Side set High flaps Mansory Carbon for Ferrari 488 Siracusa 4XX

Side set High flaps Mansory Carbon for Ferrari 488 Siracusa 4XX

The high-flap side set is the more aggressive of the two side-skirt options in the Mansory Siracusa 4XX programme for the Ferrari 488. It is the part that closes the visual gap between front bumper and rear diffuser and pulls the whole rocker line lower to the ground, so the car reads as one continuous stance rather than three separate aero blocks. Within the wider Mansory Carbon Fiber Body kit set for Ferrari 488 Siracusa 4XX kit it pairs naturally with the high-flap front and rear bumpers because the trailing flap height is matched across the three sets — drop a low-flap front onto a high-flap side and the geometry breaks.

Construction & Materials

The skirt is moulded as a single piece per side, with the raised flap laid up integrally rather than bonded on as a secondary part. Bonding the flap on after the fact is how cheap aftermarket skirts are built, and the join always shows up under bay light as a faint shadow line; running the laminate continuously from rocker face into flap means the carbon weave reads as one diagonal grid uncut by any seam. The flap is the loaded element of the skirt — pressure differential at speed wants to pull it down — so the lay-up is locally thicker behind the flap to resist deflection.

• Outer ply: 3K 2x2 twill aerospace prepreg, weave aligned along the rocker centreline so the diagonals run square to the door cut
• Backing plies: bias-laid 200 gsm carbon, doubled along the flap root for stiffness without telegraphing through the visible face
• Cure: full autoclave cycle, 125 °C ramp under 6-bar consolidation, post-cure free-stand at 80 °C
• Wall thickness: 2.4–2.8 mm across the rocker face, stepped to 3.4 mm through the flap root
• Weight: roughly 3.6–4.2 kg per side finished, against approximately 5.8–6.2 kg for the OEM plastic skirt
• Mounting: reuses the 488 OEM rocker locating clips and the existing M6 inner threaded points; no body drilling
• Hardware: stainless inserts pre-bonded into the laminate at every fastener, so torque load goes into metal not into carbon
• Finish: 2K automotive clear, UV-stable, gloss as standard, satin matte available — both finishes flatted before final cut

Design & Visual Function

The skirt has two jobs and the high-flap version is biased toward the second one. Job one is visual — pull the rocker line lower, tighten the side profile, give the eye a continuous carbon ribbon from the front lower corner of the door cut all the way back to the rear arch. Job two is aerodynamic, and that is where the raised flap comes in. At motorway and circuit speeds the air running along the underbody wants to spill out laterally; the flap creates a downward kick that keeps that flow attached for longer along the underside of the car, which lifts overall downforce at the rear axle without touching the rear wing.

The flap geometry is set higher than the low-flap version on purpose. A low flap sits closer to the rocker face and acts mostly as a styling lip; the high flap stands further out into the airflow and produces measurable downforce at the rear, on the order of a few kilograms of additional load at sustained speed. That sounds modest but it is enough to settle the car on long sweepers where the rear used to feel light. It also looks more aggressive in profile, which is the styling reason most customers go for it.

Edge detail is where the skirt earns its show finish. The trailing edge of the flap is profiled with a tight 3 mm radius rather than a sharp trim line — sharp edges chip the lacquer the first time a kerb tickles them, and a chipped edge on a £200,000 car ages the whole build. The leading edge where the skirt meets the front wheel arch is feathered into the OEM cut so there is no proud step; same at the trailing edge into the rear arch. The 488 has a sharp swage line running along the rocker, and the carbon shoulder follows it exactly, so the eye does not see "skirt bolted to car" — it sees one continuous side surface.

Compatibility & Fitment

This high-flap side set fits the Ferrari 488 GTB coupé and the 488 Spider, model years 2015–2020, with the 3.9-litre twin-turbocharged V8. The rocker geometry is shared between coupé and Spider so a single skirt design crosses both body styles. Earlier 458 cars and later F8 Tributo cars are not covered — the rocker swage line and the wheelbase positioning of the locating clips differ, so the fit will not be clean. If the car has been retrofitted with non-OEM rocker hardware or aftermarket sill plates, send a clear photo of the rocker line before ordering and we will check clearance against the carbon shell's back face before despatching the order.

Installation & Reversibility

Fitment is a competent specialist job rather than a driveway one. Allow 4–6 hours of bench time for a paint shop or a Ferrari-experienced trim fitter, plus a final road check. The OEM skirt comes off by releasing the inner trim panel under the door sill, removing the M6 inner fasteners and easing the plastic skirt away from the rocker locating clips. The carbon skirt then drops onto the same clip locations and the same M6 thread points, with the stainless inserts taking the torque. Total tools required: a trim removal kit, a 10 mm socket, a torque wrench set to 9 Nm, and a soft block to hold the part square while the inner fasteners are tightened. The change is fully reversible — the OEM plastic skirt stores flat and can be refitted in an afternoon if the car is ever returned to factory specification for sale or PPF re-wrap.

Pairing within the Mansory Ferrari 488 Siracusa programme

This high-flap side set is built to be paired with high-flap bumpers, not low-flap ones — the flap heights are matched so the kit reads as one composition rather than three mismatched pieces. Most builds add the Front kit 4xx high flap and the Rear kit 4xx high flap to complete the aggressive stance. Owners stepping toward a fuller carbon brief often add the Rear wing so the downforce work the side flaps start at the rocker line is finished off above the rear deck.

Maintenance & Durability

Care is straightforward. Wash with pH-neutral shampoo and a soft mitt; avoid pressure-washing the rocker area at close range because the joint between skirt and arch can take in water if a high-pressure jet is held on it for more than a moment. UV is the long-term enemy of any visible-carbon panel — the 2K clear is UV-stabilised but not immortal, and a yearly coat of carnauba wax over the lacquer extends its life by years. If a flap edge is ever scuffed by a kerb or a low driveway, the carbon itself is rarely damaged; a paint shop can flat the affected area, re-clear and polish back to factory finish in a day. Expected service life under normal road use is well beyond ten years.

Lead Time & Warranty

Each side set is laid up to order rather than pulled from stock — the autoclave cycle is shared with the rest of the Siracusa programme and trim is by hand. Typical lead time is 3–4 weeks from confirmed order to dispatch; satin matte adds about a week because of the extra flat-and-cut step. Each set ships with a 12-month warranty against manufacturing defects, covering laminate voids, delamination, insert pull-out and clearcoat lift. Damage from impact, kerb strike or chemical attack by aggressive cleaners is not covered, but most such damage is field-repairable by a competent paint shop without disturbing the laminate.

FAQ

Q: Will this fit the 488 Pista?
A: The Pista has its own bespoke aero pack from the factory and a different rocker treatment, so this skirt is not designed for that car. The kit is sized for the 488 GTB and 488 Spider rocker geometry. Get in touch with photos if you are running a non-standard car and we will check.

Q: How much downforce does the high flap actually add?
A: On the order of a few kilograms of additional rear axle load at sustained motorway speed, scaling with the square of velocity. It is enough to settle the rear on long sweepers; it is not a substitute for a proper rear wing.

Q: Will the flap rub at speed bumps?
A: The flap sits a few millimetres above the lowest point of the OEM skirt at static ride height, so it does not change ground clearance practically. On very steep driveways it is sensible to approach at a slight angle as you would with any aero-pack 488.

Q: Can I run the high-flap sides with low-flap bumpers?
A: It is possible but the kit will look composite rather than coherent — the trailing edges of the front and rear flaps will sit at one height and the side flap at another. We strongly recommend matching flap height across the three sets.

Q: Can the skirts be painted body colour rather than visible carbon?
A: Yes. The carbon shell takes paint in the same way any prepreg laminate does, although most customers buy the part specifically to keep the weave visible. A body-colour finish loses the aesthetic reason to upgrade, but the aero function is identical.

Pair this high-flap side set with the matching front and rear bumpers so the rocker line, the front splitter and the rear flap all read at one consistent flap height. CTA: WhatsApp +44 7488 818 747 or [email protected].