Engine swaps are the stuff of automotive dreams, often discussed but seldom executed. Think of shoehorning a Porsche 997 Turbo engine into a classic Beetle, or a Mercedes M275 V12 into a vintage W123 chassis. The idea of transplanting a non-GM V8 into anything but a GM product also raises eyebrows. Many projects start with ambitious talk, only to become garage queens, strained relationships, or even divorce proceedings.
So, when whispers began about someone dropping a Ferrari F458 engine into a Toyota GT86, skepticism was the natural reaction. Madness, some might say. But when the name Ryan Tuerck surfaced, the madness became intriguing. And yes, this very “mad man” has actually pulled it off.
This is the tale of the GT4586, a car that, against all odds, exists. It stands before us, a tangible testament to automotive audacity. Before diving into the details, a nod to Donut Media is due, for their pivotal role in promoting this extraordinary build. Their videos have amplified the GT4586’s reach, garnering over 20 million views and solidifying its legendary status even before Speedhunters got the exclusive first photoshoot.
Ferrari V8 Heart Transplant
Even staring at it in cold, hard metal and aluminum, the reality is surreal. The GT4586 is an anomaly, a foreign concept made real – a Toyota GT86 housing the high-revving heart of a Ferrari F458 Italia.
While V8 swaps into the ZN6 chassis GT86 are not unheard of, and even Ferrari engines have found their way into unexpected vehicles before, the sheer scale of this undertaking is in the engine’s dimensions. It’s not just that it’s a Ferrari engine, but how much engine it is.
The Ferrari F136 FB: A Wide Beast
The challenge lies in the architecture of the Ferrari F458’s engine. As a dual overhead cam, 90-degree V8, its design inherently demands space. The overhead cams, positioned above the valves, necessitate wider cylinder heads, resulting in a broad engine despite its displacement. This contrasts sharply with the compact nature of the GM LS series V8s, the darlings of engine swaps for their ability to pack significant displacement into a relatively small footprint. While DOHC V8 swaps into the GT86 like the 1UZ and Ford Coyote have occurred, they remain on the rarer side due to their size.
However, the 458 engine presents a further unique hurdle: its intake design. The F136 FB engine family, shared across Ferrari, Maserati, and Alfa Romeo, has specific traits. The F136 FB, designed for a mid-engine chassis, features a flat-plane crankshaft (180-degree cylinder separation), unlike the cross-plane cranks (90-degree separation) in Maserati and Alfa applications. This crankshaft contributes to the distinctive Ferrari scream. Crucially, the mid-engine layout dictates a taller intake manifold, as the airbox essentially sits atop the transaxle, without the constraints of a low hood.
Intake Obstacles and Innovative Solutions
The immediate thought might be to simply flip the intake manifolds. However, the plenum and intake runner design are directional, and the intake ports are staggered, making this impossible. Furthermore, the runner height is meticulously tuned for the 458’s high-RPM performance – 570hp at 9000rpm, 398lb/ft of torque at 6000rpm, and usable torque from 3250rpm. Creating custom low-profile runners to maintain these figures and retune the engine would be a time-consuming endeavor. The team opted for the pragmatic approach: utilize the existing, optimized intake and modify the car to accommodate it. This also ensured the most direct airflow path to the combustion chamber, and undeniably, the towering intake adds to the aggressive aesthetic crucial for a drift car.
To feed the massive intake, a section of the GT86’s wiper tray was removed to provide clearance for the throttle bodies and optimize intake piping to the custom induction box. Shawn ‘Huddy’ Hudspeth of Huddy MotorSports, the mastermind fabricator, immediately envisioned the solution upon seeing the engine and chassis together. The custom airbox resides beneath the dashboard, drawing air from intake ports positioned behind the fender louvers. This ingenious setup not only resolves a significant packaging challenge but also gives purpose to the fender louvers, channeling air directly to the engine.
Precision Fuel and Air Management
Engine Control Units (ECUs) are the brains behind fuel and air management, and MoTeC is renowned for its top-tier performance in this domain. The Ferrari F136 engine demands sophisticated control, particularly for its throttle-by-wire system. A MoTeC M142 ECU was selected, specialized for managing both direct injection and throttle-by-wire systems. Direct injection delivers a precisely timed, atomized mist of fuel directly into the combustion chamber, maximizing power output with minimal fuel consumption. It allows for ultra-lean burn conditions, pushing the engine to the edge of knocking, relying on the atomized fuel to cool the cylinder before ignition.
This precision demands a highly responsive ECU, far more precise than those used in port injection systems. The M142 handles the high power requirements of direct injection injectors (up to 8-amps at 90-volts). The fuel system operates at extreme pressures, with the 458 injectors seeing 20,000psi. A step-up pump fed by a standard fuel pump and regulated by a DeatschWerks fuel pressure regulator manages this. Fuel cleanliness is ensured by an inline DWFF160 filter, while a Fuel Safe Spectra-Lite 10-gallon fuel cell in the trunk, alongside an Optima Yellow Top battery and Mishimoto oil cooler, provides secure fuel storage and system cooling.
Exhaust Note Amplified
The exhaust manifolds presented another intriguing challenge. In the Ferrari, they sweep outwards before curving back towards the transaxle. This configuration was incompatible with the GT86’s strut tower spacing. Eric from Ilk Fabrications, working at Huddy MotorSports, crafted exceptionally tight-fitting exhaust manifolds and piping. Freed from street car regulations, the exhaust system was designed to flow forward, exiting ahead of the front tires, behind a tubular bumper. This unconventional design not only solved the space constraint but also amplified the Ferrari 458’s signature exhaust note, pushing it closer to the aggressive sound of a FIA GT3 car, complete with dramatic flames.
Engineered Drivetrain Solutions
The Ferrari’s stock transmission, a computer-controlled Getrag 7DCL750 dual-clutch transaxle, was deemed unsuitable. While this 7-speed unit, also used in the SLS AMG, could handle the power, programming it to function outside of the Ferrari’s electronics and adapting it to the GT86 chassis proved excessively complex. Furthermore, the harsh demands of drifting necessitate a more robust drivetrain. The solution was a Fortin Racing 5-speed sequential transmission, paired with a Tilton bellhousing and clutch setup.
Tilton is a well-respected name in on-road racing, while Fortin Racing is a powerhouse in off-road racing, particularly in open desert and short course disciplines. Their transmissions, like the one chosen for the GT4586, are used in Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series Pro-2 trucks, handling engines producing over 800 horsepower and comparable torque. This transmission can confidently manage the Ferrari F136’s output and much more. The Fortin transmission’s offset output necessitated a custom 2-piece driveshaft with a carrier bearing, connecting to the OEM Toyota GT86 carrier and a Tomei 2-way limited-slip differential, along with Driveshaft Shop stub axles.
Chassis Stiffening and Suspension Dynamics
A suspension system is only as effective as the chassis it’s mounted to. Huddy MotorSports applied its racing expertise to ensure the GT86’s chassis was sufficiently rigid. While not destined for Formula Drift competition, safety and chassis stiffness were paramount. Tubes connecting the strut towers to the firewall, and further tubes linking the towers to the roll cage, were added. This not only enhances front-end rigidity but also reinforces cabin safety in a frontal impact by preventing wheel and suspension intrusion. Shawn Hudspeth explained, “We built it like a rally car, welding three-quarter-inch plate on the firewall and towers, tying the chassis into the roll cage.”
Similar stiffening measures were implemented in the rear. Additionally, the rear-mount radiator system required careful consideration. With the exhaust occupying the typical radiator location, a rear setup was essential. Huddy MotorSports drew upon their racing experience, employing a Mishimoto Circle Track Radiator with 10-inch fans. Avoiding cutting into the rear quarter windows, they ingeniously utilized ‘The Mohawk’. “It’s probably one of my favorite parts of the whole build,” Shawn admitted. “We saw a natural duct with the roofline and developed something akin to a Le Mans Prototype-style induction, but for radiator airflow. We added a box to channel air through the radiator and out the rear.”
Interior and Safety Focus
Safety remains paramount. Both Ryan and his passenger are secured in Recaro Profi SPA carbon seats with Takata Race 6 harnesses. These 6-point harnesses feature a cam-lock mechanism, 3-inch shoulder belts, and 2-inch lap belts. The Profi SPA fixed-back seats are incredibly light at just 12 pounds each, and their carbon/Kevlar shells are visually striking.
BC Racing DR Series dampers and springs manage suspension movement. The DR Series allows independent adjustment of compression and rebound damping via a shock shaft adjuster controlling a needle valve. This system enables precise tuning by regulating oil bypass around the piston and shim stack, offering a wide range of damping control.
Enhanced Steering and Grip
Drifting demands style and extreme steering angle. A Wisefab suspension kit maximizes steering lock, achieving up to 62 degrees. This kit is lighter and stronger than stock components and relocates the steering rack behind the front cross member for improved Ackerman angle during drifts. Ackerman angle describes the difference in steering angle between the front wheels during turns. Ideally, the inner wheel turns sharper due to its smaller turning radius. In drifting, a degree of positive Ackerman enhances stability and self-steering.
The Wisefab kit also reduces weight jacking during steering. Weight jacking is the shift in cross-weight balance as the car steers, caused by caster, kingpin inclination, and scrub radius. It can be beneficial in cornering, but excessive jacking at extreme drift angles can induce instability. The Wisefab kit mitigates this effect, improving control at full lock.
Aggressive Stance and Stopping Power
Fifteen52 Penta 3-piece wheels, with their menacing design, complement the GT4586’s vibrant red paintwork by 2M Autoworks. Harnessing Ferrari power and demanding maximum drift grip, Hankook Ventus RS3 tires in 245/40ZR18 front and 265/40ZR18 rear sizes are fitted.
Grip is essential, especially with the monstrous Brembo GT-R mono-block 6-piston calipers clamping down on the rotors, providing immense stopping force. A Nameless Performance hydraulic handbrake offers precise rear wheel lockup for initiating and controlling drifts.
Aerodynamic Functionality
Huddy MotorSports, experts in race car fabrication, ensured the GT4586’s aerodynamics were as functional as they are visually impactful, echoing the performance ethos of a 458 Italia GT car.
As noted, the fender louvers feed air to the intake, and ‘The Mohawk’ channels air to the radiator. Beneath the rear bumper resides a fully functional rear diffuser. Unlike purely cosmetic diffusers, the Huddy Rear Diffuser is designed to create genuine downforce, effectively turning the car into an inverted wing. By ramping up the underbody floor, it accelerates airflow underneath the car, generating low pressure and increasing downforce compared to the higher pressure air above the body. Combined with the rear wing, the GT4586 generates significant downforce for enhanced stability and control.
From Vision to Reality
“When Ryan first approached us about this project, my first thought was ‘Wow’,” Shawn chuckled. “Initially, we even considered smaller formula engines, given our background.” Huddy MotorSports specializes in open-wheel formula cars and go-karts. While experienced in rally car fabrication, drifting was a new territory. “We’ve always been open to other motorsports. I personally immersed myself in Formula Drift for a couple of months with Ryan to grasp the culture and what we were undertaking. We spoke with Ryan and ProAm drivers, learning about the cars and the sport.”
The GT4586, an intense and seemingly impossible build, represents an authentic fusion of European supercar sophistication and raw JDM drift car aggression. Huddy MotorSports and Ryan Tuerck accomplished in mere months what would be considered remarkable for any SEMA project.
Fitting a Ferrari 458 Italia engine into a GT86 chassis in such a short timeframe is more than just impressive—it’s inspiring. Ryan Tuerck and Shawn Hudspeth have realized a dream, sparking new aspirations for the next generation of car enthusiasts. One can only imagine what they will conceive next.
Justin Banner
Photos by Larry Chen
