Malaysia 11th September 2011 – This year the Ferrari Challenge Trofeo Pirelli, one of the most popular and successful one-make series in the world, has expanded to include the Asia Pacific region. After three rounds of very successful racing starting from June, the Challenge will come to Sepang International Circuit in Malaysia for the first time in history during October 1st and 2nd . Over twenty competitors at the wheel of 458 Challenge will run in two separate classifications of Trofeo Pirelli and Coppa Shell.

Right from its first year of existence, Ferrari has always had very close links with its customers who want to go racing. This led to the start of the Prancing Horse Marque’s one-make series in 1993, that by the end of 2010 has hosted over 2,200 drivers representing more than 24 different nationalities, with opportunities for expert competitors and gentleman drivers to race together, with a separate classification, so as to avoid a one-side contest and assure a good show.

The famous Ferrari one-make series is now in its nineteenth year and, in addition to the usual three series – Italy, Europe and North America – for this year, there is another for those owners based in the Asia Pacific region, who will contest a five-race series. Racers from Greater China, Japan, Australia, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia and South Korea will compete together to win the final championship.

“The culture and passion for racing has always been an integral part of Ferrari’s one-make championship, which has been shared with many of our customers here in Asia Pacific. And we are delighted to announce that we will now be hosting the first ever Challenge Series that will cover the whole region,” commented Simon Inglefield, Head of Region, Ferrari APAC Other Countires.

Competitors in the Series will be embarking on a season that features a significant change, with the new 458 Challenge car making its debut. The mid-rear V8-engined berlinetta, the fifth model to be used by Ferrari in its one-make championship, will allow Ferrari Challenge participants to enjoy to the full the exhilarating cut and thrust of weekends on the world’s leading circuits.

458 CHALLENGE

This mid-rear V8 berlinetta is derived from the 458 Italia and is the fifth model used by Ferrari in its single-series racing programme.The direct injection 4499 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 Ferrari's track-only cars.

Significant work has also gone into cutting the car’s weight. This focused on both the exterior and interior with Ferrari’s engineers concentrating in particular on reducing the thickness of the bodyshell panels and on using lightweight materials, such as carbon-fibre as well as polycarbonate for the front and rear windscreens and side windows.

The new 458 Challenge also has a specific suspension set-up with steel uniball joints, stiffer springs, single-rate alloy dampers, centre-nut 19” forged rims, larger dimension Pirelli slicks and a ride height lowered by 50mm all round. It is also equipped with the new generation Brembo CCM2 brakes integrated with the latest ABS system which debuted on the 599XX, Ferrari’s extreme experimental laboratory car.

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 have been developed for this application, with control logics and strategies derived from Ferrari’s extensive racing experience in the F1 and GT championships. The F1-Trac is completely integrated with the E-Diff to guarantee maximum stability and acceleration both into and out of corners.

The ABS/EBD, 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 has a choice of three configurations: OFF position (traction control deactivated), position 1 and position 2. The latter two settings have progressively higher levels of control system intervention and are selected in accordance with grip conditions on the track.

In the course of the intensive development sessions involved in honing the 458 Challenge for the track, the engineers also managed to improve the car’s lap time at Fiorano by two seconds over that of its predecessor, resulting in a new record of just 1’16.5”. Equally impressive is the amount of lateral grip the new car generates – up to 1.6G.