What You Want from Your Drive
Choosing between a coupe and a spyder depends on what you want from your drive. For sightseeing at a leisurely pace, a spyder is better than a coupe. If it is a rainy day, though, or you are planning to drive really fast, then the coupe is the safer bet. And unlike the Spyder, the coupe usually rents for less.
What is driving really about, after all? It’s not something you do from the inside of a cocoon. Driving is a feast for the ears, eyes, and nostrils. If you prize the quality of the exhaust note at city speeds, if you despise any blind spot, and if you care about an unbroken vista of city architecture, or you just want your date to gaze at the sky on a night drive, then the Spyder will delight you, if the weather is good.
Heavy Roof Mechanism
The roof adds weight. Convertibles average roughly 110 to 150 kilograms more than the coupe. The Huracán EVO Spyder weighs 1,542kg dry versus the coupé’s 1422kg, though a McLaren 750S Spider weighs just 49kg more than the coupé, thanks to a carbon-fibre tub that makes reinforcement less necessary.
In low-speed driving around town, you’ll likely feel no meaningful change. Without that roof to tie things together, convertibles can be flexible over bumps. On fast twisty roads the coupe wins. No heavy roof mechanism means tighter handling and better steering feel, especially on hard corners. Then there is the feel of confidence - no cowl shake.
In Miami, a soft top (convertible) will soak up more of the hot sun while the AC has to work harder and harder. A hard top (coupe) stays better sealed up and keeps things cooler. That is even truer if you plan on driving when it’s raining (remember, Miami has a wet season May 15 through October 15). That season brings 60 to 70 percent of the rain Miami receives each year.
Even with a soft top, opening and closing times are quick. The Ferrari 296 GTS hard top can close in mere seconds while moving along at up to 45 km/h. The Huracán EVO Spyder’s soft top folds completely away in just 17 seconds. Roof down, in a convertible, is definitely a place you want to slather on SPF. The side and rear car windows usually do not block UVA that well, so especially in a convertible, put it on.
Think about luggage. A stowed roof usually eats 30 to 50 percent of the trunk space, so if you arrive at the airport with big suitcases, then a mid-engine spyder is not for you. Instead take a grand tourer like the Ferrari Roma, or a coupe.
The Spyder Is Worth the Extra Money
Convertible models tend to cost more, and by a fair amount. In Miami, one company starts the Huracán EVO Spyder at $1,295 a day, another lists the coupe at $830. Many people want to see the scenery at low speed and hear the engine. To them, the Spyder is worth the extra money. Other people focus on the handling and speed or prefer air-conditioned comfort. Those travelers go with the coupe.
The type of roof matters too. A retractable hard top spider keeps the weather out almost as well as the coupe. It takes 14 seconds to fold itself flat on the Ferrari F8 Spider. A canvas soft top like the Huracán EVO Spyder lets in more heat and noise. The Porsche 911 Targa sits in between.
Drivers over 185 cm tall get slightly more headroom in the Huracán coupe. The F8 Tributo coupé has the see-through engine cover that the Spider lacks. The 911 Turbo S Cabriolet picks up a little wind noise on the highway.
Book the model that best fits the needs of the occasion. Where do you plan to go, at what speed, and what do you expect to hear? If most of your trip is around town, get the spyder. It surrounds you with the exhaust note at city speeds. If you must drive in the wet, then book the coupe. It is better at keeping the elements at bay.
