Supercars.net

March 26th, 2006 - As the newest Ferrari racing car, the F430 GT debuted at the 12 Hours of Sebring where Risi Competizione took third overall. It was a resounding success for an 'out of the box' racer which just recently won it's first race at Imola for the first round of the Sara-sponsored Italian GT Championship.

Developed in conjunction with Michelotti, the F430 GT is a stripped down version of the road car. It does without the driver aids and interior while replacing most of the body with a combination of carbon fibre, nomex and kevlar to reach a weight of 1100 kgs. It also shares its aluminum chassis with the road car but features a smaller version of its V8 that breaths through two 28 mm restrictors for FIA-sanctioned races.

Compared to the 360 GTC it replaces, the new model's biggest feature is a 4.0 V8 which offers plenty more torque and more compact dimensions thanks to a new bearing design. After extensive wind tunnel testing the body also gives more down force and the F430 chassis offers much more torsional rigidity than the 360's. With these changes, the F430 will be a strong contender in GT2 championships and give Ferrari a better chance among the Porsches which have dominated this class.

Story by Supercars.net

Story by Ferrari SpA