2013 Ferrari 458 Italia on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Sebastian Vettel rips Ferrari FXX K around Fiorano

Sebastian Vettel is without a doubt the most successful driver currently on the Formula One grid. He's won four world championships, 39 grands prix and taken pole position 45 times. That makes him the third most successful driver in F1 history, retired or active. And now that he's signed with Ferrari, he's driving for the most successful team in the series as well. That's good news for the tifosi, but it's also good news for Vettel. Because not only will he be driving one of the best cars on the grid, but he'll have access to some of the best wheels off of it, too. Case in point: This latest video released by the Maranello outfit, in which the multiple world champion takes the new FXX K out for a spin around Fiorano. The track-bound evolution of the hybrid LaFerrari hypercar, the FXX K is said to lap the circuit in 1:14, making it the fastest Prancing Horse this side of a purpose-built racer like the SF15-T he'll be piloting in the 2015 world championship. In short, it's a heck of a step up from the special-edition FX crossover Infiniti made for him when he was still at Red Bull. And while you might think it still wouldn't measure up to some of the race-winning single-seaters he's driven over the years, he does seem to enjoy the experience. At least it's got a bit more elbow room than what he's used to. Related Gallery Sebastian Vettel in Ferrari FXX K at Fiorano News Source: Ferrari Ferrari Supercars Videos F1 Sebastian Vettel fiorano ferrari fxx k

Ex-Ferrari chairman sounds off on IPO

Former Ferrari chairman Luca di Montezemolo preferred to put exclusivity over profits when he ran the company, and the lower volume still meant huge amounts of cash for the business. FCA CEO Sergio Marchionne has since taken over Ferrari, but that hasn't stopped di Montezemolo from voicing his opinions. "I hope that the clients will remain more important than the analyst or the investor or the financial markets," di Montezemolo said prior to his induction into the Automotive Hall of Fame in Detroit, the Detroit Free Press reported. The former chairman argued that once on the stock exchange, a company would need to maximize profits quarter after quarter to keep investors happy. Conversely, di Montezemolo said Ferrari's years of success came from an "exclusivity in terms of number of cars, exclusivity in terms of how you deal with the clients." When di Montezemolo left Ferrari last year, he and Marchionne were scuffling about the future of the brand, including the health of the Formula 1 program. With the change in leadership, the company has reversed course in some ways. Where volume was previously kept around 7,000 units annually, the carmaker has set a new goal of closer to 10,000. The paperwork was filed for the IPO, and Marchionne thinks the company could be worth over $11 billion. The actual shares are rumored to go on sale in October. Related Video:

Driver, track worker survive horrific Ferrari 458 crash at Suzuka

Two people are lucky to be alive after a brutal crash during a recent Ferrari 458 Challenge event in Japan. Driver Shigeru Terajima lost control of his machine on the Suzuka Circuit start/finish straight, left the course at nearly 200 miles per hour and struck the inside wall where a corner worker was standing and monitoring the race. The 458 immediately disintegrated, sending bits of carbon fiber bodywork, suspension components, wheels and tires scattering into the infield and across the race course. The passenger cell spun through the air before coming to a stop on its roof.
Miraculously, both Terajima and the corner worker survived the incident. While the driver was transported to a local hospital in serious condition, he's expected to make a full recovery. The track worker, meanwhile, saw the incident coming and dove out of harm's way at the last possible moment, saving him from the brunt of the impact. You can watch an observer's frightening footage of the Ferrari crash by scrolling below.