2009 ASI Ferrari F430 – Same Pop, Less Plop
ASI is a Japanese tuner that has mainly been known for their wicked Bentley mods for the GT, GTS, GTC and Flying Spur. ASI stands for Accuracy, Spirit and Imagination and they really do live up to their name. Now, they have focused their engineering know-how on the 2009 Ferrari F430. ASI’s new body kit includes a new front bumper ($5,000 USD), Side Skirts ($4,000 USD) and Rear Bumper ($6,000 USD). Purchased together the body kit runs $15,000 USD, so no discount there for the full set. The real benefit of going with ASI’s aero mods is that they provide a 27kg (60 lbs) weight reduction compared to stock with some additional ASI flavor as a bonus.
One quick observation— ASI’s Ferrari kit is not nearly as outrageous as their Bentley mods. Actually, right now it seems more functional and tame than anything they have produced to date. It will be interesting to see how things ramp up and if their focus on Ferrari will stay performance oriented over flash and gleam.
The Company is also offering ECU Tuning for $7,500 USD and a Sachs Suspension System for $13,000 USD. As this is really just the start of ASI’s tuning efforts for Ferrari, a release schedule has been provided for this new project moving forward. Rolling out in late June, July and August look for the following: Dry Carbon Rear Wing, Front Brake System, Diffuser Fins, ASI Center-tip Exhaust System and 19-inch Forged Wheels. We’ll provide an update later this summer with specs on the full 2009 ASI Ferrari F430 package. Stay tuned…
Source: ASI
Well this is my example of how trying to upgrade a Ferrari can start to go wrong. As I have said about tuner, Novi Rosso, it takes finesse and restraint to change body parts of a Ferrari. A single panel for a car designed by Pinifarina has probably been revised and discussed more than the shape of an entire fleet of Pontiacs. Novi has stated they know it’s subtle changes that are the game, you don’t want to make so many changes that the car no longer looks like a Ferrari.
This car looks like it was built with a parts bin from Lamborghini, Porsche, and Ascari. The new intakes on the side look like they belong on an LP640, and would probably look good there. But the F430 had no large intakes here, so instead of slightly changing something they have completely re-drawn what that quarter looks like. The rear wing looks like it is perfect for a modified Porsche Turbo. It reminds me a lot of a wing I saw on a 997 Turbo on Sunset. But wings like that on Ferraris just don’t work. Even the Novi Rosso wing looks out of place. And you can’t say it’s for performance, because the Ferrari FXX does just fun going around race tracks without a wing held up by columns. It follows some of the lines of the car, but altogether it doesn’t belong.
And the front fascia. I don’t underside the void of color in front of the wheels. It gives the car an aggressive look, and maybe if it was track-oriented I would be ok. But this is not a Challenge Stradale type car. It appears to be an aggressive body kit that fortunately cuts weight. I would be curious if there was wind tunnel testing done for these panels, and that might add to their appeal.
Altogether, my gut doesn’t like ASI’s changes. I respect people for modifying Ferraris. They were the last of the exotics for tuners to go after, put on a pedestal (I’m guilty of it) to be looked at but never changed. You don’t buy the Mona Lisa and say “ooh a different red would be amazing here.” Sure, the F430 won’t go down in the books as the best looking Ferrari ever, but it is by no means an eye sore. I think it takes an incredible vision, artistic talent, and comprehensive idea of what a car is to modify it tastefully. I would love to see a new Ferrari tuner come out and do things like Novi Rosso, but aesthetically this breaks up the smoothness that was the F430.
Ferraris, with the Enzo as an exception (no one argues it’s not an ugly car by traditional Italian standards), are smooth and round and beautiful. Your eye easily flows from nose to tail. It all just comes together, a panel here, an intake there, and the overall impression makes you say “wow”. But putting a wing or a giant side intake (is it functional?) breaks up that smooth line, and breaks up what made that car a Ferrari. Of course, if ASi wants to show me the error of my ways, I’m not opposed to ride alongs and test drives.