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Record-setting 1953 Timossi-Ferrari V12 hydroplane is as rare as it gets

Luigino "Gigi" Barp, the head of technical service at Ferrari Classiche, the company's restoration and certification division, says it is impossible to put a value on the 1953 Timossi-Ferrari Arno XI hydroplane racing boat. It's a one-of-a-kind piece with a one-of-a-kind engine that was specially designed to beat and set the world speed record on water. With Achille Castoldi behind the wheel, it achieved that goal back in 1953. In 2019, after a restoration and some time at the Ferrari Museum, it's for sale on DuPont Registry.  Although numerous Ferrari automobiles have set many records and earned countless first-place finishes on land, there is only one world-record-holding Ferrari-powered boat. The details and timelines of how it all came together are a bit murky, depending on the source, but it all centers around Castoldi, a world-class boat racer from Italy. According to RM Sotheby's, Castoldi had success with Alfa Romeo in lower-weight-class racing in the '40s before deciding he wanted to set the water speed record in the 800-kilogram class. Castoldi was reportedly friends with people at Ferrari, and he was fortunate enough to secure a Tipo 375 V12 engine for a three-point hydroplane built at Cantieri Timossi boatyard in Italy. That's the same engine Ferrari was using for its F1 Grand Prix cars of the time. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. After realizing the engine was still not powerful enough in its original form, Castoldi reportedly worked with Scuderia Ferrari’s chief race engineer Stefano Meazza to up the power. The engine, which started at roughly 385 horsepower, reportedly gained two superchargers and twin four-choke carburetors and boasted more than 500 horsepower in methanol-fueled race tune. It also received a dual-magneto ignition system, and each cylinder used two spark plugs. Castoldi called the boat Arno XI, and on October 15, 1953, he set the water speed record for the 800-kg class by averaging 150.19 mph during a two-way run. Some years passed, and racer Nando Dell'Orto later took ownership. He reportedly made some aerodynamic tweaks, including the shark nose intake and the rear shark fin before eventually retiring the boat from serious racing. In 2012, the Arno XI emerged from the shadows as lot No. 371 at an RM Sotheby's auction, where it sold for ˆ868,000, or roughly $966,000.

Race Recap: 2014 British F1 Grand Prix readjusts the balance of power

Qualifying for the British Formula One Grand Prix was just as much a surprise for fans as it was for teams. Certain team weather radar displays didn't accurately pinpoint storm systems over the track, and in the case of at least two teams, the lack of data was compounded by poor decision making. That's how both Ferraris and both Williams got kicked out of qualifying in Q3 - the drivers already on track took advantage of a dry spell between rains, but Ferrari and Williams waited too long to get back out, and by the time they did it had started raining again.
Rain-induced bewilderment hit the front of the field as well. When all appeared resolved in Q3 but the clock hadn't yet run down to zero, drivers including Lewis Hamilton and Daniel Ricciardo pulled into the pits thinking the day was done. However, a drying last sector of the Silverstone circuit meant the drivers still out could suddenly improve their times by four seconds in just that sector. When the bell tolled, those who fought to the last were those who lined up first: Nico Rosberg in the first Mercedes AMG Petronas, Sebastian Vettel in the first Infiniti Red Bull Racing, Jenson Button in the McLaren, Nico Hülkenberg in the first Force India and Kevin Magnussen in the second McLaren.
Hamilton had fallen all the way to sixth on the grid, a mortifying blow to his race and his championship challenge. He was followed by Sergio Perez in the second Force India, Ricciardo in the second Infiniti Red Bull Racing, Toro Rosso teammates Daniil Kvyat and Jean-Eric Vergne completing the top ten.

Alfa Romeo Giulia to get Ferrari-related engine

Alfa Romeo has a long, proud history of using V6 engines in its coupes, sedans, and sports cars over the years, but as the new Giulia sedan approaches, the Italian marque is allegedly turning to Ferrari for its next six-cylinder. This is obviously not the first time a Ferrari-sourced or derived engine has been found under an Alfa's long hood. While 8C Competizione famously used a version of Ferrari's F136 V8 during its short run, the Giulia's new V6 will be offered on a much larger scale, slotting in above an entry level, four-cylinder turbo (likely the next-gen version of the 4C sports car's 1.75-liter engine). According to Autocar, the new V6 will be "specially developed for Alfa Romeo," and will be built at the Termoli engine factory alongside the new turbo four-cylinder. As for the rest of the Giulia, Autocar has been able to shine a light on a number of other details about the new midsizer. It will, thankfully, be rear-wheel drive, and designed to counter the "mostly cold and clinical" and soulless cars of the German competition, Maserati chief Harald Wester told AC. Some of the new sedan's structural elements will even be shared with Maserati's entry level model, the Ghibli. Most notable of all, though, is what the Giulia means for American consumers. After the limited-run 8C and the niche 4C, the new sedan will lead Alfa Romeo's long-awaited, large-scale return, where it will combat the popular BMW 3 Series, Mercedes-Benz C-Class, Audi A4, not to mention rivals like the Cadillac ATS and Lexus IS. Look for more on the Giulia next week when it's officially revealed in Milan.