Liberty Walk Ferrari F430 V8

During a recent visit to Liberty Walk, one of my main objectives was to spend some time with Kato-san’s freshly completed F430 demonstrator. When you build cars for the sole purpose of turning heads, there is nothing you hold back on. Look at this F430 and you might come to the conclusion that it’s just the same old recipe applied to a different car, and in essence, it is. I’m not going to sit here and attempt to convince you that it’s not; what I am going to do is try to justify its existence.

I mean, just because a style has been done and repeated countless times doesn’t mean it should be totally abandoned, right? Why must we always expect to be shown the next big thing? I’ve thought long and hard about this myself, year upon year as more and more over-fender kits from Rocket Bunny, LBW and every other aero manufacturer that Miura-san has collaborated with makes it to market.

I love cars that split opinions, and this my friends does just that. Who gives a shit if it won’t pass Ferrari’s guidelines as a well-kept factory-correct example, because it looks badass out on the street and it gets you noticed. When aired out, the 3SDM wheels tuck nicely into the extended flares to emphasise the whole in-your-face look.

While the kit is available with a big GT wing, the almost vertical ducktail just completes the looks so damn well and doesn’t pretend to actually provide any real downforce. Seen from the back, the whole ensemble combines to give you the automotive version of a big, fat middle finger. And seeing that Kato-san’s style draws direct inspiration from the yankee and bosozoku movements, when a car is laid out and looking its best, it’s never really completed until it has the appropriate soundtrack.

Lift the rear glass gate that covers the 4.3-liter naturally aspirated V8 and you won’t find much in the way of actual tuning. But let’s be honest, the 430 doesn’t really need a boost in power, it’s a superbly balanced car with enough grunt for anyone. Taking care of that is the Fi Exhaust valved system, a stainless steel cat-back muffler that makes the already sonorous flat-plane crank V8 really wail.

So there you have it, another LBW project employing the tried and tested approach of cutting fenders, bolting on flares and dropping the chassis to the ground.

#ferrari #f430 #widebody