A 458 Challenge, below, has lapped the Fiorano test track a full two seconds faster than its predecessor, the F430 Challenge!
Ferrari has a long tradition of building cutting-edge berlinettas for its clients to race. Case in point: The 250 GT SWB earned its status as a racing icon – and the honors it received at the 2010 Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance this past August – thanks to scores of "gentlemen piloti" taking the wheel. The latest milestone in that lineage is the Ferrari 458 Challenge, an evolution of the new 458 Italia road car engineered and built specifically for the Ferrari Challenge.
A single-model championship series developed by Ferrari, the Challenge has thrilled drivers and fans alike since its inception in 1993 (1994 in the U.S). Starting with the 348 Challenge model, the championship has showcased track versions of current Ferrari mid-rear V8 sports cars.
The F430 Challenge took the reins in 2006 and will share the track with the new 458 Challenge when the season starts in the spring of 2011. A full grid of 458 Challenge cars will join the series, and each race will have two class winners, one 458 and one F430. Once engines start and the green flag waves, 458 Challenge drivers will test the very limits of their mettle thanks to advanced technologies Ferrari's racing arm has honed at circuits throughout the world.
To reduce weight from the already light 458 Italia, engineers employed thinner body panels and used lightweight carbon fiber and Lexan wherever possible in the 458 Challenge. The interior is reduced to the essentials in a Challenge car, which remains a track-only machine; it can never be converted for road driving. Output for the stock, direct-injected 4.5-Litre V8 remains the same (558 horsepower at 9,000 rpm), but the dual-clutch, seven-speed gearbox uses different ratios and a new calibration for optimized track performance. This is the first time Ferrari has used the dual-clutch transmission in a racing application.
A track-oriented suspension featuring solid aluminum bushings and stiffer springs lowers ride height by 1.2 inches, while stopping power comes courtesy of the same Brembo CCM2 brakes first used on the 599XX experimental car. The ABS system provides two settings – "high performance" for dry surfaces, and "low grip."
For the first time in a Challenge car, the 458 Challenge features Ferrari's F1-Trac traction control system. F1-Trac offers two settings, Wet and Dry, and works in conjunction with the car's E-Diff active differential to monitor track conditions. The system is designed to deliver optimum grip for razor-tip handling and blistering acceleration out of corners. Control logic for this application of F1-Trac stems from Ferrari's extensive experience in Formula One.
Ferrari engineered the 458 Challenge to expose Challenge drivers to even higher performance limits. Proof is in the performance: During testing, the 458 Challenge lapped the Fiorano test track, above, in 1:16.5 – a full two seconds faster than its predecessor and track-mate, the F430 Challenge, and just two-tenths of a second behind the FXX. On the skid-pad the 458 Challenge generated up to an astounding 1.6G of lateral grip!
A big “shout out” to our friends at Ferrari North America who supplied the 458 Challenge images and the story which appeared in Ferrari News, October 2010. Check it out at, http://enewsferrari.com/rbc40/wmws/FRNA/1288204763551_593/w11026.php?custcode=FRNA&bid=576872&pbid_=576872&pemail=jimk%40audamotive.com&sn=Z
For more information about Ferrari Challenge Series racing, please visit, http://secure.ferrarichallenge.com/