The World’s Only Road-Legal Ferrari 458 Challenge Looks Docile

Numerous cars try to blur the line between road car and race car. Horsepower isn’t a problem, with road cars far surpassing race cars in that department. Often, automakers will strip away creature comforts, add some parts from a race car such as the suspension, and wrap it with a cool name. But it’s still not a race car. However, there’s one vehicle out there that doesn’t just blur the line; it destroys it. It’s the only road-legal Ferrari 458 Challenge in the world. 

The Ferrari 458 Challenge doesn’t look like an extreme version of your standard 458. The owner added side mirrors, which helps it blend in; however, the awkward side windows give away the car’s true track origins. Even the wing on the back, which looks more race car than road car, is an added feature. Without a race livery, it looks like your everyday 458. But it’s not. Somehow the owner worked to make it legal to drive on public roads. The video shows the car driving on roads near the Nürburgring. 

Race cars for the road

That’s not all the owner changed, though. Your standard Ferrari 458 Challenge’s 4.5-liter V8 produces 569 horsepower (425 kilowatts) and 389 pound-feet (540 Newton-Meters) of torque. But this isn’t your typical 458. The owner upgraded this one to make around 700 hp (521 kW). And it sounds like it, too. You see, even with this being a race car, the owner felt it didn’t have enough power. 

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What makes a race car a race car? If it’s not horsepower and torque, or tires, or brakes, what is it? Is it the experience – a stripped-down interior, roll cage, and fire suppressant system? Road cars today can produce massive amounts of power and outperform race cars on the track. If you think about, a race car has to conform to a specific set of race rules, and things often have to be fair. So, maybe taking a Ferrari race car and making it legal for the road isn’t that crazy. 

Source: cvdzijden - Supercar Videos

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