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Ferrari still finalizing LaFerrari hardware? [w/videos]

McLaren, Ferrari and Lamborghini helped make this year's Geneva Motor Show one of the most exciting in recent memory, but the LaFerrari might be a little further away from production than its McLaren P1 hypercar rival. According to GTSprit.com, it sounds like Ferrari is still trying to hammer out the the car's details to ensure the lucky 499 souls laying down $1.5 million aren't left in the dust by a brightly colored McLaren.
While it's not clear what sort of things Ferrari is still working on, the continued development aspect is somewhat substantiated by the fact that the 949-horsepower hybrid supercar is still running around Italy wearing camouflage - albeit light camo. As proof of this, the site also found a pair of enthusiastic amateur spy videos that get some good rolling shots of the LaFerrari out testing. They also show how well the car can handle a roundabout. Both videos are posted below.

Model waves checkered flag too soon at F1's Canadian Grand Prix

MONTREAL — Formula One said on Sunday it will review its procedures after the Canadian Grand Prix ended in confusion and embarrassment when a celebrity waved the checkered flag a lap too soon. The gaffe did not affect the outcome of the race, which was won by Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel, but the German said he was left double-checking his lap counter while checking in with his pit before carrying on to run the full 70 laps. "Fortunately we had radio, fortunately I had the lap count in the car, and the pitboard was accurate — but if you lose radio and maybe the pitboard is not there, then you back off," said Vettel after notching his 50th career win. "I was just worried, I told them also on the last lap, then people don't jump on the track, waving flags and celebrating, because we're still going at full pace." The official results were later determined based on the 68th lap to avoid any impact the early flag might have had. Formula One race director Charlie Whiting said the error was caused by simple miscommunication between the official starter and crew in the starter's tower, which resulted in model Winnie Harlow — a friend of Mercedes world champion Lewis Hamilton — waving the flag prematurely. "It was a miscommunication between the start platform and the guy they call the starter here," explained Whiting. "He thought it was the last lap and asked them at the top to confirm it, they confirmed it. "They thought he was making a statement when in fact he was asking a question. "He told the flag waver to wave it a lap early. It was as simple as that, it wasn't anything to do with the fact it was a celebrity flag waver. "The celebrity was not to blame." Celebrities are often given the honor of waving the checkered flag at motor races, which has occasionally resulted in unintended flubs. Brazilian soccer great Pele famously reacted too late when Ferrari's Michael Schumacher won at Sao Paulo's Interlagos circuit in 2002, brandishing the flag instead as the later finishers appeared. While the incident on Sunday produced shrugs and even a few chuckles, there were also very real safety concerns, as course workers often come out of their safety areas to stand alongside the track waving flags. "We need to review procedures and make sure we have a very simple procedure for every circuit," added Whiting. "We're dealing with different human beings, different countries, different languages and it's not always absolutely perfect.

Ferrari to debut new twin-turbo California in the spring

Ferrari hadn't made a turbocharged engine since the F40 ended its production cycle in 1992. But that all changed when it helped Maserati develop its new 3.8-liter twin-turbo V8. That turbo engine has so far been shoehorned into the Quattroporte, along with its 3.0-liter V6 cousin that also powers the smaller Ghibli. But soon it'll wear the Prancing Horse badge as further details emerge on the next-generation California.
Set to arrive in time for the spring (likely to be unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show in March), the new California will reportedly ditch its naturally-aspirated V8 in favor of a reworked version of the Quattroporte's twin-turbo unit, which at 523 horsepower and 479 pound-feet of torque is already considerably more muscular than the current California's 483 hp and 372 lb-ft.
The new California will likely be closely based on the outgoing model, but benefit from revised aluminum sheetmetal and an updated cabin with a new infotainment system - two areas in which the current model has scored low marks.