F1, Tubi Exhaust, Challenge Grill, Daytona Seats on 2040-cars

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Ferrari 412 picks up a teak cargo bed

While marques like Porsche and Lamborghini having already branched out into SUVs, with Bentley and Maserati soon to follow, Ferrari remains one of the few high-end automakers that refuses, for better or worse, to follow suit. But the boys in Maranello never said anything about a pickup.
That's precisely what we have here, although as you might have guessed, this was not (unlike the similar treatment BMW applied to the previous M3) a factory-authorized conversion. Instead it was undertaken by the London Motor Group, parent company to the London Motor Museum and London Supercar Workshop. It's based on a late-80s Ferrari 412, the 2+2 coupe that preceded the 456 GT, which in turn was replaced by the 612 Scaglietti and then the FF, itself Ferrari's first hatchback. In other words, it comes from a line that was ripe to mark a first in terms of Ferrari body-styles.
The one-off retains the 4.9-liter V12 and just about everything forward of the cabin. But behind it's got a three-foot pickup bed lined in teak. The London outfit also gave it a twin-barrel hood scoop, variable exhaust and a custom Bang & Olufsen sound system to round it out. The vehicle is set to feature on the History Channel's Ultimate Wheels, alongside a VW camper, Ford Mustang, Group B-inspired Audi and a unique Bristol.

Ferrari builds one-off hybrid F12 TRS roadster

When Ferrari makes an open-top version of one of its V12 super-GTs, it typically comes in particularly low production numbers. Maranello only made 448 examples of the 550 Barchetta Pininfarina, 559 of the 575 Superamerica and 599 units of the 599 SA Aperta. What we have here, however, is not just the first F12 roadster we've seen yet, but also the most exclusive.
Called the F12 TRS, it's obviously based on the F12 Berlinetta, but with some key modifications. Not the least of which is the open-top body-style (which may or may not have a folding roof mechanism of some kind), coupled with some unique bodywork like a cowled rear deck and reshaped hood. But the TRS (which we can only assume is some tribute to the 250 Testa Rossa) is also said to pack an F1-derived KERS hybrid assist, presumably similar to the one in the LaFerrari - or more poignantly, in the 599 HY-KERS concept - to give the 6.3-liter V12 even more juice than the prodigious 730 horsepower it produces in stock Berlinetta form.
The vehicle, apparently spotted in the garage at the company's Fiorano test track, appears to be a one-off built by Ferrari's Special Projects division for one discerning and evidently very wealthy customer who is said to have paid $4.2 million for the privilege.

Topiary Joe sculpts the ultimate in green cars

Efficient cars are all the rage these days, but Joe Kyte has made a business of crafting some of the coolest green cars around – literally. Kyte is better known by his nickname Topiary Joe, and in addition to being a talented artist, he is also a real gearhead. Kyte has been creating topiaries for the last 20 years. It began when he was marketing greenhouse products to Walt Disney World and saw their plant sculptures. He realized that he could do that and since then, has done around 3,400 pieces. His most intriguing creations are the rolling sculptures that move and turn. Prices for those start at about $18,000 and can be as high as $30,000. While, the wheels are machine-bent, Kyte said all the other parts are done with a table vice and a Lincoln Electric arc welder. Topiary Joe is taking the Porsche (pictured above) to Palm Beach later this year to sell or says he may donate it to Porsche North America. If you really want it, the sculpture is currently on Craigslist for sale for $24,000. Topiary Joe has also had a life-long love of cars. "I was driving my first MG Midget before I was 14," he told Autoblog. He grew up in Oak Ridge, TN, where the Manhattan Project was partially developed. He says the town was full of recent college grads driving Mercedes, and he caught the bug. His automotive mentor was a nuclear physicist who taught him to repair and restore the Mercs. Kyte has completed commissions for Sandals Resort, Dreamworks, Absolut, and many more. Among his favorite creations is the Ferrari that he created at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix that is now exhibited at the airport each year before the race. Check out his website for a wider look at his work.