In a recent podcast video, one of the most famous customizers for celebrity vehicles talked about how Ferrari might be trying to stop clients from modifying their cars. Specifically, a Ferrari SP90 would make smoke once its Novitec aftermarket exhaust was fitted but was completely fine once the car reverted to stock.
Now, Ferraris are expensive and delicate, so it wouldn’t be unusual for custom parts to create some kind of mechanical issues. However, RDB LA went back and forth between stock and aftermarket, which suggests the SF90 hadn’t actually malfunctioned.
The LA tuners say one of their customers had this problem after Ferrari installed a software update on the latest supercar. It came back to RDB smoking but worked fine with the stock mufflers back on as well as without an exhaust. So, obviously, the software update made the car detect the custom pipes.
The smoke is particularly scary when you consider that either the fuel mixture isn’t right or the turbos might be burning oil. Either way, this very expensive 4.0-liter F154 twin-turbo V8 isn’t happy.
The video has become so viral that Ferrari may have already talked to RDB LA about it. No official statement is out yet, but there are several factors contributing to this situation.
An obvious explanation is that Ferrari simply doesn’t want its customers messing around with aftermarket parts. This is sad because so many owners want more power or body kits to help their supercars stand out. Of course, the Italian brand is known for slapping the wrists of people who do stunts, mods, or generally behave in a way that’s not representative of the Ferrari brand.
Ferrari’s war on sound/custom
But there could be something else at play here: regulations. Now, the SF90 Stradale not only comes with a 769 horsepower twin-turbo V8, but also 3 electric motors, mounted on the transmission and on each front axle. This is important.
A couple of days ago, ex-Top Gear presenter Rory Reid talked about what really killed the Nissan GT-R. Regulations? Yes, but not just the ones you’re thinking about.
By 2026, regulations in Europe will require new cars to produce just 68 decibels of noise as opposed to 72 dB post-2016. Now that doesn’t sound like much, but decibels aren’t measured quite like inches or gallons. They’re not quite linear, and 68 dB is about the same as a dishwasher.
Exhaust sound is measured in two ways, stationary and moving. In the stationary test, a microphone is placed 7 meters or 23 feet from the car, which is revved either to the redline or 3/4 of the speed where the engine makes peak power. That could explain Ferraris are turbocharged (lower peak power) and why the exhaust needs to stay 100% stock.
In the moving sound test, the Ferrari would have to pass through an area at about 50 km/h or 31 mph. The SF90 obviously has it covered, since it’s got electric motors now.
All this is speculation. The true reason could be a combination of the two factors or just one.
