1995 Ferrari F355 Spider on 2040-cars

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Ferrari plans 15 new models, shares name of its SUV

MARANELLO, Italy — Ferrari plans to launch 15 new models, including hybrid cars, a utility vehicle and more special editions as part of its new chief executive's efforts to double core earnings by 2022. The supercar maker shifted to a guidance range for adjusted core earnings of 1.8-2.0 billion euros ($2.1-2.3 billion) by 2022, rather than the 2 billion figure set by late Ferrari boss Sergio Marchionne. But his successor sought to reassure investors that the company can maintain recent strong growth. "This is an ambitious plan, but a doable one based on a concrete, detailed framework," Louis Camilleri said on Tuesday at the company's Maranello headquarters in Italy. Ferrari shares gained 0.6 percent by 1330 GMT, recovering from earlier losses. The stock slid more than 8 percent on Aug. 1 when Camilleri described Marchionne's targets as "aspirational." Marchionne's sudden death in July jolted investors who had expected the auto industry grandee to remain at the wheel until 2021, having more than doubled Ferrari's market value since taking it public in 2015. Camilleri and his team outlined a plan to show how a brand known for its racing pedigree and roaring combustion engines will shift to making a utility vehicle and hybrid cars and boost margins to over 38 percent without sacrificing exclusivity. The company increased its dividend payout ratio and announced a 1.5 billion-euro share buyback plan. Its marketing chief also promised a "significant increase in average retail price." Following Marchionne's roadmap With margins at 30 percent now, strong pricing power and an enviable customer waiting list, Camilleri inherits a business firing on all cylinders and is not expected to stray far from his predecessor's script. Marchionne had orchestrated Ferrari's spinoff from parent Fiat Chrysler, positioned it as a luxury brand rather than a carmaker, and managed to do what few thought possible: sail through a self-imposed production cap of 7,000 cars a year without sacrificing pricing power or its exclusive appeal. Ferrari has clocked up years of record earnings, helped by special editions and a customization program. But it could prove tough to maintain the company's high valuation as emissions rules tighten, capital spending increases and the diverging interests of investors, racing fans, owners and collectors become harder to balance.

See what the Chevy C7 ZR1 may be benchmarked against

One of the greatest things every Corvette has had going for it, and also one of the most re-used arguments against it, is its price-to-performance equation - long before the Nissan GT-R became the de facto Porsche 911 comparator the Corvette spent decades as Exhibit A. Depending on which side of the argument you stressed, supporters crowed about how much performance you got for how (comparatively) little, detractors carped on how little you got everywhere else in the bargain.
It appears Chevrolet is working as hard as ever to render the argument meaningless. Spy shooters at KGP captured a convocation of European birds of prey leaving the General Motors test center, and aimed at benchmarking the C7 Corvette ZR1. The road train comprised of two C7 Corvette Stingrays, a 2013 Corvette ZR1, McLaren MP4-12C, Ferrari 458 Italia, Audi R8 V10 Spyder and Porsche 911 Carrera S and it was last seen heading down the same kinked-up back roads used to hone the Corvette Stingray.
The C7-series ZR1 and its possible 700 horsepower are still a ways off. If it really is being positioned to compete with the celestial exotica in the testing group, could it be the first Corvette to regularly be the first answer to the question "Cost no object, which would would you rather have?"

Rosberg survives the Mexican mess | 2016 Mexican Grand Prix recap

Roughly ten messy laps defined the Mexican Grand Prix – five laps at the start and five at the end. Those laps included a couple of actual wrecks and a few more near wrecks that turned the entire day into chaos. To have any chance of winning the 2016 Driver's Championship, Lewis Hamilton needed to get his Mercedes-AMG Petronas across the finish line ahead of teammate Nico Rosberg. Once again we got a weekend full of vintage Hamilton, the Brit dominating the from Friday to Sunday, except for the first corner of the first lap. Pole-sitter Hamilton reached Turn 1 clearly in front of the field. But he couldn't make the corner and stay on track, so he zipped into the runoff area and over the grass, rejoining at Turn 3 still ahead of the field. The stewards didn't penalize Hamilton, one commentator's explanation being that Hamilton "was not battling another car." The non-action left car #44 to enjoy a lights-to-flag win. At that very same corner, Rosberg also availed himself of the runoff area. His infraction seemed destined to incur a penalty until replays showed that Max Verstappen in the Red Bull slid wide and bumped Rosberg, causing the German to go off track. No penalties were handed out there, either. Verstappen would return to hound Rosberg later in the race when angling for second place. Verstappen took a stab through Turn 4 on Lap 50 of the 71-lap race, but ran off the track and lost touch with the Mercedes by Lap 55. Ferrari got half of its strategy right in Mexico, putting Sebastian Vettel hard on the charge in the final stint. The German got within DRS range of Verstappen on Lap 67, with Red Bull's Daniel Ricciardo a little more than a second behind Vettel. On Lap 68, Verstappen pulled the same move as Hamilton at the beginning of the race: the Dutchman ran wide through Turn 1, zoomed over the grass and rejoined the track at Turn 3, staying ahead of Vettel the whole time. With three laps remaining, the stewards chose to investigate after the race. In spite of Verstappen's own team telling he probably needed to cede position to Vettel, Verstappen stayed in front and slowed just enough to put Vettel under threat from Ricciardo. On Lap 70 Ricciardo had closed up to Vettel's gearbox. Headed for Turn 4, Vettel swung outside to take the corner. When Ricciardo moved inside to pass, Vettel moved inside to block the Aussie while both cars were in the braking zone. The Ferrari made light contact with the Red Bull, but Vettel held his position through Turn 5.