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Ferrari 458 Challenge Official Specs and Image

Following yesterday’s leaked images of the Ferrari 458 Challenge, the Italian supercar producer is now officially presenting the race car.

The road-going 458’s 4497 cc V8 has suffered no modifications, offering the same output of 570 hp at 9,000 rpm. However, the dual clutch F1 gearbox has been re-calibrated and has received tweaked gear ratios. The power is sent to the rear axle via Ferrari’s E-Diff electronic differential. This is already present on the road car but is a premiere for a track-only Ferrari.

One of the areas that has received a lot of work is the weight-reduction one, which targets both the interior and the exterior. The body panels are now thicker and the car uses high-tech materials such as Lexan (plastic polycarbonate for the windows) and carbon fiber.

The car’s suspension has also been modified, receiving solid aluminum bushings, stiffer springs, single-rate dampers, with a 30mm lowered ride height. The vehicle rides on center-nut 19 inch racing rims that use “larger dimension” Pirelli slicks. The braking system now features Brembo CCM2 brakes (carbon ceramic) borrowed from the 599XX, with the ABS system offering two settings, low grip and high performance for dry surfaces.

The 458 Challenge is the first Ferrari Challenge model to use the F1-Trac traction control system, which has been developed in-house by Ferrari. For this car, the system offers two track-biased modes - wet and dry. The F1-Track is completely integrated within the E-Diff.

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,” stated the press release.

Contrary to what was believed, the 458 Challenge will share the 2011 season of the Ferrari Challenge Trofeo Pirelli with its predecessor, the F430 Challenge. Ferrari says that the new vehicle has managed to lap the Fiorano track two seconds faster than the F430 (1’16.5”), also generating up to 1.6 lateral G.

Our say: The new racing animal from Ferrari offers a higher level of assistance for its professional and gentlemen drivers.
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About the author: Andrei Tutu
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In his quest to bring you the most impressive automotive creations, Andrei relies on learning as a superpower. There's quite a bit of room in the garage that is this aficionado's heart, so factory-condition classics and widebody contraptions with turbos poking through the hood can peacefully coexist.
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