Japanese stylist and tuner ASI, more widely known for its vivid body styling kits for the Bentley Continental series, has now focused its attention on Ferrari's F40 sports coupé creating a distinct new visual look as well as adding mild performance improvements and a suspension upgrade.

"ASI proudly announces the culmination of our first major project outside of the Bentley Continental series: the ASI Ferrari F430 body kit and performance line-up," reads the Chiyoda-based company's press release. "Applying expert Japanese technical analysis, careful testing and a truly imaginative and spirited design is not only our business, it’s our passion. Thoroughly tested both around the city and around the track, we are confident that we are releasing what will quickly become the tuning world’s most important Ferrari F430 body kit."

For its first project away from the Bentley brand, ASI ("Accuracy, Spirit, Imagination") has created a body kit comprising of new front bumper, side skirts and rear bumper. The F430's distinctive two air intakes in the front spoiler have been made larger while the air exits on the bumper wraparound section have been increased, slotted into two, and given a more distinctive styling treatment. The new side skirts lead into a larger lower air intake in front of the rear wheels, Murciélago-style, while at the rear of the F430 ASI's stylists have developed the theme of the 430 Scuderia's carbon fibre splitter/spoiler a step further to apply it to the F430 model. The result is a rear bumper that wraps right to the edge of the car and optionally repositions the exhaust pipes into two round tailpipes close to the centre of the machine, positioned as on the 430 Scuderia. ASI will custom make an exhaust system to fit the new arrangement. There is also a 430 Scuderia type meshed upper rear panel which is split and where the Prancing Horse badge is then mounted on the dividing finisher.

The kit, ASI says, is 27 kg lighter than the original equipment, thus providing the customer with genuine weight savings, and the comprehensive body styling changes come with a ECU remap that improves mid-range torque and new suspension components from Sachs. The full kit costs US$15,000 (front bumper US$5,000, side skirts: US$4,000 and rear bumper: US$6,000) while the ECU remap is US$7,500 and the Sachs suspension adds a further US$13,000 to the equation. ASI plan further upgrades for the F430 in the coming months, including a dry carbon rear wing, a new front brake system, a new twin round tailpipe 430 Scuderia-mimicking custom-exhaust system to fit into its restyled rear bumper, diffuser fins and 19-inch forged wheels.