To Be OFFERED AT AUCTION at RM Sothebys' London event, 24 October
2019.
Estimate:
£180,000 - £230,000
- Offered from the collection of David L Mason O.B.E.
- Competed in seven races in 2019, Fastest Lap in Class for every
race
- Prepared by FF Corse
The Ferrari 488 Challenge is the latest car specifically built for
the marque's single-make series. Similar to the
Challenge-specification variants of the 348, F355, 360, F430, and
458, it is based largely upon the road-going version of the 488,
albeit sprinkled with upgrades and lightweight materials to make it
suitable for sustained track use and racing. With every iteration,
Ferrari has pushed the limits on what it considers to be a suitable
package for the amateur driver, and with the 488 Challenge it has
taken this mentality to the extreme, producing a car that is four
seconds quicker than a LaFerrari around Fiorano, but suitable even
for beginners to learn their race craft.
Beneath the polycarbonate engine cover lies the familiar 3.9-litre
turbocharged V-8 from the 488 GTB, capable of 660 bhp and a
colossal 895 Nm of torque. For the Challenge, however, it is
fettled with lightweight and strengthened components that together
bring a 19.7 kg weight savings over the road car. Shorter gear
ratios in the F1 DCT transmission are also used to give the car a
more accelerative nature, and remapping to the on-board traction
and stability systems (Slip Angle Control, in Ferrari parlance) has
allowed Ferrari's engineers to separate the manettino-controlled
functions onto two switches, rather than one, to give drivers more
control over the dynamic behaviour of the car.
Externally, a massive carbon-fibre rear wing from the 488 GTE
dominates proceedings, with lower side skirts, a new bonnet, and a
reprofiled nose section completing an aerodynamic package that
creates 10% more downforce than its predecessor, the 458 Challenge
Evo. Other details include lightweight plastic panels for the main
windows and the removal of the quarter window to make way for a
race-spec fuel cap.
Internally the car is unrecognisable from the road-legal version;
gone are the standard centre console, seats, dashboard, door
panels, carpets, and trims, all replaced by a fully stripped-out
motorsport cabin with integrated roll bar, fire-extinguishing
system, racing steering wheel, and fixed racing bucket seat.
This Rosso Corsa 488 Challenge was delivered in 2018 to Mr David L
Mason O.B.E. and has been used sparingly since, accumulating less
than 5,000 km. It is fitted with the optional passenger seat,
upgraded front dampers, car-to-pits radio system, and a V Box HD2
for data logging and video analysis. It has already proved itself
to be very competitive in the hands of the current owner and Ross
Wylie, achieving Fastest Lap in Class in all seven of the Britcar
races it competed in, along with a podium, pole position and four
class podiums. It presents in immaculate condition inside and out
and has been prepared by FF Corse to be ready for its next owner to
enjoy and race in whichever series he or she may decide upon.
This is a fantastic opportunity to acquire the ultimate gentleman
racer's Ferrari.To view this car and others currently consigned to
this auction, please visit the RM website at
rmsothebys.com/en/auctions/lf19.