autoevolution
 

Ferrari 488 GTB from Rowen is 100% Japanese Tuning

I remember Ferrari tuning projects were much more subtle back in the days of the F430. There was a Hamann kit with bigger wheels and some Novitec goodness. But the 458 Italia+Spider went crazy with widebody kits, most of which came from Japan.
Ferrari 488 GTB from Rowen is 100% Japanese Tuning 4 photos
Photo: Rowen International
Ferrari 488 GTB from Rowen is 100% Japanese TuningFerrari 488 GTB from Rowen is 100% Japanese TuningFerrari 488 GTB from Rowen is 100% Japanese Tuning
But we want to show you that not everything made there is a Rocket Bunny or a Liberty Walk, whatever that means. Rowen International is a good example of that, a company that makes crazy exhaust pipes and lots of cool Prii (yes, we still know the plural of Prius).

You guys are looking at the first renderings of the Rowen Ferrari 488 GTB, which will be their big reveal of the Tokyo Auto Salon 2017. And as you can see, the mufflers are the real deal.

There are no massive fender flares here, just ground effects with a palpable retro vibe. Rowen decided that what the 488 GTB needs are carbon fiber winglets at the front. They've also done some things with the front hood, we just don't know what yet.

Simple 5-spoke wheels were chosen, paying tribute to the drift cars we all loved in the 90s. However, by the time Tokyo Auto Salon starts, the Ferrari might have different shoes on. Aero skirts with little fins at the back and carbon air intake bezels complete the profile.

Around the back, the Fezza gets a diffuser worthy of a competitive race car. Rowen also went with a fixed rear wing and a discreet tail lip. "Custom Innovation" is their motto and you can see it holds true. Many hours were spent painstakingly creating this body kit and exhaust.

There's a little bit of modern and a little bit of old-fashioned goodness. In a way, it reminds me of the classic Unicorn Gundam. Let's just wait another month and see if our comparison holds water. Not many people cover the Tokyo Auto Salon because it happens at the same time as Detroit, but we'll make sure to bring you all the good stuff.
If you liked the article, please follow us:  Google News icon Google News Youtube Instagram X (Twitter)
About the author: Mihnea Radu
Mihnea Radu profile photo

Mihnea's favorite cars have already been built, the so-called modern classics from the '80s and '90s. He also loves local car culture from all over the world, so don't be surprised to see him getting excited about weird Japanese imports, low-rider VWs out of Germany, replicas from Russia or LS swaps down in Florida.
Full profile

 

Would you like AUTOEVOLUTION to send you notifications?

You will only receive our top stories