2004 Ferrari Challenge Stradale vs. 2004 Porsche GT3 Racing Heritage

Theme and Variations
There's more to these cars than just Modena and Carrera
Neither the GT3 nor the Challenge Stradale would be as good if Porsche and Ferrari didn't actually build race variants of them. In fact, each offers a couple: one for its own single-marque, spec-racer series, another for GT class professional competition.

The Challenge Stradale is the result of a "Circle of Life" evolution. Ferrari Challenge spec racers of a decade ago consisted of safety and go-fast bits that came in a box to be bolted onto a gentleman racer's 348. Even later 355 Challenge machines were street cars converted to race spec.

When Ferrari introduced the 360 Modena in 2000, it elected to offer the 360 Challenge version as a factory-assembled, stand-alone model. At that point, it became a more highly developed--and no longer street-legal--racer. The next logical step was to take the hardware developed for the Challenge track car and use it to create the Challenge Stradale as a higher-performing, more-committed street version of the Modena. Street car becomes race car, which begets street car.

Like Ferrari's Challenge competition, Porsche runs its own Supercup spec series. Supercup cars are not all that far removed from production 911s, save for safety gear and closely controlled suspension mods and weight reduction. Cup races are run in support of F1 events, including the USGP. Several components used on the GT3 come directly from the Porsche Supercup Carreras.

As mentioned, Maranello and Stuttgart also duke it out in the GT ranks of several pro series. Porsche launched the GT3R in 1999, just as the 996-platformed Carrera came to market, and has had its way with the ALMS/IMSA GT3 (since renamed GT) class ever since. GT3Rs have won the class at Le Mans five years in a row, bagged the ALMS/IMSA class championship four of the last five years, and scored an impressive overall victory in the Grand Am series's Rolex 24 at Daytona enduro in 2003. The original GT3R evolved into the GT3 RS, and, for this year, has undergone further development to become the GT3 RSR, the later recalling the name of the successful 911 RSR racer of three decades ago.

Last year, Ferrari began offering a factory-developed GT version of the 360 Challenge car, meant to take on the GT3 RS in the various IMSA/ACO/FIA classes in which it's been so dominant. Although the 360 GT wasn't consistently able to match the well-seasoned Porsche in terms of speed or durability, its maiden season was a qualified success and included several IMSA podium finishes, and the Grand Am GT class championship. For 2004, the Ferrari has been renamed the 360 GTC. Another year's development and on-track experience should further level the playing field. More important, a hearty Porsche-versus-Ferrari rivalry is proving to be the catalyst for renewed factory interest in professional sports-car racing by several manufacturers.