#Ferrari458Spider

The 2012 Women’s World Car of the Year short list has just been announced, and women motoring writers from around the world will begin voting for their top picks.

Cutting a list of contenders from 300 down to 32, judges will now allocate points to the nominated cars that fall into four categories: Family Car, Luxury Car, Sports Car and Economy Car. Just one of the 10 criteria that cars are allotting points for is Child Friendliness, which is something vehicles aren’t usually judged on in a competition.

Winners of the 2012 Women’s World Car of the Year will be announced before the end of March, and awards will be presented at the Paris Motor Show in September. You can check out the complete short list after below.

Italy is one of the most beautiful and scenic countries in the world and when paired up with one of the most exotic creations from the country, you’re guaranteed to have a breathtaking video. Highlighting Ferrari‘s new 458 Spider, the red drop-top beauty races through the Amalfi Coast, at Reggia di Caserta and other picturesque locations throughout the Basilicata region.

While for most of us having the opportunity to drive a 458 Spider is good enough, being able to pilot its 562-hp, 4.5L V8 along the Mediterranean Sea is probably towards the top of our bucket list. So sit back, hit play and listen to the sonorous note of the Spider’s exhaust that has been tuned to sound even better with the roof open. No arguments from us.

Check out the video after the break.

Ferrari recently held a private unveiling for the new 458 Spider in Maranello and Teamspeed member GrayTT was on hand to capture the action. And in true Ferrari form, the Italian automaker brought out three 458 Spiders, one in red, one in yellow and one in black. All three Spiders feature Ferrari’s fully retractable hard top which is a world’s first in a sports car with this type of layout.

After continued speculation, an excessive number of artist renderings and then leaked photos last week, Ferrari has now officially revealed the 458 Spider with a retractable hard top.

Ahead of its official reveal at the Frankfurt Auto Show, photos of the new drop-top Ferrari have leaked onto the net. We can’t confirm if these are in fact the official pics of the production 458 Spider, but they certainly do look authentic, and are done in the same style as Ferrari’s usual press images.

Ferrari will unveil a slew of new products over the next two years, starting in about a month’s time at the Frankfurt Auto Show. First among the debuts is the 458 Spider, powered by the same 570-hp 4.5-liter V8 as the coupe, but featuring a retractable hard top. That car will then be followed by a 458 Scuderia mode in 2013. Inspired by motorsports, no details are yet available, but look for a slight bump in power and a more significant drop in weight. That same year Ferrari will look to update the California.

After previous reports that Ferrari would launch a 458 Spider with a soft-top, Italian outlet Auto.it is indicating we’ll get a retractable glass-top model instead. This setup would be similar to the one found on the 575 Superamerica, where the glass top would slide in behind the passenger compartment.

Yesterday in Fiat’s 5-year plan it was revealed that Ferrari will introduce four new models in the next three years. But the details of Fiat CEO Sergio Marchionne’s press conference are apparently open to interpretation. According to AutoCar, it won’t be four new models, but six!

As a part of a larger press conference held today Fiat CEO Sergio Marchionne outlined the product plans for each of the Italian automakers brands – including Ferrari. In an unprecedented move, Marchionne laid bare his plans, likely in an attempt to shore up support for a company that continues to lose money and which made a risky move in buying into the failed Chrysler corporation.