First Drive: Ferrari’s 12Cilindre 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.

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 12Cilindre is just as refined and comfortable as the hard top.

It’s probably not much of a surprise that the 12Cilindre 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 12Cilindre 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 12Cilindre 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 Mannetino dial into a sportier setting and the 12Cilindre 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 12Cilindre 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.

As with any Ferrari, there are plenty of colours, trim pieces and extras to add as a way of tweaking the look of your 12Cilindre.

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.

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 12Cilindre 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.