It is not every motor show that two archrivals decide to unveil direct competitors within hours of each other — and in the same colour, no less. So it was at Frankfurt this year, as Ferrari pulled the wraps off a lovely blue 488 Spider (with an 'i') and Lamborghini did the same with a likewise lovely blue Huracán LP 610-4 Spyder (with a 'y').

“The Huracán LP 610-4 Spyder ... continues a Lamborghini tradition of open-air motoring,” says Stephan Winkelmann, President and CEO of Automobili Lamborghini. “Its predecessor, the Gallardo Spyder, was the best-selling open top model in Lamborghini’s history: we expect the Huracán Spyder to exceed its predecessor in every way.”

With the primary goal of saving a few pounds, Lamborghini decided to give the Spyder a canvas roof instead of a more cumbersome retractable hard top. Available in black, brown or red, the electrohydraulic top folds in 17 seconds at speeds up to 31mph; the upright rear glass can be raised or lowered independently, functioning as a wind-blocker with the top down. As the top lowers, twin fins emerge and nestle behind the seatbacks, smoothing the airflow and quieting the cockpit.

The top is all the more impressive when you consider that it shares the Spyder's compact rear end with a ten-cylinder monster. Mechanically, the new car is identical to the Huracán coupe, with a 5.2-litre V10 producing 610 horsepower and 413 pound-feet of torque. That power reaches all four wheels through a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission. The Spyder tips the scales at a relatively modest 3,399lbs (about 260lbs more than the coupe), and Lamborghini says will sprint from zero to 60mph in 3.4 seconds and press on to a top-down top speed of 201mph.

Of course, the possibility for customisation is essential in this class, and the Spyder does not disappoint. Buyers can pick from 11 exterior colours (or more, including five matte finishes, with Lamborghini's Ad Personam individualisation program), as well as five interior trim combinations using a palette of 17 colours.

Delivery of the Huracán LP 610-4 Spyder is set to commence in the spring; in its homeland, the car starts at 186,450 euros (about $210,000).

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