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Haas pens partnership with Ferrari

Gene Haas is undertaking quite the initiative by starting his own Formula One team instead of simply buying an existing one. And he's making it even harder on himself by laudably insisting on quartering the operation at his home base in North Carolina. But to get onto the grid by 2016, he's going to need some help.
Fortunately that appears to be just what he's getting thanks to a new partnership with no less accomplished an outfit than Ferrari - which, despite not having won a championship since 2008, remains far and away the most successful team in the history of grand prix racing, with sixteen constructors' championships, fifteen drivers' titles and 221 grand prix victories to its name.
Haas Automation, the CNC machine manufacturer over which Gene Haas presides and which funds his various racing activities, has just signed a sponsorship deal with Scuderia Ferrari that has already seen the Haas logo appear on the F14 T that Fernando Alonso and Kimi Raikkonen drove in the British Grand Prix this past weekend. More than a sponsor, Haas Automation has become an official supplier to the Maranello squad, but is expected to lead to even closer cooperation that will help get the American F1 team up and running in time for the 2016 world championship.

Weekly Recap: Takeaways from the Frankfurt Motor Show

We obsessively covered the 2015 Frankfurt Motor Show, and naturally, we selected our favorites from this fall's biggest automotive event. Now that the dust has settled, we're looking ahead to what it all means. Here are three takeaways from the floor in Frankfurt. The Germans are serious about electric vehicles: It's a bit cliche to say BMW, Mercedes, and Audi have downplayed electrics in favor of other technologies, like diesels. For a time that may have been true, but those three companies, along with Porsche and Volkswagen, are emerging as leaders in EV development. That was on display in Frankfurt, when all of them revealed either all-electric or plug-in hybrid models. Gas prices are relatively low in the United States, but clearly the Germans are thinking long-term and globally. Everyone is serious about SUVs: You gotta have one, even if you're Bentley or Jaguar. It's 2015 and it's what consumers want. As Jaguar design director Ian Callum put it, "Not to be in the sector would be a little naive for the sake of purity." It's not just the flashy exotic luxury makers. Nissan showed the Gripz concept, which is rakish, radical, and meant to blend traits of SUVs and sports cars into a vehicle that really crosses over. Look for more, especially in the luxury sector, as Rolls-Royce, Lamborghini, and Aston Martin ramp up their own SUV efforts. There's no ceiling to the luxury market: Speaking of high-end cars, companies are continuing to invest in extravagant wares beyond just SUVs. Even during the recession, ultra-luxury makers remained relevant, and now they're back at full stride. In Frankfurt, that was illustrated by yet another S-Class model, the cabriolet, which will come in S550 and S63 AMG variants in the United States. Ferrari also showed off the 488 Spider, and Lamborghini opened up the Huracan LP 610-4 Spyder. Meanwhile, Bugatti's Vision Grand Turismo concept reminded enthusiasts that it's plotting life after the Veyron. European auto shows always draw the glitziest reveals from luxury makers, and this year didn't disappoint. OTHER NEWS & NOTES 2016 Honda Civic redesigned with snazzier style, turbo power The 10th-generation of the Honda Civic debuted this week at events in Los Angeles and Detroit ahead of its launch in the United States this fall as a 2016 model. Honda fortified the Civic with LED lights, an available turbo engine, and a more tech-laden cabin.

The Ferrari FF is now the GTC4 Lusso

As groundbreaking as it might have been when it debuted in 2011, the FF was never the best-looking Ferrari in the fleet. And at five years old, it's now the oldest as well. But Maranello is out to correct that with the new model you see here. Dubbed the GTC4 Lusso, the updated version of the FF is not only better-looking than the model it replaces, but packs some innovations under its slightly sharper coachwork as well. It debuts next month at the Geneva Motor Show. The 6.3-liter V12 carries over in naturally aspirated guise, but now produces 680 hp and 514 lb-ft. That's a marked improvement over the existing ratings of 651 horsepower and 504 pound-feet of torque. It still stops short of threatening the more focused F12 Berlinetta with its 730 hp and 509 lb-ft. The muscle still meets the road through the only all-wheel drive system that Ferrari has ever made, but now integrates four-wheel steering as well, like we saw on the F12 TdF. The 4RM-S system works in tandem with Slip Side Control 4.0, integrating the electronic differential and adaptive dampers to keep this horse prancing on no matter the conditions. No mention was made of the transmission, but we're likely dealing with the same seven-speed DCT as its predecessor. Regardless, the sum total is a 0-62 time quoted at 3.4 seconds and a top speed of 208 miles per hour. The revised mechanical bits, as you can see, are wrapped in new sheetmetal. It all looks tauter, more sculpted, and more aggressive than some of the rounded forms of the FF, and the interior has been updated as well. The key change is at the back of the greenhouse. Often derided as somewhat awkward and ungainly, the fastback roofline is lowered with the kink at the back of the side glass flipped, a spoiler added at the trailing edge of the roof, and the twin taillights replaced by four. THE FERRARI GTC4LUSSO DEBUTS AT THE GENEVA SHOW - The Ferrari GTC4Lusso debuts at the Geneva Show: class-leading performance, versatility in all driving conditions, sublime elegance. - A unique car, a whole new world Maranello, 8 February 2016 – Ferrari announces the addition to its range of the Ferrari GTC4Lusso, the new four-seater which hails a major evolution of the sporting Grand Tourer concept by integrating rear-wheel steering with four-wheel drive for the first time.