I'm in love with those wheels!
contact your local race shop comes in forged magnesium or aluminium...they are my fave looking wheels...highly functional too, not just bling starting around $2k each, iirc...at least that's what they cost when purchased with the Porsche RS Spyder LMP2 package.
certainly! there's bound to be some little tweaks, differences. the car overall, however, should look ace!
Here's the article below: 458 Challenge debuts at Maranello Maranello, July 14th 2010 The 458 Challenge has made its world premiere debut in Maranello during the Annual Dealer Meeting, a traditional event that brings together the representatives of Ferraris international sales network. The new berlinetta, which will flank the F430 Challenge in the Ferrari Challenge Trofeo Pirelli in the 2011 season, is the fifth model used by Ferrari in its one-make championship which, next year, will be extended to include a new Asia-Pacific series. Coming just a few months after the Frankfurt Motor Show unveiling of the 458 Italia on which it is based, the 458 Challenge introduces a number of important modifications to adapt it for competition use. The direct injection 4497 cc V8 remains strictly in production tune, with an output of 570 hp at 9,000 rpm. That said, modifications have been made to the gear ratios and calibration of its dual-clutch F1 gearbox to guarantee higher torque at lower revs. The 458 Challenge is also equipped with the E-Diff electronic differential already employed on the road-going version, a first for Ferraris track-only cars. Significant work has also gone into cutting the cars weight. This focused on both the exterior and interior with Ferraris engineers concentrating in particular on reducing the thickness of the bodyshell panels and on using lightweight materials, such as carbon-fibre and Lexan. The new 458 Challenge also has a specific 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. It is also equipped with the new generation Brembo CCM2 brakes which debuted on the 599XX, Ferraris extreme experimental laboratory car, and which are integrated with an ABS system that features two configurations - low grip and high performance for dry surfaces. Another first for a Ferrari Challenge model is the adoption of the F1-Trac traction control system, the most sophisticated of its kind. Developed in-house by Ferrari, the F1-Trac system constantly monitors levels of grip for maximum high-performance road-holding. Two specific track-biased calibrations wet and dry - have been developed for this application, with control logic and strategies derived from Ferraris extensive racing experience in the F1 and GT championships. The F1-Trac is completely integrated with the E-Diff to guarantee maximum acceleration out of corners. The required ABS, F1-Trac and E-Diff calibration settings are selected via the manettino on the steering wheel, the first time this solution has been adopted on a model developed for the Ferrari Challenge series. The driver can thus either chose from the WET or DRY configurations. In high grip conditions it is also possible to select CT-OFF to de-activate the F1-Trac traction control. In the course of the intensive development sessions involved in honing the 458 Challenge for the track, the engineers also managed to improve the cars lap time at Fiorano by two seconds over that of its predecessor, resulting in a new record of just 116.5. Equally impressive is the amount of lateral grip the new car generates up to 1.6G. With the new 458 Challenge, Ferrari is offering its sportier clients - professional and gentlemen drivers alike - a car that is extremely responsive, with great performance and superb handling. This mid-rear V8-engined berlinetta will allow Ferrari Challenge participants to enjoy to the full the exhilarating cut and thrust of the race weekends on the worlds leading circuits, as well as the passion that has always been an integral part of Ferraris one-make championship
Here's a pic. Wow, didn't expect this to happen this soon. Check out the "checkered" racing stripe. Very cool. Image Unavailable, Please Login
Will they use stickers in place of the big expensive (and delicate looking) headlights for the challenge cars?
It sure looks like it....... I have changed to a checkered stripe, too.....I had no idea the Factory had spies in the bushes........LOL!
I am sure they did their best to develop the car with all these racing series in mind. I suppose the car can be classified as a race car built for the road and a road car built to race as I am sure both paradigms played heavy parts in the design.
http://www.autoblog.it/post/28421/ferrari-458-challenge-nuove-foto-ufficiali-da-vallelunga Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
This may have already been posted, and if so, I appologize, but I noticed that there is no challenge grill...maybe we won't see a challenge grill for the 458? -G.B.
Thats quite ironic. Because usually challenge grill improved cooling. Not that 458 has problem with being hot. Or in flames.
