Lets face it, the Ferrari 458 Italia is a car that needs no customization; it is perfect just as it is. Of course, that still isn't going to stop tuners from tinkering around in their automotive laboratory to try to juice up this baby. The European tuner Oakley Design is offering a tuning package limited to just only 5 units that improves not only the car's appearance, but also its performance.
The aerodynamic package includes a carbon-fiber front spoiler lip, carbon-fiber inserts on the radiator air exit ducts, wider side sills, a lighter carbon-fiber rear diffuser, a new rear spoiler and carbon-fiber roof panel, mirror covers, and an engine cover insert. The exterior package is finished off by 20-inch wheels with 245/35ZR20 and 305/35ZR20 tires.
Aerodynamics get improved with the use of a front spoiler that "adds 45kg of down force" to the front end at speeds of 150 mph and a new rear spoiler with a Gurney flap that adds 25kg of downforce.
The engine's output has been increased by 10%, obtaining a total of 627bhp and a peak torque of 567Nm. The sprint from 0 to 60 mph is made in 3.0 seconds, while top speed is 205 mph.
This tuned up 458 Italia is much more impressive than the made-to-order 458 Italia designed by Cam Shaft. The Ferrari 458 Italia Nighthawk still produced the same 570hp as the standard model with only a matte black wrap to spice it up.
UPDATE 12/05/10: We've just gotten the latest results from Oakley Design's dyno test of their tuned-up Ferrari 458 Italia. There's a graph that we included to show you how the Prancing Horse fared in the test and an accompanying video of the 458 Italia in the middle of the dyno run. Word of caution: there's some serious noise in that video so we invite all of you to turn up that volume.
UPDATE 12/27/2010: The Ferrari 458 Italia Oakley Design has been taken testing in the MIRA Wind Tunnel. Check out the video to see how many carbon fiber parts were developed and tested using a range of track data and wind tunnel testing.
UPDATE 08/22/11: A lot of people we asked aren't fond of this LED lighting set-up for the Oakley Design-tuned Ferrari 458 Italia but we dig it. We really do. The large amount of additional LED and HID lights on the front end, front bumper and engine hood adds another exciting element to an already awesome supercar. Check out the lights display after the jump!
Information on the first production model as well as the press release after the jump.
2010 Ferrari 458 Italia Limited Edition by Oakley Design
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- Model: 2010 Ferrari 458 Italia Limited Edition by Oakley Design
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As we mentioned before, the first production model for the super exclusive Ferrari 458 Italia by Oakley Design will be making its debut at the 2010 SEMA Show. To spice up the grand entrance of this special edition to the tuning world Oakley Design has added exclusive HRE custom forged P40S Monoblok wheels which reduce the overall weight of the vehicle in comparison to the factory OEM wheels. The package includes a remapped ECU, a larger carbon-fiber air intake box, larger ram air feeds, and larger diameter white silicon pipes.
Press release
Production will be limited to just 5 cars, each bearing a unique build number plaque. Outside of this Limited Edition model, individual parts will also be made available for clients who do not require the complete package. With Jon Oakley’s motorsport background central to the company’s philosophy, any change, whether aerodynamic or mechanical, is only done for sound technical reasons.
Wind tunnel testing proved that the carbon-fibre front spoiler lip adds 45kg of downforce over the front axle at 150mph (240km/h), while the racecar style centrally positioned radiator vent now channels air out over the bonnet instead of under the car. This vent also helps to boost the airflow at the base of the front windscreen, benefiting aerodynamics.
Further internal airflow management is seen in the radiator air exit ducts beside the headlamps, which receive carbon-fibre inserts and improved ducting from the radiator. Deeper, wider side sills improve airflow control down the cars flanks, as well as helping to optimize the flat-bottom effect. The longer but lighter carbon-fibre rear diffuser has deeper boundary layer fences to improve directional stability.
Finally, a new rear spoiler with Gurney flap adds 25kg of downforce over the rear axle at 150mph. This works together with the underbody diffuser to reduce the Italia’s overall drag by smoothing out the separating airflow.
The only exterior alterations made for cosmetic reasons are the signature Oakley Design carbon-fibre roof panel, mirror covers and engine cover insert below the rear window glass. These are matched in the engine bay by carbon-fibre panels covering the inner wings and rear bulkhead.
Lower kerb weight automatically improves performance and puts less stress on the suspension, tyres and brakes. The complete titanium exhaust system with triple outlet pipes and no bypass valve shaves a huge 30kg from the Italia’s aft section, where it counts the most.
At half the weight of cast alloy equivalents, the signature Oakley Design lightweight composite wheels save a significant 8.0kg of unsprung weight per corner. Made in the UK, these two-piece wheels have a magnesium-alloy centre married to a carbon-fibre rim. Their adjusted offset keeps the wheel centre line the same as OE to compensate for the half-inch wider footprint at each corner.
Oakley Design plan to offer 9.0J x 20-inch and 11.0J x 20-inch wheels with 245/35ZR20 and 305/35ZR20 tyres, as well as one-inch diameter smaller 9.0J x 19-inch and 11.0J x 19-inch OZ Racing wheels shod with the New Pirelli Trofeo tyre that meets the latest EU regulations for street legal trackday rubber.
Apart from lower back-pressure in the new exhaust system, the improved throttle response and output is down to the larger carbon-fibre air intake box, larger ram air feeds and larger diameter white silicon pipes with Oakley Design logos connecting the air boxes to the intake.
With an ECU remap optimising the fuelling and ignition curves, these changes account for an approximate 10 percent power gain from 570bhp to 627bhp, while torque is up five percent from 540Nm to 567Nm
Carrying around 65kg less and with more power on tap, the factory 3.4 sec 0-100km/h time drops to around 3.0sec, while top speed has been calculated at over 330km/h.
As reducing the sprung weight has the effect of stiffening the suspension, the car is undergoing extensive testing in this form. A bespoke suspension kit for hard-core trackday drivers is also underway at Intrax, Oakley Design’s suspension and development partner.