One Owner, Loaded With Carbon Fiber, Sport Exhaust, Shields, Afs!! on 2040-cars

Auto blog

2016 British Grand Prix kept mostly calm and carried on

Three bursts of chaos decided the course of the British Grand Prix. The first was a literal cloudburst a dozen minutes before the race, which poured water on the Silverstone Circuit while drivers sat on the grid. Six minutes before the lights-out, the race director decided to start the race behind the Safety Car. The field loped around the wet track for five laps. When the Safety Car pulled off, the three leaders – Mercedes-AMG Petronas' Lewis Hamilton, followed by teammate Nico Rosberg and Red Bull's Max Verstappen – stayed out. Behind them, the second chaotic moment occurred: a big group of drivers made pit stops for intermediate tires. When Manor's Pascal Wehrlein spun at Turn 1 on Lap 7, officials issued a Virtual Safety Car. With the rest of the field slowed down, the three leaders ducked into the pits on Lap 8 for intermediates. The fortuitous timing meant all three drivers rejoined the track in their original positions. By Lap 9, with racing resumed, Hamilton had a 4.9-second lead on Rosberg. From that point, even as the track dried, no one bothered Hamilton during what one commentator called "a measured drive." The Brit won his home grand prix, taking the checkered flag seven seconds ahead of Rosberg. Rosberg had to earn second place on track. The German's car didn't respond well to the intermediate tires, so Verstappen excecuted an outstanding pass on Rosberg on the outside through Chapel on Lap 16. After everyone switched to slicks, Rosberg's Mercedes reclaimed its mojo and the German hunted Verstappen down, passing the Dutchman on Lap 38. The final touch of chaos happened when Rosberg's gearbox threw a tantrum on Lap 47 of the 52-lap race. Rosberg radioed his engineer, "Gearbox problem!" His engineer replied, "Affirm. Chassis default zero one. Avoid seventh gear, Nico." The race stewards allowed the engineer's first two statements, but stewards said the instruction about seventh gear contravened the rule that "the driver must drive the car alone and unaided." After the race, officials added ten seconds to Rosberg's time, demoting him to third behind Verstappen. Rosberg's is the first penalty arising from radio communication restrictions. Unsurprisingly, Mercedes will appeal. At this year's Baku race the radio controversy stemmed from engineers refusing to tell drivers what to do. Now we know what happens when the pit wall gets loose lips.

Ferrari launches upgraded 458 Challenge Evoluzione

Want to drive an eight-cylinder, mid-engined Ferrari? Assuming you can get your lucky little hands on one, you can drive a 458 Italia, 458 Spider or new 458 Speciale on the street. But the real action is where the road ends and the racetrack begins. Ferrari's Corse Clienti division offers versions for GT2 and GT3 racing, for Grand-Am (likely to be revised for the new United SportsCar Championship), and, of course, for its own Challenge racing series.
It's the latter version that Ferrari revealed it was upgrading last week, and now it's made its debut at the tail end of the rain-soaked Finali Mondiali event at Mugello. Although Ferrari only released limited details and just the one new photo, the new 458 Challenge Evoluzione upgrades on its predecessor as promised with obvious aerodynamic enhancements.
Those upgrades are "aimed at making the car even more driveable" for the customer racers who take part in the series, and seem to bridge the gap (at least visually) between the previous 458 Challenge and the more extreme racing versions that have to contend with more competition than its own kind. The upgrades are being rolled out as a kit that will be obligatory in the various Challenge series that will kick off around the world next year.

Ferrari California T showcases classic style in Shanghai

Ferrari may not have anything new to showcase this year (or at least nothing we haven't seen before) at the largest auto show in one of its largest markets, but it did roll into Shanghai with a rather stunning take on the California T. This drop-top Prancing Horse has been customized through the company's Tailor Made personalization program, taking its cues from the 1950s and early '60s. The bodywork has been done up in Grigio Ingrid – the same color Roberto Rossellini chose for Ingrid Bergman's 1954 Ferrari 375 MM. The interior, meanwhile, features a rather stunning swath of reddish-brown leather with waxed edges inspired by Jackie Kennedy, offset by black Alcantara, a matte grey metallic dashboard and virgin wool carpeting. The details cast what otherwise might not be Maranello's most beautiful model in a rather gorgeous light, and just goes to show the extent of the customization options available to the company's discerning clientele. Related Video: Tailor Made Elegance At Auto Shanghai a Ferrari California T inspired by two classic style icons Maranello, 20 April 2015 – Today, at Auto Shanghai (April 22-29, 2015)Ferrariunveiled a particularly stunning bespoke California T. This California T was created especially for the Chinese auto show to illustrate how Ferrari's "Tailor Made" program allows a client to commission a car according to his or her wishes. Since the 1950s, the Ferrari California series has embodied elegance, sportiness and versatility. In keeping with this spirit, Ferrari's design team chose to style this California T with timelesssophistication. For inspiration, the designers looked to two great icons of style, the actress Ingrid Bergman, known for her natural beauty and effortless chic, and the Kennedy familyas personified by the graceful Jacqueline Kennedy. Finished indemure "Grigio Ingrid" a color named for the unforgettable Ingrid Bergman who chose this very shade of grey for the Ferrari 375 MM Roberto Rossellini gave her in 1954, this California T has a touch of understatement.The interiors on the other hand are rich in materials and detail, taking their cues from the worlds of interior and furniture design as well as luxury goods.In particular the seats, in reddish brown, velvety"count prestige" leather, are a variation on theKennedee chair by Jean Marie Massaud, a design that in turn was influenced by the style of America's "former first family" the Kennedys.