Like its predecessor, the 458 Italia, the 488 GTB will compete in tracks around the world, with Ferrari confirming the GT3-spec variant since August last year.
The Challenge variant, on the other hand, is scheduled for 2017. This means its debut won’t be far away; in fact, it could be unveiled during this year’s Finali Mondiali event, at Daytona, just like the 488 GTE and GT3 variants were presented in 2015 at Mugello.
A mule of a 488 racer was spotted testing at the Autodromo Nazionale Monza. Exterior wise, the mule resembles the GTE variant, especially as it sports similar style cues with the aforementioned race car, including the humongous rear wing and aggressive side skirts. However, it’s slender body and other subtle cues, could indicate that the final version will have a cleaner, wingless look and we could actually be looking at a 458 Challenge.
Moreover, the development of the Challenge will most likely lead to a special, road-legal 488 GTB variant, in the veins of the hardcore V8s that started with the 360 Challenge Stradale and continued with the 430 Scuderia and 458 Speciale.