Sometimes the world of high-end performance and luxury cars crosses paths with haute fashion. The collaboration is natural because, well lets face it, most of the people who can afford a six figure car tend to wear threads from Gucci, Armani, and the like. Some of these crossovers work nicely and sometimes they really don’t. One such fashion designer who continues to cross over into the automotive world is Japanese designer NIGO, the creative mind behind lines such as “A Bathing Ape” (AKA Bape) and Billionaire Boys Club (BBC). NIGO is a bit of a gear head and will use just about any excuse to cross his eccentric visual style with just about any type of car that grabs his fancy at the time.
His latest crossover canvas is a Ferrari 458 Italia GT3 race car. NIGO whipped up a vinyl wrap printed with his signature “BAPE” camo graphic and applied it to Ferrari’s newest GT race car for a grand opening event of a new Ferrari Maserati showroom in Hong Kong.
This creation was the centerpiece of the event attended by a small group of VIPs and probably a few potential customers. While I haven’t personally decided if I like what NIGO did here or not yet, I can at least admit that this is much better than what he did to his Bugatti Veyron..
If you happen to like what NIGO did here then feel free to click the thumbnail below for a wallpaper size version of the picture above.
Vorsteiner’s newest wheel offering is suited specifically for the Ferrari 458 Italia and the new BMW F10 5-series. Dubbed the VS-130, the new 5 spoke forged monoblock shoe features a concave design with scalloped spokes (for sake of weight saving) looks right at home on both the Ferrari and the BMW. What strikes me the most about the VS-130 is how well it lends itself to its intended applications. It makes me wonder why Ferrari or BMW didn’t think of such a great design for their OEM wheel in the first place. If you are the lucky owner of a Ferrari 458 or an F10 5 series, I think the VS-130 are definitely wheels to consider.
I have seen Mansory’s treatment of the new Ferrari 458 Italia only a few times in person so I was beginning to think that their masterfully designed tuning package was never going to make it here and the car I saw was simply a one-off. Today, I can say I was wrong as RTW Motoring (the official distributor for Mansory in the U.S.) announced that the Mansory Ferrari 458 package is now available stateside. While that wont change my life much, it is cool to know that there is a greater possibility of running into a Mansory Ferrari 458 the next time I go to Cars & Coffee. As you will see in the video below the Mansory package is very elaborate to say the least. If you count the individual parts of each element, the aero package alone is over 30 pieces! Many if not all of those pieces are made from glorious, beautiful carbon fiber. However to keep things on the tasteful side only certain areas will have visible carbon but as you will see, the visible carbon is in all the right places. The package also comes with LED daytime running lights, fog lights, an exhaust system, and a set of 20 inch center lock wheels. The end result is in my opinion, beautiful. If you agree and also are kicking enough ass at life to be able to afford such a thing, you can order your Mansory Ferrari 458 Italia package from RTW Motoring.
One of my favorite things about the LA Auto Show is that they actually make an effort to try and represent the aftermarket of the automotive industry. Each year in Kenita Hall they invite players like Al & Ed’s Autosound, Wheel Warehouse, DUB, and more to show off what they got in something of a “mini-SEMA”. With Lamborghini and Ferrari bowing out of the show Kenita hall is the place to go to get your supercar fix. This year we saw not one but two Bugatti Veyron’s, a Lamborghini Aventador, and several Ferrari 458 Italia’s. Kenita Hall is also the spot to go to if you are wheel shopping or you are interested in any number of random car goods. We usually save Kenita Hall for last but this year we are going to give you a look at what awaits you at the LA Auto Show. Scroll down for our flickr slideshow!
When attending the SEMA show you can always count on Pirelli to bring something special. We still remember the year that they brought a genuine Pagani Zonda R to Vegas. That was the first time we were able to get our grubby hands on the legendary beast. This year the highlight of their booth was a Ferrari 458 Italia clad in the complete Mansory carbon fiber aero package built by RTW Motoring here in southern California. One would think that the naked carbon and vents everywhere would be a turn-off but somehow this kit just seems to work. Which, is amazing because we know that when Mansory gets it wrong they get it very, very wrong. This Ferrari probably wont get any awards but it is easily one of our favorite cars of the show this year.
What to see a hot Italian drop her top? Scroll down! Man it feels dirty just to type that. Anyway I was reffering to the new Ferrari 458 hard-top convertible that “leaked” a few days ago. For some reason I am not as impressed with a top down Ferrari 458 as I was with the Bentley Continential GTC that was just posted. Maybe its because of the 458′s shape or the fact that the 458 is a performance car and not a luxury car. Either way I am sure there are more than a few of you who will totally fall in love with the new topless Italian.
At E3 we showed you the new Forza 4 Fanatec wheel (still in prototype phase at the time) and the Internet caught on fire. Thousands of you out there watched our videos and read our post and expressed how badly you wanted the wheel despite its lofty possible price tag ($600 for the “elite” and $320 for the “basic”). Well Thrustmaster made their official move against the Fanatec wheel by announcing their new Ferrari 458 Replica wheel for the Xbox 360. The wheel is almost an exact replica of the real thing complete with paddle shifters, engine start button, and race mode switch. That sounds really awesome but you might be asking yourself what else the Thrustmaster wheel has that the Fanatec wheel doesn’t. The answer is two things: a much lower price ($89.99) and a release date (October).
Now we’re sure that the Fanatec probably has way more advanced internals and likely higher quality construction, fit, and finish (the elite has real carbon fiber!) but its nice to know that there will be reasonably priced alternative for us who can’t afford to shell out hundreds of dollars for the either of the Fanatec units.
New York, August 18th, 2011— Xbox 360® paddocks clear the way for a sweeping arrival – Thrustmaster, the innovative PC and console accessory brand, today announces the launch of the Ferrari 458 Italia Racing Wheelfor Xbox 360. While this new release doesn’t feature dual carburettors or overhead camshafts, it does boast two official licenses from Ferrari and Xbox 360 – an exclusive worldwide collaboration. A replica of the Forza Motorsport 4 hero vehicle, the official F458 Italia, this racing wheel provides the ideal combination to enjoy a truly immersive gaming experience – a must-have for true racing enthusiasts!
The outcome of a specific development process:
A new competitor on the crowded Xbox 360 track which offers an increasing number of quality racing games, the Thrustmaster crew is well-equipped with expertise and leadership in the field of racing wheels. To reach the pole position, a specific development process was initiated in close collaboration with Ferrari. The Maranello engineers’ latest flagship, the Ferrari 458 Italia, was chosen as a basis for the creation of this replica racing wheel – a logical choice indeed owing to this unique car’s design and character, on par with the Xbox 360’s specifications.
On one side, the Ferrari 458 Italia features an exclusive racing wheel with a large number of controls, while on the other, an Xbox 360 controller requires controls that are specific to this console. The Ferrari 458 Racing Wheel for Xbox 360 by Thrustmaster embodies the symbiosis of these two components, combining truly unique design with exceptional ergonomics. The different action buttons and controls are within easy reach of the user’s fingers – making it simple to customize settings while racing, or access the Xbox 360 interface. Most importantly, this lets gamers get comfortable with the controller incredibly quickly, and focus on immersing themselves in the total excitement of racing.
Aggressive and complete:
The racing wheel’s 11 inch diameter wheel and rubber-textured grip will enable drivers to improve their best lap times consistently, with optimum comfort. Gears are shifted up and down using the wheel’s built-in metal gear shifters. Unrivalled realism and detail are supported by the presence of a “Manettino®” dial enabling users to modify certain in-race settings (such as changing player views in Forza Motorsport® 4).
Extensive equipment is available out of the box with 8 action buttons, an Engine Start D-pad, an Xbox 360 Guide button and a connector for the Xbox 360 headset and microphone. Under the bonnet dwells a “Bungee Cord” automatic centring system offering progressive resistance over a 270-degree angle, for a more immersive racing experience. The pedal base has not been neglected; it features a wide footrest, a long-stroke accelerator pedal and a resistant brake pedal, for more precision.
The Ferrari 458 Italia Racing Wheel for Xbox 360 is designed to help you cross the finishing line before the competition does – its V8 is its price tag is every bit as aggressive as its looks!
The Ferrari 458 Italia Racing Wheel for Xbox360 will be available in October at a suggested retail price of $89.99
To most enthusiasts a Ferrari in stock form is a work of engineering art. To others like the guys at Heffner Performance it is just a good starting point. They took it upon themselves to shoe horn not one but two turbo chargers into the engine bay of a Ferrari 458 Italia! While some might see this as a blasphemous act, we are pretty interested to see the results of this experiment in Italian boost. While they are not officially doing this build for customers yet you can get on a list should you feel so inclined. However I am sure most potential customers will wait until Heffner releases some numbers and video.
Bella! I’ve been waiting to finally get up close and personal to Risi Competizione’s Ferrari 458GT and today was the day! This is easily one of my top 5 favorite cars in the American LeMans Series GT class. It looks beautiful despite not even having the wheels bolted on! Hopefully I’ll be able to get some action shots of this Italian beast for you guys later today.
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