Monday 9th March 2009

Ferrari GT3 Racer

F430-derived racer from Kessel Racing

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A new Ferrari GT3 racer designed to contest the 2009 FIA GT3 European Championship has been revealed by Kessel.

Based on the Ferrari F430 Scuderia, the new car is currently awaiting FIA homologation after which three teams – Kessel Racing, JMB Racing and CRS Racing have pledged to enter versions in the hotly contested Euro series for ‘gentleman drivers’.

The Ferrari Scuderia GT3 has been developed by Kessel to fill the shoes of the successful Ferrari F430 GT3 that won the GT3 title in 2007.

The ‘standard’ F430 Scuderia on which the new racer is based was conceived as a road-going development of the F430 challenge racers – and as such is ideally equipped to provide a basis for FIA homologation.

With 508bhp and a weight saving of 100kgs over the standard F430, the ‘street’ Scuderia does 0-60mph in 3.1secs and has a 198mph maximum. Its various unique features are conceived with track performance in mind, with aerodynamic tweaks such as an upgraded diffuser, modified exhaust and carbon fibre parts.

[kavanagh]

i ll take two please,great for the school run,lol,better start doing the lotto again me thinks

[jon-]

[BBS-LM]

Sorry, but what the NEW part again?

[LukeBird]

Ferrari in badge-engineering, marketing shocker?

So there already is an F430 (note, not Scuderia) based GT3 racer being campaigned...
But this one is based on the road-going race version?
Errr contrived or what?
Enzo would turn in his grave...

I think this purely based for the Ferrari racer who needs the 'new' one, to trump his mates with the 'normal' F430 based GT3 car...

[EDLT]

LukeBird said:

Enzo would turn in his grave...

I doubt that very much, Enzo only ever sold road cars to fund racing so selling racing cars too would seem like a good idea.

[Quattronaut]

Isn't it just updating the race car based on the most recently available road car tech? Seems fair enough

I loved the Michellotto race-prepped Ferraris from the 80s & 90s - 308 rally & F40 GTE, etc. Do they still do it?

Sort of elegant & hard as nails at the same time

[zac510]

BBS-LM said:

Sorry, but what the NEW part again?

Diffuser, exhaust..
The front end is definitely different.

[Marc W]

LukeBird said:

Ferrari in badge-engineering, marketing shocker?

So there already is an F430 (note, not Scuderia) based GT3 racer being campaigned...
But this one is based on the road-going race version?
Errr contrived or what?
Enzo would turn in his grave...

I think this purely based for the Ferrari racer who needs the 'new' one, to trump his mates with the 'normal' F430 based GT3 car...

Reading the article it sounds to me as if Ferrari have had nothing to do with this one, (other than producing the donor car) and it's an unofficial project by Kessel racing.

[LukeBird]

EDLT said:

LukeBird said:

Enzo would turn in his grave...

I doubt that very much, Enzo only ever sold road cars to fund racing so selling racing cars too would seem like a good idea.

What, selling a racing car that's based on a road-going racing car, that's based on a road car; which bizarrely has a racing car based on it as well...

[life-in-old-dog]

What on earth are 'gentlemen drivers' [ignoring any sexist overtones of course] - do you have to wear a tweed jacket, pit stop to enjoy a quick snuff intake and to let the golden retriever have a wee??! Would love to see a car designed for the 'hoodie geezer'!!

[mitch_]

life-in-old-dog]What on earth are 'gentlemen drivers' [ignoring any sexist overtones of course said:

- do you have to wear a tweed jacket, pit stop to enjoy a quick snuff intake and to let the golden retriever have a wee??! Would love to see a car designed for the 'hoodie geezer'!!

Non-professional drivers with their own budget essentially.

[Ahonen]

LukeBird said:

Ferrari in badge-engineering, marketing shocker?

So there already is an F430 (note, not Scuderia) based GT3 racer being campaigned...
But this one is based on the road-going race version?
Errr contrived or what?
Enzo would turn in his grave...

I think this purely based for the Ferrari racer who needs the 'new' one, to trump his mates with the 'normal' F430 based GT3 car...

Ignore the rubbish about which road car it's derived from - that's PR waffle. This is the 2009 update for the F430 GT3. New engine (as the current one is a bit wheezy), a few aero bits, carbon doors, completely new gearbox, plus a few minor other changes.

The update kit for existing F430 GT3s is €100k. Or you buy a new car if they can build it in time.

Kessel Racing homologate and build the GT3 class F430s, not Ferrari.

(As an aside, everything I've ever read about Enzo Ferrari has given me the impression he was a pretty unpleasant character, so I'm sure he wouldn't have given a toss.)

[Rude-boy]

Ahonen said:

(As an aside, everything I've ever read about Enzo Ferrari has given me the impression he was a pretty unpleasant character, so I'm sure he wouldn't have given a toss.)

Like with every slightly mad oligarch, I think it depended on which of his sides you lay as to how unpleasant or not he was.

[LukeBird]

Ahonen said:

Ignore the rubbish about which road car it's derived from - that's PR waffle. This is the 2009 update for the F430 GT3. New engine (as the current one is a bit wheezy), a few aero bits, carbon doors, completely new gearbox, plus a few minor other changes.

The update kit for existing F430 GT3s is €100k. Or you buy a new car if they can build it in time.

Kessel Racing homologate and build the GT3 class F430s, not Ferrari.

(As an aside, everything I've ever read about Enzo Ferrari has given me the impression he was a pretty unpleasant character, so I'm sure he wouldn't have given a toss.)

Good (first) point...
I'll get my coat!

With regard to your last comment, everything I've ever read has also indicated he was a particularly unpleasant man. Certainly nobody to get on the wrong side of!

[sl55amg]

It looks awesome..... and it's my birthday coming up soon if anyone feels particularly generous?

[Benten]

So basically its an expensive track day with a prize? This gentleman racing gear.

[Ahonen]

Benten said:

So basically its an expensive track day with a prize? This gentleman racing gear.

No, of course not.

[911stu]

Enzo would turn in his grave...

If Ferrari's are being sold and then getting raced , Enzo would be a happy man. I dont think he would be as happy with them sitting in a heated garage for most of the year and then going to the odd show here and there being driven like its powered by a lawn mower engine by some **!><*!.. But if it funded his F1 team he probably would not care . Oh yeah ...its me that gets the hump with that!!!

[Tomo-G]

Yet again another sweeeet looking ferrari, big fan of the f430. Time to buy some lotto tickets and a fist full of scratch cards