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Xcar celebrates Ferrari F12 Berlinetta as the end of an era

Few automakers are still making V12s. And even fewer of them are still naturally aspirated. The Bentley Continental, Rolls-Royce Wraith, BMW 760i, Mercedes S600, Pagani Huayra... they're all twin-turbocharged. That makes the Ferrari F12 Berlinetta something of a dying breed, and a masterpiece to be celebrated – as Xcar has in this latest video. With a 6.3-liter V12 up front under that long bonnet, driving 730 horsepower to the rear wheels, the F12 is old school – and perhaps the best of that old school before downsized turbocharged engines and hybrids finally take over for good. That'd consign atmospheric twelves like the Berlinetta, the Lamborghini Aventador and all those Aston Martins to the dustbin of history as the last of their kind. So take a look at what we might be missing in the video above before it's too late.

Toro Rosso switches back to Ferrari F1 power for 2016

Scuderia Toro Rosso will run once again under Ferrari power next season. The "other" Italian squad (and second Red Bull team) announced the switch back to Maranello power for 2016, ending its two-year sojourn with Renault, and returning to the engine supplier it used for seven years prior. And with it, the team has also confirmed its driver lineup for next season as well. The 2016 Formula One World Championship will see both Max Verstappen and Carlos Sainz return to drive the new Toro Rosso-Ferrari STR11, maintaining the same driver lineup as this past season but under new motivation. Both drivers debuted with the team last season in a complete shakeup of its roster after Jean-Eric Vergne was shown the door and Daniil Kvyat (like Daniel Ricciardo before him) was promoted to the Red Bull Racing team. In ten seasons on the grid, the team has only landed on the podium once, and that was with Sebastian Vettel's dramatic rain-soaked race victory at Monza in 2008. The fourth-place finishes that Verstappen impressively took in Hungary and Austin this year match the team's next-best results to date. Sainz managed to finish in the points in seven out of 19 grands prix this season, including a seventh-place finish in Austin. The team finished the season in seventh place – tying its second best results to date – ahead of Sauber and McLaren, but behind Lotus and Force India. The Austrian parent company bought the team formerly known as Minardi back in 2005, hitting the grid the next season under its current name and Cosworth power. The following season it switched to Ferrari engines before joining its big brother under Renault motivation for the past season. Because of the last-minute engine swap, the team will start the season using Ferrari's 2015 power units. Faenza's switch to Ferrari supply will leave Renault powering only two teams next season: the Lotus outfit that it is now bringing back in house, and Red Bull, which will run the French automaker's engines for at least one more season – albeit branded under the TAG Heuer name. Meanwhile the Prancing Horse marque will power a total of four teams next season, including its own, Toro Rosso, Sauber, and newcomer Haas. Mercedes will power three and Honda just the one. Scuderia Toro Rosso to feature a Ferrari power unit Scuderia Toro Rosso's 2016 challenger, the STR11, will feature a Ferrari power unit. It marks a return to the company that supplied engines to the team from 2007 to 2013.

1957 Ferrari 335S sells for $34.9M, still not most expensive Ferrari ever sold

Here's your reminder that the price of a good vintage Ferrari is absolutely staggering – the 1957 335S that just sold at an Artcurial auction in Paris for $34.9 million isn't even close to a record when it comes to Prancing Horses crossing the block. While this 335S still represents a hell of a lot of money, we're actually wondering why it didn't do better. For one, this car, chassis number 0674, has the all-important racing provenance collectors crave. It's been raced by legends Mike Hawthorne and Sir Stirling Moss. In its first year of competition, Wolfgang von Trips took it to second place at the Mille Miglia, while Peter Collins and Maurice Trintigant drove it to sixth at the 12 Hours of Sebring. It even recorded the fastest lap at the 24 Hours of Le Mans (although it retired with engine problems just 56 laps into the race). So yes, consider the provenance box checked. Besides famous racers and races, it was owned by some huge names in the Ferrari world, including Luigi Chinetti, the founder of the North American Racing Team and the first Ferrari importer in the US. But for the past 45 years, it was a part of the legendary Bardinon Collection, which was known for its wide array of high-quality Ferraris. While the 1957 335S falls short of the record-holding 1962 250 GTO sold by Bonhams for $38.1 million during the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance festivities in 2014, it's still one of the most expensive cars ever sold at auction. And hey, it even landed in the meaty part of its $31.2 million to $35.6 million estimated sale price.