According to Ferrari, this 488 Challenge is the first-ever turbocharged racecar developed for its Challenge series. It’s based on the current 488 GTB and replaces the 458 Challenge, having been unveiled at the 2016 Ferrari World Finals event in Daytona.
The 488 Challenge is the sixth model in the series and comes as a 25th anniversary celebration (as of next year, anyway). It’s powered by a twin-turbo 3,9-litre V8 which pushes 492 kW to the rear wheels.
This is more than the GT3 and GTE models released last year, which are already competing on the track.
Thanks to its heady peak output, as well as the other track-focused tweaks, the 488 Challenge was able to lap the Fiorano test track in just 1min 15,5sec (one second faster than the previous model).
The dual-clutch transmission in this model has also been handed shorter ratios. Ferrari claims that the 488 Challenge is able to accelerate from a standstill to the end of fourth gear in just 6,0 seconds.
Cornering capabilities are improved by a slip control system, which is integrated into the electronic differential and works alongside the traction control system.
There’s no indication of how much the 488 Challenge will cost, but it’s almost certain to be far more than the standard 488’s price of around R5 000 000.
