Ferrari Blog
Schumacher fine-tunes the Ferrari California (w/VIDEO)Filed under: Convertibles, Sports/GTs, Videos, Supercars, Ferrari, Celebrities 
Click above for high-res gallery of Schumacher and the California
Michael Schumacher may have departed the Formula One grid, but he has most definitely not left Ferrari. The seven-time world champion, widely credited with building Ferrari into the power house it is today, still comes around the paddock at various tracks around the world to give the Prancing Horse's latest creations - whether racing cars or road vehicles - a healthy dose of Schuey-trademarked punishment.
After having been intimately involved with the development of the 430 Scuderia - proclaimed as the fastest road-going Ferrari ever to lap the company's private circuit - Schumacher returned to Fiorano to give his input on Maranello's newest offering, the California. And while his opinion is hardly impartial, he certainly knows what he's talking about and his impressions were glowing. Speaking to the conference of Ferrari dealers assembled at the factory, Schumacher proclaimed that "the Ferrari California is very much a Grand Tourer in terms of its usability and high level of interior comfort, it is still surprisingly sporty and fun to drive under any kind of conditions." You could try arguing with him, but you'd probably end up losing - like most of the drivers that have ever tried to go wheel-to-wheel with the most decorated driver in history. Click below to view the images in our high-resolution gallery, and follow the jump to view the video and press release.
[Source: Ferrari]Continue reading Schumacher fine-tunes the Ferrari California (w/VIDEO) Permalink | Email this | Comments
Ferrari and Panerai unveil new watch collection at London showFiled under: Gadgets, Misc. Auto Shows, Ferrari  We're still a few months away from the official unveiling of the new California, but that didn't stop Ferrari from finding something to debut for the crowds at the British International Motor Show.
Drawing on its collaboration with Italian watchmaker Officine Panerai, Ferrari revealed its latest collection of automotive-inspired timepieces, ready to compete for the coveted wrists of the uber-wealthy with the likes of Breitling for Bentley, Aston Martin by Jaeger LeCoultre and Mercedes SLR by TAG Heuer. The new 2008 collection includes no less than 16 watches divided between the Scuderia and Granturismo series. The only thing more Ferrari-like than the design is the pricing, which ranges from £8,900 to a whopping £28,300. Heck, for that kind of scrap, you could buy yourself a nice vintage Ferrari road car, and still have enough change left over for a new wardrobe of Prancing Horse apparel to live out your Schumacher Raikkonen fantasies.
[Source: Panerai] Continue reading Ferrari and Panerai unveil new watch collection at London show Permalink | Email this | Comments
More Pics Aplenty: Ferrari CaliforniaFiled under: Sports/GTs, Supercars, Ferrari 
Click above for a high-res gallery of the Ferrari California, again.
Think you've seen enough of the Ferrari California? We have too, but then 67 new shots of Ferrari's V8-powered grand-tourer surfaced and we felt obliged to thrown them in a gallery for your viewing pleasure. All the details are revealed; from the wheels and vents to the trick gauge cluster and Spartan rear seats. Check out all the shots in the gallery below.
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Oh the horror! Ferrari California post-crash testFiled under: Convertibles, Safety, Ferrari  We're fully aware that even supercars must undergo crash testing. But we like to think of the process the same way we do hamburgers. When we get hungry, we're able to totally banish any curiosity about what gruesome process transformed the cow into lunch.
Photos from inside a slaughterhouse would evoke the same emotions as these shots of a Ferrari California after crash testing. The Italian Web site that posted them says they were taken at Ferrari supplier Webasto. The Germany-based company created the convertible top for Ferrari's Superamerica, and are apparently testing their product on the California.
But, thanks to Google's interesting Italian translation we're not exactly sure what's going on. Can you make any sense of, "According to recent information, however, Webasto has yet to make up because their folding roof is still suffering from a children's diseases." We sure hope it's not contagious and that not too many more Californias are sacrificed in the search for a cure.
[Source: CzechFerrari via Autogespot] Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
F430 in the shop? Fiat providing limited-edition 500 rentalFiled under: Ferrari, Alfa Romeo, FIAT 
Click above for a high-res gallery of the Fiat 500 Ferrari Edition.
If you own an Italian masterpiece adorned with a prancing horse, your good fortune is likely tempered with a few mechanical or electrical maladies. If and when that happens, most of us would expect an expensive loaner to take our minds off of our troubles, but team Ferrari has a "better idea." Fiat has created 200 special edition 500s that are done up to Ferrari standards, including red paint, a top notch sound system, electric sunroof, automatic climate control, a black steering wheel with red stitching and 16-inch aluminum wheels. Although the stock, 100 hp 1.4-liter engine remains, the exhaust has been tweaked to provide a bit more growl. Since Fiat is keeping its run of limited edition 500s to a minimum, the automaker will also provide a numbered kick plate to show off where each model falls in the production run.
While the "Ferrari Edition" 500 is a sweet limited edition model in its own right, we're not sure if we would dig getting one as a temporary replacement for our Scuderia. Call us snobs, but the Quattroporte or a Alfa 8C Competizione is as low as we're willing to go.
[Source: Carscoop] Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
Yanko Designs renders one-off FerrarisFiled under: Concept Cars, Etc., Supercars, Ferrari 
UPDATE: The designs that Yanko's got on its website are from a past Ferrari design competition, thanks to all the sharp eyed readers who caught it.
As we reported not too long ago, Ferrari is not stupid, and if you've got the obscene cashflow, you can get your own design rendered in Rosso Corsa with a gen-yoo-wine Prancing Horse on the fender. Trouble is, not everyone has a shelf full of sketchbooks with multitudinous supercar designs lying in wait. Even if you do, they're probably not very good. Mastering foreshortening and perspective is not a weekend project, and designing a body that's actually capable of production is also not something the common man, even the uncommonly rich common man, is familiar with. Yanko Design has done some of the heavy lifting for those talentless hacks wanting to join the Jim Glickenhaus society. The Glick went to Pininfarina, but Yanko's collected some former Ferrari design competition candidates to remind us of what could be. The designs are from students, and Yanko's showing some of the ones that didn't make the cut. If these are what students can do, just think of what experienced hands could come up with. Some actually look good, though others would be better off as Hot Wheels cars. Wouldn't it just be cheaper to get one of those Fiero bodykits and put the leftover millions into retirement accounts?
[Source: Autofiends]
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Ferrari California Spyder to be featured at Pebble Beach ConcoursFiled under: Time Warp, Misc. Auto Shows, Ferrari 
Click above for a high resolution image
The Ferrari 250 GT California Spyder is one of the most valuable classic Ferraris, as evidenced by the recent sale of one at auction for a record $10.8 million. To celebrate the Cal Spyder's 50th anniversary, the Pebble Beach Concours will have six different versions of the roadster on display on the 18th green this August. Most notably will be an aluminum-bodied competition version that raced at both Le Mans and Sebring. We will be bringing you live coverage from the Concours this year, and we'll be sure to take plenty of photographs. To whet your appetite, we've created a gallery of California Spyders that have been in the Concours over the past few years.
[Source: Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance] Continue reading Ferrari California Spyder to be featured at Pebble Beach Concours Permalink | Email this | Comments
Spy Shots: Next Ferrari F430? Enzo successor?Filed under: Spy Photos, Supercars, Ferrari  With the release of the California, Ferrari can turn its attention towards developing its next hyper car, and apparently things are well underway. Spy shooters have caught a Maranello mule wearing the trappings of an F360, but what lies beneath could be the next iteration of the F430 or even a successor to the Enzo.
The only thing that tipped-off spies was the central mounting of the exhaust pipes, which usually reside on the far ends of the bumper. Camouflage is covering the side sills and front bumper, but more importantly, Ferrari engineers saw fit to black out the rear window to keep prying eyes away from the mule's mid-mounted engine.
Details are scarce at the moment, but as the summer testing season continues, we expect to hear more about Ferrari's next big thing.
[Source: NextAutos] Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
Heck, it's your money: Ferrari ready to build customer one-offsFiled under: Ferrari, Special/Limited Editions 
Hard as it may be to believe, the existing stock of Ferrari road cars just isn't enough for some. For those discerning (and exceedingly wealthy) customers, a unique Prancing Horse of their own is the only thing that will satisfy their need for automotive individuality. Far be it for us to complain, because their investment leads to eye candy, like Jim Glickenhaus' Enzo-based P4/5. Until now, such customers have had to turn to custom coachbuilders like Pininfarina and Carrozzeria Touring for such exclusivity, but reports now suggest that Ferrari will offer such extensive customization directly from the factory.
Show up at Maranello with 2 million euros in hand and an idea in mind, and Ferrari will cook you up your very own sportscar based on one of its existing chassis and powertrains. The only limit which Ferrari will reportedly impose is no SUVs, sedans or wagons (unless your first name is Sultan, of course), but we have a feeling they won't just slap their vaunted Prancing Horse emblem on any tail-finned, taupe-colored abomination you can cook up. We are, however, looking forward to finding out.
[Source: eurocarblog] Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
Ferrari cutting CO2 output by 40%, hybrid sports car in the worksFiled under: Hybrids/Alternative, Supercars, Ferrari 
Mainstream automakers are faced with the reality of improving the efficiency and cleanliness of everyday vehicles, but companies like Porsche and Lamborghini say drastic change would effect the underlying character of their products. Ferrari apparently doesn't feel the same way, as the exotic automaker has pledged to cut emissions 40 percent by 2012. Like most other automakers, Ferrari plans on tackling its emissions problems on several fronts. It will improve the efficiency of its current powertrains, add new engines, possibly including a turbocharged V6, and bring a hybrid to market that could incorporate Ferrari's Kinetic Energy Recycling System (KERS) employed on its F1 cars, which uses a CVT connected to a flywheel that stores energy under braking. Prancing stallion president Luca Cordero di Montezemolo told a German newspaper that the hybrid Ferrari would be available around 2015. If anybody can make a hybrid supercar that is entertaining, efficient, exotic, and extremely fast, we're betting on the guys and gals over at Ferrari.
[Source: AFP] Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
Rumormill: Ferrari looking at turbo'd V6 to save fuelFiled under: Sports/GTs, Supercars, Ferrari, Rumormill 
Dino fans rejoice, the rumormill is churning out plenty of grist about a V6 power unit in the offing for some future Ferraris. The California is already getting a V8, so Prancing Horse fans wishing for a "Dino II" will remain unfulfilled, but new approaches to high performance are key to keeping Ferrari at the zenith of autodom, lest it fall down the nostalgia hole that's seen Jaguar nearly suffocate on its own pillowy upholstery. The case for a V6 would be partly the banal issues of emissions and consumption, and a six might also offer weight and packaging advantages, though the rumors of a turbocharged mill add plumbing, weight, and complexity back into the mix. Additionally, anyone who's ever given the boot to a turbocharged engine can attest that forced induction's ability to make small engines flex big muscles, it can also lead to big-league fuel swilling, poking holes in the idea that a turbo V6 might save a lot of fuel over the direct-injected V8. Like any automaker, Ferrari is certainly looking at all sorts of "what if" ideas that will never reach production to find the right solution for the myriad technical challenges facing any automaker, let alone an exotic manufacturer. One thing's certain: a turbo V6 with Ferrari emblazoned along the cam covers would shriek with a proper Italian accent, and you have to respect any company that violently spits on the ground when the terms "SUV" or "Four-Door" are whispered.
[Source: AutoTelegraaf.nl]
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Montezemolo: Scuderia Ferrari not funded by FiatFiled under: Motorsports, Earnings/Financials, Ferrari, FIAT 
Many of the biggest teams in Formula One extract enormous budgets from the automakers that own them: BMW, Renault, Toyota, Honda, even Mercedes-Benz, which is part owner of McLaren. Not Ferrari, though. The team, part of the Maranello-based sportscar maker, is owned by the Fiat auto group. However, Fiat does not contribute even one centesimo (er... euro-cent) to the team's budget.
This according to Luca Cordero di Montezemolo. And he should know, being both president of Ferrari and chairman of Fiat (in the mid-'70s, Montezemolo directly headed up the Scuderia before being promoted up the Fiat ladder). The marquis insists that the entirety of the Ferrari F1 team's budget is generated from within Ferrari, through the sales of its road cars (all of which go for six digits) and the team's sponsors, to say nothing of the company's considerable merchandising efforts.
[Source: The Daily Telegraph via F1-Live, Photo by GIUSEPPE CACACE/AFP/Getty] Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
Autoblog Night Watch: Novitec Ferrari 575 vs. EDO Lambo GallardoFiled under: Aftermarket, Tuners, Euro, Videos, Supercars, Lamborghini, Ferrari 
Click above to view the video.
We've said it before, but it warrants repeating: it takes a special kind of crazy to take an epic supercar like a Ferrari or a Lamborghini and tune it like you would a Mustang or even a Porsche. Fortunately, Novitec and EDO are just such a breed of crazy. We've brought you news of the former's modified Ferrari 430 Scuderias and 599 GTBs and the latter's Lamborghini Superleggera, Maserati MC12 and Audi R8 (to name just a few), but never side by side. For that, you may follow the jump and thank those zany Germans for pitting a Novitec Rosso-modified Ferrari 575M Maranello against an EDO Competition-tuned Lamborghini Gallardo. You'll need four and a half minutes to spare, but not fluency in German... "vroom" is international.
[Source: YouTube via Autoblog.nl] Continue reading Autoblog Night Watch: Novitec Ferrari 575 vs. EDO Lambo Gallardo Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
Alfa Romeo wants 2nd-gen 8C based on Ferrari California by 2010Filed under: Ferrari, Alfa Romeo 
Click for hi-res gallery of the Alfa 8C Competizione
When Alfa Romeo announced it was actually building the 8C Competizione, we had but to applaud. The automaker slashed its own marketing budget to finance the car's manufacturing, justifying that the halo supercar would do more for the brand's image than any television ad ever could. (Then they did it again with the Spider version.) Right they were, and we wish more automakers would think that way. The latest reports indicate that Alfa Romeo is following its own example, so while CEO Luca de Meo campaigns within the Fiat hierarchy for an even more hard-core version to wear the vaunted GTA badge, some of his subordinates are thinking a step ahead towards the 8C's successor.
The current 8C is based on an aging Maserati platform - not unlike the resuscitating Aston Martin DB7 that was based on old Jaguar underpinnings. However, strategists within Alfa Romeo want to see its successor based on the new Ferrari California, trading in the input of one sister company for another. While they realize it will be an uphill battle - one which could come down to Fiat chairman and Ferrari president Luca di Montezemelo's decision - to get Ferrari to agree to the proposal, Alfa Romeo is reportedly keen to get the project off the ground and get the second-generation sportscar ready within the next two years to celebrate Alfa's centennial in 2010.
[Source: Autocar] Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
Ferrari releases more California images to magazinesFiled under: Convertibles, Sports/GTs, Supercars, Ferrari 
Click above to view the latest batch of Ferrari California images in our gallery
We hate to ruin your summer, but in the automotive world the sunny season is little more than a few months with no car shows. What kind of fun is that? Well, after the summer's over we'll be headed to Paris to bring you your fix of new car extravaganza. Among the new models being unveiled there will be the Ferrari California, which we've so far only been able to see in bits and pieces as Maranello sees fit to release it. So while the California's launch site (not to mention the Ferrari media site) continue to offer only the initial batch of computer-enhanced studio shots, major publications like Auto Bild and now Road & Track get exclusive new shots of the hardtop convertible from every angle. We'll continue to do our best to bring you what's available, but unfortunately the latest crop is decidedly low-res. Check 'em out in the constantly-updated gallery by clicking the new thumbnails below, or follow the jump to watch them in a YouTube video slideshow (though we'd recommend turning off the sound).
[Source: Road & Track] Continue reading Ferrari releases more California images to magazines Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
Ferrari California assembly underway at MaranelloFiled under: Euro, Plants/Manufacturing, Ferrari 
Click above to view in high resolution
Several months ahead of its scheduled debut at this fall's Paris auto salon, production of the new Ferrari California has already begun at the Ferrari factory in Maranello. The news comes after previous speculation suggested that the California might have to be assembled off-site - potentially at sister-company Maserati's nearby facility in Modena - because the existing Ferrari assembly lines were already at full capacity. However, having now unveiled its newly-retooled manufacturing facility under the Formula Uomo program, the company has apparently increased production capacity to accommodate the assembly of the California, thus securing its legitimacy in the eyes of enthusiasts and potential customers alike.
[Source: Ferrari] Permalink | Email this | Comments
Raging bulls beware: Novitec unleashes 717-hp F430 ScuderiaFiled under: Aftermarket, Tuners, Supercars, Ferrari 
Click above for a high resolution image
Is it wrong to mess with perfection? We don't know if we would dare to change even a single nut or bolt on the F430 Scuderia if we happened to have one in the garage, but Novitec Rosso seems to have no problem with it. Granted, they have plenty of experience laying their hands on the F430; in addition to their standard version, they've also built RACE, TuNero, and Evoluzione variations. For the Scuderia they've added their twin-supercharger package good for 717 horsepower and a top speed of just over 215 mph. Considering the standard F430 Scuderia can lap Ferrari's Fiorano test track faster than the Enzo, we'd imagine this car would be insanely quick.
[Source: WorldCarFans] Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
VIDEO: Ferrari California's fast-action retractable hard-topFiled under: Convertibles, Sports/GTs, Tech, Videos, Supercars, Ferrari 
Click on the image above to jump to the video
If you're on Ferrari's mailing list for the new California, you might have seen a new email in your inbox today with a link to another chapter (literally) opening up on the vehicle's dedicated website. Today's installment leads to a video of the California's trick folding hard-top - another first for Ferrari (if you don't count the innovative one-piece mechanism designed by Fioravanti for the limited-production 575-based Superamerica). Thanks to a mechanism that moves multiple segments in unison, the hard-top can be deployed or retracted in only 15 seconds - faster than the soft-top on any convertible ever to roar out of the gates at Maranello.
Follow the jump to watch the video.
[Source: Ferrari]
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Rumormill: Carrozzeria Touring Superleggera preparing coachbuilt FerrariFiled under: Aftermarket, Concept Cars, Sports/GTs, Ferrari 
There are revivals, and then there are revivals. Carrozzeria Touring Superleggera got it right by making a big splash at Villa d'Este when it showed up with not one, but two custom coachbuilt Maseratis: the sumptuous A8GCS Berlinetta and the innovative Quattroporte Bellagio Fastback. Talk about hitting the ground running.
Evidently not content to rest on its show-stopping, beautifully-shaped aerodynamic laurels, the Carrozzeria is now tipped to be readying a coachbuilt Ferrari. The rumors are fueled by a trip down memory lane (at full throttle, no less): Some of the first Ferraris featured Touring coachwork, including the 166 MM in which Ferrari claimed its very first victory back in 1959, along with the vehicles in which Ferrari won both Le Mans and the Francorchamps 24 the very same year. Quick math, carry the one...what's the square root of 1959? Oh wait! Next year will mark the 60th anniversary of that victorious partnership, and you can bet the revived coachbuilder will want to mark it in style. Insiders tip 612 Scaglietti underpinnings, and we certainly hope that, following the beautiful A8GCS, Touring can cook up something even prettier.
[Source: Autoblog.nl via CarScoop] Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
Ferrari launches new magazine, next phase of "Formula Uomo"Filed under: Green, Plants/Manufacturing, Ferrari 
Ferrari Company Restaurant designed by architect Marco Visconti
Ferraris have long been known as striking and powerful machines, typically at the front of the pack in any competition. It should come as no surprise, then, that Ferrari the company is also a leader, extending that same philosophy to how it designs its manufacturing facilities. Late last millennium, the company launched its "Formula Uomo" plan to modernize production in a way that would be good for profitability, good for the environment, and good for the workers. With the opening of their latest new car assembly lines facility and company restaurant, they have reached that goal. The restaurant is a thing of beauty that allows workers a peaceful retreat from the factory. The new assembly lines reduce worker movements so they can work more efficiently, all while catching glimpses of the original plant's red walls through their huge windows. Ferrari President Luca di Montezemolo and CEO Amedeo Felisa presented these most recent and final pieces in the "Formula Uomo" program, just over ten years after the launch in 1997. It cost the company something like 200 million euro to hire award-winning architects to design and build the new facilities.
The other bold move the company is making is the launch of a new magazine. Produced in conjunction with Condè Nast, this new Ferrari Magazine is a large-format mag that features "a lively and interesting mix of cars, racing culture, fashion and design seen from the point of view of the Ferrari world and the passionate individuals who buy these superb cars." What they said. This quarterly publication will be sent to 30,000 owners worldwide and will only be offered in English. A limited number of subscriptions will be offered to the public as well, at 250 Euro per year. Our CPAs tell us we can write this off. Expect Montezemolo and Schumacher to make regular appearances, as well as other company executives, designers, and even celebrity owners like Nick Mason. The magazine will capture everything Ferrari, with the December issue each year acting as a replacement for the annual yearbook. So you can be sure that F1 will get a thorough rundown as well. For more info, read the press releases after the jump.
[Source: Ferrari]Continue reading Ferrari launches new magazine, next phase of "Formula Uomo" Permalink | Email this | Comments
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