Test drive Ferrari Scuderia Spider 16M: thunderous

Traveling through the tunnel in a Ferrari Scuderia Spider 16M is like experiencing something in front of which the lightning in the AC/DC song of the same name sounds like a fun children's tune. The 499 Scuderia series, limited to 430 units, has also gotten rid of the last bit of soundproofing, namely the roof. Then things got so dramatic that our test equipment almost gave God a break...

It was much more than just walking through a tunnel in a racing sports car: this time we saw real benefits. The last, but a virtuoso concert of the orchestra, which may never be the same again. The open version of the 430 Scuderia, dubbed the Scuderia Spider 16M, is likely to be the last Ferrari to showcase the joy of life with all its heart. The European Union is imposing stricter vehicle noise limits and Maranello will have to take action.

The last Mohican

We remain grateful that we had the opportunity to be a part of this spectacular, although perhaps the last of its kind, show. This time we're revving until our ears are dead—after all, a sports convertible in a tunnel is the equivalent of an open-air rock festival. For the sum of 255 euros, a small number of lucky people can book a ticket to a concert of the most noisy performers of modern automotive industry - an eight-cylinder engine from Maranello. They have a total volume of 350 liters, power 4,3 hp. With. and a maximum torque of 510 Nm, and if desired by the pilot, the crankshaft is capable of high-speed excesses up to 470 rpm. The successor to the model is now complete and has been officially unveiled to the public at the IAA in Frankfurt, so we are honored to be among the last to enjoy the swan song of the "old" generation.

16M is an additional designation for the most extreme performance of the F430 Spider, and it would be nice to mention what is behind it. The "M" comes from Mondiali (Italian for world championships), and 16 is the number of design titles the company has won in Formula 1. Indeed, the open car is closer to racing cars than its closed relative.

Elite family

The Scuderia Spider 16M is the absolute pinnacle of the F430 series and the perfect tangible expression of the Ferrari sporting myth that has inhabited the arena of top athletes for decades: we have a mid-engined two-seat model with irresistibly seductive looks. eight-cylinder engine, brutal sound and hyperactive driving behavior. Such intense driving pleasure is more characteristic of motorcycles than their four-wheeled counterparts. In a word, this is a real product that Ferrari is now offering.

What has been said so far is of interest to many, and the limited number of cars makes the atmosphere even hotter. Unlike the 430 Scuderia coupe, the open Scuderia Spider 16M is limited to exactly 499 units that Ferrari plans to produce by the end of the year - each with a special plate on the dashboard indicating its serial number.

Sonic attack

For fetishists about the irresistible roar of cars, it will certainly be an unforgettable emotion to hear what the Scuderia Spider is capable of. This was the case with a group of motorcyclists who, after the end of the tunnel, became alert and stared at the source of the ominous rumble. Shortly after the start of the acoustic avalanche, Scuderia itself appeared in all its glory, and the motorcyclists exclaimed incredulously: "We expected at least a few racing cars to appear one after the other!" Our measuring equipment has fully confirmed the subjective perception of things. A stunning 131,5 decibel sound appeared on the display of the device as the vehicle drove past it into the tunnel in question.

It was reasonable to ask yourself, is it that noisy in the cockpit? After all, the only thing that could at least partially filter out the sound attack in such a situation was an electric roof. And he obediently tucked behind the seats ... The second attempt. Now the device is inside the car at the height of the aerodynamic deflector. The Scuderia once again creates a concentrated zone of unimaginable roar that resonates with lightning speed in the walls and in the tunnel. The display returns to 131,5 dBA. For comparison, this is the noise that you hear from a jet flying 100 meters away from you ...

A real flesh and blood Scuderia

However, don't think that the 16M is just a super-efficient sound generator that has no other options: like the "standard" 430 Scuderia, it's a GT race car, only with a movable roof. And the latter, by the way, makes it even more difficult to choose areas for driving.

If you drive along mountain serpentines at full throttle, the intensity of acoustic emotions is almost halved. However, if you are looking for a tunnel or road between sheer cliffs, you will not be able to enjoy the behavior of this road car, which would also be unforgivable. The convertible weighs 90 kilograms more than the coupe, but this can only be seen from the lap time on the track (for the Fiorano route, the time is 1.26,5 minutes versus 1.25,0 minutes for the closed version), but not in the control itself.

The Spider modification has remained a real Scuderia of flesh and blood. The 16M enters corners with insane frenzy, and when positioned in the correct trajectory, it catapults along it with surgical precision without losing its relentless thrust. Without any delay, engine speed rushes into the red zone after each gear change, and the orgy continues until the LED on the steering wheel illuminates, signaling the activation of the electronic speed limiter.

Precise hand

Interestingly, despite its exuberant nature, the Scuderia Spider can still compensate for most of the pilot's mistakes. The vehicle is equipped with an electronically controlled limited-slip differential and F1-Trac traction control, which closely monitors for any signs of sudden changes in rear axle load. Thus, the car is devoid of the tendency to nervousness of the rear, typical for central engines, and remains stoically calm in a series of turns with a change in direction. The latter makes the driver feel like a professional racer, although in most cases at least half of the credit goes to expertly tuned electronics.

The roofless Spider offers passengers an even more original and authentic experience, as much of what happens during the ride reaches their senses. For example, we are talking about the smoke from heated Pirelli PZero Corsa tires. Or the specific noise of ceramic brakes. Let's not forget the deafening crack that the F1 sequential gearbox rips out of the transmission when shifting gears for 60 milliseconds. Let's stop there - we again fell with an ode to the concert that brought us 16M.

Well, dear EU connoisseurs, you won't be able to pick up the Scuderia Spider 16M. Too late, the model is already in production and our memories of it will live on for a long time to come. And we continue to hope that such machines will appear tomorrow.

text: Marcus peters

a photo: Hans-Dieter Zeufert

technical details

Ferrari Scuderia Spider 16M
Working volume	-
Power	510 k. From. at 8500 rpm
Maximum torque	-
Acceleration 0-100 km / h	3,7 with
Braking distances at a speed of 100 km / h	-
full speed	315 km / h
Average consumption fuel in the test	15,7 l
Base Price	255 350 euro