2010 Ferrari Sports Cars 458 Italia Tuning by Oakley Design

PRESS RELEASE Following international acclaim for their finely honed Porsche GT2, GT3 and Panamera conversions, Oakley Design is now proud to announce their tuning programme for the Ferrari 458 Italia. 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.

2010 Ferrari Sports Cars 458 Italia

2010 Ferrari Sports Cars 458 Italia Tuning by Oakley Design production will be limited to just 5 cars, each bearing a unique build number plaque. Outside of this Limited Edition mode, individual parts will also be made available for clients who do not require the complete package. 

With Jon Oakley motorsport background central to the company philosophy, any change whether aerodynamics or mechanical is only done for sound technical reasons.

Known for its customization programme for the Porsche 997 GT2, Oakley Design revealed today its tuning kit for the latest Ferrari 458 Italia. Because the car is quite perfect the tuning company decided to install a carbon-fiber front spoiler which adds 45kg of downforce over the front axle at 150mph (240km/h) but also a racecar style centrally positioned radiator vent designed to channel air out over the bonnet instead of under the car. And this is not all, as the tuning company installed new air exit ducts beside the headlamps.

Finally, a new rear spoiler with Gurney flap adds 25 kg of downforce over the rear axle at 150mph. This works together with the underbody diffuser to reduce the Italia 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.

In order to optimize the sound of the engine, the car features a complete titanium exhaust system with triple outlet pipes and no bypass valve shaves a huge 30kg from the Italia’s aft section.

The design is completed by the 20-inch Oakley Design lightweight composite wheels which save a significant 8.0kg of unsprung weight per corner. For those who don’t know the standard 458 Italia comes with 570bhp and 540 Nm of torque but with some ECU tweaking the car delivers now 627bhp and 567 Nm of torque. With these numbers, the car ca sprint from 0 to 100 km/h in just 3.0 seconds (standard version can sprin in 3.4 seconds) and has a top speed of over 330 km/h. We have bad news though: the production of this customization programme will be limited to just 5 cars, each bearing a unique build number plaque.

2010 Chrysler Delta Concept Cars at the Detroit Auto Show ready for production

As you know, Fiat-Chrysler alliance will produce a series of models developed by a manufacturer that will be marketed with the logo of other brands belonging to the consortium. To illustrate some of the changes that took place in the Fiat-Chrysler alliance, the Americans from Chrysler unveiled a Lancia Delta with a Chrysler logo. The compact Delta was present at the Detroit Auto Show with a changed front grille, along with Chrysler logo located inside and outside.

2010 Chrysler Delta Concept Cars at the Detroit Auto Show

As a strange by product of the Chrysler/Fiat tie-in, a Lancia Delta wearing Chrysler badges appeared at the Detroit Auto Show’s Chrysler exhibit. There was no press release about the car. What’s more, Chrysler spokesmen seemed as surprised as we were. Let’s assume this was merely an exercise to see how the public would react.

Lancia debuted the new Delta, and this Chrysler concept cars apparently exists to demonstrate to the public that Chrysler now has foreign fingers in its pie. Powertrain? No details available, although twin exhaust tips in the rear suggest it has an engine. In Europe, the Delta is available with a choice of five powerplants; gasoline units are 1.4- and 1.8-liter turbo fours and there are also 1.6-, 1.9-, and 2.0-liter diesel inline-fours. Brembo brakes do this car’s stopping, and it wears 225/45-17 Goodyear Excellence rubber.

The only difference between this and the Delta sold in Russia, Turkey and the U.K. is the grille and Chrysler's name on the back end. Surprisingly, the exterior design fits well within the current state of Chrysler products and easily outshines most of what's on dealer lots right now. The interior looks a little disjointed for American tastes, however.

While there are a number of engines for the Delta overseas, it would likely get one of the new four- or six-cylinder engines Chrysler unveiled last week.

Although Chrysler Delta will not be sold too soon on the market in the United States of America, it exemplifies the changes that take place in the ranges of the two manufacturers in the alliance. We can expect the Dodge models to receive the logo of Alfa Romeo when Dodge will be sold in the US, and Dodge models receive similar treatment in Europe.

2010 Chrysler Delta Concept Cars apparently exist to demonstrate to the public that Chrysler now has foreign fingers in its pie. Although twin exhaust tips in the rear suggest it has an engine. In Europe, the Delta is available with a choice of five powerplants. Chrysler could learn from the Delta’s sumptuous interior. Tan leather seats are trimmed with fat black piping and the black leather covered dash is stitched with contrasting tan thread to match the seats.

Chrysler could learn from the Delta’s sumptuous interior. Tan leather seats are trimmed with fat black piping, and the black leather-covered dash is stitched with contrasting tan thread to match the seats. A panoramic full-length glass roof, navigation system, and automatic climate control attest to the luxurious trappings available on the car in Europe. 

Although the interior looks like a lovely place to pass the miles, we think the car just looks awkward, with more of a goofy French style than the sensuous shapes we expect from Italians.