488 Challenge

NEW AND HIGH LEVELS OF PERFORMANCE

This season all the stages of the three Ferrari Challenge will be played with the 488 Challenge, the first equipped with a turbo engine to get on track in the Ferrari one-make series is the most powerful car in the Challenge history thanks to 670 hp from the V8 3, 9-liter engine derived from the 488 GTB, winner of the International engine of the Year Award in 2016.

OPTIMIZED FOR PERFORMANCE RACING

Compared to the production 488 GTB V8, the Challenge’s powertrain features specific engine mapping, optimized for racing performance, and shorter gear ratios providing up to an 11.6% increase in acceleration out of turns compared to the naturally-aspirated 458 Challenge EVO.

The F1 DCT transmission features a new racing shift strategy that enables the car to accelerate from a standstill to maximum revs in 4th gear in just six seconds. Further improvements include a reduction in overall powertrain weight, with 19.7 kg being shaved off the engine and a further 8.5 kg off the exhaust system.

SLIDE SLIP ANGLE CONTROL

Ferrari’s patented Slip Slip Angle Control software makes its first-ever appearance on a Challenge car, improving the longitudinal acceleration through bends by 4.2%. A further significant development is the decoupling of the manettino function regulating the electronic vehicle dynamic controls. Rather than a single manettino intervening on all aspects of the software, the functions have been separated into two, on either side of the steering wheel. The right-hand manettino (TC1) governs the level of intervention required based on the levels of grip, while the left-hand one (TC2) controls the degree of intensity of intervention. The result is a more tailored degree of integration between the driver and the car, governing when and how torque is delivered to the rear wheels and enhancing the performance of the car and the driver’s consistency.

AERODYNAMIC

The most noticeable changes to the 488 Challenge compared to the production car regard the aerodynamics. To achieve the technical objective of increasing the car’s aero efficiency while respecting the design, the engineers worked closely with the Ferrari Styling Center. The front radiator layout was reworked, inverting the rake so that they are now inclined towards the rear. This solution improves the airflow over the radiators in racing conditions whilst, at the same time, reducing drag. The new layout required new vents at the bottom of the bumper ahead of the wheels.

The front bonnet is all new with triple vents and integrated flaps to direct the hot airflow from the radiators rearwards. To increase stability at high speeds, the 488 Challenge features a bigger rear wing, with an airfoil similar to that used on the 2016 FIA World Endurance Championship-winning 488 GTE, which alone increases efficiency by 9% compared to the 458 Challenge EVO. The intakes on the rear flanks now take cooling air to the rear brakes, optimizing downforce, while the engine air intakes are now positioned laterally under the rear spoiler, taking advantage of the high pressure generated in this area.