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Ferrari 348
Factory Challenge Car FAQs
1994
Ferrari 348 tb and ts Factory Challenge (street cars)
This is often referred to as the
348 "Factory Challenge" car, which is correct, but it did not
come out of the factory with racing equipment installed. All 32 tb and
13 ts model 348s imported to the U.S. for model year '94 were Factory
Challenge cars, but all were imported in street trim. Some were later
converted to Challenge specs (as were some Speciale's and earlier
cars) by installation of the optional Challenge kit at the dealer. The
kit was a delete option, saving you some $14k off the price if you
decided not to take it. Some buyers did not take the kit, others took
the parts in a box but never converted the car, and others converted
and used the car only on the track, which avoided registration and
luxury tax.
Some of the features of the 348 Serie
Speciale carried over to the 348 Challenge (also known as 348 CH),
such as Speciale paint, chrome Cavallino's front and rear, Spider
exhaust, and the drop down main gear. However, the track reverted to
1578 mm (since solid bushings were in the Challenge kit) and the
taillight slats returned, as did the standard seats.
Factory Challenge cars included carpet
cutouts for the roll cage (with mounting points already welded in and
covered with leather-wrapped caps), mounting points for the five-point
harnesses, aluminum pedals (found in the kit if purchased to convert
an earlier car) and a larger heat shield. Some cars also had carbon
brake cooling ducts and rubberized tow hooks, front and rear. This
factory pre-prep allowed installation of the Challenge kit in about
sixty man-hours, vs. 110 man-hours for an earlier car. |
