Ferrari has officially unveiled its new 458 Challenge racing prototype at Ferrari’s Annual Dealer Meeting, held at the firm’s base in Maranello, Italy.
The model is based on the 458 Italia, but introduces a number of important modifications to adapt it for competition use.
The Challenge uses the same 562bhp 4.5-litre V8 as the 458 Italia production car, but there have been changes to the gear ratios and the gearbox software to deliver more torque at lower revs.
The big changes are to do with the 458’s weight. Ferrari used lightweight materials, such as carbon-fibre and Lexan for both exterior and interior, as well as thinner body panels, to decrease the weight, but Ferrari refuses to say just how much weight the new Challenge has lost.
The 458’s suspension has been thoroughly overhauled, too, with solid aluminium bushings, stiffer springs and a ride height dropped by 30mm. Fat Pirelli slicks and bigger brakes improve stickiness and stoppiness on the road.
The Challenge has already lapped Ferrari’s Fiorano circuit in 1m16.5s, two seconds quicker than its predecessor and more than eight seconds quicker than the Enzo.
The 458 Challenge will hit circuits in 2011 as part of the Ferrari Challenge Trofeo Pirelli, which sees track-prepared F430s, 360s, F355s and 348s do battle.
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