New Ferrari Challenge Stradale: Geneva 2003
Published: 6th March 2003
A model offering top-level performance that incorporates experience gained over the many thousands of kilometres covered by drivers in Challenge Championships throughout the world and advanced testing with the 360 GTs that have participated in the FIA GT ? World Championship.
There's a choice of two Challenge Stradale versions: a more extreme version one with racing seats and sliding windows, and another, fitted with lighter, wrap-around, leather seats and wind-down windows.
The Concept
The new Ferrari Challenge Stradale lines up alongside the 360 Modena and 360 Spider with the precise aim of giving drivers the performance and feel of a true racing car for road use.
This aim meant Ferrari technicians gave exclusive preference to Ferrari Challenge and 360 GT racing-type solutions for all aspects of the car and every single performance parameter, the combination of which gives this car its highly individual character.
The starting point was aerodynamics, where the aim was to obtain increased vertical load, or downforce (which gives more speed when cornering rather than a higher top speed), and followed by then all the vehicle-specific features (transmission, set-up and braking, in particular the introduction of carbon-ceramic brakes as standard). And finally, that determining factor for all racing cars - achieving the lowest possible weight.
In fact the car's drastic weight loss reduction is one of the most significant achievements of the Challenge Stradale project: the weight was reduced lowered by incorporating racing solutions for every single one of the car's components, in addition to the benefit of using only aluminium to build the chassis, just like the other 360 models. it.
