Team Taisan (チーム・タイサン, stylized as Team TAISAN ) is a Japanese auto racing team founded in 1983 by Yasutsune "Ricky" Chiba and owned by the Taisan Industrial Company . Most active in the Super GT Series , formerly known as the All Japan Grand Touring Car Championship (JGTC), Taisan has been involved in all but one season from 1994 to 2018, taking a sabbatical in 2015. During that time they have won eight team championships and four drivers championships, representing manufacturers Ferrari , Porsche , Dodge , Toyota , Nissan , and Audi . Team Taisan has also participated in the 24 Hours of Le Mans , winning their class on their debut in 2000 . For nearly their entire career, Taisan has been sponsored by tire manufacturer Yokohama Rubber Company , often carrying the name of Yokohama's Advan brand.
59-578: The team was initially formed through Nova Engineering [ ja ] and their efforts in the All Japan Endurance Championship and Fuji Long Distance Series . Taisan operated one of the teams' Porsche 962C with drivers Kunimitsu Takahashi and Kenji Takahashi . Kunimitsu went on to win the Endurance Championship three times from 1985 to 1987, while Nova Engineering won the team championships in
118-630: A Ferrari F40 . Masahiko Kondo and Anthony Reid won one race for the Porsche while Tetsuya Ota and Oscar Larrauri earned one victory in the Ferrari. A switch to a pair of Porsche 911 GT2s earned three GT1 victories in 1995 and the teams championship for the GT1 category, while the team also added a GT2 class campaign under the Team Taisan Jr. moniker for a Porsche 964 . Taisan Jr. became
177-714: A targa top body style due to complexities and high production costs arising in producing the original design of the car. They use the engine of the 458 Speciale and each unit reportedly cost US$ 3,000,000. The yellow and matte black car shown at the 2015 Geneva Motor Show was delivered new to its first owner in Switzerland. Its VIN is ZFF75VHB000205529 and it was offered at RM Sotheby's Monaco auction in May 2018. The car had 200 km (120 mi) from new and an estimate of €2,500,000 - €3,000,000. The car sold for an unknown amount. A silver (Argento Nürburgring) and matte black car
236-461: A Fiorano test track lap time of 1:23.5, only 0.5 seconds slower than the F12 berlinetta . Lateral acceleration now reaches 1.33 g. Only 1,309 were made. The 458 Speciale A is the convertible variant of the 458 Speciale which was unveiled at the 2014 Paris Motor Show . The 'A' stands for 'Aperta', which is Italian for 'open' – and the model was limited to only 499 examples (49 RHD examples). Just like
295-400: A crash. The F136 engines had incorrectly mounted crankshafts. The manufacturer learned of one such incident from a review car lent to critics. Owners could choose from having a new engine installed by their dealer, having the engine removed and the work done by Ferrari North America or having a new crankshaft and bearings installed at the dealership. Hot Wheels produced a 1:18 scale model of
354-527: A dominant team in the rechristened GT300 class, winning the drivers and teams championships in 1996 , followed by second place in 1997 and another championship in 1998 while campaigning a new Toyota MR2 in cooperation with Tsuchiya Engineering . Taisan's success led to the team being invited to participate in the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 2000 for the LMGT category. Their Porsche 911 GT3-R , driven by Hideo Fukuyama , Atsushi Yogo , and Bruno Lambert won
413-477: A first for Ferrari mid-engine setups in its road cars. The only transmission available on the 458 is a 7-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox by Getrag , in a different state of tune shared with the Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG . There is no traditional manual option, making this the first mainstream model to not be offered with a manual transmission. The car's suspension has double wishbones at
472-474: A joint program that earned them another drivers and teams championships in 2012 . The team expanded once again in 2013, retaining the Porsche in Super GT while joining the new Asian Le Mans Series with a Ferrari 458 Italia GT2 , winning the series championship and earning the team an automatic invitation to Le Mans, their first since 2006 . A difficult 2014 season with a new Nissan GT-R led Taisan to take
531-456: A modified version of the 458 GT3 for Grand-Am . The car weighs the same but produces less downforce than the GT3 car; the engine is also restricted more heavily, generating a power output of 507 PS (373 kW; 500 hp) and having an 8,000 rpm redline. Instead of a dual-clutch automatic transmission , the car is fitted with a conventional sequential manual transmission . The roll-cage
590-462: A power output closer to 558 PS (410 kW; 550 hp) and has a red-line of 9,000 rpm. The engine thus performs more similarly to that of the road car than the GTE version. The aerodynamics of the car are also slightly different due to different aero regulations. The 458 Italia GT3 has achieved many important victories in its career. It has won six times the 24 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps (two in
649-514: A sabbatical year from Super GT, returning in 2016 with an Audi R8 LMS in cooperation with SARD . Team Taisan also began to embrace electric motorsport by participating in the All Japan EV-GP Series in 2011 with Tesla Roadsters as well as a modified Porsche 914 , winning the 2011 championship. The team also began developing electric karts . In 2018 Chiba announced an auction of many former Taisan racing cars dating back to
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#1732787546343708-460: A taller rear spoiler and redesigned bumpers , which include active aerodynamics designed by Ferrari Styling Centre in cooperation with Pininfarina ; front and rear movable flaps balance downforce and cut drag at speed. The engine was revised, with power increased to 605 PS (445 kW; 597 hp) at 9,000 rpm and 540 N⋅m (398 lb⋅ft) of torque at 6,000 rpm. Electronic systems were updated too and side slip angle control (SSC)
767-427: Is 3.4 seconds. The top speed is over 325 km/h (202 mph). It has fuel consumption in combined cycle (ECE+EUDC) of 13.3 L/100 km (21.2 mpg ‑imp ; 17.7 mpg ‑US ) while producing 307 g/km of CO 2 . In keeping with Ferrari tradition, the body was designed by Pininfarina under the leadership of Donato Coco , the Ferrari design director during 2009. The interior design of
826-579: Is a race car designed to participate in the Ferrari Challenge . It was presented at the Ferrari Annual Dealer Meeting on 14 July 2010 for the 2011 Ferrari Challenge season. The 458 Challenge Evo was introduced for the 2014 season and was replaced by the 488 Challenge for the 2017 season. Hence both variants of the 458 Challenge were used as the prime Challenge car for three seasons, the 458 Challenge for 2011 to 2013 and
885-545: Is also modified due to stricter safety regulations. The Grand-Am version lacks traction control and ABS. The car debuted at the 2012 24 Hours of Daytona . AimAutosport.com is the first team to win with the new 458 Italia Grand-Am spec. On 9 Sept. 2012, drivers Jeff Segal and Emil Assentato finished second at Laguna Seca and clinched the Grand-Am Rolex GT championship. The 458 won "Car of the Year 2009" and "Supercar of
944-534: Is an Italian mid-engine sports car produced by Ferrari . The 458 is the successor of the F430 , and was first officially unveiled at the 2009 Frankfurt Motor Show . It was succeeded by the 488 GTB (Gran Turismo Berlinetta) in 2015. In Ferrari's first official announcement of the car, the 458 was described as the successor to the F430 but arising from an entirely new design, incorporating technologies developed from
1003-413: Is distinguished by its Marco Polo Red body colour, golden dragon graphic on the front bonnet, gold and black livery stripes symbolising a racing track, gold painted wheels, gold aeroelastic winglets, gold embroidery on the car's head rests, engine start button inscribed with the simplified Chinese characters for 'start' and a '20th Anniversary Special Edition' plaque on the dash. The vehicle was unveiled at
1062-756: Is retained since the amended rules in 2011 allow them. The car won the 2012 and 2014 24 Hours of Le Mans , the 2012 12 Hours of Sebring and two editions of the Petit Le Mans , the first in 2011 and the second in 2012 . In 2011, the 458 Italia GT2 took the Intercontinental Le Mans Cup GTE Manufacturers' and the GTE PRO Team Titles, the Le Mans Series GTE Manufacturers' and GTE PRO Team and Drivers' honours and
1121-506: The FIA ( Group A and Group B ) and the lead category, Class C would be for cars that are similar to IMSA's Camel Lights and the WEC's C2, whereas Class D was for C1/GTP cars. The series began in 1983 as All Japan Endurance Championship , an endurance championship with an intention to replace its domestic touring car championship and started out as a three-round event, including one which as it
1180-783: The FIA World Endurance Championship GTE Manufacturers' and GTE PRO Team honours, as well as, for the second time in a row, the GTE Drivers' crown (which had been instituted in 2013). For the fourth time the car also clinched the European Le Mans Series GTE Team and Drivers' Titles, but it didn't take part in the International GT Open and Asian Le Mans Series Championships (the 458 Italia GT3 raced in both these series that year). In 2015,
1239-849: The International GT Open Overall and Super GT Team and Drivers' crowns. The following year, with the creation of an FIA-managed World Championship, the car obtained the GTE Manufacturers' and GTE PRO Team Titles in the FIA World Endurance Championship . In the same year the Italian car gained the European Le Mans Series GTE PRO Team and Drivers' honours and the International GT Open Overall and Super GT Manufacturers', Team and Drivers' crowns. In 2013
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#17327875463431298-529: The Maranello car gained the 2011, 2012 and 2014 GTS Team and Drivers' crowns, the 2012, 2013 and 2014 GTS Manufacturers' honours and the 2014 Overall and Super GT Drivers' Titles. The 458 Italia GT3 has also a strong racing record in the most important Asian GT series, the GT3 Asia , in which it achieved the 2011 Drivers' crown and the 2012 and 2014 Team and Drivers' honours. The car has also been driven to win
1357-701: The 2011 FIA GT3 Drivers' Title, the 2013 Asian Le Mans Series GTC Team and Drivers' crowns and successes in national Championships like French GT , British GT , Italian GT , GTSprint and Supercar Challenge . In 2015, the 458 Italia GT3 was involved in numerous racing series, including Blancpain Endurance Series , European Le Mans Series , International GT Open , GT3 Asia , Pirelli World Challenge , Blancpain Sprint Series , Asian Le Mans Series , Australian GT Championship and many other national GT3 Championships. In 2012, Ferrari developed
1416-677: The 458 Challenge Evo for 2014 to 2016. According to Ferrari the standard (non-Evo) 458 Challenge can lap the Fiorano test track in 1:16.5, which is two seconds faster than its F430 Challenge predecessor and only 0.2 seconds slower than the Ferrari FXX . Given the Evo upgrade, the 458 Challenge Evo is faster around the Fiorano test track than the Ferrari FXX. Weight of the 458 Challenge
1475-409: The 458 Challenge and 458 Challenge Evo combined is just under 150 cars. Of this total, production of the Evo version is estimated at 30%, meaning that just over 100 458 Challenges and a little under 50 458 Challenge Evos were produced. It is estimated that between five and ten cars were destroyed through accidents each season, meaning that somewhere between 25 and 50 458 Challenge cars have been lost with
1534-608: The 458 Italia, Spider, GT2, Challenge, China Edition and, later, the Speciale versions under both its regular "Mattel / Heritage" and premium "Elite" and "Super Elite" lines of collectible die-cast models. Bburago also produced variants of the 458, such as the Italia, Spider and Challenge, in diecast in 1:18, 1:24, 1:32, and 1:43 scales under its "Race and play" line up. The Speciale version in 1:18 scale followed later under both its "Race and play" and "Signature series" lineups. After
1593-618: The ABS and standard Carbon Ceramic brakes, have caused a reduction in stopping distance from 100–0 km/h (62–0 mph) to 32.5 metres (107 ft). Tests have shown the car will stop from 100 km/h (62 mph) in 90 feet (27 m) or in 85 feet (26 m) with run flat tires, 85 feet (26 m) from 60 mph (97 km/h) and 80 feet (24 m) from 60 mph (97 km/h) with run flat tires. The adaptive magnetorheological dampers were co-developed with BWI Group . Ferrari's official 0–100 km/h (0–62 mph) acceleration
1652-459: The Ferrari 458 Italia GT2 cars competed in the FIA World Endurance Championship , European Le Mans Series and Tudor United SportsCar Championship . The car was replaced for the 2016 season by the Ferrari 488 GTE . Ferrari also unveiled a GT3 version of the Ferrari 458 Italia in 2011, built as well by Michelotto. The car is slightly lighter and more powerful than the GTE version, generating
1711-427: The Ferrari 458 Italia was done by Bertrand Rapatel (Director of Ferrari Interior Design), a French automobile designer. The car's exterior styling and features were designed for aerodynamic efficiency, producing downforce of 140 kg (309 lb) at 200 km/h (124 mph). In particular, the front grille features deformable winglets that lower at high speeds, in order to offer reduced drag. The car's interior
1770-569: The Fuji Long Distance Series those same years. Taisan expanded their program to include the Japanese Touring Car Championship in 1989 with BMW M3s , adding Briton Will Hoy to the team in 1990. A Group A category Nissan Skyline GT-R was added to the team in 1991 for Kenji Takahashi and Keiichi Tsuchiya while their BMWs continued in the lower JTC-2 category. Kunimitsu replaced Kenji in
1829-690: The GT3 PRO AM category and two in the Gentlemen Trophy), four times the Gulf 12 Hours (three overall and one in the Gentlemen Trophy), the 2013 and 2014 12 Hours of Sepang , the 2014 and 2015 24 Hours of Dubai in the A6-AM class, the 2014 Liqui Moly Bathurst 12 Hour at the famous Mount Panorama Circuit in Bathurst and the 2014 24 Hours of Barcelona . The 458 Italia GT3 holds the record for
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1888-539: The Italia Center of Shanghai World Expo Park. The Ferrari SP12 EC is a one-off sports car built by Ferrari for English musician Eric Clapton under Ferrari's Special Projects programme, and based on the 458 Italia. It was revealed in May 2012 and shown at the 2013 Goodwood Festival of Speed . The bespoke SP12 EC's bodywork is inspired by that of the Ferrari 512 BB , and was designed by Ferrari Styling Centre in collaboration with Pininfarina . It uses
1947-570: The Skyline for 1992 and 1993 before Kunimitsu and Tsuchiya left to form their own racing team and the JTCC eliminated the Group A cars from the series, leaving the team with a single Super Touring BMW for Kazuo Mogi in 1994 . Taisan returned to sports car racing in 1994 in the new All Japan Grand Touring Car Championship, the team participating with one of their former 962Cs and teamed alongside
2006-505: The Speciale coupé, the Aperta has a 4.5-litre naturally aspirated V8 engine which generates a power output of 605 PS (445 kW; 597 hp) and 398 lb⋅ft (540 N⋅m) of torque. 0–100 km/h (0–62 mph) takes 3.0 seconds and the Spider is capable of a top speed of 320 km/h (199 mph). It was the most powerful, street-legal, naturally aspirated Ferrari automobile
2065-496: The Year". It also won "Cabrio of the Year 2011" for the Spider, from Top Gear magazine. Auto Zeitung magazine awarded the Ferrari 458 Spider "Best Cabrio 2011". Motor Trend awarded the Ferrari 458 Italia the title of "Best Driver's Car" in 2011. The 458 Speciale won Top Gear's Supercar of the Year 2013 and James May's Car of the Year. On 24 August 2010, BBC News reported that ten 458s had either crashed or caught fire in just three months. Ferrari responded later that it
2124-463: The bonnet. Under new restrictor regulations, the 4.5-litre V8 engine generates a power output of 470 PS (350 kW; 460 hp), which is less than the road car and the 458 Challenge. Unlike the road car, which has a high-revving low-torque engine, the engine in the GTE version only has a red line of 6,250 rpm, but maintains a close-to-stock torque number even with the horsepower loss. The double-clutch gearbox had to be replaced, but paddle-shifting
2183-504: The car repeated its successes, winning the FIA World Endurance Championship GTE Manufacturers', GTE PRO Team, GTE Drivers' and GTE AM Team Titles, the European Le Mans Series GTE Team and Drivers' honours, the Asian Le Mans Series GTE Team and Drivers' crowns and the International GT Open Overall and Super GT Manufacturers' and Drivers' Titles. In 2014 the 458 Italia GT2 achieved, for the third straight year,
2242-491: The category by a six-lap margin. Upon returning to Japan, Taisan began a streak of four consecutive GT300 team championships from 2000 – 2003 , including a drivers championship with Fukuyama in 2000. Another Le Mans also earned the team a podium finish in their class for 2002 . Taisan downsized to a single Porsche team from 2004 onward as the JGTC transitioned to the new Super GT Series; Taisan eventually joined with Endless for
2301-589: The championship. All-Japan Sports Prototype Championship The All Japan Sports Prototype Championship ( 全日本スポーツプロトタイプ選手権 ) , abbreviated as JSPC, formed by the Japan Automobile Federation , was a domestic championship which took place in Japan for Group C and IMSA GTP prototype cars and also featured cars that were eligible for touring car racing in its earlier years. Class A and Class B for production cars which were defined by
2360-645: The company had ever launched in a convertible variant, until it was surpassed by the 790 hp (801 PS; 589 kW) naturally aspirated V12 of the LaFerrari Aperta in 2017. The 2012 458 Italia China Edition is a limited (20 units) version of the 458 Italia for the Chinese market, built to commemorate the 20th anniversary of Ferrari in China since the first Ferrari, a 348 TS, was ordered in Beijing. It
2419-548: The company's experience in Formula One . The body computer system was developed by Magneti Marelli . The 458 is powered by a 4,497 cc (4.5 L; 274.4 cu in) engine of the "Ferrari/Maserati" F136 V8 family, generating a power output of 570 PS (419 kW; 562 hp) at 9,000 rpm ( redline ) and 540 N⋅m (398 lb⋅ft) of torque at 6,000 rpm with 80 percent of torque available at 3,250 rpm. The engine features direct fuel injection ,
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2478-509: The early 1990s, including several JGTC and Super GT machines. Chiba also announced at the conclusion of the 2018 Super GT season that the team would cease participation in Super GT, instead concentrating solely on electric motorsports. ( key ) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap) ( key ) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap) Note: Non-championship races (NC1,NC2) are major races that did not count towards
2537-488: The entry level California . The 458 Spider was introduced at the 2011 Frankfurt Motor Show . This convertible variant of the 458 Italia features an aluminium retractable hardtop which, according to Ferrari, weighs 25 kilograms (55 lb) less than a soft roof such as the one found on the Ferrari F430 Spider , and requires 14 seconds for operation. The engine cover has been redesigned to accommodate
2596-422: The front and a multi-link setup at the rear, coupled with E-Diff and F1-Trac traction control systems , designed to improve the car's cornering and longitudinal acceleration by 32% when compared with its predecessors. The brakes include a prefill function whereby the pistons in the calipers move the pads into contact with the discs on lift off to minimize delay in the brakes being applied. This, combined with
2655-455: The grand tourers (similar to IMSA's lower GTS and GTU classes). This was not to be the end for Group C cars as they would be allowed to compete in the newly formed series for two more years before being banished altogether. Major sportscar racing in Japan would return again in 2006 with the short-lived Japan Le Mans Challenge . Ferrari 458 Italia The Ferrari 458 Italia (Type F142)
2714-447: The heat shield deforming, and hence moving closer to the exhaust, causing the wheel-arch lining to catch fire. Owners who had reported fires, that were later confirmed by independent engineers to be due to this problem, received a new car. All other cars were modified by replacing the adhesive with mechanical fasteners. In 2012, Ferrari recalled certain 2011 and 2012 US market cars because the engine could seize suddenly and possibly cause
2773-435: The mechanicals of the 458 Italia, including its 4.5-litre V8 engine and seven-speed dual-clutch transmission , although many of the car's technical details are considered confidential. The car reportedly cost £10,000,000. The Pininfarina concept car , named in memory of long standing chairman Sergio Pininfarina , is a modern interpretation of the 2-seater barchetta built upon the 458 Spider's mechanicals. In keeping with
2832-608: The number of titles won in many international Championships. In the Blancpain Endurance Series it took the 2011, 2012 and 2014 GT3 PRO AM Team and Drivers' crowns and the 2013 and 2014 Gentlemen Trophy Team and Drivers' honours, while in the European Le Mans Series , since the creation by the ACO of a GT3 class, clinched the 2013 and 2014 GTC Team and Drivers' Titles. In the International GT Open
2891-454: The rear to lift the car up, racing fuel filler cap, center-lock wheels , a racing exhaust as well as tow hooks on the front and rear. The 2014 Evo upgrade was mainly focused on improving the aerodynamics of the 458 Challenge, with the most obvious change being the inclusion of a large rear wing. Ferrari sold an Evo upgrade kit, so that pre-2014 458 Challenge cars could be upgraded by Ferrari dealers and race teams to Evo spec. Total production of
2950-463: The remaining cars possibly numbering less than 100. Ferrari unveiled their new GTE class racer in 2011 built by long-time Ferrari sportscar racing constructor Michelotto, to take part in Championships sanctioned by the ACO and the FIA . The 458 Italia GT2 drops the "flex splitter" found in the road cars in favour of a more conventional inlet, with the air exiting out through the louvers in
3009-501: The retractable roof system. It has the same 0–100 km/h (0–62 mph) acceleration time as the coupé but has a lower top speed of 320 km/h (200 mph) due to the added weight. The 458 Speciale was unveiled in 2013 at the Frankfurt Motor Show as the high performance variant of the 458 Italia. Distinctions of the Speciale over the standard 458 Italia are the forged wheels, vented bonnet, finned side sills,
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#17327875463433068-729: The traditional open barchetta body style, it has no windshield; two matching helmets are provided for the driver and passenger. The car was first shown in March 2013 at the Geneva Motor Show . According to Pininfarina, the Sergio was developed like a production car, and therefore it could be produced in limited numbers. Ferrari built six units of the Ferrari Sergio in collaboration with Pininfarina in 2015 and sold it to handpicked customers. The production version incorporates
3127-423: Was aware of the fire-related cases, and was in the process of investigating them. On 1 September 2010 Ferrari officially recalled all 1,248 of the 458s sold to date. A spokesman commented that the problem had been traced to an adhesive used in the wheel-arch assemblies and that, in certain circumstances, the glue could begin to overheat, smoke and even catch fire. In extreme cases the melting adhesive could lead to
3186-560: Was designed using input from former Ferrari Formula 1 driver Michael Schumacher ; in a layout common to racing cars, the new steering wheel incorporates many controls normally located on the dashboard or on stalks, such as turning signals or high beams. According to British car magazine Autocar , the 458 Italia's design has drawn inspiration from the Enzo Ferrari and its Millechili concept car. It has been designed to be Ferrari's sportiest V8-engined car, to distinguish itself from
3245-550: Was introduced to improve car control on the limit. SSC performs instant-to-instant analysis of the car's side-slip , comparing it with the target value and then optimising both torque management (via integration with F1-Trac traction control) and torque distribution between the two wheels (via integration with the E-Diff electronic differential). The Speciale accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h (62 mph) in 3.0 seconds, 0–200 km/h (120 mph) in 9.1 seconds. Ferrari declared
3304-693: Was noted throughout its ten-year run for battles between the various Porsche 956 / 962C and Japanese manufacturers presented by works teams of Toyota, Nissan and Mazda. Due to waning popularity and seeking to prevent the spiraling budgets and the disappearance of Gr. C and IMSA GTP, the JAF would dissolve the series at the end of 1992 and for the following year replace the series with the All Japan Grand Touring Car Championship , using GT cars such as those in secondary classes as major international sportscar series worldwide favoured
3363-501: Was offered for sale at Gooding and Co's 2019 Pebble Beach auction with 78 miles from new and an estimate of $ 2,500,000 - $ 3,000,000. The car's VIN is ZFF75VFA5E0205934 and it was delivered new to a European racing driver. It didn't sell then. The 458 Speciale MM is a one-off sports car based on a Ferrari 458 Speciale and built for a British customer. The design pays homage to the Ferrari 288 GTO and incorporates handcrafted aluminium and carbon fibre components. The 458 Challenge
3422-701: Was part of the WEC round which meant drivers competing in the national series was counted into the world championship. In 1987, the championship would be broken up into two as production cars from the lower categories would be moved into the All Japan Touring Car Championship (now Super GT ) formed two years earlier to become a dedicated championship and was renamed the All Japan Sports Prototype Car Endurance Championship . The series
3481-463: Was reduced from the standard 458 through the use of thinner body panels, carbon fibre replacement panels, and polycarbonate windows and windshield. Other differences over the regular road legal 458 include a racing cockpit with a Sabelt racing seat and six-point seat-belt harness, detachable steering wheel using a Lifeline quick-detach, plumbed-in Lifeline fire extinguisher system, air-jack mounting on
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