First and foremost, what’s a Challenge in Ferrari speak? The most straightforward answer is a one-model championship managed by the Italian automaker’s Corse Clienti department. A different animal from FIA-sanctioned championships, Ferrari Challenge dates back to 1993 with the 348.
Then came the 355 series, which Ferrari replaced with the 360. The only exception to said rule is the F8 Tributo. Rather than engineering the road-going model for GT racing, the Prancing Horse upgraded the 488 Challenge to Evo specification.
Later this month, the 488 Challenge Evo will be retired in favor of the 296 Challenge. Similar to the 296 GT3, the 296 Challenge drops the hybrid setup of the road car. Even so, it’s seriously powerful for a 3.0-liter V6 with a couple of turbos to its name.
A clean-sheet design that Ferrari adapted for its Le Mans-winning 499P sports prototype, the F163 engine is a 120-degree lump that makes a staggering 234 ps for every liter of displacement. Converted to mechanical ponies, make that 231 horsepower.
Ferrari quotes 700 ps and 740 Nm of torque at full chatter, meaning 690 horsepower and 546 pound-feet. By comparison, the 296 GTB and 296 GTS develop 663 ps (654 horsepower) at 8,000 revolutions per minute and similar peak torque. In combination with the MGU-K electric motor driving the rear wheels, the road-going 296 produces a staggering 830 ps (819 horsepower).
Photo: Ferrari
As you can tell from the pictures released by Ferrari prior to the Challenge’s debut in the metal, the racecar features plenty of aero modifications for extra downforce. Ferrari says that more than 870 kilograms (1,918 pounds) are produced at 250 kilometers per hour (155 miles per hour) with the rear wing at maximum attack. In other words, more downforce than the track-focused Viper ACR Extreme Aero Package.
The 296 Challenge further marks the debut of ABS EVO Track. A development of the system introduced on the road car, ABS EVO Track uses data gathered by the Chassis Dynamic Sensor to deliver more consistent braking force. Ferrari further waxes lyrical about CCM-R PLUS brake discs, with CCM-R standing for Carbon Ceramic Matrix-Race. Shod with Pirelli slicks, the 296 Challenge flaunts center-lock racing wheels.
The 19-inch tires are said to be specifically developed by Pirelli for this application, which is no surprise whatsoever if you remember the days of Michael Schumacher at Scuderia Ferrari. To make a long story short for those who didn’t catch that era of Formula 1, the Prancing Horse and Bridgestone worked together to maximize tire performance to the detriment of other Bridgestone-tired teams.
Bridgestone left F1 after the 2010 season, and the infamous tire war isn’t going to come back anytime soon because Pirelli has extended its deal to supply Formula 1 teams with super-sticky rubber until at least 2027. The Italians have an option for the deal to be extended into 2028. After that, hearsay suggests that Japan's Bridgestone will take Pirelli’s place.
After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well. Full profile
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