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Ferrari reveals LaFerrari-based FXX K in Abu Dhabi

Ever since Ferrari revealed the latest evolution of its flagship hypercar series with the debut of LaFerrari at the Geneva Motor Show last year, the question on everyone's mind – aside from how it would stack up against rivals like the McLaren P1 and Porsche 918 Spyder – is what it would look like in its ultimate, unhinged, track-focused iteration. But now we need wonder no more as the Prancing Horse marque has revealed the new FXX K. The what-letters-now, you ask? FXX K. The name is drawn from the Enzo-based FXX that kicked off the company's client development program the better part of a decade ago, but with an extra letter tacked on to signify the KERS hybrid system on board. In the FXX K, that system has been further optimized: the electric motor now delivers 187 horsepower (instead of 160) and the 6.3-liter V12 has been boosted to 848 hp (up from 789) for a total output of 1,035 prancing ponies – a solid increase from the 950 hp in the road-going LaFerrari, but at 664 pound-feet, it's down in the torque department by 51 lb-ft. Of course output isn't the end of the story, and as you can see the scarlet-clad engineers in Maranello have focused a considerable amount of energy on optimizing the aero package. The front end gets a two-part splitter derived from Ferrari's victorious GT racing program, with vertical fins along the flanks, side skirts extending between the wheels, a dynamic rear wing, vertical fin and a giant diffuser. All of this and more contributes to as much as 50 percent more downforce, aided by increased mechanical grip from the Pirelli racing slicks, with carbon-ceramic brake discs measuring 15 inches across (plus or minus, front to rear) to keep it all in check. Unveiled at Ferrari's Finali Mondiali event at the Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi, the FXX K also boasts a recalibrated electronic differential, traction control, ABS, Racing SSC (Side Slip Angle Control) and a four-mode Manetinno dial on the center console to switch between levels of electric boost. In short, Ferrari has pulled out all the stops, and we wouldn't be surprised to see the FXX K taking the Fiorano lap record for anything this side of an F1 car. The record is currently held by the 333 SP at 1:11, nine seconds ahead of the road-going LaFerrari's 1:20. That's roughly the same differential between the FXX and the Enzo on which it was based, or the 599XX Evoluzione and the 599 GTO.

Weekly Recap: Ferrari, Ford and Porsche power up for Geneva

Monday was Groundhog Day. Tuesday, apparently, was Sports Car Day. The Ferrari 488 GTB, the Ford Focus RS and the Porsche Cayman GT4 all debuted within hours of each other ahead of their rollouts at the Geneva Motor Show. Three sporty machines, three vastly different approaches – and a lot of implications for enthusiasts. That's a day worth repeating. It also illustrates the opportunities automakers see in the performance market, which is expected to grow in the coming years. Ford estimates the segment has expanded 14 percent in Europe and surged 70 percent in North America since 2009. The Detroit Auto Show was evidence of this, and performance cars of every stripe debuted, including the Acura NSX, Ford GT, Alfa Romeo 4C Spider and several others. This isn't a fad. Performance cars aren't going away. The question is why? Stricter CAFE standards are looming in the United States, as are tighter emissions regulations in Europe. And no one expects gas prices to remain low in America. None of this matters for sports cars, and automakers are increasingly using them to elevate their images. That's why Dodge rolled out two 707-horsepower Hellcats last year. It's why Ford has decided to resurrect the GT for road and track. It's why in the depths of bankruptcy, General Motors continued work on the Chevrolet Corvette Stingray, not to mention the Z06. "Great brands are made one car at a time," Ford of Europe president Jim Farley said at the reveal of the Focus RS. Still, companies make those cars for different reasons. View 5 Photos Mainstream brands like Ford and Dodge want to build cars that get people talking, excite their bases and drive more potential customers into the showroom. They probably don't buy a Focus RS or a Hellcat, but suddenly the regular Focus hatch looks a bit hotter, and that V6 Charger seems to be just a touch more muscular. The halo of performance is alive and well in the eyes of automakers and their customers. "It's one of the most effective catalysts for ingenuity and innovation," said Joe Bakaj, vice president of product development for Ford of Europe. That also leads to a trickle-down effect. Some of the technologies inevitably make their way to other products. It's hard to think the new all-wheel-drive system in the Focus RS that distributes torque front to rear and side to side won't be used in other vehicles. It's different for Ferrari and Porsche.

Without engine deal, Red Bull could be squeezed out of F1

It would have seemed unthinkable just a couple of years ago when it was winning more races than it lost and scoring one world championship after another, but these days Red Bull can't get a competitive engine. And if it doesn't get one soon, it could be forced out of Formula One altogether. This development emerges after two years of the once indomitable but now deteriorating relationship between Red Bull and its longtime engine partner Renault. When F1 switched from the previous V8 engines to the new hybrid turbo V6 power units ahead of last season, Renault dropped the ball, and Mercedes picked it up. Ferrari has since recovered much of the lost ground to push the Mercedes factory team for wins, but Red Bull and Renault have not. The stress of falling off their perch has left both parties pointing fingers at each other to the point that the team's longtime technical director Adrian Newey doesn't think the marriage is salvageable, or worth salvaging. "Unfortunately, our relationship with Renault is pretty terminal – there's been too much of a marriage breakdown, so we have no engine," said Newey. That's left Red Bull looking elsewhere for a new engine deal, but so far it's been unable to find one. The prospect of replacing sponsor Infiniti and supplier Red Bull with a similar partnership with Aston Martin and Mercedes has apparently come to naught. And the proposed buyout and engine deal from the Volkswagen Group evidently collapsed in the wake of that brand's diesel emissions scandal. That leaves Red Bull to turn to one of the existing engine suppliers in the series, and apparently neither Ferrari nor Mercedes are willing to sell their engines to one of their chief rivals. As McLaren has demonstrated this season, the Honda engines aren't up to speed, either. Which leaves Red Bull with nowhere else to turn. And if it doesn't find something in time for next season (or the following one at the latest), Newey says it may have to pack it in and close up shop. "Red Bull should not be put in a position where they're only there to make up the numbers." Related Video: News Source: Reuters via Motorsport.comImage Credit: Felipe Dana/AP Motorsports Ferrari Renault F1