2018 488 Spider on 2040-cars

Auto blog

EV West launches monthly EV Show, starts with electric Ferrari project

The folks over at the EV West conversion shop are no strangers to video cameras, having put up a fair amount of footage on their YouTube channel over the years. Now though, they've decided to make their appearance on the web a more regular affair with the debut of the monthly EV Show. It aims, they say, to bring viewers the latest news in the electric vehicle industry, product information and a look at some of the projects they're working on. The outfit has had a hand in building and converting some notable vehicles in the past, but to kick off the new program, it's engaged in something special: the (re)making of an electric 1978 308 GTS Ferrari – a model made famous by its role in the Magnum P.I. television series. This particular vehicle had fallen victim to a fuel fire, though enough of the original non-necessary bits were in good enough condition to be sold off to help pay for part of the electro-restomod. After stripping the entire vehicle down, the build up will begin, and the components planned to bring this baby back to life are very interesting in their own right. For instance, the battery. Though the show hosts cagily don't mention the source of the pack, it's pretty clear it will be made of modules originally housed in a vehicle sporting a Tesla drivetrain (we suspect the 2nd-generation Smart ED.) The power will flow from these mystery batteries through a Rinehart controller and then on to a trio of chrome-plated, powder coated AC-51 motors from Hi Performance Electric Vehicle Systems housed in a custom bracket. The resulting configuration should be good for about 216 kW (290 horsepower) and 340 pound-feet of torque. You can keep up with this project and the many others the conversion shop has on the go by following them on Twitter and Facebook. The Ferrari project also has its own Instagram account. But first, check out the first episode of the EV Show by scrolling below. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. News Source: YouTube Green Ferrari Green Culture Electric ev west electric ferrari

Ferrari, Maseratis trashed in Chinese off-road adventure

Ready to cringe? A group of Chinese motorists drove the Sichuan-Tibet Highway in a fleet of Italian cars, fording streams and hopping rocky terrain as they went. Well, they attempted to drive it, anyway. Only five of the cars managed to survive the truly unnecessary ordeal. The trip was reportedly the idea of a wealthy Chinese businessman named Ni Haishan. Haishan was driving the red Ferrari F12, with his employees following in what appear to be 10 Maserati Ghibli sedans. The Maseratis were gifts to his employees, which makes the loss of six of them along the way only slightly easier to stomach. Even the cars that made it to the finish line in Lhasa, Tibet, arrived with some serious damage. The unsurprising fallout included several wheels and tires on the Ferrari, including one wheel that took the studs it was attached to with it. As you can see above, the "highway" route was not exactly suited to these particular cars. There is some precedent for a car from Maranello driving to Lhasa, however. In 2005, Ferrari sent two 612 Scagliettis on a tour of China called "Ferrari 15,000 Red Miles" with various journalists at the wheel. That journey started and ended in Shanghai and took the cars all over the vast country, including two crossings of the Gobi Desert, along the Great Wall, and on some of Marco Polo's route. Of course, it also involved a lot of planning, a huge support team, and at least a modicum of common sense. All of this was supposedly Haishan's way of showing the world that business is good for him and that customers should trust their money with him. We might conclude otherwise based on the results. If you absolutely have to run this road in something Italian and expensive, may we suggest a Maserati Levante next time? Related Video: Image Credit: news.163.com Auto News Ferrari Maserati Coupe Luxury Performance Sedan ferrari f12 berlinetta maserati ghibli

Race Recap: At the Abu Dhabi grand prix, the caravan chases a mirage

Both championships have been claimed this year, with Sebastian Vettel taking the Driver Championship and Infiniti Red Bull Racing the Constructor's. But there's no skunk rule in Formula One, so the last three races of the schedule are going on as scheduled.
Abu Dhabi was the latest venue, and what the Yas Marina Circuit has lacked in racing excitement, it has more than made up for in drama. It's where Lewis Hamilton always does well and should have won but for an engine blow-up. That lead to Kimi Räikkönen taking the first win of his return, and giving Lotus its first win. It's where a championship was decided when Fernando Alonso was stuck behind Vitaly Petrov and Timo Glock and couldn't put up a fight against Vettel. And this year, it was where Mark Webber again out-qualified his Red Bull teammate and grabbed pole, just three rounds away from retirement.
He was followed by Vettel, the Mercedes-AMG Petronas pair of Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton, the unstoppable Nico Hülkenberg in the first Sauber in fifth, Romain Grosjean in the first Lotus, Felipe Massa in the first Ferrari, Sergio Perez in the McLaren, Daniel Ricciardo in the Toro Rosso and Alonso in the second Ferrari in tenth. Tenth.