1989 Ferrari Testarossa Base Coupe 2-door 4.9l on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Crashing a Ferrari was the best life lesson I've ever had

I screamed out a string of expletives as the gleaming Rosso Corsa-bodied F430 spun sideways through the curve, locking up the brakes, and sending the $240,000 Italian masterpiece sliding into the forest, coming to an abrupt and grinding halt, narrowly missing the tree line and avoiding my untimely death. As the proverbial dust had settled, I knew that I had been through one of the most harrowing experiences of my life and I was alive to tell the story. I knew for sure I would never live this down, not financially and definitely not socially ... or so I thought. Big mistakes often have a polarizing effect where on-one-hand we don't have a real way to know the scope of the damage and this results in fear of the unknown, but on the other hand we usually know we're okay and this results in strange internal calmness. For me this experience led to a major life lesson, an amazing story to tell, and a level of humility that served to be instrumental in all of my future endeavors. Throughout my entire childhood I had built up an obsession with Ferrari. I grew up with a poster of a yellow F355 Spyder above my bed, and like many kids I admired fast, ridiculous, and unattainable cars. Fast forward to adulthood, I found an opportunity that coincided with my love for these cars and a chance to drive one from the lauded brand as a birthday present to myself. A local exotic car rental business had a package that allowed you to test drive six exotic cars from various manufacturers, each more colorful and ostentatious than the last. I knew this was my chance to come up close and personal with the cars of my dreams. That is, until the whole experience went awry. On the day of my dream car tour, I drove myself and a friend to the New Jersey headquarters of the rental company. Greeted by nearly two dozen of the finest exotic vehicles available for purchase, doors open, the visual experience alone proved to be astounding. In addition to completing a slew of legal paperwork, we were all required to watch an introductory safety briefing, complete with photos of various past mishaps on the tour. The instructor stressed the importance of safety and actions we should take care to avoid. Our carefully planned route along the winding hills of Harriman State Park were detailed prior to departure. Each of the six drivers for that day would take their allotted turns at commanding two-Lamborghinis, two-Bentleys, one-Maserati and one-Ferrari.

Valet gives Ferrari 458 keys to wrong Florida man

A Florida man is suing a resort and valet company after a valet attendant gave the keys to his yellow 2014 Ferrari 458 Spider to the wrong man, who then took it on a joyride in what police believe was an attempt to impress a woman. Because of course it was. The mishap dates back to July 2017 at the Vinoy Renaissance St. Petersburg Resort & Golf Club. According to the Tampa Bay Times, the valet attendant told police things got very busy, and that at some point, a man, identified as Levi Miles, then 28, asked for keys to the Ferrari. He was accompanied by a woman, identified as Chloe Rimmer, 24. In the police report, the man "seemed to be impatient" and was "demanding," the Times reports. He told the valet the ticket was inside the car and that he would bring it back. Instead, the valet told police the two sat in the Ferrari for "quite a while." Figuring he wasn't getting a tip, he stopped paying attention, and the couple eventually drove off. Police soon pulled them over as they prepared to get on a freeway ramp because the taillights weren't working. Police also said the driver appeared to be having "difficulty" driving the car. So basically, had he known how to turn on the lights and was capable of driving the thing (admittedly, Ferraris can be tricky), this plan totally would've worked. For a bit longer at least. Then again, the police also found about 2 grams of cocaine on the center console so that might've had something to do with the driveability issues. Police eventually arrested Miles and Rimmer. He had told the officer he was a Marine driving his father's car. He denied knowing about the drugs. He reportedly acknowledged trying to distract the valet attendant from demanding the valet ticket and said he knew the car wasn't his. "Miles stated the vehicle and keys were given to him by (the) valet," the report reads, "so technically he did not steal the vehicle." Miles faces charges of grand theft of more than $100,000, possession of cocaine and habitually driving with a suspended or revoked license. Rimmer was charged with possession of marijuana after police found a gram of it in her purse.

Marchionne: FCA, but not Ferrari, interested in Formula E

It seems like automakers have been clamoring to get on board with Formula E lately. In just the last few weeks a number of manufacturers have either become more directly involved, or otherwise announced entry into the series in coming years. That includes Audi, BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Porsche, with the latter two abandoning other series to join the electric one. Now, FCA CEO Sergio Marchionne says his company might join Formula E as well, according to Motorsport. Previously, Marchionne had toyed with the idea of bringing Ferrari into the Formula E field, but now says that would be unlikely. Instead, he thinks an FCA brand would be a better fit, perhaps Alfa Romeo or Maserati. At the moment, Maserati seems like the best fit, as Marchionne just announced that the brand would electrify its entire lineup after 2019, with each car it sells having either a hybrid or electric powertrain. Fans would probably be excited to see Maserati return to racing, and Formula E would be a good test laboratory for the development of electric propulsion technology. Still, another brand could represent FCA in Formula E, and apply the knowledge learned there to its vehicles, as Marchionne says half of the FCA fleet will be electrified by the end of the company's five-year plan ending in 2022. Marchionne said that while Ferrari won't be directly involved, he doesn't know which FCA brand – Alfa Romeo, Dodge, Chrysler, Fiat, or Maserati – would enter. As interesting as an electric Dodge race car would be, it seems unlikely, especially because of, well, Maserati. We're hoping it's Jeep, though. Related Video: News Source: MotorsportImage Credit: ALBERTO PIZZOLI/AFP/Getty Images Green Alfa Romeo Ferrari Maserati Green Culture Electric Racing Vehicles Sergio Marchionne FCA Formula E