Click above for hi-res gallery of Novitec Rosso's Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano
While America's top tuners make the scene in Las Vegas for this year's SEMA show, aftermarket firms across the pond are still moving ahead at full steam. Case in point, Novitec Rosso's latest take on the Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano. The V12 supercar is already one of the fastest and most capable on the market, but the Dutch tuning wizards at Novitec saw fit to strap on a supercharger. Or two. The result? An astonishing 808 horsepower and a stated 823 Nm of torque (equivalent to 607 lb-ft by American standards).
For that much power, Novitec is quoting a 0-100 km/h (0-62 mph) run of 3.5 seconds with a top speed in excess of 340 km/h (211 mph). But if you're wondering why an extra 188 horsepower has had such a marginal effect on the "stock" Fiorano's acceleration, consider that Ferrari spent a lot of time perfecting the existing car's performance with the considerable output it already has. But if raw power and top end are what you seek, Novitec's engine enhancements will run you nearly 47,000 euros.
Of course, Novitec is also offering a brake upgrade kit to keep the added power in check, along with three-piece 21-inch rims and an optimized aero kit along with various interior trim options. For the full skinny, consult the press release after the jump, and check out the images in the gallery below.
We've said it before, but it warrants repeating: it takes a special kind of crazy to take an epic supercar like a Ferrari or a Lamborghini and tune it like you would a Mustang or even a Porsche. Fortunately, Novitec and EDO are just such a breed of crazy. We've brought you news of the former's modified Ferrari 430 Scuderias and 599 GTBs and the latter's Lamborghini Superleggera, Maserati MC12 and Audi R8 (to name just a few), but never side by side. For that, you may follow the jump and thank those zany Germans for pitting a Novitec Rosso-modified Ferrari 575M Maranello against an EDO Competition-tuned Lamborghini Gallardo. You'll need four and a half minutes to spare, but not fluency in German... "vroom" is international.
Is it wrong to mess with perfection? We don't know if we would dare to change even a single nut or bolt on the F430 Scuderia if we happened to have one in the garage, but Novitec Rosso seems to have no problem with it. Granted, they have plenty of experience laying their hands on the F430; in addition to their standard version, they've also built RACE, TuNero, and Evoluzione variations. For the Scuderia they've added their twin-supercharger package good for 717 horsepower and a top speed of just over 215 mph. Considering the standard F430 Scuderia can lap Ferrari's Fiorano test track faster than the Enzo, we'd imagine this car would be insanely quick.
Click above image for a gallery of the Novitec Fiat 500
Fiat's retrolicious 500 is designed to transport people with panache, if not punch. Novitec's specialty is both bringing the punchbowl to the party and then spiking it. Sure, the tuner tweaks the likes of Alfa and Ferrari, but the everyman isn't left out either, as evidenced by the new collection of mods it's now made available for the Fiat 500.
500 drivers can add a subtle front chin spoiler, new wheels and tires, and suspension updates to improve the car's already appealing looks. On the performance side, Novitec has come up with an exhaust upgrade and a pair of power packages. The 1.3L Multijet turbodiesel gets bumped from the stock 70 horses to a stouter 83, and the 1.4L gasoline engine gets an even more substantial boost. In standard form, it makes 100 horsepower and 96 lb-ft of torque. With Novitec's supercharger, it jumps to 131 horses at 5,200 rpm and 126 lb-ft of torque at 6,200 rpm.
Yes, these numbers are topped by the upcoming 500 Abarth (quite dramatically, in fact -- the Abarth makes 155 lb-ft at 3,000 rpm), and the factory hot hatch probably makes more sense for new shoppers looking to combine the 500's looks with better power the moment they drive away from the showroom. with the Novitec mods, however, early adopters who grabbed the huggable little hatchback as soon as it arrived now have some power options of their own, too.
Click the image above for more high-res pics of the Novitec F430 TuNero.
Amidst the countless tuner displays gracing the Frankfurt Messe, one vehicle caught the attention of our lens and caused the hairs on the back of our necks to stand at attention. The Novitec Ferrari F430 TuNero, swathed in matte black from its body to its brake calipers, is pure evil incarnate, and it's got the motivation to match.
Sporting a duo of race-ready superchargers, air-to-water intercoolers, a revised intake system, individual oil coolers, new fuel injectors and a host of other mods, the TuNero puts out 707 HP at 8,350 RPM and 525 lb.-ft. of torque at 6,300 RPM. 62 comes up in 3.5 seconds and Novitec claims that a top speed of 216 MPH is easily within reach.
We've assembled a number of live and press pics in the gallery below, so go forth and be intimidated.
It takes a special kind of customer to take their exotic Italian supercar to Novitec. Starting off with some of the all-around best-performing automobiles ever to grace God's green earth, Novitec rips them apart in an effort to try and make them "more perfect". So what's such a customer to do when he needs to take the family along? If their mods to the Alfa Romeo 159 weren't enough, Novitec has now turned their attention to the sublime Maserati Quattroporte.
Click on the image above to view in high-resolution
If Novitec's mods to the sublime Ferrari F430 struck you as overkill, you might want to take a look at another one of its creations, focusing on a car ever-so-slightly more in need of the tuning house's attention.
The Alfa Romeo 159 is hailed as one of the most beautiful automobiles on the road today, but critics lament its shortcomings in performance. Autodelta, the premier tuning house for Alfas, offers an array of enhancements, but Novitec's catalogue offers what looks to be a compelling alternative. By installing its Powerrail III engine control system, Novitec coaxes an extra 29 horsepower out of the 159's common-rail diesel engine, bringing total output up to a very respectable 229 hp, aided by a custom stainless steel exhaust system. The German tuning outfit also offers a full aerodynamic package including front spoiler, side skirts and rear spoiler, as well as a sport suspension adjustable in stiffness and in height from 35mm to 75mm. Rounding out the package are Novitec's Type N9 20-inch forged alloys skinned with 30-series Pirelli rubber.
In transforming the sumptuous 159 into a precision instrument, Novitec and Alfa Romeo offer an enticing package that's enough to make buyers forget all about the letters B-M-W.
Nobody defines the terms "wretched excess" and "gilding the lily" quite like Novitec. Whereas countless other aftermarket tuners make their mark by transforming ordinary road cars into fire-breathing monsters, Novitec starts with the already-hottest-performing cars to grace black asphalt and then endeavors to improve upon them. In this case, the German tuning house is improving upon its own improvements with the Novitec Rosso Ferrari F430 Bi-Compressor Evoluzione.
"Evoluzione" is the magic word in both the Ferrari and Novitec houses, denoting the ludicrous taken to the extreme. (Think of insane examples like the Ferrari 288 GTO Evoluzione and you're on the right track.) In this case, the latest release from Novitec Rosso starts with their previous twin-supercharged 636-horsepower F430 and raises the stakes by an additional 20 horses, bringing total output up to an Enzo-rivaling 656hp.
In addition to the power spike – resulting from the twin Rotrex superchargers, intercoolers and remapped ECU – Novitec arms its monstrous creation with a full aerodynamic package, wheel and tire upgrade, bigger brakes, beefed-up suspension and the works. If you're the kind of customer who'd be interested in improving upon a Ferrari in the first place, chances are you'd likely be up for re-doing the interior, and Novitec offers a full range of custom leather retrofits that will turn the rare into the positively unique.
Want more? We've got the technical specs after the jump, and a batch of images in the gallery below.
If you're a regular reader here at Autoblog, you'll know that we like aftermarket tuners, and regularly cover some of their finest efforts. Tuners give enthusiasts and buyers a broader range of customizable options than the factory could possibly envision, allowing us to express our individuality and personal taste – or, sometimes, complete lack thereof. But some things you just don't mess with, like a Ferrari. With very few exceptions, messing with the perfection of a Prancing Horse just spells disaster.
This video from Dutch television shows the agonizing step-by-step process of turning the F430, one of the best sports cars ever to grace God's green earth, into a rolling orange abomination that looks more Trick than Treat in its Halloween livery.
It's probably just as well if you can't understand what the narrator and interviewees are saying, because frankly, we don't want to know. Watch at your own risk...not for the faint of heart.
The newest creation of German Ferrari tuners Novitec Rosso is their interpretation of Ferrari's F430.
Wind tunnel-developed aero enhancements include a front splitter, side skirts, a new rear wing and an enhanced rear diffuser.
Underneath, various suspension options are offered, including a 1-inch lower suspension kit with double-adjustable shocks and stiffer anti-roll bars. The Novitec Rosso F430 rolls on 19- and 20-inch custom five-spoke wheels, available in conventional 5-stud or racer-style center-lock mounts and shod with 255/30 and 345/25 Pirellis. Tucked inside the alloys are a set of ceramic brakes made for Novitec by Brembo.
But the crowning touch is found in the engine compartment - a dual supercharger induction system that takes the F430 powerplant to 636 hp, good for a 0-100 km/h (62 mph) in 3.7 seconds, en-route to a top speed well over 200 mph.
Novitec's interior treatment befits the car's performance orientation, with lightweight sport seats and a sport steering wheel.
Price? Well, if you have to ask... the twin supercharger conversion alone will run you over $70,000 by the time you throw in the matching exhaust system and carbon-fiber airbox upgrade. American shoppers can check out the U.S. distributor, Claus Ettensberger Corp. (of CEC Wheels fame), for full details.