2006 Ferrari F430 Spider - Tearing It Up

Businessman Shawn Cunix likes to venture into the unknown. When we asked him why he decided to modify his '06 Ferrari 430 Spider, he responded, "because no one has ever torn up a $300,000 car." Well, we've seen it before, but rarely. Few are willing to customize a brand-new vehicle and even fewer would touch what many people already view as perfect. But under the skillful ministrations of Columbus Car Audio and installer John Evanoo, this Ferrari has taken the plunge and come out tops.

The problem with builds in sports cars is the extreme lack of space, so even the available customization options had limits. Behind the seats, Evanoo built a beautiful sealed enclosure, painted Ferrari red, for some JL Audio subs. "We couldn't fit anymore speakers," Cunix says of his choice of the four 8W7's. The mids and high frequencies come courtesy of a JL Audio ZR650-CSi set, which hides in less conspicuous factory locations. These speakers were chosen for their "superior SQ," Cunix reveals.

Meanwhile, the source unit, an Alpine IVAD310, was chosen for less sonic reasons. "It looks cool," Cunix says simply. That it does, sitting in the center stack. The receiver hooks up to a Rockford Fosgate 3Sixty.2, which was used for its "incredible line-out voltage."

Amplification comes by way of two JL Audio amps, which complement the speaker choices. A 300/2 runs the front speakers while a 1000/1 powers the subs. Columbus Car Audio tucked both amplifiers into the floor of the bonnet, leaving plenty of room for stowing other necessities.

Despite all the clean work that went into the sports car and the fact that he hasn't driven it all that much (it stays in the garage during the winter), Cunix's future plans involve a sale. It's not because he doesn't enjoy this Ferrari, but because the models in the showroom are so enticing. Must be that new car scent.