2010 Ferrari California Yellow Tachometer Ipod Connection Yellow Brake Calipers on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Ferrari might bring back the Dino, says Sergio

Dino: It's one of the most evocative, though long-dormant nameplates in automotive history. Coined after Ferrari founder Enzo's son, the badge was on a series of smaller and more affordable mid-engined sports cars produced between 1968 and 1976. And now Ferrari's boss says it could come back on the rump of an all-new Ferrari/Dino model. "It's a when not an if," says Sergio Marchionne, chief executive of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, majority owner of the Italian sports car maker. "We know that it [Dino] is an under-used resource, but that's why we need to get it right." He agrees that a Dino model could have around 500 horsepower, be smaller and lighter than the mid-engine, V8-powered 488, and could even have a V6 engine just like the original Dinos. Ferrari collaborated on the development of the V6 engine design for Maserati and forthcoming Alfa Romeo models. A future Dino-badged model could share the same mill. "The six-cylinder response has been positive," says the CEO. Just don't go thinking that such a car would be a cheaper Ferrari. Marchionne is adamant that a Dino would not be seen as, or indeed be, a budget Ferrari. But there is the possibility that Dino could be launched as a standalone brand, just as it was at one time in the Seventies. "You don't screw around with the interests of your customers," says Marchionne, admitting he hated the Porsche Boxster model because it was seen as a cheap Porsche. Dino was originally created to compete with Porsche's 911. Enzo reasoned that he didn't want to reduce the price of his more expensive models to compete with the more affordable German sports car. Ferrari could do good business in a lower-priced arena, but Marchionne is clear that he wouldn't chase sales at the expense of the brand. "I would never try to sell another 500 cars at the expense of the Ferrari name," he says. Related Video: Image Credit: Winfried Rothermel / AP Design/Style Ferrari Supercars Sergio Marchionne ferrari dino

Watch Edo Competition pit a Ferrari FXX against a Maserati MC12 Corsa on the 'Ring

High-zoot supercar tour organizer Gran Turismo Events held its annual Nürburgring track day last month, and in addition to the amateur punters the gates were opened to two tuned supercars from Edo Competition: A Maserati MC12 Corsa and a Ferrari Enzo ZXX. The ZXX, in case you've forgotten, is the same love child of Edo Competition and Zahir Rana's ZR Exotics that belly flopped into the Atlantic during the 2011 Targa Newfoundland.
We get a trip around the Nordschleife with both cars during a no-doubt quick but not insane lap, on board with driver Patrick Simon in the 755-horsepower MC12 and 'Ring queen Sabine Schmitz following in the 840-hp ZXX.
That should be all the build-up you need when the action's in the video below.

Ferrari configurator lets you play 458 Speciale customer

We all wish we had an extra $300,000 just lying around that we could spend on a supercar. And if we did, we don't doubt that the Ferrari 458 Speciale would be near the top of our list. It's hard, after all, to argue with 600 naturally aspirated horsepower churning away right behind your seat. Unfortunately few of us have that kind of scratch. That's where online configurators come in.
While these web-based customization tools don't exactly let you drive off the lot in a six-figure supercar, they can at least let you pretend that you're the kind of person who would (or more pertinently, could) do just that. And Ferrari's latest is among the cooler ones we've seen.
Like most online configuration tools, Maranello's lets you choose the colors of the bodywork and which wheels you want, but also lets you choose brake calipers, racing stripes and all manner of carbon-fiber aero components. Step inside and the choices are even more extensive, from the size and shape of seats to the color of the tachometer.