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Watch the trailer for 'Ferrari 312B: Where the revolution begins' documentary

It's not often that a car gets to star in its own silver screen documentary, but the Ferrari 312B is doing just that, as the 1970-introduced Formula 1 car is being featured in Ferrari 312B: Where the revolution begins. The 312B launched a new era for the Italian marque. The B stood for "boxer," referencing the 180-degree 3.0-liter 12-cylinder engine, which replaced the preceding 312's 60-degree V12. The groundbreaking flat engine enabled the new car to have a lower center of gravity, which among other benefits, allowed more space for unhindered airflow above it. The body designs that graced the 312B were unconventional, earning one particularly nose-heavy-looking car the nickname "snowplow." As a dramatic story arc requires, the newly designed engine proved unreliable in its early guise, taking years of honing for it to be properly nailed. Racing legends Niki Lauda, Jacky Ickx, Jackie Stewart, Gerhard Berger and Damon Hill are among those to analyze the car and the years that turned Ferrari's fortunes around. The 1970 car even returns to the Monaco race track all these years later, having been overhauled by a team led by its original engineer – Mauro Forghieri. The documentary hits American theaters Nov. 17.

LaFerrari racing prototype spotted in Southern Europe

Rumors have been circulating for a few months now that Ferrari could be gearing up to challenge for outright victory at Le Mans once again with an LMP1 racer of its own. First the head of the sports racing division hinted at the prospect, then the head of the Formula One team lent it more credence, and most recently, the chairman of the company itself confirmed the possibility. We've even heard some rumors over who could drive the thing. But what we haven't seen yet is any solid proof that the Prancing Horse marque has actually been working on such a racecar.
That could be what we're looking at it here, but then again, it might not be. Spied undergoing testing in Southern Europe, this camouflaged test mule appears to be based on the new LaFerrari supercar, but with some key modifications that indicate this isn't the road-going version. The revised aero is a dead giveaway, with that giant front splitter jutting out like a swollen lip and a massive rear wing protruding from the back. The headlights are different, it's got center-lock wheels fitted at each corner and there's a big snorkel air scoop protruding from the engine bay.
What's clear is that this is test mule has definitely been set up for the race track. The only question is, to what end? Even with all the add-ons, it's still nowhere near as extreme as the purpose-built prototypes that Audi, Toyota and Porsche will be fielding in the FIA World Endurance Championship this year, and it's missing key features like the mandatory center tailfin. It could be a platform for testing components to use on an upcoming LMP1, but if not for the aforementioned Le Mans rumors, our money would have been on something else - be it a GT racing version of LaFerrari like Maserati did with the Enzo-based MC12, or a customer track toy to follow in the footsteps of the (also Enzo-based) FXX and the 599XX that followed.

Ferrari vs. Ferrari: Cut convertibles unloved by collectors?

The New York Times' Wheels blog has a really interesting story on a pair of Ferraris that are set to be auctioned off in Monterey during the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance. While the two cars are similar on the surface, their differing histories and Ferrari's attitude towards one of them has led to a sort of experimental auction process.
On the one hand, we have one of ten 1967 275 GTB/4 NART Spiders, in the classic Rosso Corsa and appearing at RM Auctions and seen above. On the other, we have a Fly Yellow version that started life as a 1965 275 GTB Coupe, and was converted into a NART Spider. Called a "cut" car, this particular replica is one of about 100 GTB Coupes that were converted into convertibles to satiate the climbing demand for ultra-rare Spiders.
This will mark one of the first times that an original NART Spider will go toe to toe with a replica of itself at auction, and will answer a number of questions about just how important provenance is in the collector car world. Head on over to The Times blog for the full story.