1991 Ferrari 348ts "serviced, Beautiful, Original!!!" on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Did Ferrari block Montezemolo from becoming F1 chairman?

The Formula One Group has appointed a series of new directors to its board. But while ousted Ferrari chief Luca di Montezemolo is among them, the latest reports suggest that he was earmarked to become the group's chairman, but that Sergio Marchionne blocked the appointment. Montezemolo, for those just joining us, served as chairman of Ferrari since 1991, but was ousted just a couple of months ago by Sergio Marchionne, chief executive of parent company Fiat Chrysler Automobiles who took his place at the head of the table in Maranello. During his tenure as Ferrari chief, Montezemolo sat as the team's representative on the F1 board (and also as chairman of the Formula One Teams Association), but despite having broken ties with Ferrari, Luca was renominated to the board as an independent member. That seat on the board, however, could have been at the head of the table, according to circulating reports, had Marchionne not expressed certain reservations, if not blocked the nomination outright. Montezemolo's appointment would have meant that both the F1 Group and the FIA would have been headed up by former Ferrari men, although Marchionne was quoted as saying that if it had been his call, he would have prevented Jean Todt from being elected to the presidency of the FIA as well. The chairmanship of the Formula One Group is separate from the role held by Bernie Ecclestone, who will continue to run the sport's day-to-day operations. Ecclestone has also rejoined the board along with Paul Walsh, the former head of distilling giant Diageo who was also tipped as a favorite to chair the F1 board. That role instead will return to Peter Brabeck, the former head of Nestle, who had previously stepped down from the chair of the Formula One Group.

Take a peek inside the cockpit of the Ferrari SF90 Stradale

The Ferrari SF90 Stradale has just been revealed, and the most important thing to know is that it's Ferrari's most powerful production car yet with 986 horsepower. The next most important thing to know is that it's a plug-in hybrid with a turbocharged V8. The powertrain features Ferrari's most powerful V8 yet making 769 horsepower and 590 pound-feet of torque on its own. It also has three electric motors with two at the front and one in the back, and combined they can provide up to 217 horsepower. This also means that the SF90 Stradale is all-wheel-drive. Getting power from the internal combustion powertrain to the wheels is an 8-speed dual-clutch transmission that shifts 100 milliseconds faster than the transmission in the 488 Pista, but it also weighs about 22 pounds less than Ferrari's existing 7-speed dual-clutch transmission. This is due in part to not needing a reverse gear, since reverse is handled by the front motors. In total, the SF90 weighs in at 3,461 pounds. And at 155 mph, the aerodynamics add 860 pounds of downforce. When everything is deployed on pavement, it hits 62 mph in just 2.5 seconds. And for Ferraristi, it lapped the Fiorano test track in 1 minute and 19 seconds. Of course being a plug-in hybrid, it does have a full electric range. It's a bit short at 15.5 miles. Then again, this isn't entirely about fuel economy; the electric motors allows for torque vectoring, and provide extra traction on launch and help fill in any throttle lag from the gas engine. Ferrari SF90 Stradale interior View 3 Photos The interior is high-tech, too. The instrument cluster is a huge 16-inch display. The steering wheel now features touch pads for controlling the instrument cluster, too. You won't see Ferrari's traditional manual transmission selector between the seats. Shifting duties are handled by paddles mounted to the steering wheel. It's also worth noting that this is the first Ferrari that features a head-up display. Want one? Deliveries are scheduled to begin in the first quarter of 2020.

The new Ferrari 812 Superfast has a 789-hp V12, is self-explanatory

You're looking at the replacement for the F12 Berlinetta. Gorgeous, right? While in keeping with the recent styling success of Ferrari cars, this one bucks a trend. Unlike the last three updated models from Maranello – the GTC4 Lusso, California T, and 488 GTB – the 812 Superfast doesn't use turbos. Instead, it continues with a naturally aspirated V12. A bigger, more powerful one. And of course, this front-engine supercar GT will be super fast. The 812's twelve-cylinder displaces 6.5 liters, up from the F12's 6.3. Power stands at a round 800 CV, which translates to 789 horsepower, while torque is up to 530 pound-feet. For reference, the 6.3-liter in the F12 makes 731 hp and 508 lb-ft, while the F12 Tdf's massaged version puts out 769 hp and 520 lb-ft; the LaFerrari's engine made 789 hp, which was boosted further with the addition of an electric motor. So this 6.5-liter is tied for the title of most powerful Ferrari road-car engine, and it makes this the most powerful front-engine Ferrari ever, which is neat. It's supposed to reach 62 mph in 2.9 seconds and reach a top speed of 211 mph. Yep, super fast. Max power is again made at a screaming 8,500 rpm and the torque peaks at 7,000. More displacement means more output, but Ferrari also switched to a higher-pressure fuel system and variable-geometry intakes to squeeze even more out of its big V12. The company's seven-speed dual-clutch transmission gets its own gear ratios to handle the power in this application. One big change is the car's switch from hydraulic to electric power steering. It's the first Ferrari road car to use EPS, and the company assures us just makes things better by working with the other chassis systems, like Side Slip Control. The 812 Superfast also gets the second version of Virtual Short Wheelbase, Ferrari's name for rear-wheel steering. Ferrari says the updated design is supposed to be reminiscent of the 365 GTB4 from 1969. We say it's just plain pretty either way. There are active flaps at the front and some kind of new air bypass at the rear to improve downforce, and which sounds a lot like something out of Formula 1. The launch color seen here is the special Rosso Settanta, which is in celebration of the company's 70th anniversary. The interior has been updated a bit as well, with a reshaped dash top (featuring one fewer air vent) and new controls on the steering wheel.