Softies: The sport
seats offer little lateral support
Even the Ferrari goes through civilised gear changes — at
least while wandering around in slurred automatic mode. But once the Manettino
dial is turned to race and the paddle shifts are engaged, the naturally
aspirated V8 becomes wide awake, transforming the 458 Spider into a
full-blooded race car. All the technical tricks like the thin-walled intake
manifold, the long intake path and systems driven variable manifold geometry
load high torque to the wheels.
Since the carbon
fibre monocoque does not require stiffening, the weight difference between the
Spider and the Coupe is minimal
Still in terms of acceleration, it lags behind the McLaren.
With the ambient temperature of 2 degrees, our test data shows that the Ferrari
does the 0-200kmph sprint in 12.0 seconds. In comparison, the McLaren disposes
that in just 9.4 seconds. Of course, the 12C Spider benefits from launch
control, additional 55bhp and lower weight compared to the Italian. The
Corvette is quickly knocked-off from this test. Why? Because the massive
seven-litre V8 takes time to gather speed mainly on account of the manual
six-speed gearbox. The challenge for the drivers is to find the sweet spot in
the rev range before the gears can be changed, which the Ferrari and McLaren
does automatically.
Place to be: The
seats offer just the right amount of cushion and are well contoured to keep the
driver firmly in place
This is especially true on the race track. For the first few
metres, the Corvette is unruly as the cold tyres are not conducive for building
acceleration and feedback from the steering remains poor. Only when the tyres
reach the optimum operating temperature and the engine components warm up, it
shows its sports car pedigree. It steers precisely, there is zero understeer,
and thanks to those oversized Michelin tyres, there is plenty of grip. The
massive amount of torque means that on a track like Sachsenring, one can easily
sprint around in third or fourth gear, without taking hands off the steering.
That’s a good thing because to extract the best out the Corvette, one needs
concentration and sensitivity, both while driving and braking. The
comparatively small steel brakes offer good stopping power.
In the Ferrari, the standard ceramic brakes need to be
operated at an appropriate temperature, just like its tyres. Initially, it’s
jerky with the tail stepping out. As the temperature rises, the Italian picks
up speed. The lightweight seat offers good cushion and lateral support unlike
the wobbly perch on the Corvette. The 458 steers sharply with great
spontaneity. There is a hint of understeer at corner entry due to the thin
tyres, but there is plenty of traction out of the bends. But with traction
control off, the 458 sends the butt drifting alarmingly.
The control electronics on the McLaren are cutting edge.
Even after competing on street tyres instead of semi-slicks, unlike the other
two, the Brit remains the fastest on the track. The extra power is helpful,
especially on the straights to shave off crucial seconds, even as the steering
is a bit less sharp than the Ferrari. But bad luck for the McLaren, because the
Ferrari is more competitive in terms of price, and add to it the seven-year
free service.
And, as for the sound, the audience in the pit lane are
clamouring for an encore.
