Need for Speed: SHIFT – Ferrari F430 GTC Test Drive @ Nordschleife
1Need for Speed: Shift is the thirteenth installment and second reboot of the racing video game franchise Need for Speed. It was developed by Slightly Mad Studios in conjunction with EA Bright Light and published by Electronic Arts for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, PlayStation Portable, Android, iOS, Symbian, Windows Mobile, MeeGo and J2ME in 2009. In the new franchising model for the series adopted by EA, Shift takes its place focusing on simulation/arcade racing rather than the arcade racing of previous titles in the series. Shift was followed by a sequel, Shift 2: Unleashed, in 2011.
Nordschleife
The Green Hell Legend
Since its construction (1925 - 1927), the Nordschleife has enjoyed a reputation as a terrifying and merciless route through the Eifel forests. An English journalist who visited the Nordschleife during the opening race on 18 June 1927 even concluded “that it seemed as if a reeling, drunken giant had been sent out to determine the route”. The Formula 1 pilot Sir John Young Jackie Stewart – after all a three-time world champion in 1969, 1971 and 1973 – was so impressed by the circuit that he gave it the name which it will probably never lose: Green Hell (Grüne Hölle).
Racing and winning on the Nordschleife has always been very special for racing drivers, because the track is one of the most demanding in the world. Tricky corners, treacherous crests, steep inclines and gradients and constantly changing road surfaces demand great skill from the driver and put vehicles to a hard test.
The best-known event today is the ADAC TOTAL 24-hour race, which is held on both the Nordschleife and the Grand Prix circuit and which for four days transforms the entire circuit into a huge spectacle. Up to 800 amateurs and professionals in up to 200 cars take part in this race.
Facts & figures Nordschleife
Official start of construction: 27 September 1925
Official opening: 18 /19 June 1927
Costs: about 15 million Reichsmark, Employment of up to 3,000 workers for two years
Length: 20.832 km
Turns: 73 (33 left, 40 right)
Gradients: max. 17 percent
Slopes: max. 11 percent
Highest point: Hohenrain / Hatzenbach 627.70 m above sea level
Lowest point: Breidscheid, 320 m above sea level
Total difference in altitude: approx. 300 m
First event: 18 June 1927 – Eifelrace for motorcycles
Original track length: 22.8 km Nordschleife + 7.7 km Südschleife = 28 km, (89 left turns - 84 right turns)
Length Endurance Championship: 24.433 km (Sprintstrecke, with Mercedes-Arena, Motorrad-Schikane and Nordschleife)
Ferrari S.p.A. is an Italian luxury sports car manufacturer based in Maranello, Italy. Founded by Enzo Ferrari in 1939 out of the Alfa Romeo race division as Auto Avio Costruzioni, the company built its first car in 1940, and produced its first Ferrari-badged car in 1947.
Fiat S.p.A. acquired 50% of Ferrari in 1969 and expanded its stake to 90% in 1988. In October 2014, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) announced its intentions to separate Ferrari S.p.A. from FCA; as of the announcement FCA owned 90% of Ferrari. The separation began in October 2015 with a restructuring that established Ferrari N.V. (a company incorporated in the Netherlands) as the new holding company of the Ferrari S.p.A. group, and the subsequent sale by FCA of 10% of the shares in an IPO and concurrent listing of common shares on the New York Stock Exchange.
The Ferrari F430 GTC is a replacement for the 360 GTC designed for racing in the GT2 category developed by Ferrari. It was based off the elegant Modena line and a strong finisher in several championship races, notably taking second place at the 24 Hours of Daytona in 2003.
The F430 GTC continues on the track set by its predecessor but there are some noticeable differences such as its more aggressive styling that harkens back to the unique ‘shark nose’ Formula One racers of the 1960s.
Its rear end is styled similar to the Enzo supercar with bulging tail lights giving off hints as to where engineers got their inspiration. Its V8 engine has had its displacement reduced to 4 litres from the 4.3 litres of the road car.
The F430 GTC's total weight gives it an impressive 0.39 horsepower/kilogram ratio. Its weight is the minimum allowed to compete in FIA GT2 races. The major cosmetic differences between the GTC and standard F430 is the large rear wing as well as carbon fibre gills on its front fascia.
The GTC has scored class championship victories in the American Le Mans Series and FIA GT, in addition to class victories at the 12 Hours of Sebring, 24 Hours of Le Mans and Petit Le Mans races.
Manufacturer: Ferrari
Production: 2006 - 2010
Origin: Italy
Engine: 4.3L V8
BHP: 440 bhp (328 kW) @ 7000 rpm
Torque: 339 lb⋅ft (460 N·m) @ 5200 rpm
Acceleration: 0–60 mph (0–97 km/h) 3.2 seconds
Top Speed: 200 mph (321 km/h)
Transmission: 6-speed Sequential
Layout: Mid-Engined, Rear-Wheel Drive
Mass: 1131 kg (2493 lbs)
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