2008 Ferrari 599 Gtb Fiorano Coupe 2-door 6.0l on 2040-cars

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Mercedes sues Ferrari-bound F1 engineer for stealing secrets

Mercedes is suing one of its Formula One engineers, one Benjamin Hoyle, claiming he was planning to take sensitive data to a competitor. An experienced powertrain engineer, Hoyle came to Mercedes AMG High Performance Powertrains in 2012 with previous experience at Prodrive and Cosworth. One of four team leaders at the company, Hoyle headed up the performance application department until he notified his employers of his intention not to seek renewal of his contract that expires at the end of this year. Once they found out that Hoyle was switching to Ferrari, the higher-ups at Mercedes reassigned him to other, less sensitive duties, however Hoyle was reportedly discovered accessing race reports and other sensitive data relating to the performance of the team's engines. In response, Mercedes has filed suit against Hoyle, claiming that he "and potentially Ferrari have gained an unlawful advantage." The German automaker is seeking the return of all documents and the payment of its legal fees. It also seeks to prevent Hoyle from working for another F1 team throughout next season. Mercedes AMG High Performance Powertrains is the Daimler's F1 engine division. Based in Brixworth, UK, it was founded back in 1983 together with Ilmor before Mercedes bought it outright. Aside from the company's own works team, the outfit this year powered Williams, Lotus, and Force India, and previously worked with McLaren as well as Sauber. This is not the first time that a case of industrial espionage has emerged in F1. A similar controversy erupted in 2007 surrounding engineers Nigel Stepney and Mike Coughlan. The highly publicized incident became known as "Spygate" or "Stepneygate" and involved the illegal sharing of secrets between Ferrari, McLaren, and Renault. News Source: BloombergImage Credit: Martin Meissner/AP Government/Legal Hirings/Firings/Layoffs Motorsports Ferrari Mercedes-Benz F1 industrial espionage

Fiat Chrysler denies rumors that Ferrari SpA is moving to London

It seems that reports of Ferrari's relocation to London have been somewhat exaggerated. The past few days have seen more than a few stories on the legendary Italian brand's decision to move its tax base out of Italy, and now Fiat Chrysler is speaking out against the scuttlebutt. "These rumors have no grounds," FCA said in a statement obtained by Reuters. "There is no intention to move the tax residence of Ferrari SpA outside Italy, nor is there any project to delocalize its Italian operations, which will continue to be subject to Italian tax jurisdiction." Ferrari's move to London was based on two beliefs. First, that the company would benefit from being located nearer the investor community, should it be listed on a European exchange. FCA, though, said a European listing was only a "possibility," according to Reuters. Instead, the company will be listed on an American market. Aside from the move to benefit investors, it was believed Ferrari was looking to relocate to escape Italy's more oppressive corporate tax rate, which sits around at 31.4 percent, compared to the UK's 20 percent, Bloomberg reports. This denial by Fiat Chrysler, though, should be enough to close the book on Ferrari leaving Italy, no matter how much sense it might make. Related Video:

Lego Ferrari F40 built a brick at a time on time-lapse video

The Ferrari F40 stands as an icon of its era and might be the greatest supercar of all time. The wedge-like shape and squared-off headlights scream high-performance of the late '80s, and the 2.9-liter twin-turbo V8 makes a magical sound behind the driver's ear. As much as we'd all love to park one in our garages, owning one of these Italian masterpieces is out of the budget for most of us because prices push $1 million or even more for an LM. Even if you can't afford the real thing, Hagerty presents a much less expensive option in a video that puts a version together using Lego pieces, one brick at a time. Starting from only two bricks, the Ferrari slowly comes together, and it's fascinating to watch the supercar take shape. First, the plastic version of the famous engine emerges, and then the red body gradually appears. The video lets you see hours of work at the kitchen table happen over just one minute. According to Lego's website, its F40 kit sells for $99.99 and includes 1,158 pieces. The finished product doesn't make the real thing's bombastic sound but is at least a more affordable gift for the holidays. Related Video: