This 1995 Ferrari F355 GT Challenge has some of the most impressive race history of any F355 competition car, with its original owner being former Ferrari Formula 1 driver Arturo Merzario. With a career that started as a Fiat-Abarth test driver, Merzario was picked up by the Ferrari sportscar team in 1970, where he went on to win both the Spa 1000km and Targa Florio in 1972. That same year, he debuted on the Ferrari Formula 1 team, where he scored 6th on his first outing at the British Grand Prix. His Formula 1 career continued through 1979, scoring a total of 11 championship points and having the distinction of being one of the drivers who stopped to save Nikki Lauda after his infamous crash during the 1976 German Grand Prix. Given these numerous accolades, it is no surprise that this car has participated in some significant races, including the 1997 1000 km at Monza, the 1997 Misano 12 Hours, and the 2000 Italian GT at Vallelunga, where it placed 2nd overall and first in the GT3 class. Marzario continued campaigning this car through 2004 - largely in Italian events, and placed quite respectably given the age of the vehicle.
It is believed that this car was prepared by Master Cars S.R.L in Italy. and was altered from the standard Challenge look due to the more serious endurance racing it was to undertake. Where most Challenge cars retained the standard silhouette of the F355 road car – just with the addition of a rear wing– this car received updates in the form of plexiglass headlight covers in place of the original pop-up lights, as well as a vent on the roof for additional cabin cooling. The F355 Challenge’s signature 5-spoke Speedline wheels are retained and sit in front of a set of F40 Brembo brakes. A quick fueling system was fitted behind the passenger side door, and a free-flowing exhaust system was fitted, which sounds fantastic. Although this car has race car features like Lexan windows and a roll cage, it is road registered and can be used on the street.
The interior is largely stripped out, but it retains some bits from the original F355, including the dash and upper center console. Outside of that, though, nearly everything has been removed, including the carpet, door cards, and headlining. In its place, there is a 6-point roll cage, a pair of red OMP racing seats with Sparco harnesses, and a host of switches to operate the vehicle. Fitted with a full fire suppression system, the extinguisher bottle sits between the two front seats and is activated by a switch behind the gated shifter. One look at the interior and it is clear that this is not a car for the causal enthusiast to do a long distance trip in, but it is the perfect vehicle for someone who wants tremendous excitement on a morning in the canyons or a car to drive to and from a track day.
Powering this F355 is the standard 3.5-liter V8, which as far as we know, has not been changed dramatically from standard. It is believed that higher flowing air intakes have been installed, and the exhaust is an unmuffled racing unit, but beyond that, the idea behind these cars was to keep the mechanicals standard in an effort to make racing them more cost-effective. Power is sent through a 6-speed manual gearbox with a gated shifter to the rear wheels. Although the performance is unknown, considering the significant weight advantage over a standard F355, this car is without a doubt quite rapid and makes a wonderful noise.
This F355 is not a car for everybody, but it is a hugely special vehicle for the enthusiast who wants what is realistically the final model in a long line of road-registerable Ferrari competition cars. When you combine that with the famous original owner who used this car in his later years with great success on track, it truly stands out as one of the most unique F355s of all time.
