Ferrari 458 Italia Grand Am going to Daytona

The Italian based automaker Ferrari and its motorsport division are planning to debut their latest creation, the 458 Italia Grand Am, at the 24 Hours of Daytona.

According to the car manufacturer, the 458 Italia Grand Am is being based on Ferrari’s European FT3 racecar, being co-developed with Michelotto Automobili. Ferrari’s latest creation will make its racing debut at the 24 Hours of Daytona, in February, 2012, but the model has first seen a circuit back in July, earlier this year, on the Fiorano.

Ferrari says that the American 458 Italia Grand Am is different from the European 458 Italia GT3 some respects, and, according to the Italian based automaker, the American “cousin” is powered by a higher-output V8 engine which is developing a total output of over 500 horsepower. Besides the engine which is more “alive” than the one fitted onto the European version, the Ferrari 458 Italia Grand Am is also coming with a modified braking system which theoretically should compensate for the absence of ABS and traction control.

A rollbar has also been installed onto the Ferrari 458 Italia Grand Am, along with a 48 mm restrictor plate and a rev limiter. The racer will be crewed by North American rally champion Travis Pastrana, Daytona 500 winner Michael Waltrip and the endurance racing veterans Rui Aguas and Robert Kauffman. The Ferrari 458 Italia Grand Am will make its debut at the 24 Hours of Daytona, celebrating the 50th anniversary of the race, running between January 26 and January 29, 2012.