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Watch Chris Harris drive the Ferrari 458 Spider like an "idiot"
Fri, 01 Feb 2013Chris Harris gets to abuse his fair share of cars that we can only dream about driving, so why not add the Ferrari 458 Spider to that list. After somehow borrowing the keys to a Ferrari-owned 458 Spider, Harris spends about five minutes driving the 570-horsepower, open-air supercar like an "idiot" (his words, not ours).
In reality, it's impressive to watch the $257,000 (base price) 458 Spider being drifted and pushed hard into every turn. Not surprisingly, the car handles the "bad behavior" very well, but what is amazing is how easy it is for Harris to talk to the camera despite the top being down and the engine being at full throttle almost the entire time.
If you like watching Ferraris get sideways, you will most certainly enjoy Harris' video, which is posted below.
Scuderia Ferrari F138 unveiled in Maranello
Fri, 01 Feb 2013This is the F138, the Formula One challenger that Ferrari CEO Luca de Montezemolo describes as "hopeful" and the eighth and final version of a Scuderia Ferrari Formula One car with a V8 engine - for now. The last digit in this car's name pays homage to that cylinder count, while the first two digits represent the year; next year the regulations will mandate 1.6-liter turbocharged V6s.
The Scuderia did well in pre-season testing last year but at the first race found itself almost two seconds down on the other top teams. With no significant changes to the regulations for 2013, Ferrari focused on weight loss, making components smaller and making the package more rigid, refining every aspect of a car that's essentially an evolution of last year's F2012. The front suspension has been redesigned for aero benefit, and the rear suspension is completely new. The front and rear wings are evolutions, and there's a new air intake design above the cockpit and redesigned intakes on the sidepods. The rear bodywork forms a much narrower package around the redesigned exhaust system, and the KERS is smaller and lighter.
Getting a jump on the 2014 car that will be a clean-sheet design under the new technical regime, Ferrari has integrated the spec TAG 320 electronic controller unit to this year's car. Forbidden from raising the power performance of the engine, the F1 team has worked on maintaining that performance over the three-race life of the engine. And yes, that's a vanity panel over the stepped nose in front.
Possible Ferrari F70/F150 specs emerge from private showings
Fri, 01 Feb 2013At a private showing in Maranello, a group of lucky souls got to sneak a peek at the upcoming successor to the Ferrari Enzo, which has been referred to as both the F70 and F150 (not that F-150). While we still don't get any name confirmation or a definitive idea (aside from spy shots) as to what the newest Ferrari supercar will look like, one of the attendees did manage to pass along some vital performance information about the car as well as production numbers that are said to be limited to just 499 units.
The report on Auto-Blog.com.mx confirms that the Enzo successor will utilize an 800-horsepower V12 paired with a hybrid KERS good for another 150 hp. The engine's peak power kicks in at a screaming 9,200 rpm, while peak torque (not divulged) will be available at just 1,000 rpm. That kind of power could be great in just about anything, but the report also says that this new Ferrari model will have a dry weight of just 2,799 pounds (about the same as the Subaru BRZ and Scion FR-S twins and just slightly more than a Mazda MX-5 Miata). Rumored speed times include a top speed of 229 miles per hour, and the ability to run from 0-60 mph in less than three seconds; doubling that speed takes an extra second.
We've already seen the car's carbon fiber chassis and now we're just waiting to see the production car in real life, but Ferrari has not announced when the car will be introduced.
Ferrari names new F1 car F138
Wed, 30 Jan 2013Don't call it the F150. Ferrari has officially announced it will name its newest Formula One car the F138. The machine is the 59th car Ferrari has built to compete in F1, and it's also the last of the company's F1 efforts to rely on a high-strung V8 for propulsion. F1 rules have changed for next year, forcing competitors to use smaller cylinder counts to get around the track. Ferrari has already said it will use a 1.6-liter turbocharged V6 to do its dirty work. That moves brings an end to the eight-year reign the V8 enjoyed.
Ferrari isn't saying much more about the 2013 car, and the only image we have to go on at the moment is the logo you see above. Stay tuned for more information, and in the interim, be sure to check out the painfully brief press release below.
Two weeks and 2,000 miles in Ferrari's FF with Evo
Mon, 28 Jan 2013EVO's Harry Metcalfe had some questions about the day-to-day livability of the Ferrari FF. When he brought those questions up to Ferrari, they suggested he take one for a couple of weeks and try it out for, as he calls them, "mundane duties." The image above is Metcalfe pointing to the 660-horsepower, all-wheel drive FF parked in one of his fields because, since he lives on a farm, mucking about the green is part of his daily routine. "It could use more ground clearance," he says, "but that's an option on this car."
He does get it on the "tarmac" and he likes it even more there than in the mud. Except for the buttons on the steering wheel; he thinks learning to use them is like learning to play guitar. He has a lot more to say besides that, and you can watch him expound for all of 17 minutes in the video below.
Ferrari Enzo successor caught testing again
Fri, 25 Jan 2013Although we're still not really sure what Ferrari plans to call its long-awaited successor to the Enzo, we're certain that this is going to be one mean car. We've heard that it will be called the F150, F150 Italia and even the F70 over the last year and a half. Regardless of its name, this guppy-faced prototype you see above is Ferrari's answer to the McLaren P1 and Porsche 918 Spyder with a rumored 900-horsepower hybrid powertrain.
Since the last time we saw this car testing, the only difference appears to be that the exhaust outlets now may be closer to production form, with dual pipes on each side sitting up higher in the fascia. Aside from that, these shots are much clearer and at a better angle allowing us to get an idea of what the final product might look like. We do see some of this car's details such as the headlight placement and shape similar to the 458 Italia and the massive brakes with drilled carbon ceramic rotors.
No word as to when we might see the production version of the car, but Ferrari did tease a couple photos of it last month and is much further along than spy shots we saw less than a year ago.
1960 Ferrari 250 GT sells for over $8 million in record-setting RM auction weekend
Tue, 22 Jan 2013Although the vast majority of eyeballs were tuned to the madness at Barrett-Jackson this past weekend, that televised car auction wasn't the only high-dollar game in Arizona. RM Auctions brought its usual gaggle of exotic wares to the desert, and the car that came out on top sold for much more than Barrett-Jackson's highest sale, the Batmobile.
Coming out on top at RM last weekend was Lot 164, a 1960 Ferrari 250 GT SWB Berlinetta 'Competizione' that sold for a massive $8,140,000 - the buyer could've nearly bought two Barris Batmobiles for that chunk of change. Lot 122, a 1967 Shelby 427 'Semi-Competition' Cobra, stood at $2,007,500 in second place, just in front of Lot 145, a 1967 Ferrari 275 GTB/4, which sold for $1,842,500.
After all said and done, RM reported $36.4 million in sales. That's a record for RM in Arizona, even though the total number of lots for 2013 was reduced significantly. Eight machines cracked the million-dollar mark, and you can see all of them in the press release right down below or peruse all of the auction results here. But first, be sure to scroll through our high-res image gallery of live photos above.
1972 Ferrari 365 GTB/4 Daytona is viceless in Miami Scottsdale at Barrett-Jackson
Sat, 19 Jan 2013
We love the Ferrari 365 GTB/4 Daytona. It's most definitely a classic, made famous in part by its appearance as Don Johnson's favored ride in the classic '80s television series Miami Vice... but we won't hold that against it.
The specific example you see above just crossed the block at the 2013 Barrett-Jackson extravaganza in Scottsdale, and it cleared a cool $495,000 after the buyer's commission was factored in. The 1972 Daytona features a sweet-sounding V12 engine mated to a five-speed manual gearbox.
Plus, it's brown, with a tan interior. Stunning. Check it out in our high-res image gallery above, and be sure to read through its official auction description below.
Logic3 classes up headphones with Prancing Horse
Fri, 11 Jan 2013White earphones too bland for you? Black too slow? Your otherwise high-end cans just not expensive enough? Logic3 hopes to remedy your plight with its new line of Ferrari-branded earphones and headphones.
Logic3's Cavallino line is intended for the well-heeled audio enthusiast with aluminum housings covered in hand-stitched, lambskin leather. The Scuderia collection is also built with aluminum but instead of leather, the earphones' colors closely match those of the Ferrari F1 team. Yellow badges and aluminum grilles complete the look.
Both lines also include over-the-ear headphones and Bluetooth compatible dock station speakers. The Scuderia line headphones mimic the look of hearing protection worn by F1 pit crews.
Petrolicious highlights Andy Greene's love of Ferrari in "The Caretaker"
Wed, 09 Jan 2013The next stop on the Petrolicious tour of the nation's car stories is Savannah, Georgia. The crew sat down with restorer Andy Greene of Andy Greene's Sports and Vintage Race Cars, and he waxed poetic about his love of Ferraris. See, the shop will work on vintage models and classic road racing cars from other brands, but when it comes to Ferrari, any model from any year can find a place in Greene's garage.
And we'll admit that the yellow Ferrari 250 SWB helps make Greene's case. You can see for yourself what he's talking about in the video below.