2012 Ferrari California 2dr Conv on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Celebrating the Ferrari F40 and the man who raced it

The Ferrari F40 has become one of the iconic cars of the last 50 years. It presaged the supercars of the future with its extensive use of carbon fiber and turbocharged engine, but it was also old school with no traction control, stability control or even anti-lock supervision to save the driver if they got in over their head. In its latest video, XCar Films takes a look at the F40 through the lens of a man in the UK who specializes in keeping them on the road and occasionally races these quintessential sports cars.
John Pogson has spent his entire life surrounded by engines. His father was a transport manager for a trucking company and he used to accompany him out on repairs. When he was old enough, John started repairing vehicles at a Lancia dealer, and from there, he started working for Ferrari. Eventually, he saved up enough money to open his own, independent Italian car garage. His new business proved successful, and Pogson's customers started asking him to race their Ferraris, including the F40 - something he did with great success. How could you say no to that opportunity?
While Italian cars are his specialty, Pogson also has a soft spot for all performance cars. The video shows him driving his AC Cobra with a claimed 600 horsepower and doing some smoky donuts in it. Scroll down to learn more about the F40 from one of the people that knows it best.

Listen to the Ferrari 488 GTB for the first time

We've received the initial information, seen it on the floor of the Geneva Motor Show and even played around with the online configurator. The one thing we haven't seen (or heard) just yet is the new Ferrari 488 GTB actually firing up. (Well, that and driving the thing, but let's not get ahead of ourselves.) Fortunately some paparazzi with a video camera have caught the new mid-engined, eight-cylinder Ferrari undergoing testing – still under wraps despite having already been unveiled – in Maranello, entering and exiting the factory. And in case you were worried that the twin turbochargers would muffle the exhaust note, it seems the boys in red have invested some time making sure that wouldn't be an issue. Not only that, but we appear to have here our first glimpse at the convertible version, expected (in accordance with traditional Ferrari nomenclature) to be dubbed the 488 GTS – that S standing for Spider instead of the B for Berlinetta. Expect a similar folding hardtop mechanism to that found on the outgoing 458 Spider. Then again, the last time the GTB handle was used on this line was with the F355, where the GTB was the coupe, GTS was the partial convertible with the removable roof panel, and the full convertible was called the F355 Spider. (The more recent, twelve-cylinder 599 GTB Fiorano only led to the limited-edition 599 SA Aperta, as Ferrari doesn't typically offer twelve-cylinder roadsters in "regular" production.)

Ferrari LaFerrari is beautifully redundant

The successor the Ferrari Enzo has officially bowed. Ferrari pulled the sheets back on the oddly named LaFerrari at the 2013 Geneva Motor Show, calling the machine the "maximum expression" of what defines the automaker. In this case, that includes a 6.3-liter V12 engine with 789 horsepower married to a 160-hp electric motor. The combination is good for a full 949 hp and 663 pound-feet of torque, and Ferrari says the LaFerrari can punch to 62 miles per hour in under three seconds. Keep your foot planted and 124 mph will click by in a scant seven seconds, while top speed sits at a lofty 205 mph.
Engineers turned to a total of four different types of hand-laminatated carbon fiber to create a chassis that's both stiffer and lighter than would have otherwise been possible. With a 41/59 weight distribution, carbon-ceramic brakes and ultra-light calipers, the LaFerrari is unlike anything we've seen from the company to date. The automaker says its creation is the fastest in its long history. You can take a look at the in-depth press release below for more information, and be sure to check out the model's new site here.