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Ferrari unwraps radical new F12 TdF

The Ferrari F12 Berlinetta has never been in need of a performance boost, but Maranello has given it one just the same. Feast your eyes on the new F12 TdF. The latest Prancing Horse recalls the legendary Tour de France (for automobiles, not bicycles) that Ferrari dominated nine years running from 1956 through 1964 – and the elegant long-wheelbase 250 GT named in its honor. But the F12 TdF is much more about forward momentum than looking back. Power is up, weight is down, and everything's been tightened up, with new systems on board to keep it all together. For starters, the screaming 6.3-liter V12 from the existing F12 Berlinetta has been upgraded from 730 horsepower to 769. Torque has been increased from 509 pound-feet to 520. Although the engine will wail all the way up to 8,900 rpm, 80 percent of that torque is available as low as just 2,500 revs. Of course, Ferrari being Ferrari, it didn't just tinker with the engine and call it a day. It also returned the seven-speed dual-clutch transmissions to deliver upshifts 30 percent faster, downshifts 40 percent faster, and with ratios six percent shorter. The track is wider, the wheels larger, and the one-piece brakes are lifted out of the even more extreme LaFerrari. Ferrari has also fitted the TdF with a new Virtual Short Wheelbase system – Modenese for four-wheel steering – that sharpens turn-in, increases high-speed stability, and keeps the tail from spinning around to fast on the wider front tires. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. As you can see, the bodywork has been substantially redone as well, to be both lighter and more aerodynamically efficient. As a result, the TdF produces 87 percent more downforce than the stock Berlinetta. And thanks to its more extensive use of carbon fiber – not to mention the stripped-out cabin – the whole thing weighs a good 240 pounds less. The result of all these enhancements, Ferrari says, is a 0-62 time of just 2.9 seconds. Keep the throttle pegged (as you would most certainly be tempted to do) and it'll reach 124 miles per hour after 7.9 seconds, topping out at over 211 mph. It's also been clocked around the company's private, on-site Fiorano test track in 1 minute and 21 seconds, which is a good two seconds faster than the Berlinetta or the 488 GTB – and barely more than a second adrift of LaFerrari, the fastest road car ever to lap the circuit.

Sebastian Vettel captures Belgian Grand Prix

SPA-FRANCORCHAMPS, Belgium – Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel sped away from first corner carnage to celebrate a commanding Belgian Grand Prix victory on Sunday and trim Lewis Hamilton's Formula One lead to 17 points with eight races remaining. Hamilton, last year's winner in Belgium, started from pole position but finished second for Mercedes while Red Bull's Max Verstappen gave his army of Dutch fans something to cheer with third place. In the battle of four-times world champions, Hamilton now has 231 points to Vettel's 214. "I had a great start, I'm not sure Lewis saw me as he pushed me to the left in the first lap, but after last year I ended up short, and this year it was the other way around," said Vettel of his decisive pass on Hamilton. "As soon as I was ahead I relaxed. I had a good restart after the safety car, and after that it was a very smooth race," he added. The start provided most of the afternoon's excitement, with Fernando Alonso's McLaren flying over Charles Leclerc's Sauber at the La Source hairpin after being rammed by Renault's Nico Hulkenberg. All three retired as the safety car was deployed for four laps but Leclerc had reason to thank the 'halo' head protection system -- introduced this season -- for allowing him to step away unscathed. Television close-up images after the race showed the structure heavily marked by the impact. "The Halo was a very good thing to have today. I think for him, it helped," commented Spaniard Alonso, who will be leaving Formula One at the end of the season. Ferrari's Kimi Raikkonen, a four times winner in Belgium, and Red Bull's Daniel Ricciardo also collided at the start and retired after pitting, the Finn having to wait for his 100th career podium. At the front, Vettel swiftly seized the lead from Hamilton down the Kemmel straight on the opening lap and never looked back, taking the checkered flag 11.0 seconds clear of Hamilton. "He drove past me like I wasn't even there on the straight," said Hamilton, who was quick to shake his rival's hand and offer congratulations. "They have got a few trick things going on in the car," he added. "I did what I could, we did what we could so we have to keep working." It was the German's fifth win of the campaign, matching his British rival, and 52nd of his career -- one more than the great four times champion Alain Prost managed. Hamilton's team mate Valtteri Bottas finished fourth, and set the fastest lap, after starting 17th.

Mansory 4XX Siracusa is the carbon-fiberphile's Ferrari

We've already said the best thing about the Geneva Motor Show are the exotics on display. There's a new Koenigsegg, a successor to the Bugatti Veyron, the latest Aston Martin grand tourer, and even a pretty bad-ass Chevrolet Corvette. But for every good high-performance car, there are more, um, questionable decisions. This is the Mansory 4XX Siracusa, and it's what happens when someone decides the Ferrari 488 GTB isn't as extreme as it should be. The 3.9-liter, twin-turbocharged V8's output has been increased from 661 horsepower to 790 ponies, while torque is up from 561 pound-feet to 643 lb-ft. These are improvements we can support, but the impact on stopwatch performance isn't quite enough – Mansory claims the 4XX Siracusa will hit 60 in just 2.9 seconds and keep going to 212 miles per hour. But for those keeping track at home, the question with the Mansory is whether a tenth-of-a-second improvement and an extra seven mph on the high end is enough to warrant the, ahem, unique design direction of this aftermarket offering. You need to really like carbon fiber to enjoy the 4XX. Like, a lot. Because Mansory has gone beyond even Ferrari's optional carbon-fiber treatments, finishing the front splitter, rear diffuser, roof, pillars, mirror, fender vents, sills, intakes, taillight surrounds, parts of the hood, the spoiler, and both rear wings in the stuff. Then, if that wasn't eye-catching enough, the entire car gets a more aggressive body kit and very, very yellow paint. It's just too much. You can check out the full set of live images of Mansory's take on the 488 GTB from the floor of the Geneva Motor Show at the top of the page.