Ferrari F430 Challenge
Encyclopedia
The Ferrari F430 Challenge is a production-based race car built by Ferrari
Ferrari
Ferrari S.p.A. is an Italian sports car manufacturer based in Maranello, Italy. Founded by Enzo Ferrari in 1929, as Scuderia Ferrari, the company sponsored drivers and manufactured race cars before moving into production of street-legal vehicles as Ferrari S.p.A. in 1947...
. The car is directly based on the standard F430
Ferrari F430
The Ferrari F430 is a sports car that was produced by the Italian automaker Ferrari from 2004 to 2009, as a successor to the 360. It debuted at the 2004 Paris Motor Show...
and uses the same 4.3L V8 engine. It was introduced at the 2005 Frankfurt Motor Show, and is built to compete in the Ferrari Challenge
Ferrari Challenge
The Ferrari Challenge is a single-marque motorsport championship that was created in 1993 for owners of the 348 Berlinetta who wanted to become involved in racing. It now encompasses three official championships in the United States, Italy, and Europe. Competitors from each series are brought...
series, replacing the Ferrari 360 Challenge since 2007 in that regard.
Overview
The F430 Challenge is a non-road legal variant of the road-going Ferrari F430Ferrari F430
The Ferrari F430 is a sports car that was produced by the Italian automaker Ferrari from 2004 to 2009, as a successor to the 360. It debuted at the 2004 Paris Motor Show...
, its been extensively modified by Ferrari to boost its on circuit performance with extensive weight reduction and suspension changes. Just like in previous Ferrari Challenge cars the engine has largely remained the same as on the production road cars except for some enhanced breathing by means of a racing exhaust system and some engine management tweaks and fine blueprinting. Furthermore the body styling has received very few styling changes with the Formula One
Formula One
Formula One, also known as Formula 1 or F1 and referred to officially as the FIA Formula One World Championship, is the highest class of single seater auto racing sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile . The "formula" designation in the name refers to a set of rules with which...
inspired single central nut (slick shod) BBS wheels hiding enormous carbon brakes.
The transmission is derived from Ferrari's Formula One
Formula One
Formula One, also known as Formula 1 or F1 and referred to officially as the FIA Formula One World Championship, is the highest class of single seater auto racing sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile . The "formula" designation in the name refers to a set of rules with which...
program, and offers the same 150 ms shift times as in the standard F430 with no option of a manual H-gate gearshift. Fifth and sixth gears have been tweaked, as well as the final drive ratio, specifically for the Challenge car. Weight saving efforts have affected all areas of the car, the most noticeable of which being the cockpit. Inside, the F430 Challenge has no carpets or sound deadening, no stereo, and the standard leather seats have been replaced with ultra light FIA approved carbon racing seats. A lifeline snap off boss allows the alcantara steering wheel to be removed from the car to aid entry and exit to the cockpit. The race wheel replacing the standard cars airbag equipped road car wheel. It also has buttons for pit radio, and for interfacing with the digital instrument display. A full roll cage and 6 point racing harnesses are also present in the cockpit along with super light carbon door panels and Lexan front, side and rear windows replacing all road car glass. The characteristics of the car have been retained from the standard gearbox's "Race" mode. Traction control
Traction control system
A traction control system , also known as anti-slip regulation , is typically a secondary function of the anti-lock braking system on production motor vehicles, designed to prevent loss of traction of driven road wheels...
is permanently disengaged, along with the stability system. The car does retain ABS and ASR though. The racing modifications are present in most all of the components, with the E-Differential being replaced by a mechanical one, and the suspension settings modified for racing.
Performance
The engine is the same 90° 4.3 liter V8 as in the standard F430. The output remains the same at 483 hp, as well as the torque at 343 lbft. The engine is equipped with Double Overhead CamshaftsOverhead camshaft
Overhead cam valvetrain configurations place the engine camshaft within the cylinder heads, above the combustion chambers, and drive the valves or lifters in a more direct manner compared to overhead valves and pushrods...
and contains 4 valves per cylinder. The engine is, and always has been, naturally aspirated. The engine is mounted behind the cockpit, and faces longitudinally (along the length of the car).
The transmission is the 6-speed, paddle operated, sequential manual found in the F430. The transmission uses Formula One
Formula One
Formula One, also known as Formula 1 or F1 and referred to officially as the FIA Formula One World Championship, is the highest class of single seater auto racing sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile . The "formula" designation in the name refers to a set of rules with which...
technology and can shift gears in 150 ms. The brakes use carbon ceramic material, which is very resistant to brake fade. Both front and rear suspension use double wishbones and anti-roll bars. The exhaust system is updated for the Challenge car, placing the outlet ports higher in the back of the car. The back also includes a new grille to help with drawing heat out of the engine.