Ferrari unleashes 458 Challenge at Bologna show

Ferrari used the Bologna motor show to peel the covers off its eagerly awaited new factory racer, the 458 Challenge. And the Italian racer looks every bit as tantalising as its sworn enemy, Porsche's latest 911 GT3 Cup car.

Conceived for the Ferrari Challenge (as was the case with the Challenge versions of its 348, F355, 360 and F430 predecessors), the latest track-focused car is based on the 458 Italia and is the fifth model used by Ferrari in its single-make racing series.

The Ferrari Challenge is currently split into Italian, European and North American championships, but these will from next year be supplemented by the new Asia-Pacific series.

The company claims the 458 Challenge is two seconds a lap quicker than its predecessor around Ferrari's Fiorano test track, setting a new benchmark of 1min 16.5sec. Equally impressive, according to Ferrari, is the amount of lateral grip the new racer generates -- up to 1.6G.

The direct injection 4499cc V8 remains in production tune, eking out 420kW at 9000rpm, but the gear ratios and calibration of its dual-clutch F1 gearbox have been tweaked to allegedly deliver more oomph at low revs.

As per the road-going model, the 458 Challenge is equipped with the E-Diff electronic differential, signalling the first time this technology has featured in a Ferrari track car.

The competition-focused chassis set-up brings steel uniball joints, stiffer springs, single-rate alloy dampers, centre-nut 19-inch forged rims, larger dimension Pirelli slicks and a ride height lowered by 50mm all round.

The 458 Challenge also scores the new-generation Brembo CCM2 brakes integrated with the latest ABS system that debuted on Ferrari's 599XX experimental racer/laboratory car.

Another first for a Ferrari Challenge model is the adoption of the F1-Trac traction control system, claimed to be the most sophisticated of its kind. Ferrari says the F1-Trac is completely integrated with the E-Diff to guarantee maximum stability and acceleration both into and out of corners.

The ABS/EBD, F1-Trac and E-Diff calibration settings are selected via the manettino on the steering wheel, the first time this technology has been adopted on a model developed for the Ferrari Challenge series.

The driver has a choice of three configurations: OFF position (traction control deactivated), position 1 and position 2. The latter two settings have progressively higher levels of control system intervention and are selected in accordance with grip conditions on the track.

Ferrari claims considerable time and effort went into trimming the car's weight (although the exact figure isn't mentioned in Ferrari's blurb). Measures resorted to include reducing the thickness of the body panels and making extensive of use of lightweight materials such as carbon-fibre and Lexan.

In the words of the company: "With the new 458 Challenge, Ferrari puts an exceptional combination of extreme performance, superb fun behind the wheel and unique driving emotions at the finger-tips of its sporting, professional and gentleman-driver clients."

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