The first Ferrari GT3 and the last with a naturally-aspirated V8 engine

The 458 Italia GT 3 is derived from the 458 Italia road car. Compared to the GT2, the GT3 was developed with the aim of maximising grip and mechanical strength, as aerodynamic possibilities were limited by the GT3 regulations. Less radical in terms of aesthetics than the 458 Italia GT2, the GT3 benefits from a higher level of power (550 bhp and 550 Nm for the GT3 compared with 465 bhp and 520 Nm according to the performance scale in force for the GT2).

The GT3 features traction control and ABS. Lap times are relatively comparable with those of the GT2 on many circuits. 

Thanks to 18-inch wheels at the front and 19-inch wheels at the rear, fitted with Dunlop tyres measuring 300/660/18 inches at the front and 310/710/19 inches at the rear as original equipment, mechanical grip is impressive. Brembo six-piston callipers at the front and four-piston callipers at the rear, mounted on huge steel discs, keep the 458 GT3 glued to the track. The sequential gearbox is a Hewland six-speed with paddle shifters.  

The Ferrari 458 GT3's speed and handling are obvious! In 2011, it set the lap record on the very special Bathurst track. Allan Simonsen set a time of 2'04''956, beating the best time for a GT3 by more than four seconds. 

 

The very first Ferrari 458 Italia GT3 was raced at the legendary Monza circuit in April 2011. Entrusted to AF Corse, Fabio Mancini and Niki Cadei finished 2nd and 3rd in the first two races of the GT Sprint International Series. History was beginning to be made! A week later, #3254, which Ascott Collection is pleased to offer for sale, made its Blancpain Endurance Series debut. 

From 2011 to 2015, the 458 GT3s competed in almost every GT3-eligible championship. Chassis have been seen in the European Le Mans Series, Pirelli World Challenge, Blancpain Sprint Series and Blancpain Endurance Series, International GT Open, Asian GT3 Championship, Asian Le Mans Series and national GT3 championships including British GT, Italian GT and GT FFSA. Total production is estimated at 110 examples. 

 

Ferrari 458 Italia GT3 #3254

2011: Blancpain Endurance Series Pro Am Champion

Chassis #3254 was one of the first to be assembled and delivered to a customer. Purchased by Louis Machiels and Niek Hommerson, seen at the 2010 Le Mans 24 Hours in a Porsche 911 type 997 entered by Prospeed Competition, the car was delivered directly to the Vita4one Racing team in March 2011. It was then entered in the Blancpain Endurance Series race at Monza, where it finished a fine sixth in the Pro-Am category. The team went on to win at Magny-Cours and then Silverstone at the end of the season, with Paul van Splunteren and Michael Bartels respectively joining the owner duo. Two wins from five starts. 

Louis Machiels and Niek Hommerson were crowned champions in their first season with their 458 GT3.

 

2012: Blancpain Endurance Series Pro Am Champion & Pro Am Spa 24 Hours Winner

2012 saw further success, with two wins from six races and the title. But this time it was under the AF Corse banner that the car was entered. Official Ferrari drivers occupy the seat reserved for professional drivers. These were Andrea Bertolini and Alessandro Pier Guidi, who had just won the centenary edition of the 24 Hours of Le Mans. The team also won the Spa 24 Hours, finishing fifth overall.

In 2013, the duo managed to collect around fifty points with Andrea Bertolini, putting them in 5th place in the Pro-Am.  Marco Cioci has also joined the team as an official Ferraris professional driver.

​

2014: Winner of the 24 Hours of Spa Pro Am

In 2014, the car competed in just one event: the 24 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps. Andrea Bertolini and Marco Cioci joined 458 GT3 owners Niek Hommerson and Louis Machiels to claim another victory in the 24 Hours of Spa Pro Am, moving up to 6th place overall.

​

A career in historic racing in the USA with Andy Pilgrim led to a number of further victories.

In June 2017, the owners sold 3254 to the current owner and the 458 GT3 was imported into the United States. The Ferrari was entered in historic races by Philip Creighton Motorsports and driven by the official Corvette driver, Andy Pilgrim. It was to be another successful career in historic racing.

In 2018 and 2019, she won the GT category of the HSR Classic 24 Hours of Daytona. With Andy Pilgrim, she also took two scratch wins in the two Sprint races at Indianapolis in 2019, and in 2020, five wins in the International GT Speedtour in Mid-Ohio and in the HSR at Atlanta.  

At the end of the 2020 season, it will be restored under the supervision of Michelotto USA and returned to its 2014 Spa-Francorchamps 24 Hours configuration, its last 'modern' race.

This Ferrari 458 GT3 with its superb track record is now available for sale. It is eligible for numerous historic races in both the United States and Europe. In fact, it is eligible for the Masters GT Trophy races as well as the 24 Hours of Spa support race organised by Peter Auto. The 458 Italia GT3 is the last Ferrrari GT3 to be powered by a naturally-aspirated V8 engine, giving it excellent reliability and much lower maintenance costs than subsequent turbo models. It is therefore both a high-performance GT3 and one that can easily be used to take part in many of the world's leading historic races. Chassis 3254, which has changed owners only once, offers the opportunity to acquire a Ferrari with a superb track record, making it all the more attractive to the discerning collector. It is sold with its logbooks and an interesting lot of parts.

 

Vintage photo credit: John Brooks