The Ferrari 458 Italia has been getting rave reviews for its handling from the motoring press, so add in a sprinkling of some Maranello magic for the track-focused potion and you get the 458 Challenge.
Unveiled at this week’s Bologna Motor Show 2010, the 458 Challenge is the fifth member of Ferrari’s single-series racing program. As we mentioned, the standard 458 Italia is such a beast on its own that the factory has decided to leave the 570hp from the street version untouched.
However, the gear ratios have been tweaked and recalibrated for the dual-clutch transmission to generate more torque at lower revs.
Underneath the chassis, stiffer springs lower the ride height and tighten the handling to work hand-in-hand with the large Pirelli rubbers that wrap 19-inch forged alloy wheels with a central-locking lug. Behind those massive rollers are the latest that Brembo have to offer, paired with the ABS from the Ferrari 599XX.
While the power remains untouched, a stringent diet improves the power-to-weight ratio. Ferrari have gone so far as to reducing the thickness of the body panels, as well as intensive use of carbon fiber and Lexan.
The 458 Challenge hit its home stomping grounds, Fiorano, for some hard testing sessions during and after development. The Challenge managed to post lap times two seconds faster than the standard 458 Italia around Fiorano and pulled a neck-snapping 1.6g’s of lateral grip.
Source: Ferrari
