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Bertone's shark-nose Ferrari 250 set to break records

If Nuccio Bertone had one regret, it's that he didn't get to work more with Ferrari. "They have always been with Pininfarina," Bertone was quoted as saying toward the end of his career. "I would have liked to have done more for Ferrari." There were a few exceptions, like the atypical Dino GT4, the angular Rainbow concept of 1976, and the unique 250 GT you see here. Only this one wasn't just designed and crafted by Bertone – it was designed and crafted for Bertone. And now it's going up for auction. Inspired by the 156 Grand Prix racer, this one-of-a-kind 1962 Ferrari 250 GT SWB Berlinetta was commissioned by Bertone to showcase its capabilities at the Geneva and Turin motor shows that year, and to serve as Nuccio's personal wheels. The design was carried out by none other than Giorgetto Giugiaro, in close collaboration with Bertone, and is characterized by the shark nose that would look right at home on a week-long Discovery Channel special... if it were directed by Roberto Rossellini. It's painted in Blu Notte Metallizzato (Italian for "midnight blue metallic") with a rich burgundy leather interior. The only one of its kind, chassis 3269 GT has been part of the Lorenzo Zambrano collection for over three decades now. It's slated to cross the auction block for the first time next month at Pebble Beach. That's where Gooding & Company expects it will fetch around $15 million, which would (according to the archives at Sports Car Market) make it one of the most expensive Ferraris, and by some margin the highest-priced 250 GT SWB Berlinetta, ever sold at auction. 1962 Ferrari 250 GT SWB Berlinetta Speciale (Estimate $14,000,000-$16,000,000) Any coachbuilt Ferrari will stir excitement on the auction block, but 3269 GT is quite possibly the most important 250 GT SWB ever to be presented at public auction. Built for and personally owned by Nuccio Bertone to showcase his company at the Geneva and Torino Auto Shows in 1962, this one-off "sharknose" Berlinetta Speciale Ferrari is sure to electrify the Pebble Beach Auctions when Gooding & Company presents this Italian masterpiece in August. This unique Ferrari was one of the first cars penned by the well-known stylist, Giorgetto Giugiaro, while working for Nuccio Bertone. The two worked together to create one of the most viscerally moving designs in Ferrari's history, which was inspired by the world championship-winning Grand Prix car - the Ferrari 156 F1.

Watch 40 Ferrari F12s hit the Nurburgring at once

Of all the cars we'd love to drive around the Nurburgring, the Ferrari F12 Berlinetta ranks pretty high. It's got mountains of power sent from a smooth V12 at the front to a set of fat tires at the back, near-perfect handling balance, anchor-like brakes... we could go on and on, but the point is that it'd be a hoot to drive on any track, let alone the vaunted Nordschleife. As you can see from this video, the boys from Maranello evidently agree. This latest owners' meeting attracted 40 F12s (and at least one California T) to the Green Hell to see how their machinery could handle one of (if not the) most challenging racing circuits in the world. Ferrari's chief test driver Raffaele de Simone was on hand to drive some hot laps, and the owners had the chance to push their F12s to near their limits. The official video footage is a little overproduced, in typical style, and could do with a little less dramatic music and a little more of the unbridled engine and exhaust sounds for which Ferraris are known. But as far as the fantasy of gaining admission to such an elite cadre of supercar owners, this is about as close as most of us are likely to get. Related Video:

LaFerrari Spider among Maranello's future product plans

Niche though its products may be, Ferrari typically rolls out a new model every year. 2009, for example, saw the introduction of the California. In 2010 came the 458 Italia, followed by the 458 Spider in 2011. In 2012 we greeted the FF, and in 2013 both the F12 Berlinetta and 458 Speciale. This year the hyper-exotic LaFerrari was joined by the California T, and you can bet that Maranello will keep up that pace by rolling out new versions of and replacements for each of these models in succession.
Among the plans which Car and Driver reports Ferrari has afoot will be an open-top LaFerrari Spider - something which the Prancing Horse marque hasn't done at the top of its range since the F50, which came exclusively with a removable hardtop. The 6.3-liter hybrid V12 will likely carry over unchanged, as will most of the other parameters, but for the joy of experiencing 1,000 horsepower with the wind in your hair - and the exclusivity of being one of the just 50 owners - we're told to expect a price tag roughly double that of the existing $1.35 million coupe.
Of course, Ferrari has more plans than simply chopping the roof off its hybrid hypercar. In Geneva next March, the House that Enzo Built is tipped to introduce a Modificato version of the 458 with a twin-turbo V8 producing around 670 horsepower - over one hundred horses more than in the new California T. A refresh for the all-wheel-drive FF is also said to be underway for 2016, when it will receive a less awkward roofline and the possible addition of a V8 base version alongside the V12 that will remain naturally aspirated. As it will in the updated F12 due the following year.