Tag: Ferrari

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Ferrari Oh the humanity

Ferrari 458 Italia lights my fire, again!

Ferrari 458 Italia

This burning Ferrari 458 Italia phenomenon is getting out of control. After the break you can see video of the sizzling 458 shown above, which was filmed in China.Apparently there have been four fire incidents involving the 458 Italia in the last two weeks.

Reported in the UK newspaper The Telegraph a Ferrari spokesman from Britain has said, “We are taking all the reports very seriously and are looking into them, but we are treating them all as separate incidents.”

With waiting lists approaching three years you’d be a bit pissed off if you already had one of these otherwise fantastic cars only to see it end up in a smouldering, useless mess.

[Source: Telegraph]

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Ferrari

Ferrari 458 Challenge testing at Fiorano

Ferrari 458 Challenge

German publication auto motor und sport have posted up video footage of the Ferrari 458 Challenge undergoing allegedly secret testing at the company’s Fiorano test track. It’s all pretty straightforward really, so watch the clip below and marvel at the clinical efficiency the 458 Challenge displays.

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Ferrari Formula 1 Mercedes-Benz Red Bull Racing Renault

2010 German Grand Prix in pictures

2010 German GP

Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso won the 2010 German Grand Prix. Good for him, it was a hard fought victory and if only that lowly team assistant in the bottom left of corner didn’t ruin the photo opportunity above as the Spaniard held the winning trophy aloft. Who is that guy anyway? Has anyone ever seen him before?

Actually, come to think of it, he could be the little bugger who stole Ferrari’s $100,000 social club kitty. Poor Fernando had no money for champagne to celebrate his win because of that guy. A professional outfit like Ferrari really should keep such team matters in check. There’s no “I” in team, after all.

You can see a few pics from Hockenheim after the jump. I must apologise; a number of the images provided have a Ferrari sweep car in the way, spoiling the view of Alonso’s car. No matter, though, the sweep car found its place before the chequered flag. Phew!

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Ferrari Oh the humanity

Ferrari 458 Italia really lights my fire

Ferrari 458 Italia

This molten mess you see was once a gorgeous Ferrari 458 Italia. If you thought last week’s bbq case was a sorry sight, well, this disaster has taken things to a whole new level.

According to the post on the Wrecked Exotics website this 458 was another French roast. Allegedly the car was having an ace time flying up a mountain pass right up until the point the car’s engine caught fire. The end result, as you can see, was remarkable.

[Source: Wrecked Exotics via TopGear.com]

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Ferrari Oh the humanity

Ferrari 458 Italia lights my fire

Ferrari 458 Italia fire

The gentleman you see above got a bit of a fright when he saw the rear arch of his Ferrari 458 Italia in flames while driving through the streets of Paris. No danger of the captain going down with the ship here, though. Monsiuer Italia legged it leaving his poor 458 to a firey end.

All was not lost, however, a good samaritan saw the trouble ahead and soon stepped in with his trusty fire extinguisher to minimise the damage.

[Source: AutoGespot | Thanks to Chris for the tip]

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Ferrari

Ferrari 458 Challenge announced

Ferrari 458 Challenge

The Ferrari 458 Challenge, the latest Maranello road car to racecar transformation, has just been revealed at the Annual Dealer Meeting. Of course, the Challenge version is heavily based on the already mighty 458 Italia, which has been drawing praise the world over since its launch.

To make the 458 that little bit better on the track Ferrari’s engineers have played with the gear ratios to offer more low down torque, even though the road car’s standard engine and 425kW remains. The E-diff from the standard car also makes its way onto the Challenge meaning it is the first Ferrari wearing this badge to be fitted with such technology. Similarly, the most recent traction control technology from Ferrari, F1-Trac, has also been fitted to a Challenge for the first time.

A weight loss program has been employed through the use of thinner body panels. Other lightweight materials such as carbon fibre and lexan have been used as well. The Challenge sits 30mm lower than the Italia and runs on 19″ alloys with Pirelli slicks.

Apparently prospective 458 Challenge owners are “professional and gentlemen drivers alike” and they’ll be pleased to know they will be able to race their new toys in the Ferrari Challenge Trofeo Pirelli series from 2011. They also have a new target time of 1:16.5 at Ferrari’s Fiorano test track; two seconds faster than the F430 Challenge.

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Ferrari Formula 1

Scuderia Ferrari unveil new racing logo

Ferrari F1 logo

The Ferrari F1 team unveiled a new logo at Silverstone yesterday. The image above is the one made available from the Ferrari media portal. You’d reckon they’d take a bit more time to prepare something a bit better than a happy snap of a logo glued to a wall. Perhaps they’re too busy trying to work out how to keep up with Red Bulls and McLarens. To be fair, the new logo won’t be implemented until the 2011 season.

Anyway, back to the new branding, Stefano Domenicali explains why the team revealed the new logo ahead of the British Grand Prix, “We chose Silverstone because it was here in 1951 that Ferrari took its first Formula 1 win with Jose Froilan Gonzalez.

“Although revealed today, the new logo will make its debut next season, starting in January and will be visible on all elements of the racing department; the cars, team kit, driver race suits and all initiatives linked to the Ferrari Driver Academy, so that the new design will be linked to all future Ferrari’s racing activities.”

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Audi Ferrari Lamborghini Porsche Rolls-Royce

Megafactories mega week

National Geographic channel - Megafactories

Australian Foxtel subscribers are in for a treat this week with five Megafactories episodes airing on the National Geographic Channel. Some of the car world’s most desirable brands are showcased.

On Monday you can learn all about the Lamborghini Murcielago SV; Tuesday is Rolls Royce Phantom day; Wednesday is all about the Audi R8; Thursday is devoted to the Porsche 911; Friday is spent inside the Ferrari factory at Maranello.

The episodes air at 5:30pm and run for one hour, so make sure you have your recorders at the ready on channel 610.

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Ferrari

Ferrari throw 599 GTO keys to evo

Ferrari 599 GTO

We’ve already seen a couple of videos featuring the hugely desirable Ferrari 599 GTO. But another one won’t hurt, will it.

This time it’s Chris Harris from evo behind the wheel. Adding another dimension is some in-car footage filmed around Fiorano with Ferrari test driver Raffaele de Simone (last seen lapping a 599XX around the Nürburging in under 7 minutes). De Simone offers further insight into Ferrari’s aims for the 599 GTO.

In his written review Harris says this about the 599 GTO, “The project’s main aim was to reduce understeer, and it certainly works – on track it has far more front axle grip than a GTB. It’s less forgiving though: set-up for ultimate lap-time, it punishes indecisive or clumsy inputs.”

For a car with a magnificent V12 roar like this, you’re better off watching the videos, you can check them out after the break.

[Source: evo]

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Ferrari Formula 1 Lotus McLaren Mercedes-Benz Red Bull Racing Renault

2010 Canadian Grand Prix in pictures

2010 Canadian Grand Prix

The 2010 Canadian Formula One Grand Prix saw a second consecutive one-two victory for the McLaren team. Lewis Hamilton started from pole and, despite a margin of just over two seconds from second placed Jenson Button, he won the race in reasonable comfort in the end. That doesn’t tell the whole story, though.

After qualifying on the soft “option” tyres it was expected Hamilton would come under pressure from the two Red Bull Racing cars, with both Webber and Vettel on the harder, more durable “prime” tyres. As it was Webber was penalised five grid places after having a gearbox change following qualifying.

But the real story of the race was the rate at which the tyres wore across the board. The prime tyres wore out quickly, as expected. However, the prime tyres also wore much quicker than predicted which meant most teams made two pitstops for a second set of prime tyres.

With no mechanical failures or accident carnage at the head of the field it was a reasonably close and exciting race. In the end, Hamilton won the day ahead of teammate Jenson Button and Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso.

Hamilton now leads the drivers standings on 109 points. Button is in second (106pts) and after relinquishing his title lead Mark Webber is close behind in third place (103pts). McLaren maintain their lead in the constructors race with 215 points ahead of Red Bull (193pts) and Ferrari (161pts).

Over 60 photos from Montreal are all yours after the jump and simply click on the pics you like to load a 2000px super image.

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Ferrari

Ferrari 458 Italia arrives in Australia

Ferrari 458 Italia

Brisvegas is the lucky city to have Australia’s first Ferrari 458 Italia. The car was air-freighted to Queensland from Maranello.

“Australian deliveries have started a little earlier than planned because the interest in this remarkable car has been so great that the car has been air freighted to Australia,” explains Kevin Wall, General Manager for Ferrari in Australia and New Zealand. “Even before it was announced we have had Australian clients expressing interest in the 458 Italia and, once its specification was announced, revealing it to be, even by Ferrari standards, a technical tour de force, interest has climbed dramatically and shows no sign of slowing.”The 458 will be familiar to most readers. But in case you’ve forgotten what the car is all about here’s a reminder. It has a 4.5 litre V8 engine which produces 419kW. With a kerb weight of 1380kg the 458 the driver, if they so choose, can plant their right foot and mximise the performance of the 7 speed dual-clutch transmission for a mere 3.4 seconds to propel the car to 100km/h.

Of course, the 458 Italia is about more than outright acceleration, though, as Kevin Wall was quick to point out, “Ferrari’s definition of ‘the fastest’ is not measured in the crude terms of top speed or its ability to reach 100 kmh in the lowest possible time.

“This is why Ferrari measure ‘the fastest’ in terms of the quickest lap time around its notoriously difficult Fiorano test track, which is, essentially, made up of all most difficult corners in Formula One. If a car is the fastest here, then it is, truly, the fastest in the real world.”

So there you have it. According to Car Advice the Australian asking price for the 458 begins at $526,950. I suspect, like me, looking at and dreaming about a 458 Italia is about as close as you’re ever likely to get to owning one. Best make do with the images and extensive press release after the jump. Then make sure you buy a lotto ticket for this Saturday’s draw. Good luck—if you win make sure you throw AUSmotive the keys!

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Ferrari Formula 1

Lance Stroll – remember this name

Lance Stroll

Hey, what you talkin’ about Lance?! Young Master Stroll is just eleven years old, but that hasn’t stopped the Maranello team from signing this kid to the Ferrari Driver Academy.

Unsurprisingly the little tacker is pumped at this news, “For me it’s a dream that’s become a reality, an incredible feeling, the best in the world in fact,” said Lance. “I am very excited at the idea of being part of the Ferrari Driver Academy. In the past few months, I was at Maranello, where I met Stefano Domenicali and Luca Baldisseri and also some of my new ‘fellow students.’ This summer I will be going back to take part in some courses.”

Apparently Lance is a dab hand at go karting and Ferrari hope they have the next Lewis Hamilton on their hands. Meanwhile, spare a thought for Nicole Scherzinger who now has to consider her future with old man Hamilton. Surely it would be better look to be jumping around like a prat in a Ferrari garage. She’d fit right in with Felipe’s dad, for a start.

Anyway, Ferrari are so excited about this news that there’s not one, but two press releases after the jump.

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