An open-top sports car deserves a proper backdrop.

And a Ferrari drop-top definitely deserves something extraordinary, just like the scenic coastline of the Saronic Gulf and the winding roads of Mount Parnitha and West Attica. We are in Greece after all; a land steeped in history, all to make a bit of our own: the first drive of the new Ferrari Amalfi Spider.

The Ferrari Amalfi Spider debuted in March, succeeding the Roma Spider as their drop-top 2+2 grand tourer. It is also available in coupe form as the Amalfi coupe, which we featured not too long ago, but really no motoring feeling compares to an open-top Ferrari… or so my EIC tells me.

The drive was a total of 181 kilometers from the Saronic coastline of Corinth through Mount Parnitha leading up to Boeotia. Since the sky was clear, I drove some parts with the top down, to soak up the nice sea breeze on the open motorway and enjoy the Mediterranean summer.

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There’s something special about how the Amalfi Spider carves the roads here. Like the Roma, the Amalfi (Spider) was designed in-house by Centro Stile Ferrari. Pininfarina sure did a great job with historical Ferraris, but design director Flavio Manzoni is taking it into the future with the in-house studio.

This is a V8 GT car, following the Portofino from 2017. The design concept of the Amalfi follows on the minimalist and sculptural theme from the Roma but improves on it with cleaner elements both inside and out.

The key difference here is the top. Ferrari engineers say it is a five-layer material called Tecnico Ottanio that somehow insulates both heat and noise from the outside to preserve the comfort of driving and the overall shape of the car. It also folds to only 220 mm, still providing boot space of up to 172 liters. This technical fabric of theirs really absorbed the hot summer sun and outside noise that’s commonly a problem with soft convertible tops. You can also choose from different colors and stitching options when you spec your car. 

Ferrari says it can open or close in 13.5 seconds at speeds of up to 60 km/h, but of course we’d rather do it while sitting still in traffic… for drama. 

With the top down, you can also deploy a wind deflector which significantly reduces wind turbulence inside the car so you can enjoy your conversation cruising while enjoying the fresh air and sun. Believe me when I say there is a huge difference with the deflector deployed.

Under the hood, the Spider shares the same powertrain and drivetrain as the Amalfi, a 3.9-liter twin-turbo V8 that maxes out at 640 horsepower and 760 Newton-meters of torque. I know we would prefer manual, but the world has moved on. At least Ferrari mated the engine to a superb dual-clutch automatic, which gives manual control with the paddles if you want to have a more engaging drive. While I did play with the paddles a bit, I kept it mostly on automatic for the three-hour drive.

Ferrari says it can go as fast as 320km/h, sprint from 0-100km/h in 3.3 seconds or 0-200km/h 9.4 seconds. Interestingly, it shares the same performance numbers as the coupe version despite the added weight. We were able to have some fun with it on the long tunnels along the Olympia Odos Motorway for a multi-sensory experience of the glorious engine. And we were also able to experience the acceleration on some open roads with virtually no other cars around.

Beyond the technical details, of course, the things that really matter to the Ferraristi are the new dual-cockpit interior flanking the new infotainment neatly tucked in the middle. Real tactile buttons on the steering wheel replaced the capacitive touch buttons that drew criticism in the Roma. A nicely machined new aluminum center console mimics the monolithic exterior; it houses gearbox controls and a slot for the key fob. The seats are very ergonomic and can be electronically adjusted for a better fit. Getting in and out of the car was also easy.

The door pockets were surprisingly quite useful and can fit in 1-liter water bottles on each side. However, the center console cup holder only holds 1 drink; you may have to share your hot coffee or cold smoothie with your passenger. I think the design team chose form over function on this one, and I have to agree.

While the car may be an “update” to the Roma/Roma Spider, Ferrari says this is genuinely an all-new car, having retained only a few parts. The chassis, aerodynamics, and suspension have been completely reworked, giving a more “grand touring friendly” ride comfort while keeping the dynamic driving characteristics.

The ride comfort was very apparent on the small village roads in the countryside. They consisted of some brick-laden roads, uneven surfaces, and even some rough asphalt, but the car handled it easily even in Sport mode.

A significant number of aero improvements, albeit subtle in appearance, have been implemented to achieve the performance bump it gets. The new three-way active rear wing is the more obvious that automatically deploys when needed. No, you don’t get to have a button to play with the rear wing. You really feel nice and planted with confidence as you drive the car at a more spirited pace.

The drive down from Boeotia down through West Attica and finishing back in Corinth was quite picturesque with great plains as a scenic background of long stretches and winding roads downhill back to the coastal motorway leading down the coastline of Corinth. 

As I finished my time with the Amalfi Spider, getting out of the car and handing back the key was bit of a dilemma for me. I wanted another go at it, but perhaps maybe next time, with my date.

That would be perfection, and that’s what Ferrari is offering for those that can afford: a no-nonsense take on what a weekend getaway sports car that you can also drive on a normal day and make it extraordinary.