Why was he always taking a wrong turn at Albuquerque?
Clearly a lucky rabbit’s foot wasn’t enough for the driver of this #117 458. Nor for that matter was his Fernando Alonso inspired/copied helmet (keeping it Scuderia, nicely played!). And so it was that Bugs and Babs Bunny and a bunch of carrots made their respective debuts lapping the Yas Marina Circuit in an averaged 228kph.
Italia! Red, green and, er, black
Okay, a red Ferrari hardly seems unique enough to warrant a place on this list (but you might want to check out our poll if you fancy an argument about what colour a Ferrari should be), but what caught our eye was that Alain Li, driver of #18, had a helmet design to match. Plus, we haven’t seen a red and green horizontally striped helmet in a Ferrari since Eddie Irvine’s late 1990s Maranello tenure.
Pigs might fly
The reasoning behind the pig is somewhat mystifying, for although they’re notably good at learning to walk on two legs, overthrowing farms and starring in satirical novels about Russian communism, their abilities on the race track are less well-known. Still, it’s a niche and pretty cool, and that’s not just because the front fender also seems to be riddled with gunshots.
The art of camouflage
Since crankandpiston is based in Dubai, and since many of our automotive adventures have taken us into the great sandy outdoors, desert camouflage seems rather appropriate. Considering this #166 458 Challenge is currently in the heart of Yas Island and wracking up the clicks on asphalt, we’re not entirely certain the effect is being optimised. Don’t misunderstand though: it is still prett sharp.
Blue blood
We’re not saying that this is our favourite. We’re not saying that it’s a wise choice. We’re not even saying that the whole of the crankandpiston team even likes it. As head-turners go, however, there’s little that comes close to the slick blue livery and a flame popping out the exhaust.
You might be asking at this stage how we managed to rustle up so much epic photography and find ourselves so close to the action? Turns out borrowing a couple of these help a lot…
– FULL GALLERY OF IMAGES FROM FERRARI RACING DAYS 2013 HERE – CLICK – Shots courtesy of David Benson
| Ferrari 458 Challenge | |
|---|---|
| Engine: | V8 / 4499cc |
| Power: | 562bhp @ 9000rpm |
| Torque: | 540Nm (398lb ft) @ 6000rpm |
| Transmission: | Seven-speed + reverse F1 / dual-clutch gearbox |
| Front suspension: | Double wishbones / multimatic (second softer calibration optional) / 150 kg-mm springs standard (190 kg-mm optional) |
| Rear suspension: | Multilink with rigid joints (Flamblock) / multimatic (second softer calibration optional) / 180 kg-mm standard springs (240 kg-mm optional) |
| Brakes: | Brembo carbon ceramic discs / 398mm front / 380mm rear |
| Wheels: | 19in front and rear |
| Tyres: | 255/650 19”x 9” (front) / 305/690 19”x 11” (rear) / Pirelli P-Zeros |
| Weight (dry) | 1218kg |
| 0-100kph: | N/A |
| Top speed: | 310kph |
