Photo credit: Barrett-Jackson
Mitchell Button of Button Built took a 1996 Ferrari F355 and refused to leave any part of it alone. The result appeared at the 2019 SEMA Show and has spent the years since turning up at shops, retail spaces, and museums. Now the car crosses the block at Barrett-Jackson’s Las Vegas auction in mid-September with no reserve.
Button and digital artist Khyzyl Saleem had a completely blank canvas to work on. He handcrafted the entire body out of clay before scanning it to create manufacturing molds. The front bumper has distinct fingerprints of the F40, while the fenders and bonnet vents are straight from the F430 Super GT racing vehicles. The rear quarters have been completely redesigned to offer much-needed breadth, and a set of carbon-fiber splitters run from the nose all the way back along the sides to the underbody, which is a flat, solid piece of work held together by high-grade fasteners seen in aircraft.
LEGO Technic Ferrari 488 Pista Car 42235
- SPORTS CAR BUILDING TOY – Fuel kids’ passion for high-performance vehicles with the LEGO Technic Ferrari 488 PISTA Car (42235) model building kit for boys and girls ages 9 years old and up
- TOY CAR WITH REALISTIC DETAILS – Kids can learn new engineering skills as they put together and explore the V8 engine with moving pistons, functional steering, a differential and opening doors
- FORZA HORIZON 6 UNLOCKABLE – Get a special LEGO Technic livery in the Forza Horizon 6 video game – please note that a copy of the game is required to redeem the gift through the Message Center, terms and conditions apply
$64.99
Buy on Amazon
A unique carbon-fiber wing sits high on chassis-mounted uprights inspired by the 488 GTC, looking down on an F430 Scuderia diffuser. There are functioning cooling ducts nestled in the C-pillars, the taillight panel is properly vented, and the exhaust outputs have been relocated. The rear engine cover is composed of clear acrylic, a particular type of material derived from Boeing aircraft windshields, which allows users to see all of the mechanical components.
The finish is an intentionally aged Azzurro La Plata Blau wrap that Saleem airbrushed and damaged to resemble a car that has just crossed the finish line after a long endurance race. The color really pays homage to the Scaglietti-bodied Ferrari racers from the mid-1960s that competed at Le Mans.
It still has the original 3.5-liter V8 engine, but Saleem performed an engine-out service and installed a new timing belt. He then added a pair of mirror-image Xona Rotor turbochargers positioned high on a custom CNC-machined frame. The turbochargers come with polished aluminum charge pipes that feed intercoolers that are 3D-printed and mounted under the rear tires. The headers feed into a ceramic-coated Inconel exhaust system, which terminates in 3D-printed exhaust tips on either side of the Prancing Horse insignia. Saleem then installed an updated oil pump, a proper aftermarket sump, and moved the fuel filler. All of this produces a decent 600 horsepower and a whopping 500 pound-feet of torque. You’ll be relieved to learn that the six-speed gated manual transmission remains intact. You may guess the odometer readout, as it has been less than 100 miles since the project was done.
AccuAir E-Level air suspension allows the car to settle almost to the ground. One-of-a-kind polished Rotiform wheels, shod in gigantic 15-inch-wide rear Toyo R888R tyres, look fantastic and fit out the expanded arches perfectly. Inside, Momo F40-style racing seats with side mounts and red harnesses have replaced the originals. It features a suede-wrapped Momo steering wheel in front of the original factory analog gages. Inside, you’ll discover billet carbon-fiber floor mats as well as a full race-spec roll cage. Prototype carbon-fiber aerodynamic mirrors with magnesium bases finish the look outdoors.
[Source]
