Ferrari 458 Italia

Formula One pundits have for years been saying that Ferrari was the team where Fernando Alonso was always supposed to be. The folks at the Scuderia evidently agreed when they finally signed the only driver to beat Schumacher at his own game. And they aren't about to let him forget it now that he's home.

So it should come as little surprise that, after handing him the keys to a Maserati GranCabrio, reports are surfacing that the champ has also received (or is soon to receive) a Ferrari 458 Italia as well. Sources suggest that the car may have been part of his contract.

The car in question was spotted by a FerrariChat forum member while in Maranello, decked out in Bianco Fuji (Ferrari-speak for pearl while) with Alonso's signature logo embroidered into the headrests right below the Prancing Horse... right where it's always belonged.

Ferrari 599 Hybrid caught on stage

With just a few days separating us from the Geneva Motor Show, the list of surprises continues to dwindle. The latest victim is the much-anticipated Ferrari 599 Hybrid which the automaker has confirmed will appear in Switzerland next week.


The shots appear to have been taken from the show stand, so there's no hard information to go off of yet. What we do know is that Ferrari will employ a version of its Kinetic Energy Recovery System (KERS) that originally debuted during the 2009 Formula 1 season on the 599. The system captures energy normally lost to the flywheel under braking, sending a boost of energy to the wheels when the driver hits a steering wheel-mounted button. Judging by the size of the battery pack, it's doubtful that the 599 will be able to operate on electric power alone.

Ferrari Scuderia Spider 16M

Ferrari has pulled the wraps from its F430 Scuderia inspired Spider

It's claimed to be the fastest ever open topped Ferrari! Feast your eyes on the new Scuderia Spider 16M.

The long rumoured model, set to make its first public appearance at the LA Motor Show on November 19th is powered by a 4.3-litre V8 engine producing a staggering 510bhp at 8,500rpm.

Available in three colours, including red, yellow and grey, the car gets distinctive stripes on its bonnet, as well as special Scuderia badging.

With a top speed of almost 200mph, the car will also sprint from 0-62mph in only 3.7 seconds.

The car is fitted with Ferrari'sslick shifting six speed F1 inspired sequential manual gearbox. It is also fitted with the innovative e-diff traction control system. There's currently no word on price, however, with only 499 examples likely to be built, exclusivity is guaranteed.

Ferrari Builds Exclusivity

Well, they say that everyone has a price.

According to Jalopnik, the exotic luxury automaker will construct your very own Ferrari if you pay the right amount of money. And when we say your own Ferrari we mean your own, exclusive, no-other-car-on-the-road like-it model.

Of course, there are always strings or what Ferrari calls "limitations". It will not make, for example, any crossover/SUV, station wagon, or four-door. And you have to use the airbags and chassis of an existing Ferrari model.

More details can be found above. Our take? Ferrari's conditions don't sound too bad. Heck, if you are buying a Ferrari you don’t want the a-typical SUV, station wagon, or sedan anyway. And building your own exclusive car on an existing Ferrari chassis is cool in its own right.

Anyone have a million lying around?

Ferrari California GT Makes Internet Debut

Perhaps in the good old days of the 1950s through the 1990s auto makers would unveil new models by holding some kind of special event at their dealerships or spending millions of dollars on a TV, radio and print media advertising campaign.

But this is the Twenty First Century and things are different now. Specifically, we have the Internet. So It shouldn’t be to anyone’s surprise that more and more auto makers are turning to the internet to launch new models.

Ferrari introduced its new California GT on in a webcast on Thursday, September 19 and continues to replay it on its website. Just go to www.ferraricalifornia.com.

The car will also appear at the Paris Auto Show in October.

Ferrari surprises car lovers with possible V8 FXX

Time marches on and people live for the moment, not the past. They say, “What have you done for me lately.” For these people Ferrari is now considering a successor to its Enzo Supercar that may carry a twin-turbo V8 or V12 powertrain . The car is expected to be released in 2012.

Followers and owners of Ferraris are downright shocked that a V8 can ever be considered as the engine to power any Ferrari supercar. But Ferrari GT technical director Roberto Fedeli said that Ferrari is no longer interested in “power wars.” This is the first time that a V8 may appear in a Ferrari since its first supercar engine -- the F40 -- was unveiled.

Fedeli said that it is a weight thing. The design needs to follow the shape of a weight-to-power curve with more power or less weight. He said that if it is decided that the car have the same weight-to-power ratio as the FXX, then it wants to save the maximum weight and that calls for the use of an all-new V8 engine.

So, since no final decision has been made as to one engine or the other, development goes on in parallel of a V8 and V12 Enzo-style supercar. Fedeli said that the FXX will be used to test some innovations that the company has in mind for the new car.

Our take? Like when Bob Dylan started singing rock as opposed to folk songs in the 1960s which caused folk song fans to demonize him, is Ferrari opening itself to criticism by racing purists for even considering using a V8 in a supercar?

Ferrari California Spyders Crawling In Golden State

Eat your hearts out, rest of the country. Some of you might wish for California to sink beneath the Pacific, but at least we get not one but two Ferrari’s named after our state.

With a total of only 105 Ferrari 250 Spyder California’s ever made, they’re valued at $2 million a piece—more if they have a racing heritage. These rare convertibles were created in 1958 by the Italian car maker named after their best-selling market.

There will be six of these classics at this year’s Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance which has a five decade history of hosting some of the rarest and most beautiful examples of automotive history. Chief Judge Ed Gilbertson states this year’s 250 GT Spyder California’s is a once-in-a-lifetime display of rare roadsters from around the world.

Built by Carrozzeria Scaglietti, the California Spyder was based on the long-wheelbase of the 250 GT platform. Only twelve of the 250 were racing versions, which featuring all-aluminum bodywork and a more powerful engine.

The Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance will be held on August 17th near Monterey, California. Two General Motors Motorama concepts and the only Ferrari 400 Superamerica built by the factory with California Spyder coachwork will also be on display.

Our take? Some impressive high class collectibles for eye candy this year….

Ferrari GPS Now Available When You Absolutely Have To Drive

Ferrari!

With such a hot name, Ferrari Motors licenses it out on all sorts of products and attractions. The latest? A GPS device ("navigation system" to y'all that make less than $100k a year).

The Ferrari GPS system will feature a 2.8-inch screen, ALK CoPilot v6.0 navigation software, a built-in multimedia player, a SD/MMC slot to allow for playing of formats from the Internet, and Bluetooth. The product is targeted for the high-end segment (duh!) of the market and will be sold in Europe, at least to start. Pricing has yet to be released.

As previously mentioned, this is not new for Ferrari. In the past, the company has negotiated licensing agreements that allow its name to be used on a laptop computer; a driving kit for the Sony Playstation 3 (PS3); and even a Disneyland-style theme park. By the way, the latter is scheduled to open in the United Arab Emirates in 2009 so make your reservations stat.

Our take? Some think that Ferrari is crazy. But what if General Motors and/or Ford licensed out their names or logos for use on products and attractions? Would they be carrying so much red ink on their annual reports?

McQueen's 1963 Ferrari 250 Lusso's $2.1 Million Ride

Many of you probably don't remember Steve McQueen.

But those of us who do, he remains that cool guy who played cool characters in movies during the 1960s and '70s. We can still see that scene in the movie "The Great Escape" where he is throwing a baseball against the wall of his cell and catching it with a glove.
The guy was just plain cool. Then there's another scene in the same movie where he is riding a motorcycle through open country and jumping all sorts of obstacles as German soldiers chase him.

For those who remember him, Steve McQueen has been associated with cars. Fast sports cars. In another movie called "Bullitt", he speeds a Mustang through the hilly roads of San Francisco taking to the air and slamming back down on to the street as he is chased by some bad guy.

He owned sporty cars, too. One, a 1963 Ferrari 250 Lusso, was recently sold at a Christie auction in Monterey, California.

What was the winning bid? Auction people predicted that it would sell for $800,000 to $1,200,000. Wrong! The winning bid was $2.1 million. And at auctions like this, the winning bidder must also pay a 10 percent bidder?s premium. So final costs, before taxes were added on, was $2,310,000.

Our take? McQueen must be somewhere laughing and shaking his head slowly as he bounces a baseball up against a wall and catching it.

2010: Exotics get a new challenger from the past

Bringing back a hallowed name from its past, one that hasn’t been used in over thirty years, Ferrari is set to introduce a brand-new Dino in 2010.

The new Dino will take on the existing cars in its mid-engine, rear-drive class, such as the Porsche 911 and the Aston-Martin Vantage, according to a report in Auto Express magazine.

Enzo Ferrari built the car and named it after his son, Alfredo “Dino” Ferrari, after Dino died from muscular dystrophy in 1956. The original Dino cars (which was not badged as a Ferrari—just “Dino”) were built from 1968 to 1976. (Fiat also made a Dino, which was a precursor to Ferrari’s, but it was a front-engine, rear-drive car, made from 1967 to 1973.)

The grand Italian design house of Pininfarina will have a hand in the design of the new Dino. The magazine is also reporting that a retractable hardtop could be part of the coupe/cabriolet design. The 4.2 litre engine should produce 310 kW (415 bhp).

Ferrari expects to build between 3500 and 5000 Dinos overall.

Ferrari 599 GTO Mugello concept given a go

Dutch Vandenbrink Design started earlier this year as a design house for the automotive, engineering, industrial, and manufacturing industries.

One product by Vandenbrink that has garnered attention by car enthusiasts world-wide is the Ferrari 599 GTO Mugello concept. Based on the Ferrari 250 GTO, designer Michiel van den Brin put his own spin on the classic car. Reaction has been so positive that Vandenbrink has announced it will bring the car into production as the Vandenbrink GTO.

Powerplant details, production numbers, or even a timetable has been announced by the company. Actual production will be done jointly with Ferrari specialist Hietbrink.

Our take? The Ferrari 250 GTO is still considered today as one of the greatest cars in history with demand for originals reaching into the millions. It can be safely bet that Vandenbrink will have buyers pounding its doors (or at least flooding its e-mails) and should consider hiring extra security around its plants when the first models are rolled out.