The Ferrari 458 Italia
Grand Am, the latest racing version of Maranello's V8
sports car, was given its track baptism today at the
Fiorano circuit. The racing car has been developed in
conjunction with Michelotto Automobili, based on the GT3
version of the V8 Ferrari berlinetta, with the aim of
racing in the famous North American series.
The 458 Grand Am is built to match the American
regulations and is therefore different to the European
car, especially in that it develops 500 horsepower and
has less efficient aerodynamics than the GT version. It
is also fitted with a 48 mm restrictor and maximum revs
are 8000. Significant modifications have been made to
the braking system, as the car has neither ABS nor
traction control. Other differences to the GT3 include
the roll-over bar which gives greater lateral protection
to increase safety in a series in which collisions are
rather more frequent.
The car is fitted with
tyres from Continental, the sole supplier to the series,
featuring a very hard compound, again to conform with
the series regulations. On its shakedown today, it
completed a good number of trouble-free laps, 45 to be
precise in the hands of Maurizio Mediani and Jaime Melo,
as they took turns at the wheel.
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