2011 Ferrari 458 Challenge Race Car

(continued from above)

Coming just a few months after the Frankfurt Motor Show unveiling of the 458 Italia on which it is based, the 458 Challenge introduces a number of important modifications to adapt it for competition use.

In the course of the intensive development sessions involved in honing the 458 Challenge for the track, the engineers 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.

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 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 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.

Ferrari 458 Challenge Race Car: Review (2/2)