2010 Ferrari 458 Italia on 2040-cars

Auto blog

This Ferrari Superamerica Aerodinamico can be yours for $3 million

Introduced at the 1959 Turin Motor Show, the 400 Superamerica represented the finest and fastest grand tourer Ferrari had ever made. The Colombo-designed 3.0-liter V12 engine from the 250 GT was bored out to 4.0 liters, the drum brakes from the previous 410 Superamerica were replaced by disc brakes at all four corners, and the four-speed manual fitted with overdrive. The original convertible was followed by a svelte Aerodinamico coupe at the same show a year later, which was in turn succeeded by the longer version you see here. This was the first such long-wheelbase model Ferrari built, and was displayed at both the Earls Court Motor Show and Chicago Auto Show in 1962. It was one of only 18 made, of which 14 featured the highly desirable covered headlights. Chassis number 3931 SA was done up in silver with a black interior, has traded hands over the years between owners in the United States, Japan, and Europe. It is now consigned to RM Sotheby's for its upcoming sale in Paris on February 3, where the auction house expects it to as much as $3.6 million. The same auctioneers sold another such long-wheelbase Superamerica Aerodinamico for $2.86 million in Texas this past May, where it also sold a short-wheelbase convertible for a record $7.6 million. Sports Car Market also records that Gooding & Company sold an earlier short-wheelbase coupe for over $4 million in Scottsdale last January. Paris 3 February 2016 1962 Ferrari 400 Superamerica LWB Coupe Aerodinamico by Pininfarina - Chassis no. 3931 SA - Engine no. 3931 340 bhp, 3,967 cc SOHC V-12 engine with three Weber 40 DCZ 6 carburettors, four-speed manual transmission with overdrive, independent front suspension with unequal-length A-arms and coil springs, live rear axle with semi-elliptical leaf springs and parallel trailing arms, and four-wheel hydraulic disc brakes. Wheelbase: 2,600 mm - 1962 Earls Court and Chicago Motor Show car - The first of only 18 second-series long-wheelbase examples - Previously of the renowned Yoshiho Matsuda Collection - Beautifully presented in its original colour combination of Grigio Argento over Nero - Matching-numbers example; a grand touring Ferrari par excellence THE 400 SUPERAMERICA AERODINAMICO By the 1950s, Ferrari had established itself not only as a world-class manufacturer of sports racing cars but also as a manufacturer of the world's best grand touring cars for the road.

What I learned after 5,600 miles in a Ferrari F355 Spider

I'm paraphrasing, but Autoblog reader Paul Dyer asked me one day, "Want to drive my 1998 Ferrari F355 Spider from San Jose, California, to me in Newfoundland?" I'm also paraphrasing and leaving out some colorful but unpublishable language, but essentially I said, "Yes." That's how I ended up on a two-week, 5,600-mile road trip, getting an extensive and intimate look at one of the most spectacular cars of our generation. Here's what I discovered. To paraphrase, you don't even know how badly you want an F355. The F355 Spider is the last beautiful Ferrari. Subsequent stallions are modern and dramatic, the F355 is eternally gorgeous, like Brunelleschi's doors and sunsets in Viareggio. The Iliad would still make sense if you said the Greeks took to ship after a Trojan keyed Menelaus' F355. You cannot say the same about the 348, or even the 458 (though we do love it so). This car began the era in which mid-engined Ferraris sell out for years in advance. That said, F355 upkeep is the equivalent of giving your bank account a flesh-eating disease. This car's most recent engine-out service was $28,000: $12,000 in labor, $16,000 in parts. Dropping the Propulsore Completo is recommended every three years for routine service and runs $7,000 or more if no other work is required. Gooey valve guides, melting exhaust manifolds, and cranky seat sensors are among the fickle components that will guarantee the bill will exceed that amount. A single bolt is $45. One F355 owner, asked if he'd recommend the model, replied without hesitation "Absolutely not." But the F355 began a whole new game for The Prancing Horse. One of Luca de Montezemolo's first marks on the company as president, the F355 was intended to rectify the sins of the 348 and deal with the Acura NSX. The F355's design resulted from 1,800 wind tunnel hours. It introduced Ferrari's five-valve V8 engine – at 107.3-horsepower-per-liter, the highest specific output of any naturally aspirated car at the time. It had an 8,500-rpm redline. The engine was so important that Ferrari changed its naming convention to highlight it. The F355 introduced a six-speed manual transmission to the V8 range. It introduced the paddle-shifted sequential gearboxes to consumers, previously the purview of top-tier race cars. This Spider was the brand's first semi-automatic droptop. This car began the era in which mid-engined Ferraris sell out for years in advance. Some of the trademark features take getting used to.

Kimi Raikkonen returns to Ferrari

The so-called "silly season" in Formula One conjured up all kinds of rumors, and most of them revolved around Kimi Raikkonen. Would the 2007 World Champion stay at Lotus? Would he switch to Red Bull to replace Mark Webber? Would he return to Ferrari?
Well now we have the answer. Ferrari has confirmed that the Finn is heading back to Maranello, where he will partner with Fernando Alonso starting next season in a two-year deal. That means Felipe Massa, who has been at Ferrari since 2006 but has struggled to keep up the pace since his catastrophic crash in 2009, will need to find a new seat.
The announcement opens up a series of questions as a game of musical chairs commences. Where will Massa go? Who will fill Raikkonen's seat at Lotus? And will Alonso tolerate the team bringing in another former champion and serious contender to challenge his position as number one at the top team? We'll just have to wait and see, but the move in and of itself demonstrates a certain businesslike lack of personal emotion on Kimi's part, having been unceremoniously dumped by Ferrari three years ago to make way for Alonso. Head on down below for the rather Raikkonenly brief announcement.