In the early 1990s, someone at Ferrari came up with an idea. “Hey, why don’t we create a single-make championship for the well-to-do gentleman driver?” is, in essence, the idea that gave birth to the Ferrari Challenge and its first-ever campaigner, the 348 Challenge from 1993. The pictured Ferrari 488 Challenge, however, is the sixth model developed for the racing series.
Having made its debut at the Ferrari Finali Mondiali in Daytona, the 488 Challenge is based on the 488 GTB. Like the road-going model, the 488 Challenge is animated by a 3.9-liter V8 closely related to the F154 CB. Remapped and 43 pounds lighter, the V8 engine develops 670 PS (661 horsepower). Regarding mods, it should be highlighted that the powerplant is 43 pounds lighter than the standard F154 CB and it features a remapped ECU.
What’s more, the exhaust system also sheds 19 pounds over the one that equips the Ferrari 488 GTB. Even the transmission is borrowed from the road-legal sibling. But in the 488 Challenge, the 7-speeder features shorter ratios and racing-spec shift strategy. In this regard, the 488 Challenge can apparently accelerate from 0 mph to maximum revs in 4th gear in 6.0 seconds.
Officially dubbed by Ferrari as Side Slip Control System, this software-based feature allows the driver to change the car’s dynamic behavior by integrating controls for the F1-Trac and E-Diff systems. One area where the 488 Challenge is very different from the 488 GTB is the adjustment dial Ferrari calls the manettino. Whereas the 488 GTB has only one of those for very obvious reasons, the race-ready version comes with three manettinos: one for the brakes, one for traction control, and one for the electronic differential.
On the aerodynamics front, the 488 GTE-inspired rear wing helps the 488 Challenge lap the Fiorano circuit in 1:15.5. Compared to the 458 Challenge Evo it replaces and the 488 GTB, the 488 Challenge is one and 7.5 seconds quicker, respectively. Of course, sticky racing slicks are on the menu as well.
Since the program was announced in 1992, Ferrari Challenge has attracted approximately 1,000 drivers, who took part in more than 1,000 races.
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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