Ferrari 458 Challenge presented at Maranello

In the presence of representatives of Ferrari’s international sales network the Italian brand presented the new 458 Challenge. The first appearance of the new car took place in the Annual Dealer Meeting, in Maranello.

The new berlinetta will be racing alongside the F430 Challenge in the 2011 season of the Ferrari Challenge Trofeo Pirelli. The 458 Maranello is the fifth model to be used by Ferrari in its one-make championship that in 2011 will include a new Asia-Pacific series.

Based on the 458 Italia, recently introduced at the Frankfurt Motor Show, the 458 Challeng suffered some modifications in order to be adapted to competition.

With the direct injection 4497 cc V8 remaining untouchable, with an output of 570 hp at 9,000 rpm, modifications were made to the gear ratios and calibration of its dual-clutch F1 gearbox in order to achieve higher torque at lower revs. The 458 Chalenge has also been fitted with the E-Diff electronic differential, a first for Ferrari’s track-only cars.

A lot of work has been made to reduce the weight of the racing car. Ferrari engineers focused specially on reducing the thickness of the bodyshell panels and on using lightweight materials, such as carbon-fibre and Lexan.

A suspension set-up with solid aluminium bushings, stiffer springs, single-rate dampers, centre-nut 19” racing rims, larger dimension Pirelli slicks and a ride height lowered by 30mm all round are other specific features of the new 458 Challenge. The track-only car is also fitted with the new generation Brembo CCM2 brakes which are with an ABS system that features two different configurations: low grip and high performance for dry surfaces.

The 458 Challenge will become the first Ferrari Challenge model to adopt the F1-Trac traction control system, which constantly monitors levels of grip for maximum high-performance road-holding. The system has received different calibrations for wet and dry situations. The different calibrations can be selected via the manettino on the steering wheel.