 Ferrari is expected to reveal the Scuderia version of the 458 at the 2013 Frankfurt auto show. This calendar year of 2013 would be considered a massive success for any smaller manufacturer that introduced a knockout hypercar like the 950-hp LaFerrari. But, as has become nearly cliched, Ferrari isn't just another small manufacturer. There are still a great many Ferrari customers, however, who can't afford the LaFerrari's rumored $1.2-million-plus sticker price, so those inside Maranello will need to do something to appease its, ahem, less-affluent customers. That's why, as we understand it, the Italian firm will park its currently in-development 458 Scuderia in downtown Frankfurt in a few months' time. The last time Maranello offered us Scuderia-induced bliss was 2009, when the sensational 503-hp F430 Scuderia was on the market. That car weighed 220 pounds less than the standard F430, received a number of chassis updates, and made it near-impossible to beat for ultra-GT thrills. It's been four years we've been waiting for the successor to that car, essentially a one-year delay versus the timing of the F430's Scuderia arrival. The reason being given—heaven forbid Ferrari admits difficulties due to a global economic crisis perhaps delaying development—is that there is much more at stake this time around. The F430 Scuderia's legacy is so strong that it will take a significant effort to improve upon that car. On top of that, the 458 Italia is arguably the finest sports car made today. So not only does the marque have to contend with the likes of Lamborghini and McLaren, but its own stable of offerings has proven to be very difficult to best. Our sources on the ground in Italy have informed us that the stripped-out, 563-hp Ferrari 458 Challenge race cars provide a good indication of where the Scuderia will go, but it won't stop there. There's too much pressure being put on those in Maranello by the people in Sant'Agata, where Lamborghini's Gallardo Superleggera and Super Trofeo racers have become genuine threats. We're hearing that the heart of the work has been done on the seven-speed dual-clutch Getrag-sourced automatic gearbox, the flat-crank 90-degree 4.5-liter V-8, and on aerodynamics. Some weight will be dropped via exotic compound materials and slightly stripped interior fitments to get dry weight down below 2900 pounds, but that task wasn't an overriding priority. Regarding the F136-FB direct-injected V-8, horsepower will climb from the standard car's 562 up to "roughly" 600 in this application. This is made possible by a new set of forged connecting rods that can take the stresses of the new 9300-rpm redline—up from the usual 9000 limit of the standard 458. Of course, newly calibrated ECUs oversee and aid in the power increase. As if the added 40-ish horsepower isn't theater enough, our sources speak of more-open exhaust outlets and a resultant "significantly increased" orchestra of sound emanating from the car's rear. The sound has been described as arrabbiato—that's Italian for angry. This pleases us.
Ferrari already is renowned for its ability to produce downforce in its roadgoing cars, but the bodywork of the Scuderia will get a Ferrari-first innovation to optimize this ability. The composite plastic rear diffuser—now to be made with carbon-fiber winglets—will, for the first time, be active, able to change position automatically according to speed, lateral g forces, and throttle position. And if by chance the services of the carbon-ceramic brakes are required, it's understood that Ferrari has worked with Brembo to improve the setup for the Scuderia to be even more capable than the set seen on the standard 458. As for the dual-clutch auto, all that is being said of the Getrag system is that the extensive experience in quickening shift times in the 458 Challenge car will be incorporated into the shift interface of the 458 Scuderia. We expect more details to emerge from Italy in the coming months before the entirety of the project is revealed in Frankfurt at the end of the summer. from Car and Driver Blog http://blog.caranddriver.com | |||
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Monday, May 20, 2013
Ferrari Plans to Debut 600-hp 458 Scuderia at Frankfurt Auto Show
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