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BMW, Ferrari, VW cars use tungsten mined by terrorists

Bloomberg Markets is reporting that BMW, Volkswagen and Ferrari have been using tungsten ore sourced from Columbia's FARC rebel terrorists. The extensive story focuses on Columbia's illegal mining trade and calls into question the provenance of the rare ore that is used not only in crankshaft parts production, but is also found in the world's computing and telecommunications industry for use in screens.
The ore is mined by the FARC (Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia, or Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia - People's Army), and exported to Pennsylvania, where it is refined. The refined ore is then sent over to Austria, where a company called Plansee turns it into a finished product. Now, it's important to note that we aren't talking about the world's supply of tungsten here. In 2012, Plansee's American refinery purchased 93.2 metric tons of tungsten, valued at $1.8 million. That's peanuts, with the entire Colombian tungsten mining industry producing just one percent of the world's supplies.
That doesn't make indirectly supporting FARC any more acceptable, though. BMW, VW and Ferrari are all committed to not accepting mineral supplies from the Democratic Republic of Congo, which is also in the grips of a guerrilla insurrection funded, in part, by illegal mining. The same commitment would figure to extend to Colombian mining, but as BMW points out, it's difficult for a multi-national manufacturer to know where every item in its supply chain comes from. A company spokesperson says as much, telling Bloomberg, "These few grams out of the billions of tons of raw materials passing through the BMW supply chain are of no practical relevance."

Ferrari California T showcases classic style in Shanghai

Ferrari may not have anything new to showcase this year (or at least nothing we haven't seen before) at the largest auto show in one of its largest markets, but it did roll into Shanghai with a rather stunning take on the California T. This drop-top Prancing Horse has been customized through the company's Tailor Made personalization program, taking its cues from the 1950s and early '60s. The bodywork has been done up in Grigio Ingrid – the same color Roberto Rossellini chose for Ingrid Bergman's 1954 Ferrari 375 MM. The interior, meanwhile, features a rather stunning swath of reddish-brown leather with waxed edges inspired by Jackie Kennedy, offset by black Alcantara, a matte grey metallic dashboard and virgin wool carpeting. The details cast what otherwise might not be Maranello's most beautiful model in a rather gorgeous light, and just goes to show the extent of the customization options available to the company's discerning clientele. Related Video: Tailor Made Elegance At Auto Shanghai a Ferrari California T inspired by two classic style icons Maranello, 20 April 2015 – Today, at Auto Shanghai (April 22-29, 2015)Ferrariunveiled a particularly stunning bespoke California T. This California T was created especially for the Chinese auto show to illustrate how Ferrari's "Tailor Made" program allows a client to commission a car according to his or her wishes. Since the 1950s, the Ferrari California series has embodied elegance, sportiness and versatility. In keeping with this spirit, Ferrari's design team chose to style this California T with timelesssophistication. For inspiration, the designers looked to two great icons of style, the actress Ingrid Bergman, known for her natural beauty and effortless chic, and the Kennedy familyas personified by the graceful Jacqueline Kennedy. Finished indemure "Grigio Ingrid" a color named for the unforgettable Ingrid Bergman who chose this very shade of grey for the Ferrari 375 MM Roberto Rossellini gave her in 1954, this California T has a touch of understatement.The interiors on the other hand are rich in materials and detail, taking their cues from the worlds of interior and furniture design as well as luxury goods.In particular the seats, in reddish brown, velvety"count prestige" leather, are a variation on theKennedee chair by Jean Marie Massaud, a design that in turn was influenced by the style of America's "former first family" the Kennedys.

Watch Chris Harris drive the Ferrari 458 Spider like an "idiot"

Chris Harris gets to abuse his fair share of cars that we can only dream about driving, so why not add the Ferrari 458 Spider to that list. After somehow borrowing the keys to a Ferrari-owned 458 Spider, Harris spends about five minutes driving the 570-horsepower, open-air supercar like an "idiot" (his words, not ours).
In reality, it's impressive to watch the $257,000 (base price) 458 Spider being drifted and pushed hard into every turn. Not surprisingly, the car handles the "bad behavior" very well, but what is amazing is how easy it is for Harris to talk to the camera despite the top being down and the engine being at full throttle almost the entire time.
If you like watching Ferraris get sideways, you will most certainly enjoy Harris' video, which is posted below.