Automakers (exotic or otherwise) launch new models, and we’d be forgiven for assuming that meant they were now available worldwide. But sometimes it takes a while for these new vehicles to reach more far-flung markets – like Australia, for example, or South Africa.
Those are the two former British colonies where Ferrari most recently launched two of its latest models: the GTC4Lusso and 488 Spider.
The former was unveiled in Sydney for the first time in the Australasian market, marking its first appearance in the Southern Hemisphere altogether. The successor to the Ferrari FF, the new GTC4Lusso is Maranello’s flagship GT model, packing a 6.3-liter V12 to drive 681 horsepower to all four wheels in a four-seat shooting-brake form. The event brought some 50 journalists to one Ferrari owner’s spectacular harbor-front home.
Less than two weeks prior, the Prancing Horse marque also introduced the 488 Spider in Johannesburg. The convertible version of the 488 GTB is powered by a 3.9-liter twin-turbo V8 good for 661 hp, with a retractable hardtop to open up the two-seat cockpit to the elements. The event was held at the local dealership Scuderia South Africa in Bryanston and was accompanied by a fashion show inspired by the Italian supercar.