2004 Ferrari 360 Spyder on 2040-cars

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Ferrari 458 Speciale speeds toward Frankfurt

When the doors open at the Frankfurt Motor Show in a few weeks, there'll be loads of new cars and new versions of existing ones. And as far as the latter category goes at least, this will undoubtedly be what show-goers will look forward to most.
What we have here is the Ferrari 458 Speciale - the successor to the 360 Challenge Stradale and 430 Scuderia, and the hard-core version of the 458 Italia. It was expected to carry the name Monte Carlo, but then Ferrari has never been fond of letting the press dictate what it would call its cars. But forget the nameplate: what really matters is what it's got to offer.
For starters, the award-winning, high-revving 4.5-liter V8 has been retuned to deliver 605 cv (596 hp by our standards), up from 562 hp in the standard 458, while torque remains the same at 398 lb-ft. But the other side of the power-to-weight ratio (quoted at 2.13 kg/cv) is the extra mass Ferrari has cut out of the equation: the 458 Speciale's dry weight is quoted at 1,290 kg (2,844 lbs), representing a significant drop from the 458 Italia's 1,485 kg (3,274 lb) curb weight.

Ferrari design contest winner is sleek Manifesto concept [w/videos]

Ferrari asked students at a selection of top design schools around the world to submit their best ideas, and this is the one that a jury of people close to the company unanimously chose as the winner. It's called the Manifesto, and it was designed by six students at the ISD-Rubika in Valenciennes, France. The sleek design features a single line extending from the nose, rising between the arched fenders, over the greenhouse, and back to the tail. The rear wheels are spaced from the tapering greenhouse in a manner not unlike those on the Ford GT. There's a snorkel air scoop on the roof, thin strips for head- and taillights, and a split cockpit that opens with canopy-like clamshell doors. The striking shape is rendered in black with red highlights, and appears to be propelled by some manner of jet engine. The jury was made up of designers, engineers, collectors, and drivers – including Paolo Pininfarina, Sebastian Vettel, Nick Mason, and Jay Kay. Despite their varied backgrounds, Ferrari says their decision was unanimous in singling out the Manifesto as the clear-cut winner. They also made special mention of the FL, a futuristic cockpit layout designed by Roman Egorov – a Russian student at the Hochschule Pforzheim in Germany. The results from an online poll also awarded the popular Premio Speciale to the de Esfera designed by three students from Hongik University in Seoul, South Korea. Check out the winners in the gallery above and the videos below. You can also review all the entries in the supplemental gallery at bottom, and if you think the jury made the wrong call, share your thoughts in comments. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. Presenting Manifesto – The Ferrari of the future Winners of Top Design School Challenge announced Maranello, 15 January – The Manifesto, the FL and the de Esfera are the three winning models in the third Top Design School Challenge, in which four prestige institutes submitted three designs each of the Ferraris of 2040. The jury comprised Ferrari exponents in the broadest sense of the term from designers to engineers, drivers and even famous collectors: Nicola Boari, Franco Cimatti, Aldo Colonnetti, Rodolfo Gaffino Rossi, Jay Kay, Flavio Manzoni, Nick Mason, Andrea Militello, Paolo Pininfarina and Sebastian Vettel.

Ferrari F60 America is a powerful, exclusive US special

Ferrari is observing its 60th anniversary in North America this year, and to celebrate, it's given us this: the F60 America, an incredibly exclusive supercar based on the already outrageous F12 Berlinetta. Want one? Too bad. Production has been limited to just 10 examples, and according to Ferrari, "the wonderfully elegant and unique F60 America has entranced US collectors and all 10 examples are already spoken for."
Entranced, indeed. It's a slick-looking machine, with clear revisions over the F12's already svelte bodywork. The F60 America takes the form of a roadster, with carbon fiber-trimmed flying buttresses that stretch from behind the cabin to the rear of the car. There's no power soft- or hardtop available - instead, Ferrari says the car can be closed off with a light fabric top that's usable at speeds of up to about 75 miles per hour.
The F60 is painted in the classic North American Racing Team livery, with a unique 60th anniversary Prancing Horse on the wheel arches and transmission tunnel inside the cabin. That NART tribute explains the car's seriously limited production run, as well. The 1967 Ferrari 275 GTS4 NART Spider - a car importer Luigi Chinetti specifically requested from Enzo Ferrari for US customers - was also capped at just 10 units.