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Ferrari patents new electronic steering assist

Automobiles keep getting more and more advanced, with computers playing an ever-increasingly vital role in their operation. But some things remain the same. Despite more advanced (if not necessarily better) technologies available, we still burn fossils to fuel our engines, we still check what's behind us in actual mirrors and (with few exceptions) we still turn a steering wheel mechanically connected to the front wheels to change directions. But that doesn't mean automakers aren't working at new solutions.
We've sampled electric steering systems developed by Japanese automakers like Honda and Infiniti that disconnect the front wheels from the steering column, but while those systems may be the way of the future, they leave the driver feeling physically disconnected from the road. Ferrari, however, has a different idea.
Instead of either relying completely on a traditional system or replacing it with an entirely digital one, Ferrari appears to have found a sweet spot in the middle. According to a patent filing obtained by Evo, Ferrari is developing a system that still uses a direct mechanical steering linkage, but enhances it through the use of software that corrects for certain inconsistencies.

Ferrari SP38 is the latest one-off creation from the Prancing Horse

Ferrari has unveiled its latest one-off creation, called the SP38, a road- and track-going car built for "one of Ferrari's most dedicated customers" who has a "deep passion for racing." Swathed in a three-layer metallic red paint finish for its all-new body, the SP38 is built on the chassis and running gear of a donor 488 GTB and took its twin-turbo, twin-intercooler influence from the F40. Stylistically, the car concentrates its visual mass over the rear wheels, with a rear spoiler and engine cover reminiscent of the F40, with a wedge shape that narrows toward the front. "In plan view, the strongly tapered nose expands towards muscular wheel arches, giving the car potency and agility," Ferrari says. The engine cover sheds its rear glass and is a flip-up assembly done in carbon fiber, with three transverse slats to siphon off engine heat. At the back, the trailing edge of the rear spoiler "links seamlessly with the wing and with the aerodynamic diffuser at the bottom to create a suggestive frame surrounding the tail volume." Up front, inset headlights were designed to be as thin as possible, with daytime running lights relocated to a slim bumper lip similar to the 308 GTB. No word on the SP38's powertrain, but it seems likely that it's the 488's mid-engine 3.9-liter twin-turbo V8, which makes 660 horsepower and 560 pound-feet of torque. It'll go on display to the public on Saturday, May 26, at the Concorso d'Eleganza Villa d'Este on Lake Como in Italy. Related Video: Featured Gallery Ferrari SP38 Image Credit: Ferrari Ferrari Coupe Racing Vehicles Performance Supercars supercar ferrari f40 ferrari 488 gtb

Alonso and Rossi to field Ferrari at Le Mans?

The plot thickens and just keeps thickening when it comes to Ferrari's potential return to Le Mans. Antonello Coletta, the head of Ferrari's sports car racing program, first suggested that the new regulations being implemented by the ACO could potentially see the Prancing Horse marque compete in the top-tier LMP1 class. His thoughts have since been echoed by Stefano Domenicali, the head of the Scuderia's F1 team, and by chairman Luca di Montezemolo. And now we're hearing rumors over its potential driver lineup.
Word has it that Ferrari could send Valentino Rossi and Fernando Alonso to pilot its prototype at Le Mans in 2015 or 2016. The rumors were tweeted by Mark Webber (embedded below), who recently left F1 to drive for Porsche at Le Mans - and could amount to pure speculation, to some inside track on hard news or (as is often the case) something in between. One way or another, both Rossi and Alonso are multiple world champions in their fields with strong ties to Maranello and would make a formidable lineup - particularly if paired, we'd venture, with Ferrari's test driver Marc Gené, who won at Le Mans with Peugeot in 2009.
Although the Rossi connection would seem the greater stretch, it might actually make the most sense of the two. With nothing left to prove on two wheels, the seven-time MotoGP champion has been talking about leaving the series. He's test-driven Ferrari F1 cars on several occasions and raced the Ferrari 458 Italia GT3 in the Blancpain Endurance Series last season. The move would be a rare departure for Alonso, however, who has raced almost exclusively in open-wheel single seaters his entire career, and would need to balance the program with his F1 commitments. That is, assuming he doesn't get fed up with chasing after Sebastian Vettel and teaming with Kimi Raikkonen by then.