Autoblog

Click to view the Ferrari A1GP car in hi-res

What you see above is the first rendering released of the upcoming spec racer that Ferrari is designing for the A1GP World Cup of Motorsport. If it looks familiar to racing fans, it should: the new car is based heavily on the Scuderia Ferrari F2004 grand prix car, which is a good place to start. The F2004 took the checkered flag at a dominant 15 out of 18 races in its epynumerous Formula One season, taking both the world championships (drivers and constructors), making it one of the most successful racing cars of all time.

We initially brought you news of the contract back in October '07, when at first it looked like Ferrari would "merely" supply the engines for the cars, later becoming evident that Ferrari was overseeing the entire design process as well, in conjunction with A1GP's own technicians. Instead of the V10 that powered the F2004, the new A1GP car will use a Ferrari-sourced V8 producing around 600 horsepower. The monoposto is scheduled to run its first laps this coming Friday, when we can expect A1GP to release some new images and data on the car that its teams campaign starting next season. Follow the jump for the press release.

[Source: A1GP]

Click on the Ferrari California for some wallpaper quality high-res shots

Just days after Ferrari launched the teaser site for its new GT, the first full images and details of the Ferrari California have been revealed. Even though the countdown timer on the teaser site still indicates there's a week to go before the next info reveal, the countdown itself is little more than a formality.

Like other modern Ferraris, this one is fabricated from aluminum to keep mass under control. The 460 hp 4.3L V8 is the first from Maranello to use direct injection while following the racing tradition of using a flat-plane crankshaft. This car of firsts also debuts the production application of a dual clutch gearbox from Ferrari. The 7-speed unit is mounted in a rear transaxle configuration and should provide smoother shifting and even better performance than the existing hydraulically-actuated units that Ferrari currently uses. Acceleration to 60 mph should come in under 4.0 seconds.

The California is also Ferrari's first retractable hardtop convertible. From the shape of the hood scoop and headlights to the sweep of the rear fenders and vents behind the front wheels this car obviously draws on the heritage of the original 1960s 250 GT California. At the same time, it's blended with modern Ferrari design elements drawn from the current F430 and 599. We're looking forward to seeing much more of this car over the months leading up to the Paris Motor Show! Thanks to Mobius and Ovidiu for the tip!


[Source: Ferrari]

Click above for high-res gallery of the 2008 Turkish Grand Prix

The real story coming out of this weekend's Turkish Grand Prix should be the fact that Ferrari won again and Lewis Hamilton is driving better than any other driver in F1, but a stray dog that was struck and killed on track during a GP2 Series by Bruno Senna - nephew of Ayrton, yes that Ayrton - has dominated much of the F1 headlines. There's video of it after the jump for those with hardy stomachs.

But back to the racing. After having dominated the prior week's Spanish Grand Prix by finishing one-two, Ferrari once again crowded the podium stand with two top-three finishers, though not in order this time. Felipe Massa, whose performance the last three races has marked an impressive turnaround, captured the checkered flag - his second of the season and third in a row in Turkey - by driving a very clean race. He was, however, passed by McLaren's Lewis Hamilton mid-race, who had an impressive race all around. Some say Hamilton drove the race of his career at this weekend's Turkish Grand Prix, but his team's strategy of a three-pit race ultimately did him in, as Massa's two-pit strategy gave him enough lead time to hold off Hamilton. Third place was earned by Ferrari's Kimi Raikkonen, who will take the points to pad his slim points lead over teammate Massa and Hamilton.


[Source: F1-Live]

Click above for gallery of the Jerrari

In 1963, Henry Ford II wanted to win Le Mans badly and was all set to buy Ferrari to boost Ford's racing program. Enzo Ferrari pulled out of the deal at the last moment, angering Ford II so badly that he went on to fund development of the legendary GT40 that went on to take many motorsports victories.

A few years later, Mr. Ferrari pissed off yet another powerfully rich American businessman with the outcome being the automotive abomination you see before you. Bill Harrah of Harrah's Casino fame asked Ferrari to construct for him an Italian 4X4 wearing the prancing horse badge. While no one thought to archive the response from Ferrari, we imagine it involved the words 'hell' and 'no'. In Italian, of course.

Undeterred and with more money than taste, Harrah created the Jerrari. Its ass-end is a 1970 Jeep Wagoneer, the nose is from a 1969 Ferrari 365GT. On the day of its birth, this one-of-a-kind offroading Ferrari sported V12 power, but now all four wheels are turned by a 350 V8.

The eBay auction for this abomination includes numerous pieces of documentation, like a 1971 review of the car by "Road & Track." Another is a letter from a previous seller in 1984 that indicates there could be more than one of these hideous creations out there. Maybe that's what's been starting all these rumors.

Watch a walk-around video of the Jerrari after the jump, and check out an extensive gallery of photos below.


[Source: eBay, Left Coast Classics via CarScoop]

It's been photographed for months and referred to alternately as Dino and F149, but for now at least, the newest stallion from Maranello goes by the generic moniker, Ferrari GT. Today, the automaker launched www.ferrarigtcountdown.com where the car will be gradually revealed during the runup to the Paris Motor Show this September. Ferrari promises to feed us technical details, sound files and photos of the car between now and Paris. Right now you can see a few teaser images and hear the engine sing its sweet, sweet song as it starts up, runs up and down through the gears, and screams by at full tilt. The countdown timer on the site currently shows 10 days and 22 hours until something else is revealed. Looks like we can put those Dino-branded rumors to rest for good; whatever this car is officially named, it is most definitely a Ferrari. See you in ten days, when the next puzzle piece hits the web.

[Source: Ferrari]

Click above for a gallery of Ferrari's Project F149.

With the debut of the Ferrari 149 GT California (or something like that) just around the corner, new shots of the Ferrari mule have surfaced at Autogespot, revealing a few more details about the entry-level Fezza. Unlike some spy pics we've seen that obscure everything from the B-pillar back, these newest images show a steeply raked rear windscreen that terminates into an artificially elongated trunk, rumored to house a folding hard top. The front clip is sporting a large radiator intake and the hood stretches back in true Ferrari style. As reported before, Project F149 is rumored to be powered by a 4.7-liter V8 producing 480 to 500 hp. More details are expected soon. We're standing by.


[Source: Autogespot via Jalopnik]

Somewhere, a father in Melbourne weeps. There were 16 Ferrari 360 Challenge Stradales imported to Australia and New Zealand. There are now 15. A proud dad gave his son the keys to his so-rare-it's-almost-extinct Ferrari, and his son got a little too frisky with the audacious redhead. She didn't appreciate his advances, he lost control of the situation, and that little redhead introduced him to a pole... at a high rate of speed by the looks of it.

And as if that didn't beat all, the kid had to call home. While news crews watched. And filmed. Only to have newspapers and blogs spread the story around the world. No word on what his father said, but it probably rhymed with "Why I oughta @#%$*&%!"

Police say the driver was speeding, which means he must not have seen these commercials. But now, at least, he has a theme song, so sing along: "To you other kids all across the land, take it from me, parents just don't understand..." Thanks for the tip, Patrick!

[Source: Sydney Morning Herald]

Click for more images of the Pininfarina Sintesi

Pininfarina has confirmed the three new shareholders who will take stake in the company as part of its 100 million euro capital increase. As we reported previously, Piero Ferrari, son of the late Enzo Ferrari and vice-chairman of the eponymous Maranello sportscar firm, and Alberto Bombassei, chairman of the Brembo brakes company, will take shares, in addition to the Marsiaj family at the helm of Italian seatbelt manufacturer Sabelt.

The increased capital will finance the development and production of the upscale electric minicar Pininfarina will produce together with French industrial group Bollore and Indian automaker Tata. The car is expected to begin production in 2010 with 2000 units, ramping up to a full capacity of 15,000 units by 2012 with sales in the United States, Europe and Japan. Although the size of each new shareholder's stake has yet to be confirmed, the shares will come out of the Pininfarina family's 55% ownership.

[Source: Automotive News Europe - Sub. Req.]

Pininfarina and Ferrari have had an intertwined relationship for decades, and according to a report from Reuters, the families are set to intermarry. Piero Ferrari, Enzo's son, is expected to join three other "prominent figures of the Italian automotive industry" that will take a stake in Pininfarina. The news comes shortly after Tata announced plans to throw some money into the Italian design house, which includes a 100 million euro stake in the firm. Part of that cash infusion will help to create the new electric car Pininfarina is developing with Bollore, while simultaneously reducing the shares that the Pininfarina family currently holds.

[Source: Reuters, Photo by DAMIEN MEYER/AFP/Getty]

The auto industry may be mired in tough times at the moment, but the sales downturn here in the States doesn't seem to be bothering Ferrari and Maserati. Ferrari sales were up 4% year over year to 1,654 units, due in part to outstanding sales of its 612 Scaglietti and 599 GTB Fiorano. Brisk sales of the hot Italian supercars led to a 20% increase in revenue over last year's record numbers, to 456 million euro. It never hurts when you have an 18-month backlog of buyers that are waiting patiently for their Italian Stallion, and new models are on the way to potentially boost sales further.

Maserati has also seen a resurgence in sales, with a 21% improvement in year over year sales to 2,234 units for the quarter. While Maserati made a profit of 10 million euro for the quarter, which sounds lousy until you consider the famed Italian automaker was in the red for 17 straight years until 2007. While the Italian automaker has a checkered past with regards to sales and earnings performance, the gorgeous GranTurismo and a steady backlog of customers translates into good times for quite a while at Maserati.

[Source: Automotive News - Sub. Req.]