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The Best Features Of The Ferrari 488 Spider

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The Ferrari 488 Spider is one of the most popular and sought after supercars in the world. It is stylish, beautiful and instantly recognisable as a Ferrari. If this is a supercar that you are interested in purchasing, carry on reading to find out more about the stand out features that it offers.

The Steering Wheel

One of the most exciting features of the Ferrari 488 Spider is that you can quite clearly see the influences of Formula One tradition and technology. The steering wheel of the Ferrari 488 Spider is what stands out to most supercar fans, as the traditional stalks have been replaced with mounted buttons or switches. This sleek design provides a modern interior that’s both practical and stylish.

The Manettino

For those who may not be familiar with the word, Manettino simply means little switch or little level in Italian. This is the steering wheel mounted drive mode controller in your Ferrari and this was first launched with the F430.  

Gauge Cluster

The gauge cluster in the Ferrari 488 Spider also works as your infotainment system as there is no central infotainment screen. To the sides of this centre analogue tachometer are the configurable screen, where you’ll find a separate control panels. The screen on the right-hand side is your infotainment screen, while the screen to the left-hand side is the driver information screen.

The infotainment screen is operated using this centre stack mounted control panel. The drivers screen will show the condition of your car including its turbo boost levels, your car’s driving mode and your lap times, if you’re out on a track day. To operate this left screen, you can use the panel which is found between your steering wheel and your door. You will also spot the pit button which is the switch for cruise control.

Options to Upgrade

One of the main selling points of the Ferrari 488 Spider is that there are so many irresistible upgrading options. Scuderia Car Parts have outlined the key upgrades that you can implement that will tastefully enhance your Ferrari 488. Some of these upgrades include addressing the sound of the 488, adding the Capristo Carbon Fibre Rear Diffuser and lowering the ride height. If you’re interested in these upgrades, that’s something that Scuderia Car Parts would be able to assist you with.

The Interior

If you are familiar with Ferrari supercars, then you will know that previously their interiors have been a little sparse in amenities. The Ferrari 488, however, is stunning with the entire cabin covered in soft leathers and expensive carbon fibre accents.

Convertible

Of course, opting for the Spider version of the Ferrari 488 means that you can enjoy the exciting convertible roof feature. This allows you to let the sunshine in simply be pressing one button and this will fold away your electronically operated hardtop roof.

As you can see, there are plenty of beautiful features that make the Ferrari 488 a fantastic purchase, plus with the option to make your own customisable upgrades, you can make this supercar even more unique to you.

What To Do If Your Car Breaks Down

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Driveways, Motorways, Minor Roads & Dual Carriageways

In the Real World, things don’t always go to plan. Liberty Insurance get that, that’s why they’re here to help when things get real. In the first of their Real World Blog series, we look at the measures you need to take in the unfortunate event of a breakdown.

Most drivers don’t expect a breakdown, but the essential thing to bear in mind in these situations, is to stay safe. Be sure to contact your breakdown service provider right away.

Here are a few simple tips to keep you, your passengers and other road users safe when your car breaks down.

Motorways & Dual Carriageways

By far the trickiest place to suffer a car breakdown is on a motorway or dual carriageway, particularly if you are in the outside or overtaking lane when the issue happens. The RSA has a list of recommendations which we’ve listed below;

  1. If you can, pull into the hard shoulder as soon as possible. Put your hazard lights and your side lights on and then point your front wheels away from the road.
  2. If you have a visibility vest, wear it. Visibility vests are relatively cheap and don’t take up much storage space so it’s a good idea to get a few and leave them in the car.
  3. Exit your vehicle on the left hand side, away from the traffic on the road. Be safe and stay away from the fast moving cars on the other side! Make your way up the embankment and if there is a barrier, climb over it if possible. You and your passengers should stay well away from the hard shoulder.
  4. Don’t attempt to make any repairs on the car, no matter how small they seem to be. Plenty of people have warning triangles in their car, BUT you should not attempt to place this behind your car on the motorway. There will be cars speeding by and it’s risky to even attempt it.
  5. Call the local authorities. If you do this from your mobile phone, they will need to know your location. If you use one of the roadside SOS phones on the motorway network, they will automatically know your location. Next contact your breakdown service.
  6. If the repair services can get you back up and running there and then, that’s great but be very careful when it comes to re-joining the motorway. You’ll need to build up your speed on the hard shoulder before merging into traffic. Be aware too though that other vehicles may have stopped on the hard shoulder.
  7. If for some reason you are unable to follow the above advice, you should stay in your vehicle with your safety belt securely fastened and switch on your hazard lights. Then, as above, call 999 and wait for assistance. You should also contact your breakdown service provider to let them know.

National, Secondary & minor roads

If you break down on any road smaller than a motorway, you’ll need to do things a little differently to make sure you remain safe throughout. Again, we’ve taken the advice of the RSA to give you the best information on how to handle the situation.

  1. If you can, pull over to a safe place. Some national roads have a hard shoulder, but if there isn’t one, pull over as far left as you can.
  2. Turn on your hazard lights and if the light is poor or visibility is low, turn on your side lights also.
  3. Although the cars will be passing a little slower than those on the motorway, you should still only get out of your car on the left hand side of the road. Again, it’s better to be safe out there in the real world, so avoid those unnecessary dangers and prevent any issues occurring.
  4. Put on your high visibility vest and place your Red Warning Triangle 50 metres behind your car to alert oncoming traffic.
  5. In contrast to actions on the motorway, no matter where on the road you breakdown, be it in the middle of the road in town or out on a narrow country road, you should get back in your car once you’ve put out your triangle. That’s the safest place to be.
  6. Once in your car, ring the Gardaí for assistance and then call your breakdown service provider to let them know.

Even experienced drivers might not know the above protocols for what to do if you breakdown, but now that you’ve familiarised yourself with them, you’re ready for any breakdown. All Liberty car insurance policies come with 24/7 breakdown assistance with Home Start as standard and it won’t affect your no claims bonus.

A Soft Goodbye To The Old Muscle Cars, A Hard Hello To The Cadillac CTS-V

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Guys, let’s face it, we all love our muscle cars. We love the looks, the superchargers, turbochargers, and the exhilarating sound. Truthfully, guys who are into muscle cars most likely know of other guys with muscle cars. Aside from being attention-grabbing, muscle cars also very fun to restore. Cars, muscle cars in particular, can be an extension of the owner. They can also portray power and aggression, which is a popular reason for so many people choosing to drive them. However, with all the fun in the restoration process and portrayal of masculinity, eventually people’s maturity will surpass their muscle car passion. There’s no issue with owning a muscle car as a project, but sooner or later it won’t be as fun to daily drive one.

In this case, guys should really consider the Cadillac brand by visiting a Cadillac dealership and checking out their impressive lineup. Every aspect of Cadillac’s lineups, from the interior design, innovative safety features, groundbreaking performance, and overall aesthetic appeal is crafted with perfection. Many may not be aware, but the 2017 Cadillac XTS was featured in “Wardsauto” top 10 best interior list. Inside of the Cadillac vehicles, owners can experience the touch screen QUE system, with seamless connectivity, responsive intelligent design, and natural voice recognition. Everyone will appreciate the craftsmanship inside of a Cadillac vehicle from their hand-finished refinement.

There is a reason why Cadillac has been around for over a century, they know quality. By offering premium quality at competitive prices, Cadillac understands how to give the consumer the best bang for their buck. Additionally, by being around for so long, Cadillac still knows safety better than any other automaker with their advanced V2V safety technology. While leading the charge for the future of driving safety, Cadillacs are packed with the newest and latest safety features. Some of those include blind spot warning, adaptive cruise control, and automatic braking. Some of the new Cadillacs, such as the CT6, are considered to be a testament to state-of-the-art engineering.

Guys that are still looking to enjoy the performance aspect of driving should consider the Cadillac V lineup. Being around for over a dozen years now, the V series continues to impress in ways other manufacturers just can’t. With a massive 6.2L supercharged V-8 engine packing 640hp and 630ft-lb of torque, the Cadillac CTS-V sedan packs more power than you’ll ever need. Accelerating from 0 to 60mph in just 3.7 seconds, it is faster than their competitor BMW M4 and Mercedes AMG lineup. Additionally, Cadillac is equipped with ultimate precision magnetic ride control and traction management, which reads the road up to 1,000 times per second and automatically adapts to changing road and weather conditions, unlike conventional suspensions. The suspension and control is transferred to the driver through a thickly wrapped steering wheel sculpture and wrapped in leather, or available microfiber suede for easy grip and ultimate control. Keeping the driver secure includes the addition of a comfortable Ricardo performance seat which offers 18-way adjustability, slip-resistant microfiber suede inserts, and aggressive bolsters that cradle the driver’s body during hard cornering. Of course, with all of that power, drivers need to be able to stop the vehicle. This is why Cadillac specifically designed six-piston front, and four-piston rear fixed caliper Brembo brakes with vented rotors for powerful braking every time.

Cadillac’s supercar-like performance brings the ultimate driving experience to the driver, while keeping the luxurious aspects and features of a luxury car. Aside from being gorgeous, the Cadillac CTS-V carries no decorative parts. Every part of the vehicle is functional, from the pillars to the carbon fiber weight saving grills. Everything internally about the V-series Cadillac is derived from the powerful Corvette Z06 series, with 2 extra comfortable seats. The exhilarating sound of this vehicle is also all pure, unlike the electronically recorded sound of the BMW M5, the Cadillac’s rumble is sure to put a smile on the driver’s face, and some intimidation as well. There are so many reasons to drive a Cadillac aside from groundbreaking performance and sophisticated luxury superior to many. It’s like love at first drive when you get in this super comfortable, yet scary performance machine, every time.

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