Monday 2nd August 2010

Ferrari 458 Challenge Gets first 'Public' Outing

Two-day test at Vallelunga for new one-make racer

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Ferrari was out at the Vallelunga circuit near Rome last week for the first public test of the new Ferrari 458 Challenge racer.

After a two-day test with Italian Maurizio Mediani and Argentinian Jaime Melo, both drivers proclaimed themselves to be pleased with the car (funny that...).

The 458 challenge uses a tweaked version of the road car's twin-clutch transmission, Ferrari's E-Diff electronic differential and carbon-ceramic brakes from the 599XX, but keeps the same 4497cc 562bhp V8 as the road car.

Still, with a weight-saving regime courtesy of the near-inevitable carbon fibre bits and bobs, the 458 is said to be a full two seconds quicker around Ferrari's Fiorano test track than an F430 Challenge car. Should make the Ferrari Challenge Trofeo Pirelli one-make series quite a spectacle, then.

And the verdicts of the drivers? The Challenge is "very quick and extremely good fun," says Mediani, while Melo says he is "sure that Prancing Horse competition owners will be very pleased with this car".

Read more about the 458 Challenge's tech spec

'It's good', says test driver...

[Gizmo!]

I expect this will be just incredibly fast. Watching the road-going one on TG last night I was wondering just how on earth the race one would be any faster?

[jon-]

Sweet jesus that's pretty.

[RobM77]

Gizmo! said:

I expect this will be just incredibly fast. Watching the road-going one on TG last night I was wondering just how on earth the race one would be any faster?

Lighter, stickier tyres, stiffer suspension and a more neutral setup. Those things can go a long way in terms of lap time. I expect the first full grid of cars charging into to the first corner will be a wonderful sight and sound

[Bada Bing!]

It's good, says test driver BAD.

[thehardman07]

Beautiful. Loved the styling at first, then went off it, now I love it again after seeing Top Gear and these pictures.

Any reason why the racer has two exhausts instead of three like the road car?

[Gun]

Can't wait to see/hear the GT racer version of the 458!

[Imafreeman]

Because 3 looked rubbish.

I wonder if they deleted the satnav so the speedo could be seen?

[300bhp/ton]

Really like the road going version. Best looking Ferrari in yonks!

[snotrag]

Gizmo! said:

I expect this will be just incredibly fast. Watching the road-going one on TG last night I was wondering just how on earth the race one would be any faster?

Its gonna be faster than an Enzo isnt it, on the TG track at least.

Thats progress is that - how old is the Enzo concept? 6 or 7 years maybe?

[Schermerhorn]

snotrag said:

Gizmo! said:

I expect this will be just incredibly fast. Watching the road-going one on TG last night I was wondering just how on earth the race one would be any faster?

Its gonna be faster than an Enzo isnt it, on the TG track at least.

Thats progress is that - how old is the Enzo concept? 6 or 7 years maybe?

Released in 2002. 3 years in the making. 11 year old concept now.

[P4ROT]

That says alot about how good the standard F458 is

[Paul 8v]

Gun said:

Can't wait to see/hear the GT racer version of the 458!

That's what I was thinking, it should be awesome!

[RobM77]

thehardman07 said:

Beautiful. Loved the styling at first, then went off it, now I love it again after seeing Top Gear and these pictures.

Any reason why the racer has two exhausts instead of three like the road car?

I don't know this, but the obvious guess is that the road car may be valved to be quieter and more efficient at low revs and throttle positions, perhaps by using the central exhaust only, whereas the racer is just a straight exhaust, thus just uses the two loud ones. My Elise for instance only uses one of the rear tail pipes below 4k revs and a certain throttle opening, and then a valve opens both of them when the car's being driven harder.

[pthelazyjourno]

RobM77 said:

thehardman07 said:

Beautiful. Loved the styling at first, then went off it, now I love it again after seeing Top Gear and these pictures.

Any reason why the racer has two exhausts instead of three like the road car?

I don't know this, but the obvious guess is that the road car may be valved to be quieter and more efficient at low revs and throttle positions, perhaps by using the central exhaust only, whereas the racer is just a straight exhaust, thus just uses the two loud ones. My Elise for instance only uses one of the rear tail pipes below 4k revs and a certain throttle opening, and then a valve opens both of them when the car's being driven harder.

Are all three exhaust pipes anyway?

Or is one just a styling nod to the F40's breather pipe or whatever it is?
If it's just a styling cue on the 458, that's why it's not on the Challenge.

[JenkinsComp]

I wonder if the 458 comes with a special button to tell other slower Ferraris to move out of the way?

[TU Tuning]

Agree that it looks a million times better with two pipes at the back, sounds petty but that middle one ruined the back end for me. The F40 needed a screamer, why theyve put one on a NA V8 as a nod to a boosted predecessor makes no sense to moi.

Also agree that its an unbelievably pretty car, the best looking Ferrari released in my lifetime. And one of the only cars I respect for its abilities despite them being largely conjured by superchips.

Edited by TU Tuning on Monday 2nd August 16:47

[soad]

So damn pretty.

[scottdav]

Imafreeman said:

Because 3 looked rubbish.

I wonder if they deleted the satnav so the speedo could be seen?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b00tbs3z/Top_...

Go to 2:30 and it clearly shows his speed on the left screen while the satnav is on the right. Surely people get Clarkson by now?

Seen as we're on TG i thought it was very interesting what the star in the car said at the end, happy as a clown..

Car in question, i wouldn't say no to one on the drive

[Killer2005]

A new car has reached my lottery win list

[Gold]

The one niggle about the 458 (other than being a Ferrari ) is that silly third exhaust, it's not a F40, it doesn't need one, reminds me of the bad pics with 90gazillion exhausts on a shopping trolly. Far far better looking rear with two.