Ferrari has unveiled the 458 Challenge, a car designed to run alongside other track prepared Ferrari’s in the Ferrari Challenge for next year’s season.
The mid-engined Ferrari 458 Challenge will race with a number of important modifications to adapt it for competition use. The V8 which is capable of producing 4497cc remains strictly in production tune, with an output of 570 hp. A large number of changes have been made to the gear ratios and calibration of its dual-clutch F1 gearbox to guarantee higher torque at lower revs.
The Ferrari 458 Challenge is also equipped with the E-Diff electronic differential already employed on the road-going version, a first for Ferrari’s track-only cars. As with every track car, a number of weight cuts have been introduced, an example is the thinner body panels and liberal use of lightweight materials, such as carbon fibre and Lexan. All in all, the modifications have allowed Ferrari’s test drivers to shave two seconds off the F430 Challenge’s lap time at Ferrari’s Fiorano test track.
Another first for a Ferrari Challenge model is the adoption of the F1-Trac traction control system, the most sophisticated of its kind. Developed by the Ferrari factory, the F1-Trac system constantly monitors levels of grip for maximum high-performance road-holding.
The speculation has ended and now the harder, faster, lighter Ferrari 458 rumbling from Maranello, will became somewhat a legend in the 2011 Ferrari Challenge Cup. The 458 Challenge will be the fifth car to compete in the Ferrari Challenge Trofeo Pirelli; it will take on F430s, 360s, F355s and 348s.
