Ferrari revealed plans for competing in North American series Grand Am, and unveiled the car they will be using: The Ferrari 458 Italia… Grand Am.

This new race car is based on the GT3 version of 458 and is built to match the American regulations. The main differences over the European car is the horsepower, which is 500 and less efficient aerodynamic.

Furthermore, significant modifications have been made to the braking system, as the car has neither ABS nor traction control. Other differences to the GT3 include the roll-over bar which gives greater lateral protection to increase safety in a series in which collisions are rather more frequent. Also due to the rules of Grand Am, the car had to be fitted with Continental tires.

The first shakedown of the car went smoothly today and drivers Maurizio Mediani and Jaime Melo, completed 45 trouble-free laps in it.