Lies. Damn lies and speculation. Rumor would be another way to put it, as word of a potential convertible version of the 430 Scuderia spreads across cyberspace. Tentatively referred to as the 430 Scuderia Spider, the roadster would naturally be based on the lightweight, Enzo-rivaling 430 Scuderia supercar, but with the roof chopped off. Various reports have given conflicting information about what kind of roof mechanism would be fitted to the Spideria, including a retractable hard-top similar to that found on the new California, a manual cloth roof to keep weight down, or the same automatic fabric top from the conventional F430 Spider. Or maybe no roof at all, who knows. The wide range of speculation leads us to chalk this up to pure rumor. The removal of structural rigidity and the addition of weight would seem antithetical to the Scuderia's entire raison d'etre. However the prevailing reports suggest that the Spider will also get the California's new seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox, be produced in a limited series of 300 and be unveiled on November 5 at the Ferrari Challenge weekend in Mugello... the same event where Ferrari unveiled the FXX Evoluzione last year. Jon Sibal, the skilled supercar illustrator we've come to know and trust, has presented a few renderings of what the 430 Scuderia Spider could look like, which in our eye looks right on the money.
It's not every day that a new supercar is announced. But those are the good days, and for when they roll around, Jon Sibal is ready. The gifted illustrator who has already brought us renderings of the upcoming Mercedes SLR McLaren Speedster and a race-prepped Lexus LF-A has now taken a stab at the upcoming Aston Martin One-77. The new flagship supercar from Aston Martin was announced earlier this month and accompanied by a few teaser renderings from the factory. Those were followed by a rather uninspired speculative conception of what form the carbon-fiber supercar would take, and though we're not sure what to make of Sibal's take on the subject, it does appear to be rather accurate. We just hope the One-77 looks better in the flesh, as we've come to expect more from the company that brought us the DBS and the V8 Vantage.
With a host of new exotics coming out from both Mercedes-Benz and its F1 and erstwhile supercar partner McLaren, the ageing Mercedes SLR McLaren is about to be shown the back door. But not before one last hoorah. And if this illustration is any indication, it will be one rip-roaring, ear-piercing hoorah indeed.
Based on the spy shots that have already surfaced of the SLR McLaren "Speedster" (we don't know if that's what it'll be called officially, but that's the name we've been tossing around), talented illustrator Jon Sibal has crafted the rendering you see above. According to Sibal, the headlights will be the only element of the exterior carried over from previous incarnations of the SLR to the new, more hardcore roofless swan-song. The hood, which previously melded into the A-pillars, is more flat; the nose draws even more direct inspiration from McLaren-Mercedes formula racing cars; the exhaust pipes have been moved into the side vents... oh yeah, and there's no roof. None whatsoever. There's barely any windshield for that matter, just a couple of deflectors. Needless to say, we hope the actual vehicle turns out to be as dramatic as Sibal's conception.
