Stradale not hardcore enough? There is another way…
By Matt Bird / Monday, 11 December 2023 / Loading comments
The current fad for road-legal track cars doesn’t seem to be going anywhere. Not content with homologating a McLaren P1 GTR, Lanzante then set about doing the same thing for a Pagani Zonda R. Somehow an Aston Martin Valkyrie can be used on the public highway like a Vantage. And the Ferrari SF90 XX has taken the badge only ever seen on circuit special Prancing Horses to the street. With the street as bumpy and busy as ever. Still, gotta give the people what they want.
All promise an unforgettable driving experience, but all are going to cost a phenomenal amount of money as well. It’s seldom that a Ferrari is ever the cheapest car of any comparison, but that’s the accolade taken by the SF90 here – it’s from £673,584. No doubt there will be a long line of willing owners ready to part with their cash, because Ferrari’s race-inspired road cars tend to be pretty special. But if the XX seems a bit too high-tech and a bit too scary fast, there is another way…
This is a Ferrari 360 Challenge racer; note this isn’t a Stradale, it’s one of the actual 300 competition cars made before the CS even went into production. Having lived quite the life in Japan in the early 2000s (including lapping Tsukuba in less than a minute), it was road-registered in 2009. Following another decade as a stripped-out racer for the road, it was imported to the UK by Harlow Jap Autos in 2020. That year wasn’t all bad, at least.
Since then, despite little mileage, the history points to it being very loved indeed: the suspension has been refreshed, the fuel tanks serviced, the timing belts done, new seats fitted and an immobiliser/tracker added. This really is a proper race car, so it only has a kill switch rather than a key – the new tech brings some added security. Though there’d be little hope of getting away quietly in a 360 Challenge.
Additionally, this one now has some 360 GT body parts, plus side skirts from a Challenge Stradale. In addition to the BBS wheels, there’s a set of fantastic bronze Volk TE37s included, on which the Ferrari also looks superb. Even the circuit-focused road cars can’t do stance quite like this, bodywork millimetres from the floor and wheels crammed up in arches. From tow hook to sliding window, there’s no mistaking it for any old Ferrari 360 Modena.
This is probably a familiar car to a few of you, owned as it is by car snapper Mark Riccioni. The Challenge has been a star of his Instagram for the past couple of years, often seen in places nobody would ever expect to see a Ferrari race car. Indeed, that’s why it’s being sold – not being used enough, and certainly not where it’ll be at its best. Such is the nature of the beast, it’s yet to cover 8,000 miles, despite now being 23 years old. But as stated in the advert: “please don’t expect this to be a Ferrari 360 with a few trackday bits; it’s a dedicated track car which is why it’s so entertaining on the road and also so useless.” Every mile is going to feel momentous.
The asking price is £109,950, which is a little more than the best manual Modenas around and almost half that required for a Stradale – they remain at least £200k. And probably quite luxurious by the standards of the actual Challenge. But for the full unadulterated, unfiltered Ferrari race car experience, there’s only one real deal. Track days will never be the same again.
SPECIFICATION | FERRARI 360 MODENA CHALLENGE
Engine: 3,586cc, V8, naturally aspirated
Transmission: 6-speed automated manual, rear-wheel drive
Power (hp): 400@8,500rpm
Torque (lb ft): 275@4,750rpm
CO2: N/A
MPG: N/A
Recorded mileage: 12,000km
Year registered: 2000
Price new: £105,000 (road car)
Yours for: £109,950
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