Well this is a pleasant surprise. With Bugatti debuting the Divo and Lamborghini unveiling the Aventador SVJ at Pebble Beach, Ferrari clearly didn't want to feel left out. After introducing the 488 Pista Coupe and Pista Piloti, Ferrari has revealed a new Spider variant of the track-focused supercar at Pebble Beach.

It has more significance than you might think too because the Ferrari 488 Pista Spider happens to be the 50th drop-top model from the Prancing Horse. Like its coupe counterpart, it uses the most powerful V8 ever fitted to a Ferrari. A 3.9-liter V8 produces a monumental 720 horsepower and 568 lb-ft of torque, enabling the convertible to sprint from 0-62 mph in 2.85 seconds, which is the same as its coupe sibling despite being slightly heavier.

It takes eight seconds to reach 124 mph from a standstill, however, which is 0.4 seconds slower than the coupe, before the 488 Pista Spider maxes out at 211 mph. The violent V8, which has earned the title for the Best Engine for the third consecutive year, should sound even more sublime with the roof down. Like the coupe, a central stripe adorns the length of the car that "recalls the movement of the airflow and exalts the lines of the car" according to Ferrari.

Because of the additional strengthening required for the roof, the 488 Pista Spider has put on a few pounds compared to the coupe. It tips the scales at 3036 lbs, making it around 200 lbs heavier than the fixed-roof 488 Pista. If that bothers you, optional one-piece carbon-fiber wheels are available offering a 20 percent weight reduction over the standard 20-inch forged alloys. To save further weight, Ferrari has also replaced the carpets with patterned aluminium foot plates and the driver's-side door handle is now a simple strap.
Pricing hasn't been announced but expect the 488 Pista Spider to cost a premium over the $350,000-coupe. Ferrari also hasn't said if production will be limited like the 458 Speciale Aperta before it.