2012 Ferrari 458 Italia Coupe White/cuoio on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Motor Trend hits Laguna Seca with Ferrari F12, Chevy Corvette, Porsche 911

According to the crew at Motor Trend, we should think of the video below "as an addendum to Best Driver's Car," a test the magazine put together that elevated the 2013 Porsche 911 Carrera 4S above all others in the category of driving joy. It seems the brand-new 2014 Chevy Corvette Stingray wasn't able to take part in the magazine's official test, and neither was the Ferrari F12 Berlinetta.
And so Motor Trend did the only logical thing: It procured both the 'Vette and Prancing Horse as soon as it could, and put them both on track with the Driver's Car-winning 911. Of course, these cars don't actually compete against each other - the Ferrari offers up 731 horsepower and wears an asking price of $434,144 as tested, which means you could buy four loaded Corvettes for the price of one F12, and still have money left for a garage to store them in - but that's not the point of this particular test.
The point of this test isn't to listen to the beautiful sounds coming from the Porsche's flat-six-cylinder, the Corvette's pushrod V8 or the Ferrari's luscious V12, either, but the video below is worth watching for those three reasons alone. You know what to do.

Ferrari confirms Vettel in, Alonso out

For the past several months, a big shift on the Formula One grid has been rumored for next season, but with a big piece of the puzzle now confirmed, much of the speculation can end. Ferrari has announced that it is parting company with Fernando Alonso and bringing in Sebastian Vettel to take his place. The move is a big one for both drivers – each multiple World Champions in their own right – who have lead their respective teams for half a decade now, Alonso coming second in the championship three times with Ferrari, and Vettel having scored four consecutive titles with Red Bull. Vettel has long been a personal protege of former Ferrari driver Michael Schumacher, having won his first grand prix in a Ferrari-powered Toro Rosso at Monza in 2008. Now confirmed by the Scuderia for a three-year deal, Vettel will be driving next season alongside Kimi Raikkonen, who won the title for Ferrari in 2007. That was the same year in which Alonso last drove for McLaren, the team for which he's all but confirmed to be driving next season. The announcement from Woking reportedly hinges on the team's decision over who will drive alongside him, between Jenson Button, Kevin Magnussen or another driver altogether. The confirmation from Ferrari does, however, put to rest wild rumors that the series would move to three-car teams and that Maranello would field Alonso as well as Vettel and Raikkonen. Welcome Sebastian – Vettel and Raikkonen 2015 driver pairing Maranello, 20 November 2014 – Scuderia Ferrari announces that it has reached an agreement of three years duration with Sebastian Vettel, who will drive for the team as from the 2015 season. The driver line-up next season will consist of Kimi Raikkonen and Sebastian Vettel. "Scuderia Ferrari has decided to put its faith in the youngest multiple champion in the history of Formula 1" – commented Scuderia Ferrari Team Principal, Marco Mattiacci. "In Formula 1 terms, Sebastian Vettel is a unique combination of youthfulness and experience and he brings with him that sense of team spirit which will prove invaluable when, together with Kimi, they tackle the challenges awaiting us, as we aim to be front runners again as soon as possible.

Ferrari reveals pair of tailor-made specials in Shanghai

For most people, buying a new Ferrari - heck, even a used one - would be a special occasion all on its own, not to mention a rare privilege. But to make the experience all the more special, the Prancing Horse marque offers its Tailor-Made personalization program. The service just reached the Asia-Pacific region for the first time with the new Tailor-Made Centre in Shanghai, and to mark its inauguration, Ferrari has revealed two new special editions - both based on V12 GTs and inspired by horses - specifically for the Chinese market.
First up is the F12 Berlinetta Polo Edition pictured above. The special F12 is distinguished by a white and blue theme, the exterior decked out in Bianco Italia Opaco (read: fancy white) with navy blue offset racing stripes, and the interior carrying an inverse take on the same featuring dark blue leather upholstering with white stitching, stripes and trim.
Those looking for more traction and versatility might be more intrigued by the FF Dressage Edition. The four-seat, four-wheel special gets a piano black exterior and a reddish saddle brown leather interior with grid-pattern stitching (pictured inset at right).