Ginetta's new 370bhp G55

Ginetta will reveal its fastest, most-powerful GT race car yet with the launch of this new G55 at the Autosport International in January.

Pictured here in these official renderings, the G55 will offer GT3-levels of performance and will be a sister car to the successful GT4-spec G50. Both will compete alongside each other in 2011 in the new Ginetta GT Supercup, a support race series to the revitalised BTCC.

See the official renderings of the new Ginetta G55

Based on the G50, G55’s boasts over that car include a 370bhp 3.7-litre Ford engine, a Hewland gearbox, a cool air induction kit, up-rated front and rear brakes, a new exhaust system and more muscular bodywork offering improved aerodynamic efficiency.

The Ginetta G55 will cost £75,000, while G50 owners can upgrade their cars for £25,000 or take advantage of the British sports car maker’s part-exchange programme.

Read Autocar's first drive of the Ginetta G50 EV

The 2011 Ginetta GT Supercup, that costs £9750 plus VAT for a G50 and £11,750 plus VAT for a G55, has been set up to offer a class structure that will bring the series in line with most other GT championships across the world.

Ginetta boss Lawrence Tomlinson said the G55 highlighted “a real route into GT3 to all drivers while still providing an affordable way to enjoy top-level racing”.

Its debut at Birmingham’s Autosport International will be on 13 January.

New Stratos to spawn GT2 racer

The investors behind the resurrection of the iconic Lancia Stratos plan to take their new model racing.

Previewed here with this 1:8 scale model, the new Stratos racer would be built to GT2-specification and would feature a range of cosmetic and mechanical upgrades over the already hard-edged road car, which is being limited to just 25 units. The detailed model has been created by Amalgam.

See the official pics of the new Stratos GT2 racer

The original Stratos was best known for its rallying exploits, but the car also raced on the track, too. A respected engineering firm, Turin-based Danisi Engineering, will work with Chris Hrabalek and Michael Stoschek, the pair behind the road car's revival, to make the racer a reality.

The model, developed by model maker Amalgam and one that can be had for £3250, shows off the styling direction of the new Stratos racer, including a light blue livery, substantial aerodynamic changes to increase both downforce and cooling, and a large, fixed rear wing.

Read Autocar's first drive of the stunning new Stratos road car

Mechanical upgrades are unknown; the 1257kg road car uses a shortened 430 Scuderia chassis and carbonfibre bodywork, with power coming from a 533bhp version of the Ferrari's 4.3-litre V8 engine.

Ferrari reveals 458 Challenge

Ferrari has taken the wraps off its new 458 Challenge race car at today’s Bologna motor show, a lighter and faster version of its mid-engined supercar that will join the grids in one-make race series from 2011.

The 458 Challenge has the same direct-injection, 4.5-litre V8 powerplant as the regular car, producing 562bhp at 9000rpm.

The gains for track use come through revised gear ratios and recalibration of the 458's F1 gearbox, plus a major push to save weight.

See the official pics of the new Ferrari 458 Challenge race car

Ferrari has reduced the thickness of the 458's body panels, and made greater use of lightweight materials such as carbonfibre and Lexan. The firm has declined to quote a weight figure for the new car, however.

The Challenge's chassis set-up features stiffer springs, single-rate dampers, 19in racing wheels, larger Pirelli slick tyres and a lower ride height (down by 50mm). It also has Brembo CCM2 brakes, as seen on the 599XX.

The new model also gets Ferrari's E-Diff electronic differential and F1-Trac, its traction control system, the first time these set-ups have been offered on one of the firm's track cars.

Read Autocar's full road test of the Ferrari 458 Italia

Ferrari claims that the 458 Challenge can generate lateral forces of up to 1.6g, and that it laps the firm's Fiorano test circuit in 1m 16.5sec; that's two seconds faster than the F430 Challenge car. That’s also 8.5sec quicker than the 458 road car, although its time was set on slick tyres.

The 458 Challenge will be the fifth car to compete in the Ferrari Challenge Trofeo Pirelli; it will take on F430s, 360s, F355s and 348s.