Ferrari F142 Mule Spied Showing Some Body Changes and Gestures

Here are some new spy shots of the F142 mule.

F142 is the code name for the model meant to replace the current F430. And while this F142 comes dressed in the F430's body, we're beginning to see some of the modifications to the model that will likely be seen in its successor.

Of note in these new shots, taken during winter testing in northern Scandinavia, are the larger wheel cases both at the rear and at the front. (The last set of spy shots showed only a larger front wheel case.) The car also has some kind of bulge on the front bonnet for reasons we can only guess at.

Seen before were the larger air intakes just before the rear wheel and on the shoulders of the body. They seem a little exaggerated and may have been shaped that way simply to throw us off. Or maybe those bulging air intakes are needed to provide a more powerful engine with lots of fresh air.

Speculation has it that the F430 will be replaced by a model named the F450 and will come with a 4.5 liter V8 pumping out over 500 hp. The F430 gets 483 hp out of a 4.3 liter power plant. How will Ferrari get that many horses out of a 4.5 liter engine? Perhaps by increasing the rev limit to 10,000 rpm and improving air flow and cooling which may account for those larger intakes.

The F450 will likely take its first public bow at the Frankfurt motor show which takes place later this year in September.