Ferrari F430 Challenge Stradale: Spied

Motoring Channel Staff - 28/Nov/2006

Nürburgring, Germany — It's been seen undergoing high-speed stability testing on the famous Nürburgring, and it's been seen cruising around the streets of Modena in Italy while the Ferrari engineers make ramifications to its slow speed cooling systems.

The new Ferrari F430 Challenge Stradale is coming, and we should get to see the real thing in 2007 at one of the more prominent European motor shows. Simply put, this is Ferrari's attempt to put as much race car technology into a street car as is humanly possible.

It is a highly sought-after sports car which is, in essence, the race track version of the Ferrari F430, but with just enough niceties to ensure the world's road and traffic authorities give it thumbs up for use on public roads.

Pronounced Stra-dar-lee, the new Ferrari could be compared to the 'CSL' version of the BMW M3, which also features a stripped-out interior, a tuned chassis. 

The result of the reduction in weight (both sprung and unsprung) and improvement in power will provide the new Stradale Challenge with potent performance on the track, but the vehicle will also be street legal, so owners can show off the exotic and incredible bodywork on weekend drives.

Featuring more power from its already ludicrous V8 engine, tighter suspension, a more effective gearbox, and a much lighter kerb weight thanks to an increase in carbon fibre, the new Ferrari F430 Challenge Stradale will give the Lamborghini Gallardo a reason to flinch, as this will be much quicker than Italian rival.

What's New

Ferrari's predatory new vehicle (expected to launch in late 2008) will be a key model in the Italian car maker's push to dominate the exclusive exotic car market and will get an engine tune-up, one that raises power of the 4.3-litre V8 from 360kW (483hp) to about 380kW (510hp).

With 380 kilowatts of power slamming their collective way towards the rear axle @ 8500rpm, the modded Ferrari engine will be a real screamer and a new exhaust system has been employed in order to help the engine breathe more freely. As the spy photos expose, the exhaust system is mounted much higher and mimics the system seen on the Ferrari F430 Challenge, which is the track-only (non street legal) version of the car. Other changes to the engine that help liberate power are expected to include tweaks to the fuel injection mapping and possibly the compression ratio (which may result in a higher redline as well).

Along with the 20 kilowatt (27hp) boost in power, the beautiful Ferrari sports car is expected to be paired with the same gearbox from the track-only Challenge model, which is derived from it's F1 cars and provides millisecond quick gear shifts. The ratios are also expected to be different (taller) to the normal Ferrari F430 car, giving it a higher top speed which is mainly for track use.

As well as a more focussed motor sports gearbox the nimble new Ferrari will not feature the electronic 'E-diff' of the normal F430 model, but will benefit from a mechanical limited-slip differential (LSD) for a more natural delivery of power through corners.

With its increased power and speed ratings, the 2008 model Ferrari F430 Challenge Stradale required a number of changes to the bodywork to ensure positive aerodynamics for when the car reaches speeds of over 250km/h (155mph).

While the spy photos don't reveal a huge rear wing like some hardcore versions of exotic cars, the stylish Prancing Horse gets a new rear apron that features a very deep air diffuser, which can help increase downforce on the rear end. 

Changes to the underbody are also expected to reduce lift at high speed, and because this is the Challenge Stradale version of the Ferrari F430, the car's weight is expected to drop by about 100kg, from 1450kg to about 1350kg, which is perhaps the single most important modification to the vehicle as it will increase the car's acceleration, braking, and cornering and this is done by stripping out all of the luxury features in the cabin and replacing them with carbon fibre versions and more aggressively bolstered sports seats. Ferrari may also use carbon fibre on parts of the bodywork to reduce the car's weight.

Running gear for the F430 Challenge Stradale will also be different to the F430 model, and instead of the normal suspension system, the new car will get a track-biased setup with a drop in ride height to lower its centre of gravity. Lightweight magnesium wheels measuring 19-inches in diameter (and possible even 20-inch) will further reduce the car's weight and improve handling. Ceramic composite disc brakes are rumoured to be an option on the new model, which will improve braking endurance.

Like almost every aspect of this recently-spied vehicle, pricing has not been divulged by Ferrari, but it's likely to be about 15% more expensive than the standard Ferrari F430, which costs $389,000, so a price of around $450,000 could be expected when (and if) the car is exported from Italy and into Australia.

Related articles:
- Ferrari F430
- Ferrari F430 Challenge
- Ferrari F430 Spider
- Ferrari 360 Modena
- Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano
- Lamborghini Gallardo
- Porsche 911 Turbo (Type 997)
- Porsche 911 GT3 (Type 997)