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Classic Ferrari locked away for decades inside Hollywood apartment

Finding a classic Ferrari or a Porsche locked away for decades inside a dusty barn is a story that, while not exactly common, is not unheard of. Finding a Ferrari parked inside a one-bedroom apartment in West Hollywood, California, is a totally different matter. That's exactly where the new owner of this Ferrari 250 GT PF Coupe found his new project. Petrolicious has the full story on how this half-restored car ended up locked away inside this unlikely tomb for the past 30 or so years. Needless to say, it wasn't easy getting a car inside an apartment that only has a single, standard-looking door. Despite sitting on jack stands with no engine, no wheels, and non-functional brakes, the car is in surprisingly good condition. The new owner is currently in the process of having the car restored to near original condition. Head over to Petrolicious for the full story and a wonderful set of photos. Related Video:

2020 Ferrari 488 GT3 Evo arrives with new aero, same great Italian looks

The new Ferrari 488 GT3 Evo race car is here. And though it’s not a whole lot different than the 488 that debuted a few years back, Ferrari has a comprehensive round of changes coming its way for the 2020 racing season.  To start, the 488 retains its name. Ferrari released the F8 Tributo not too long ago, but the race car isnÂ’t changing along with the updated road car. Ferrari says the lionÂ’s share of work for this new 488 GT3 Evo is all in the aero. It spent over 18,000 hours performing simulations and wind tunnel testing to develop a new front end design. Now, the 488 has a smaller frontal section under the headlights, which allowed engineers to fit a pair of flicks to the front bumper. A redesigned splitter complements the new front bumper. The door shape has changed for better airflow efficiency, and the vents on top of the rear wing are larger than before. Ferrari says that all of this results in a more aerodynamic car that produces even more downforce than before. The wheelbase is slightly longer than last year (Ferrari doesnÂ’t say by how much). This was done to reduce tire wear and facilitate the carÂ’s transformation from GT3 to GTE. Ferrari says it focused on reducing weight, but it didnÂ’t say by how much. This allows the team to better place the ballast forced upon it from Balance of Performance rules. Some re-tuning of electronic systems was done. Traction control, ABS and the engine management system were all given a refresh in this car. Ferrari claims the engine software update improves reliability and “guarantees smoother, more precise torque delivery." Lastly, if youÂ’re racing with an older 488, thereÂ’s no need to fret. Ferrari says all these upgrades can be applied to the older car to bring it up to date. Chevy also recently debuted the C8.R race car, the mid-engine Corvette that will meet the 488 on the battlefield. 

Buongiorno Roma! What the beautiful GT means for Ferrari's future

The new Ferrari Roma was seen in the flesh during its unveiling in Rome yesterday, and I can confirm that it is not only one of the most beautiful Ferraris in recent memory, but one of the handsomest of any contemporary sport or luxury car. Its details are predictably rich, well rendered, and pointedly, alluring and accessible. But it is not just the details in a car from the famed Italian sports car manufacturer, and one that is expected to start at around $250,000. "If you now go in the market, and you ask someone who can afford (a Ferrari) — because this is not a cheap product —why don't you buy a Ferrari? They are tempted, but most of them are a bit afraid. 'I don't know if I can drive it, it's very aggressive,'" said Enrico Galliera, the brand's chief marketing officer, in an interview with Autoblog. "And that's one of the major answers. It's not, 'It's too expensive,' or 'I don't want to have fun driving.'" There's a kind of fear of the brand's reputation for aggression and showiness. The Roma is intended to soothe these concerns, and entice new clients into the Ferrari stable. This is accomplished by making everything at once more sophisticated, more mature, and more enticing. On the inside, one is especially drawn to the big, curved and crystalline LCD instrument panel and large center screen, the cozy and coddling leather seats, and the new aviation-inspired metal toggles that act as the transmission selector. Less impressive are the capacitive haptic "buttons" on the steering wheel, but judgment will be reserved on those until we have a chance to experience them while driving, instead of just while sitting on a stage making embarrassing vroom-vroooooommmmmm noises. But it is the outside that really has me drooling. This is not just because the Roma has classical rear-drive GT proportions, with a fiendishly long hood, a selfish not-quite-four-place cabin that the brand describes simply as a "2+," and a truncated Kamm-back tail. It is because the design is so improbably clean, devoid of the strakes, scoops, spoilers, or even ancillary lines that corrupt so many modern cars. Especially evocative is the treatment of the front and rear, both of which are impossibly low, without ever feeling threateningly so. It all feels of a piece, and there's not a bad angle. "We want to transmit this idea of harmony, and a beautiful dynamic in balance," said Ferrari head of design Flavio Manzioni.