There are tuners who are best known for their visual stylings while there are others who are recognized for the power upgrades they offer. Then there’s a tuner like Mansory, which blends all of these elements together to create programs like the one it gave to the new Ferrari 488 Spider. The kit itself is called “4XX Siracusa,” and those who routinely follow the aftermarket tuning scene will know that Mansory has used this name before, previously on the Ferrari 458 Italia back in 2011 and most recently on the Ferrari 488 GTB. Now it’s the 488 Spider’s turn and, as expected, there’s a lot going on here, including power gains that elevate the car’s output to within 800 horsepower.

In a lot of ways, this is to be expected considering that this is Mansory we’re talking about. The German tuner has routinely prepared some of the most polarizing programs in the business. For the most part, Mansory’s offerings are hit or miss, but whether we like them or not, there’s no denying that they’re all worth talking about, for better or worse.

Take this 4XX Siracusa kit for the 488 Spider as an example. Technically, the upgrades themselves are similar to the ones the 488 GTB received last year, right down to the split rear spoiler. But there is difference in how the upgrades react to the body style of the supercar, which is why we’re here to talk about it.

No matter which side of the fence you’re on regarding Mansory, the tuner always incites discussion, which in itself makes it worth talking about. This new Siracusa program for the Ferrari 488 Spider is a pretty good example of that.

Continue after the jump to read more about the Ferrari 488 Spider 4XX Siracusa by Mansory.

2017 Ferrari 488 Spider 4XX Siracusa by Mansory

Specifications
  • Make: Array
  • Model: 2017 Ferrari 488 Spider 4XX Siracusa by Mansory
  • [do not use] Vehicle Model: Array
Pros
Cons

Exterior

The dramatic look of the Ferrari 488 Spider Siracusa is attributed to aggressive aerodynamic kit it received from Mansory. Up front, there’s a new front lip that’s been placed to improve downforce over the front axles, a new diffuser with its own aggressive air inlets to provide enhanced cooling, and new daytime LED driving lights. On the cosmetic side, you might also notice the thin trim paint accents on the hood and the spoiler lip featuring the Italian flag’s red, white, and green tri-colore. The application of the kit compares uniquely to that of the coupe counterpart with the only noticeable difference being the aesthetic scheme that Mansory chose for the two models.

Note: photo of the Ferrari 488 GTB 4XX Siracusa by Mansory.

Move to the sides and the presence of the side skirts is impossibly difficult to ignore. Same thing with the carbon fiber rear-view mirror casings, which also get the red-white-green strip styling treatment. As dynamic as these sections look, the majority of Mansory’s work on the exterior of the 488 Spider can be found in the rear section where the tuner fitted a Liquid Black carbon fiber diffuser that also gets the Italian flag accents.

The real highlight. though, is the split rear spoiler, a feature that can also be found on the 488 GTB Siracusa program that Mansory introduced in Geneva last year. The obvious aerodynamic benefits of having the split spoiler are obvious, as is the improvements in downforce that it’s expected to generate. It’s the jarring look of the whole component when combined with the supercar that makes the whole car stand out.

Finishing off the exterior upgrades is a new set of 20-inch ultra light wheels wrapped in 255/30 and 325/25 front and rear tires, respectively.

What other tuners have done

Since the 488 Spider is a relatively new model, there’s an obvious lack of prominent aftermarket upgrades for the model. It’s time will definitely come soon enough, but for now, most of the kits for the 488 are attributed to the coupe version.

Novitec Rosso’s program for the 488 GTB makes use of a similarly aggressive aero kit that’s made up of a new front lip spoiler, air intake fins, side skirts, rear diffusor, and the fixed rear wing. Other cosmetic upgrades include carbon fiber covers for the mirrors, taillights, fog lights, and a diffuser. xXx Performance is another tuner that has already presented a carefully prepared aero kit. This particular one is comprised of its own front spoiler, side skirts, modified exterior mirrors, and a new rear diffuser.

Note: side-by-side photo of the Ferrari 488 GTB by Novitec Rosso and the Ferrari 488 GTB by xXx Performance.

What Ferrari is offering

Ferrari’s Tailor Made personalization program is arguably one of the best in the business so it should come as no surprise if owners of the 488 Spider decide to take this route instead of going to the aftermarket tuning world. While there’s still no visual example of what the division can do to the 488 Spider, it’s already presented a unique interpretation of the 488 GTB that paid inspiration to the livery used on the classic 308 Gr3 Pioneer, highlighted by the blue body color that shares the same shade as the 308. Other features like the white accents along the bottom of the vehicle, the A-pillar, and the roof line are also present in Tailor Made’s interpretation. It’s admittedly not the best example since it’s specifically personalized to pay homage to a specific model from yesteryear, but it does show the breadth of opportunities that owners of the 488 Spider are in line for should they go this route.

Note: photo of the Ferrari 488 GTB Tailor Made

Interior

Just as it was with the previous 4XX Siracusa program for the 488 GTB, Mansory’s work on the interior of the 488 Spyder covers a lot of ground. Luxury is at the forefront here as the German tuner dressed up the surface of the cabin with yards upon yards of leather and Alcantara and accenting, all with red stitching on the seats. Red trim is also prevalent on the dashboard where it’s joined by red-white-green stitching on the lower end of the dash. Notice also that the same tri-color treatment on the trim of the switch gear, which itself is something that the tuner just cooked up to be different. The last notable piece to Mansory’s work on the interior is the sports steering wheel, which gets carbon fiber applications and its own Italian flag-inspired red-white-green stitching.

The choice of colors may be different - the Siracusa kit for the 488 GTB predominantly featured yellow and black - but the overall treatment is relatively similar to the program developed for the coupe. A few notable differences include the sports seats, which were dressed in premium leather in the coupe as opposed to Alcantara in the convertible. The stitching patterns are also different although they’re really not significant enough warrant putting the spotlight on them.

Note: interior photo of the Ferrari 488 GTB 4XX Siracusa by Mansory.

What other tuners are offering

If we are to look for something different in terms of the quality of aftermarket work on the supercar’s interior, we can point to Novitec Rosso, which says that it’s interior customization program comes with plenty of premium materials, not the least of which are the tried, tested, and generally well-received leather, Alcantara, and carbon fiber upholsteries.

More often than not though, tuners that have programs available for the new Ferrari supercar have opted to keep the interior in standard configuration, although there are also some tuners that provide the usual aftermarket knick-knacks - velour floor mats and aluminum pedals - for the 488 Spyder.

What Ferrari is offering

All the discussion surrounding the growing competitiveness between the aftermarket tuning world and the in-house personalization departments can be best seen in how Ferrari’s Taior Made program works on the interior of the 488 Spyder. The same 308 Gr3 Pioneer-inspired creation that we touched on in the section above also features a slew of exclusive cabin appointments, the most prominent of which is the red leather upholstery.

In addition to that, Tailor Made also added black matte carbon accents on the dash, splashes of Alcantara, and a Grigio Corsa mat aluminum floor. It’s not much in terms of volume or quantity, but owners are encouraged to put their own twists in the program. As they say in this business, mileage may vary depending on the depth of the pockets.

Drivetrain

At the heart of Mansory’s 4XX Siracusa program for the Ferrari 488 GTB is an engine upgrade that brings the supercar’s total output up to 800 horsepower and 642 pound-feet of torque. So how exactly did the tuner get that massive increase in output? Well, the all-too familiar engine management system is the biggest reason for this, where it works with a specially created exhaust system to account for the 140-horsepower and 82 pound-feet-of-torque increase from the standard output of 660 ponies and 560 pound-feet of twist coming out out of that 3.9-liter, turbocharged V-8 engine.

The resulting gains is evident in a number of different ways, none of which are more important than the improvements attributed to the 488 Spider’s performance times. Take for example its 0-to-62-mph time, which now sits at 2.9 seconds, 0.1 seconds quicker than the stock model. More importantly, the Mansory-tuned 488 Spider now carries a top speed of 212 mph, as opposed to 205 mph on the car’s standard configuration.

The figures attributed to the engine upgrade program for the 488 Spider are made more impressive when you compare it to the the power gains Mansory got out of its coupe counterpart. Maybe it has something to do with the extent of the upgrades, but the tuner only achieved an output of 790 horsepower and 561 pound-feet of torque, translating to a sprint-to-62 mph time of 2.9 seconds before maxing out at a top speed of 211 mph.

What other tuners are offering

For the record, most of these offerings are for the Ferrari 488 GTB but they do paint a picture on the extent of upgrades the 488 Spider could get if more tuners focused on it. Novitec Rosso, for example, a multiple-stage kit that includes its own N-Tronic engine tuning module, a catalyst replacement pipe, a new mesh insert, and a stainless steel exhaust system. In full spec, the program is good enough to get 772 horsepower and 658 pound-feet of torque out of the 488 Spyder’s turbocharged V-8 engine. The end result is a car that can sprint from 0 to 60 mph in 2.8 seconds to go with an increased top speed of 212 mph.

If that program isn’t to your liking, xXx Performance also has a kit available for the 488 GTB, which I assume could be used on the Spider version as well. In this case, xXx’s work revolved around its own version of a three-stage tuning kit, including a Stage 3 program that puts out a staggering 1,000 horsepower and 922 pound-feet of torque. If that’s a little too much for your liking, xXx’s software program can also be used to attain 660 horsepower and 560 pound-feet of torque (Stage 1) and 750 ponies and 612 pound-feet of twist (Stage 2).

No matter which way you look at it, there is some comfort knowing that programs for the Ferrari 488 GTB can be adopted to its convertible counterpart, provided of course that there’s a tuner out there like Mansory that puts in the time to see these programs come to life and manifest themselves beautifully on the cars that they’re being used on.

Check out the table below to see how the power gains achieved by Mansory for the Ferrari 488 Spider 4XX Siracusa and how it compares to what other tuners were able to do for the convertible’s coupe counterpart.

Model/Tuner

Horsepower

Torque

0 To 60 MPH

Top Speed

Ferrari 488 Spider 4XX Siracusa by Mansory

800 horsepower

642 pound-feet

2.9 seconds

212 mph

Ferrari 488 GBT by Novitec Rosso Stage 3)

772 horsepower

658 pound-feet

2.8 seconds

212 mph

Ferrari 488 GTB by Wheelsandmore (Stage 2)

750 horsepower

612 pound-feet

2.9 seconds

210 mph


Pricing

There's no word yet on how much the whole package is going to cost, but we know an expensive program when we see one. The fact that this is also Mansory we're talking about here says a lot about the kind of money interested customers are likely to spend to get the full scope of the 4XX Siracusa program for the Ferrari 488 Spider.

Here's a hint: a conservative estimate would be in the high five figures, maybe even breaking six figures if the list of interior upgrades become longer than anticipated.

Competition

Ferrari 488 GTB Settecento-Trenta By Wheelsandmore

While we await for more aftermarket programs for the Ferrari 488 Spider to arrive, our immediate focus likes on kits that have already been developed for the 488 GTB. One of these kits comes from Wheelsandmore, and as you might expect, it also has a multiple-stage engine upgrade program that, at least for now, tops out at 720 horsepower and 620 pound-feet of torque, good enough to allow the car to sprint from 0 to 60 mph in less than three seconds to go with a top speed in the range of 212 mph.

Read our full review here.

Conclusion

It certainly goes without saying that Mansory's reputation for building flashy and bombastic programs is once again in full effect with this kit for the Ferrari 488 Spider. It's really not for everybody but if you're the type who enjoys a program that puts a major spin on the creating a unique look to your Ferrari, then by all means, prepare to spend for this kit.

Otherwise, you might want to look somewhere else, especially when you consider that the power upgrades being offered by other tuners aren't really that far from what Mansory is offering itself.