SOLD – High BID Eur 144.000,— plus tax

Direct link to the auction HERE

VIN ZFFPR41B000104539

Exterior Colour Giallo Modena

Interior Colour Red

Left / Right Hand Driveleft

Mileage14,043 km

TransmissionManual

Engine Size3.5L V8

Seller Type private

This Ferrari F355 Challenge is a superb example of the stripped-out racing version of the marque’s 1990s performance icon. Under the engine lid is the same glorious 375bhp 3.5-litre V8 as the road car, coupled to a close-ratio six-speed manual transmission. The odometer shows 14,043 km (8,726 miles).

By design, the F355 Challenge carried over some of its mechanical components from the standard model, but featured a range of modifications that focused on making the car lighter and more responsive, as well as ensuring it was safe for motorsport use The race-ready machine is equipped with all the correct parts, including the full OMP roll cage, Kevlar composite OMP racing bucket seats with OMP safety harnesses, a competition steering wheel trimmed in Alcantara, engine cut-off switch, and a fire extinguisher – all of which are original on this car.

On the outside, it sports 18-inch Speedline alloys housing upgraded 14-inch brakes from the F40 LM, along with a substantial original carbon-fibre rear wing, black Challenge rear grille, front and rear tow hooks, and a lightweight exhaust system. The early F355 Challenge cars feature the Bosch Motronic 2.7 engine management system, with dual mass air flow meters, which is widely accepted as delivering more responsive performance compared to the Motronic 5.2 system. The car was also given upgraded fans and a manual radiator fan control, a competition clutch, and solid suspension bushings with competition anti-roll bars, drop links, coil springs and shock absorbers. It even retains the original scrutineering sticker on the roll cage, and lap timing machine.

The vendor believes that this is likely the most original example of the F355 Challenge, having three such cars in his collection, and having viewed and inspected more than 20. It was delivered to its first owner via Jacques Swaters’ Garage Francorchamps, and this gentleman subsequently campaigned it as part of the dealership team, competing in the Pirelli Trophy as part of the European Ferrari Challenge championship in 1996, 1997 and 1998.

It has had just three previous owners from new, and is one of just 108 recognised examples of the F355 Challenge. Having owned the car for the last two years, the vendor had the car road registered in the UK in November 2019, making it one of the very few examples of this track-focused machine to be legal to drive on the public highway.

The bodywork presents very well overall, with no evidence of any major damage, and the paint finish is still generally good all around the car. However, this is a competitive track car, so there are of course some cracks and chips in the Giallo Modena finish. Its five-spoke Speedline alloys are scuffed and chipped around the rims, though of course these would be straightforward to refurbish should the next owner desire. The headlight pods work as they should, and all of the light lenses appear in good order. Its large carbon-fibre rear wing also looks in great shape, with a glossy lacquered finish.

In the cabin, the F355 Challenge retains much of the original trim, protected by a full OMP roll cage, and retains its original Kevlar composite OMP ‘Ferrari Challenge’ bucket seat. The previous owner also sourced an original 348 Challenge seat, which he had fitted to enable a passenger to come along for the ride. As with the paintwork, there are a few marks around the interior commensurate with its track use, but no substantial damage. There are a few small holes in the driver’s seat inner bolster, but for their age the lightweight buckets are in very good condition. The vendor reports that the roll cage still has FIA stickers from events in the 1990s applied to the frame, which is further testament to its originality.

Its last scheduled maintenance was at GTO Racing in 2020, which consisted of a major service. During the vendor’s two year ownership, the cam belts have also been renewed, and it has had a full inspection to ensure it is in good mechanical order. The most recent MOT test was on 24 July 2020 at 13,834 km, when it achieved a first-time pass with only one advisory regarding slight cracking in the offside front tyre, and with the tester noting the presence of the factory-fitted undertray.

Accompanying the car is a good history file, containing not only documentation covering previous servicing and maintenance, but also some period literature that shows the F355 competing in period.

This Ferrari F355 Challenge is an exciting and well-sorted track car, which would make a great entrant for the Pirelli Ferrari Formula Classic Series. Of course, with its road legal status, this also makes for a thrilling weekend toy, delivering a rawer driving experience than a standard road car, and turning many more heads in the process. The vendor notes that this car’s originality is a major part of its appeal, representing an intriguing slice of modern Ferrari motorsport history, which will no doubt capture the imagination of racers and collectors alike.

The description of this auction lot is, to the best of the seller’s knowledge, accurate and not misleading. Collecting Cars requests a range of detail about the lot from the seller, and performs a level of due diligence. However, bidders must satisfy themselves as to the accuracy of the description, and conduct any research they feel is necessary before committing to a bid. Please see our Terms and Conditions for full details.

All UK-registered cars and motorbikes on Collecting Cars are run through an online HPI check. This vehicle shows no insurance database markers for damage or theft, and has no finance owing.

Creating an entirely new and modern take on the Ferrari sports prototype concept is both an ambitious and complex undertaking. But it was in this spirit, and with very specific input from the client, that the new Ferrari one-off, the P80/C, was conceived. The Ferrari Styling Centre, under the direction of Flavio Manzoni, and the engineering and aerodynamics team worked hand-in-glove with the client, sharing principles and visions in order to create a new “Hero Car” with an absolutely unique and authentic soul.

Full story HERE

All details about the car HERE

OVERVIEW
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Introduced in 2006 and built in collaboration with Ferrari by preferred tuner Michelotto; the F430 GT2 proved consistently to be the superior weapon in top-flight International GT racing for six seasons. The model was a consistent victor across a variety of International and National Championships and it is fair to say that the F430 period was another golden one in terms of Ferrari’s rich racing pedigree.
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HISTORY
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One of just 24 Series 3 EVO GTC cars built, this car on offer (chassis 2618) represents the latest and greatest of the breed. It was delivered new to UK-based team CR Scuderia in time for the 2008 season of FIA GT where it would be the team’s lead car driven that season by Professional pairing Andrew Kirkaldy and Rob Bell. In that season they had some stellar results starting with a 2nd in class at Silverstone in the TT, this followed by a 3rd at Oschersleben then a 6th at the Spa 24hrs (teamed with Mueller/ Sutton). The first International victory for the team and this car came in Bucharest when 2618 won both races of the weekend (in class), the season ended in Argentina when a last lap collision lost a podium but still enabled a strong 4th place.

For the 2009 season; 2618 remained the Kirkaldy/ Bell mount and more competitive outings followed, regularly strong in qualifying; 2618 was able to achieve podium results at Silverstone, Spa 24hrs and Zolder. Tim Mullen joined Kirkaldy in 2618 for the 2010 effort and the car was updated to the latest ‘wide-body’ specification (as can be seen, largely unpainted, at the pre-season test at Paul Ricard, then joined by ex F1 driver Nicola Larini). In 2010 they were entered in the Le Mans Series Championship and again proved venerable competition. 2nd in qualifying at Spa was followed by a 6th place finish and other top results were 2nd in Hungary (top placed Ferrari) and a 4th at Silverstone (2nd best Ferrari), as had been the case over the previous seasons; 2618 and its driver combo were able to take the fight to the top, factory-backed teams and upset them on regular occasion.

The final season of top flight racing for 2618 was the Le Mans Series in 2011 when the driver line up of Adam Christodoulou, Klaas Hummel and Phil Quaife entered the GT-Am class of the Le Mans Series where their top result was a 2nd at the season ending race in Portimao. After this the car was prepared for long term store prior to us purchasing the car in early 2015. In June that year, after a thorough check through and service; 2618 returned to track duty at Spa for the Modena Motorsports Trackdays.

Following this event, we sold 2618 to the current owner who has used the car in a handful of select track days and (Peter Auto) Endurance Racing Legends events in 2018/2019.
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TECHNICAL CONDITION/ STATUS
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When initially purchased in 2015 there was no ‘life’ data available on the chassis and drivetrain therefore it has since been run on a monitored basis without major issue and following its last professional race in 2011, we estimate it has in the region of just 8-10 hours running since.

With the safety-related aspects renewed in 2015 (fuel cell, seats, belts, extinguisher), much of this requires renewal once more therefore, before race use in 2021; we consider it to be in requirement of thorough preparation.
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DOCUMENTATION
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– ACO Homologation documents
– Circuit setup data
– CRS Photo Yearbooks
– Detailed period race history report
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SUMMARY
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As those familiar with older competition Ferrari will know; a 4 digit, even chassis numbered Ferrari is a much-heralded piece, the designation alone indicates it as being a Ferrari factory supplied race car. Just 11 F430 GT2s are considered to have the 2010 ‘wide-body’ specification making this one of those superlatively-specified examples. Accompanied by a useful spares package, in the right hands, we consider this to be a class front runner in the Peter Auto Endurance Racing Legends series for which it has already proven to be absolutely ideal.