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Filed under: Detroit Auto Show, Land Rover, Rolls-Royce, Ferrari

Ferrari, Rolls-Royce and Land Rover pass on 2009 Detroit Auto Show originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 13 Nov 2008 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Filed under: Concept Cars, Supercars, Ferrari

Gallery: Ferrari Zobin Concept

Rendered Imagination: The Ferrari Zobin Concept originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 13 Nov 2008 14:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Filed under: Sports/GTs, Supercars, Ferrari, Special/Limited Editions

You remember that mystery Ferrari prototype that was spied at Fiorano back in August? After initial speculation settled down, the prevailing wisdom suggested that the car in question was a one-off coachbuilt creation designed by former Pininfarina (and now independent) stylist Fioravanti for one wealthy customer. In the second issue of Ferrari's official magazine, the reports were confirmed. We're still trying to get a hold of those images for you, but in the meantime the report has hit the internet.

Called the SP1 (for Sport Prototype 1), the Fioravanti-designed special was built for prominent Ferrari collector and Japanese business executive Junichiro Hiramatsu and forms the first product of Maranello's new Portfolio program. The initiative gives the extremely wealthy the opportunity to collaborate with various Italian design houses (including Fioravanti, Pininfarina and Zagato) with full factory support to commission custom creations. The unique vehicles can be based on the Enzo, F430 or 612 (the 599 and new California remaining, for the time being, outside the program), and need to retain certain structural requirements and ultimately meet Ferrari's measure of taste, but beyond that, the sky's the limit. The sky, and your bank account, of course.

[Source: AutoWeek.nl]

Fioravanti-designed Ferrari SP1 first product of Portfolio coachbuilding program originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 11 Nov 2008 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Filed under: Motorsports, Mercedes-Benz, Ferrari, UK, India

Ferrari's 056 V8 was good enough to propel the Scuderia to the constructors' title this past season, and good enough to bring erstwhile back-markers Toro Rosso to a solid 6th place by season's end. But it wasn't enough to take Force India F1 - the latest incarnation of Jordan Grand Prix - out from the back of the field all season. Notwithstanding the unfortunate incident that saw Ferrari's own Kimi Raikkonen take Force India's Adrian Sutil out from 4th place at the Monaco Grand Prix with only ten minutes to go, Force India didn't manage a top 10 finish all season, earning a grand total of 0 championship points. So rather than stick with Ferrari, Vijay Mallya - the team's owner, chairman, director and main sponsor - has canceled the remaining year left in his contract with Ferrari and defected to McLaren-Mercedes instead.

The new deal, which was widely anticipated, will see Force India using engines, transmissions, hydraulics, Kinetic Energy Recovery System and a variety of other parts from McLaren Applied Technologies and Mercedes-Benz HighPerformanceEngines. The collaboration means McLaren-Mercedes will provide pretty much everything but the chassis, which Force India will have to design itself using its new computational fluid dynamics facility.

This new deal with McLaren tips the balance: whereas Ferrari was supplying an unprecedented two teams with engines this past season and McLaren none, in the coming season each will supply another team, while Toyota continues to supply Williams and Renault to Red Bull, leaving Honda (since the demise of Super Aguri) and BMW as the only engine suppliers not supporting b-squads.

[Source: Force India Formula One Team, Photo by Mark Thompson/Getty]

Continue reading Officially official: Force India ditches Ferrari for McLaren

Officially official: Force India ditches Ferrari for McLaren originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 11 Nov 2008 11:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Filed under: Motorsports, BMW, Honda, Mercedes-Benz, Toyota, Earnings/Financials, Ferrari, Renault

F1 budgets off the chart, $4.3 million per point originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 10 Nov 2008 17:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Filed under: Convertibles, Supercars, Ferrari, Special/Limited Editions

Click either image for hi-res gallery of the Ferrari Scuderia Spider 16M

The summer season may be over, but that won't stop Ferrari from going topless. Because in Italy, the end of the beach season is superseded only by the end of the Formula One season, and this year the Scuderia took home the constructors' title. To celebrate, Ferrari has unveiled the Scuderia Spider 16M at the annual finals at its Mugello circuit in northern Italy, the same place the company revealed the enhanced FXX Evoluzione last year.

As we've already reported, the Scuderia Spider is a limited-edition roadster amalgamating the best features of the existing 430 Scuderia and F430 Spider, giving a lucky 499 customers a blistering open-air driving experience faster than any Maranello has offered before. The rest of us can only ogle and admire from afar, so check out the updated gallery of high-resolution images by clicking the thumbnails below. Thanks to everyone who sent in the tips!

Gallery: Ferrari 430 Scuderia Spider 16M

More Photos: Ferrari unveils Scuderia Spider 16M at Mugello originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 09 Nov 2008 08:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Filed under: Convertibles, Supercars, Ferrari, Special/Limited Editions

Gallery: Ferrari Scuderia Spider 16M

Continue reading Officially Official: Ferrari Scuderia Spider 16M to celebrate F1 title

Officially Official: Ferrari Scuderia Spider 16M to celebrate F1 title originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 09 Nov 2008 07:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Filed under: Aftermarket, Motorsports, SEMA, Supercars, Aston Martin, Chevrolet, Lamborghini, Ferrari, Spyker

Gallery: SEMA 2008: Supercars

Gallery: SEMA 2008: Racecars

SEMA 2008: Supercar sightings from show floor originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 07 Nov 2008 14:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Filed under: Aftermarket, Tuners, Euro, Supercars, Ferrari

Click above for hi-res gallery of Novitec Rosso's Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano

While America's top tuners make the scene in Las Vegas for this year's SEMA show, aftermarket firms across the pond are still moving ahead at full steam. Case in point, Novitec Rosso's latest take on the Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano. The V12 supercar is already one of the fastest and most capable on the market, but the Dutch tuning wizards at Novitec saw fit to strap on a supercharger. Or two. The result? An astonishing 808 horsepower and a stated 823 Nm of torque (equivalent to 607 lb-ft by American standards).

For that much power, Novitec is quoting a 0-100 km/h (0-62 mph) run of 3.5 seconds with a top speed in excess of 340 km/h (211 mph). But if you're wondering why an extra 188 horsepower has had such a marginal effect on the "stock" Fiorano's acceleration, consider that Ferrari spent a lot of time perfecting the existing car's performance with the considerable output it already has. But if raw power and top end are what you seek, Novitec's engine enhancements will run you nearly 47,000 euros.

Of course, Novitec is also offering a brake upgrade kit to keep the added power in check, along with three-piece 21-inch rims and an optimized aero kit along with various interior trim options. For the full skinny, consult the press release after the jump, and check out the images in the gallery below.

Gallery: Novitec Rosso Ferrari 599 GTB

Continue reading Novitec squeezes 808 hp from twin-superchargerd Ferrari 599

Novitec squeezes 808 hp from twin-superchargerd Ferrari 599 originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 05 Nov 2008 08:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Filed under: Gadgets, Tech, Ferrari

Click above for more images of the Vertu Ferrari Ascent Ti

Want fries with that? Place your order at any fast-food hamburger chain and you can expect to get that question. But for a more sizable purchase - say, a Ferrari - deep-fried potatoes aren't going to cut it. That's where Vertu comes along. The premium mobile phone maker owned by Nokia has already established itself among premium sportscar buyers with a number of special editions of their automotive-inspired Ascent range, including their Racetrack Legends series, and with Ferrari enthusiasts specifically with the special Ferrari Challenge edition. That was followed by the Vertu Ascent Ferrari 60, celebrating the company's 60th anniversary, an additional Ferrari 1947 edition, and has now been supplanted by the new Ferrari Ascent Ti.

While the previous versions were based on the aging Ascent, the new Ferrari model starts life as the newly updated Ascent Ti, which features both quad-band GSM and WCDMA radios for use around the world, Bluetooth, Micro-USB, 3MP auto-focus flash camera and four gigs of storage, all encased in a titanium chassis with a sapphire crystal display and stainless-steel keys. The Ferrari edition further upgrades the package with PVD coating and a battery cover styled after a Ferrari's hood, complete with three-dimensional Prancing Horse logo. Each of the three editions - in Nero (black), Rosso (red) and Giallo (yellow) - will only be produced in limited numbers, so don't be surprised to see some dealers charging a considerable premium for the ultimate side-order to serve alongside a tasty Ferrari road car. Thanks for the tip, JW!

Gallery: Vertu Ferrari Ascent Ti

[Source: Sybarites.org]

Vertu launches special edition Ferrari Ascent Ti phone originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 05 Nov 2008 07:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Filed under: Videos, Supercars, Chevrolet, Nissan, Porsche, Ferrari

Continue reading VIDEO: Drag race between ZR1, 599, GT-R and GT2

VIDEO: Drag race between ZR1, 599, GT-R and GT2 originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 03 Nov 2008 09:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Filed under: Etc., Bentley, BMW, Jaguar, Maserati, Mercedes-Benz, Porsche, Rolls-Royce, Misc. Auto Shows, Ferrari, Alfa Romeo

Gallery: Inaugural Enderle Concours

Inaugural Enderle Concours features Pininfarina designer, classics originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 31 Oct 2008 19:56:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Filed under: Convertibles, Sports/GTs, Euro, Supercars, Ferrari, First Drive

Click above for hi-res gallery of the Ferrari California

The best Ferrari is the next Ferrari. Whether you consider that to be a statement of fact or an opinion largely depends on how you define the term. It's an opinion like a Supreme Court justice's ruling is called an "opinion". Or better yet, like billions worldwide would view the Bible as God's "opinion". Coming from the mouth of the legendary Enzo Ferrari himself - famously expressed in response to a journalist's query - for the congregations of the faithful around the world, it's the gospel truth.

The Commendatore's statement was - as it remains to this day - backed up by a spirit of progress, by the constant pursuit of technical perfection that continues to drive his company into the 21st century and which makes each new Ferrari better than the last. Follow Enzo's declaration to its natural end and you'll conclude that the best Ferrari must be the new California, unveiled earlier this month at the Paris Motor Show, brimming with the latest in performance automotive technology and ready to hit the market next summer. But some 20 years after his passing, would Enzo Ferrari's truism still hold true? That's exactly the answer we sought as we boarded a flight for Italy to drive the new California along the twisting mountain passes, scenic coastal roads and wide open autostradas of Sicily. Follow the jump to read what we discovered.

Gallery: First Drive: Ferrari California

Continue reading First Drive: 2009 Ferrari California in Sicily

First Drive: 2009 Ferrari California in Sicily originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 31 Oct 2008 11:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Filed under: Motorsports, Etc., Ferrari, Toys, Humor

Gallery: LEGO Ferrari F2008 F1 car

Standardization gone amok: LEGO Ferrari F2008 F1 car originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 29 Oct 2008 17:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Filed under: Green, Supercars, Ferrari, Rumormill

F430 Replacement: lightweight with turbo V8 originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 28 Oct 2008 11:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.