The Prancing Horse has revealed last night the Ferrari 458 Challenge - the new hardcore version of the Ferrari 458 Italia. The Ferrari 458 Challenge had its debut at Maranello during the Annual Dealer Meeting and the company announced it will be at the F430 Challenge's side at the Ferrari Challenge Trofeo Pirelli in 2011. The Ferrari 458 Challenge will be the company's fifth model to compete in its one make racing series.
Here are the technical details of the Ferrari 458 Challenge you are all waiting for: the engine is the 4.5-liter (4497 cc) V8 that develops 570 hp at 9,000 rpm. The torque output has not been announced yet. However, the Ferrari 458 Challenge has new gear ratios and a re-calibrated dual-clutch F1 gearbox that result in higher torque at
lower revs. The Ferrari 458 Challenge is the company's first track car to employ the use of the E-Diff electronic differential.
The Ferrari 458 Challenge is much lighter than the road going Italia version. The engineers have used thinner body panels, carbon fiber and Lexan instead of glass to reduce the car's weight.
The Ferrari 458 Challenge also comes with a new suspension system, with solid aluminum bushings,
stiffer springs, single-rate dampers and a 30 mm lowered ride height. For better traction, the Ferrari 458 Challenge has been fitted with center-nut 19" racing rims and larger Pirelli slick tires. For better stopping power, the Ferrari 458 Challenge has been equipped with the same Brembo CCM2 brakes as the ones used on the record setting 599XX.
The Ferrari 458 Challenge is also the first model to feature the F1-Trac traction control system, which was developed by the company's engineers. This new system constantly monitors the grip levels of the Ferrari 458 Challenge so it can
offer maximum performance in any track conditions. The manufacturer says that in tests the Ferrari 458 Challenge managed to generate 1.6G of lateral acceleration. They also say it has set a new Fiorano lap record at 1'16.5".
The Ferrari 458 Challenge price and availability will be announced at a later date.
Ferrari Press Release:
The Ferrari 458 Challenge has made its world premiere debut in Maranello during the Annual Dealer Meeting, a traditional event that brings together the representatives of Ferrari's international sales network.
The new berlinetta, which will flank the F430 Challenge in the Ferrari Challenge Trofeo Pirelli in the 2011 season, is the fifth model used by Ferrari in its one make championship which, next year, will be extended to include a new Asia-Pacific series.
Coming just a few months after the Frankfurt Motor Show unveiling of the Ferrari 458 Italia on which it is based, the Ferrari 458 Challenge introduces a number of important modifications to adapt it for competition use.
The direct injection 4497 cc V8 remains strictly in production tune, with an output of 570 hp at 9,000 rpm. That said, modifications 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.
Significant work has also gone into cutting the car's weight. This focused on both the exterior and interior with Ferrari's engineers concentrating in particular on reducing the thickness of the bodyshell panels and on using lightweight materials, such as carbon-fiber and Lexan.
The new Ferrari 458 Challenge also has a specific suspension set-up with solid aluminum bushings, stiffer springs, single-rate dampers, center-nut 19" racing rims, larger dimension Pirelli slicks and a ride height lowered by 30mm all round. It is also equipped with the new generation Brembo CCM2 brakes which debuted on the 599XX, Ferrari's extreme experimental laboratory car, and which are integrated with an ABS system that features two configurations - low grip and high performance for dry surfaces.
Another first for a Ferrari Challenge model is the adoption of the F1-Trac traction control system, the most sophisticated of its kind. Developed in-house by Ferrari, the F1-Trac system constantly monitors levels of grip for maximum high-performance road-holding. Two specific track-biased calibrations - wet and dry - have been developed for this application, with control logic and strategies derived from Ferrari's extensive racing experience in the F1 and GT championships. The F1-Trac is completely integrated with the E-Diff to guarantee maximum acceleration out of corners.
The required ABS, F1-Trac and E-Diff calibration settings are selected via the manettino on the steering wheel, the first time this solution has been adopted on a model developed for the Ferrari Challenge series. The driver can thus either choose from the WET or DRY configurations. In high grip conditions it is also possible to select CT-OFF to de-activate the F1-Trac traction control.
In the course of the intensive development sessions involved in honing the Ferrari 458 Challenge for the track, the engineers also managed to improve the car's lap time at Fiorano by two seconds over that of its predecessor, resulting in a new record of just 1'16.5". Equally impressive is the amount of lateral grip the new car generates - up to 1.6G.
With the new Ferrari 458 Challenge, Ferrari is offering its sportier clients - professional and gentlemen drivers alike - a car that is extremely responsive, with great performance and superb handling. This mid-rear V8-engined berlinetta will allow Ferrari Challenge participants to enjoy to the full the exhilarating cut and thrust of the race weekends on the world's leading circuits, as well as the
passion that has always been an integral part of Ferrari's one-make championship.
