Ferrari 458 Italia - ABSOLUTELY AMAZING RECREATION BY DNA !!!

Supercar looks with very low running costs ,

This car not only looks fantastic but sounds wonderful and is an absolute pleasure to drive ,

This car was the subject of a 9 page feature over 2 months in Complete Kitcar magazine. I have copies of the magazines.

Professionally built. The initial fitting, locating and gapping of the panels was done by DNA, the manufacturer of the kit. All detailed preparation and painting of the bodywork, the customising, modification and fitting of the interior and all other work was then completed by the original owner and builder of the car, a renowned bodyshop owner in 2015 .

The bodywork and the interior remain in beautiful condition.

All new glass was used in the building of the car.

Many genuine Ferrari 458 parts used.

The original already excellent DNA replica engine panel was made even more convincing by the addition of clips, pipes and other ancilliaries and painting before being fitted in the back of the car where it is visible through the rear glass.

The donor car was a one-owner, low mileage (30, 000 miles) Ford Cougar. Current mileage is less than 38, 000.

Original unmodified Ford Cougar Duratec 2. 5 litre V6 24 valve DOHC engine. Sounds great with replacement exhaust, including DNA back box.

MoT’d and serviced every year (except 2020 due to COVID). Current MoT until 10 October 2022.

Expensive, fully adjustable XYZ Supersport coil overs fitted on the front just 4 miles ago. I have the rear coil overs but have not yet had them fitted.

Only about 7 of these which replicate the appearance of the the details below coupe, were ever made .

My car was built over more than 2 years and hundreds of hours of work by a renowned professional bodyshop owner and kit car builder well known for his attention to detail. The build was the subject of a 9 page feature in Complete Kitcar magazine over 2 months in August and September, 2019.

The build can also be seen if you go to madmechanics. com and search for - beemamans dna 458 build.

The DN8 kit used in the build is a panel kit, meaning that the base vehicle is retained in it’s entirety except for some of the exterior panels, the interior and the exhaust. The exterior panels are removed and replaced with panels from the kit.

A one owner, low mileage donor vehicle was used in the build. This was a 2000 registered Ford Cougar with only 30, 000 miles. The current mileage is still only 37, 962 miles, which I think makes it the lowest mileage example you will find.

The initial fitting, locating and gapping of the new body panels was entrusted to DNA Automotive, the manufacturers of the kit. The car was then returned to the bodyshop owned by the original builder and owner of the DN8 where he did the detailed preparation of the bodywork and then gave it a first coat of paint.

The car was left for several months in case of any further movement or settling of the panels before all panels were prepped, realigned and filled where necessary. The exterior fitments such as door latches etc. were put in place before the car was given 3 coats of polyester base, 3 of primer and a top coat of Rosso Corsa 322 red.

The main front lights fitted are of DNA design but all of the rear lights are genuine original Ferrari.

All new glass, front screen, door glass and rear glass was used in the construction.

Once the painting was done up to this stage the builder’s father, a retired mechanic, refurbished or replaced the whole of the suspension on the car. This included removal of the rear subframe, which was shotblasted and powder coated. New brake discs, calipers and Hosetecknik brake lines were fitted all around.

In order to ensure the correct ride height on the car, DNA dampers and springs were fitted and in order to complete the look replica callipers in red and replica carbon discs.

At the time of the most recent MoT it was noted that there was excessive play in the piston of one of the front dampers. As a result I obtained a full set of XYZ Supersport coil overs at a cost of nearly £1, 000 and both front ones were professionally replaced in October 2021 and have only done 4 miles since. I have the rear ones but have not had them fitted yet as I am awaiting the assister springs. These coil overs allow the ride height of the car to be adjusted to suit. If the car sells before I can get the new rear coil overs professionally fitted I will provide these and the assister springs to the new owner (although the rear DNA coil overs already fitted remain in good condition).

Unlike some body kit manufacturers DNA also produced a full interior make over kit for the DN8 including a complete dash transformation, door cards, rear bulkhead, tunnel and seats. Despite the comprehensive nature of the interior kit, the builder of my car wanted to go even better and fit genuine Ferrari 458 parts where feasible. He obtained and fitted genuine switches and buttons on the centre tunnel, genuine door levers and even genuine air vent louvres on the dash.

Of course, the fitting of these genuine components involved a considerable modification of the DNA interior panels.

DNA also supplied a set of fibreglass panels, which could be used by a professional trimmer to convert a recommended set of aftermarket seats into a convincing set of replica seats. These were obtained and entrusted to a very reputable trimming company who did a first class job of the seat conversion, resculpting them before finishing them in leather with red stitching. The same company also trimmed the dash panels, door cards etc. in the same material.

The builder was determined not to leave any part of the original Cougar trim on show to give the game away. The Cougar heating and air conditioning controls could not be replaced but were rehoused into a new customised panel to match the rest of the new interior. He did a fantastic job of recarpeting the interior and replacing the original headlining etc.

To quote directly from the Complete Kitcar article “If the exterior of the car is mind-blowingly impressive, then the interior goes even further……” “…This is perhaps one of the most comprehensive and impressive kit car interiors we’ve ever come across. All of what you see is new and none of the visible structure is retained from the Ford Cougar….” “Just a quick glance at the main dash area demonstrates all the different panels and materials involved, even before you look down to the centre tunnel panel (with its genuine Ferrari buttons and controls) or look up to the new roof lining and panel in front of the rear view mirror. It’s an extraordinarily complex interior, and it looks amazing.” “The seats are another triumph……. They are a major feature in convincing most people who view this car, that they are looking at the real thing.”

The rather feeble factory sound system was discarded and replaced with a JVC KD-DB42AT head unit with speakers in the doors and rear quarters. Two active 900W (amplified) 8” sub woofers were provided, one under each seat. The sound is fantastic and when the sub woofers are switched on and the volume turned up it feels as though they could lift you out of your seat.

Towards the rear of the car is the visual enhanced engine compartment, which can be seen through the heavy rear glass. DNA produced an excellent and realistic replica of the 458 engine as a fibre glass panel. Despite the quality of this reproduction, the builder of this car wanted to improve this even more. To this end he dropped the DNA replica engine into a dummy engine panel and then added clips, pipe work and other ancillaries. Careful masking and painting of these items created a replica engine even more convincing than the already excellent DNA original.

After all of this work was completed, the builder turned his attention back to the exterior panels, which were all again rubbed down and given a final coat of paint. Although the majority of the panels remained Rosso Corsa red, the roof, sills, wheels and various other details were given a coat of the builder’s own signature graphite grey colour. These contrasting colours set off the car’s bodywork to perfection.

To quote again from the Complete Kitcar article “….. we were expecting the exterior finish on his DNA DN8 to be good. In reality, when we see it for the first time it’s rather better than that. In fact, it’s unbelievable. The surface finish is incredibly smooth across all of the panels… there’s really nothing here to suggest that this car doesn’t have steel panels. Super smooth. The more you examine it, the more it impresses you. While the paint quality would not look out of place on a genuine Ferrari 458, neither would the fit and attention to detail of the exterior components.”

The car retains the original low mileage Ford Cougar Duratec 2. 5 litre V6 24 valve DOHC engine, which produces 170bhp and while obviously not Ferrari performance is plenty fast enough. The exhaust system, complete with DNA provided back box, gives it a great sound.

My thanks go to the original builder of this beautiful car for his assistance and for the information he has provided me with. I also acknowledge that much of the detail above comes from the article in Complete Kitcar magazine.

If any of the above detail looks familiar, this may be because the text from the article was mistakenly used by another seller to describe a previously listed DN8, which was said to have been built by the builder and original owner of my car. Although I am sure that this was done in good faith I am in regular touch with the original builder who confirms that my car is the only DNA DN8 that he ever built and that the article in Complete Kitcar relates only to my car.

My car still retains the same original two tone, red and grey livery and the same red stitched leather interior it had when built. The clincher is that my car is still on the same registration number as it had when the original owner/ builder sold it.

THE AMAZING AMOUNT OF ADMIRATION !!! from all ages - nobody ever questions what it is .

I’m sure that this is down to the excellent panel fit, paintwork, comprehensive and impressive interior and the use of genuine Ferrari parts but also because so few of these DN8 replicas were ever built compared to the numbers of other, some very beautiful, replicas out there. Also possibly because the DN8 is based on a newer model Ferrari than many of the others.

If I am asked questions directly about the car I always own up. People are then generally amazed that it is a recreation .

Only about 7 of these DNA DN8 replicas were ever built and I don’t think that you will find a better one anywhere .

Correctly registered with DVLA on the V5 as a DNA REPLICA - EASY TO INSURE ..

£44, 995 - I believe The Finest available on the market .

POSSIBLE PART EXCHANGE CONSIDERED - MODERN OR CLASSIC - CAR , MOTORCYCLE , MOTORHOME ETC .

DELIVERY WORLDWIDE CAN BE ARRANGED - ASK FOR QUOTE .