To Be OFFERED AT AUCTION at RM Sothebys' London event, 24 October
2019.
Estimate:
£150,000 - £180,000
- Offered from the collection of David L Mason O.B.E.
- Winner of the 2016 Britcar GT Class 1 Championship, 2017 and
2018 Britcar Sprint Class 1 Championships
- Formerly campaigned by AF Corse and Mtech Racing with British
GT wins
The Ferrari 458 GT3 was launched in 2011 and superseded the F430
GT3, which had achieved over eighty class victories between
2006-2013. Like its predecessor, it was developed as a ground-up
racing car and built in collaboration with Michelotto Automobili,
the same factory-endorsed organisation responsible for countless
racing Ferraris as well as the development of the 288 GTO and
F40.
The engine is a bespoke 4.5-litre V-8 built for motorsport
purposes, with only the engine block carried over from the
road-going 458 Italia. It produces 550 bhp at 9,000 rpm, with 550
Nm of torque with GT3 specification restrictors in place and over
600 bhp without them. Power is channelled through a Hewland MLS
six-speed sequential gearbox with steering-wheel-mounted paddles
and Hewland's 'Paddle Shift' gear-change system. The entire
transmission weighs just 66 kg and, like the rest of the car, is an
exercise in weight saving; the bodywork is nearly all carbon fibre
and features the fully race-optimised aerodynamic package,
including a colossal rear wing and diffuser at the rear and
splitter at the front. A lightweight aluminium chassis, MR630
Technomesh forged Motegi racing wheels and Lexan polycarbonate
glazing complete the package and together reduce kerb weight to
just 1,250 kg. It is thus over 200 kg lighter than the road-going
variant, with immeasurably more downforce and mechanical grip.
As with all racing Ferraris, the 458 GT3 was expected to be a
potent package, and so it proved with an endless list of wins, the
most notable of which are six victories in the 24 hours of Spa as
well as Pro-Am victories in the Blancpain Endurance Series in 2011,
2012, 2013, 2014, and 2015.
This particular 2011 example has a rich racing history with notable
victories at Spa and N�rburgring and podiums in the British GT
Championship from 2011 to 2014, along with the 2012 Blancpain
Endurance Series and 24 Hours of Spa. During this time it was
campaigned by AF Corse and Mtech Racing with Ferrari factory
drivers Matt Griffin and Alessandro Pier Guidi. More recently, it
was successfully campaigned by the current owner in the Britcar
Championship, where it won the 2016 GT Class 1 Championship, 2017
and 2018 Sprint Class 1 Championship. It is appropriately painted
in its factory colour of Rosso Corsa and is fitted with a passenger
seat, Multimatic DSSV three-way adjustable dampers, and a Vbox lite
data-logging and video system. It also benefits from having been
updated in accordance with the 2014/2015 regulation change and has
been fastidiously maintained by marque expects FF Corse of
Silverstone, who have ensured the car is in fine fettle and ready
to be raced by its next owner.To view this car and others currently
consigned to this auction, please visit the RM website at
rmsothebys.com/en/auctions/lf19.