital Auto expects customers deliveries to begin next year.

ALSO READ: Ferrari's first full-electric supercar is coming in 2025

This article was first published in sgCarMart.