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It's always nice when money gets thrown at making epic videos of cars, and this one is so beautifully produced that it obviously cost a bundle. What could be more epic than a couple of Ferraris being treated like the rentals Rowdy and Cole duked it out with in Days Of Thunder? Okay, Ferrari and NASCAR, ne'er the twain shall meet, but what we do have here is a fantastically beautiful video of a Ferrari 599 showing the F40 what an old man it's become. Let's see, do we want to take the comfortable, easy-driving, fighter-jet fast GT, or would we prefer the raucous, painful, finicky throwback that's nearly as fast but is probably more exhilarating due simply to the cacophony behind your head? Either could be fun - follow the jump to see for yourself. Thanks for the tip, Johnny!

[Source: YouTube]

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Dutch designer Michiel van den Brink doesn't seem to be deterred by adversity. First he set out to pen a modern interpretation of one of the most iconic homologated racing GTs of all time, the 1962 Ferrari 250 GTO. Then he actually decided to build his design, basing it on the Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano, arguably the most dynamically sublime supercar ever to grace tarmac. When the Fiorano's 600-hp Enzo sourced V12 wasn't good enough, he teamed up with tuning house Edo Competition to turn it up to 11 by boring it out to 6.3 liters. The result? 750 horsepower. When Maranello declined to grant him its blessing, he started taking orders anyway from customers seemingly undeterred by the $1.3 million asking price... over the cost of the donor car.

Now that conjecture has begun circulating cyberspace that Ferrari is considering building a small run of convertibles based on the Fiorano, van den Brink has thrown his hat into the ring by unveiling his own design, dubbed the "GT Convertible". A far more convincing and seducing design than the photochops we've seen so far, van den Brink says he'll build it complete with a folding carbon-fiber hard-top for any interested customer.

That's some unfettered ambition, considering we've yet to see an actual copy of the Vandenbrink GTO built, yet despite an undisclosed but undoubtedly high cost for the sublime chop-job, Michiel might start taking orders before you know it.

More details are included in the press release after the jump, where van den Brink alludes to future designs to be based on the Audi R8, Spyker C8 Spyder and Corvette Z06. Oh yes, the future bears promise.

[Source: Vandenbrink Design]

The internet, as usual, is rife with speculation. Today's source is the FerrariChat message forum, where members claim to have inside information on two new Ferrari models that are anticipated for launch within the next couple of years.

The news concerns a convertible version of the current 599 GTB Fiorano, an illustration of which you see above (courtesy of AutoGespot). FChat member "supraman55" says his local dealer confirmed the upcoming model for a debut at either Detroit or Geneva in 2009. Speculation surrounding the 599 Spider is backed up by an interview with Ferrari's General Director, Amadeo Felisa, which appeared recently in the German magazine Auto Motor und Sport. When asked about a convertible 599, Felisa confirmed that Ferrari is developing such a model for possible production in a limited series like its predecessor, the 575-based SuperAmerica. We'll add our own fuel to the fire by speculating that, based on traditional Ferrari nomenclature revived for the 599 GTB, the roadster will likely carry the 599 GTS designation, perhaps married to another name to replace Fiorano for the open-air version.

[Sources: FerrariChat, Auto Motor und Sport, AutoGespot]

Ferrari's getting in on the environmental game. Well, relatively speaking. The next supercar from the home of the prancing horse will be lighter and use a lower-displacement engine, but still have at least 500 HP. Thoughts are that such a car would derive its powerplant from the one mooted for the Millechili concept shown earlier this year. Though the car shown was nothing more than cardboard, the powerplant spoken of was a twin-turbocharged, direct-injection, 550-hp, 3.0-liter V-8.

The other big news is more information on Ferrari's No-It's-Not-A-Dino. Instead, what will be revealed early next year is a 2+2 V8 with a 4.3L V8 mounted up front. Other changes to the rest of Ferrari's line have taken a back seat due to the marque's growing popularity. The 599 hardtop convertible has been put on hold in light of the coupe's 18-month waiting list. The 612 will remain unchanged until its replaced in 2010.

[Source: Auto News, sub req'd]

To commemorate the 60th anniversary of the Prancing Horse, VOD Cars has put together a compilation video that's a must watch for Fezza fetishists. Justifiably, there have been plenty of complaints about certain automotive vids whose producers are predisposed to bad music choices, masking the real aural wonders that are purportedly the focus of the flick. This isn't one of them, so click on through to enjoy.

[Source: VODCars via Jalopnik]

When we first saw the KGP Photography spy photos of a 2009 Corvette Z07 (or whatever the moniker di jour is) testing side by side with a Ferrari 599 GTB, our first thought was that a lightweight 'Vette with nearly 700hp could actually hold its own against a 599 in a strait line, but in the twisties, the competition would be tougher. Well, not so fast. These two vehicles have similar weight and length, both vehicles boast more than 600hp, front-engine layouts, and both companies employ the same magnetic damping from the embattled Delphi corporation.

In fact, the folks over at Straightline think Z07 engineers are testing their configuration of the magnetic shock absorbers against the best the world has to offer. Hey, if you want to make a world-beater, the 599 GTB Fiorano is a hell of a measuring stick

[Source: Straightline]
Thanks for the tip, Drew!

When the engine on Massa's or Raikonnen's Ferrari monoposto overheats and catches fire, that's one thing. When the engine on a customer's personal Ferrari GT car goes up in flames, it's an entirely different story, distinguished primarily by the lack of emergency fire marshals and pit crew to handle it when it happens out on the open road.

Pictures are floating around the internet, much to be presumed embarrassment of Ferrari, of a brand-spankin' new 599 GTB Fiorano following a "spontaneous" fire emanated from under the hood. The car was taking part in the Ferrari 60 Relay event passing through the Galician city of Santiago de Compostela, Spain.

Earliest reports indicate that, feeling left out as all those Enzos and 360s were totaled, the 599 lit itself on fire on a bet. Someone ought to have a talk with the other little Ferraris about the dangers of peer pressure.

[Source: Dariomotor and Jalopnik]

There could hardly be two more different approaches to the exotic supercar than the Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano and the Porsche Carrera GT. One's a production Italian gran tourismo with a front-mounted V12, and the other's a rare German targa with a mid-mounted V10. The Ferrari was designed and executed to be easy to drive, while the Porsche is reportedly twitchier than a monkey drinking coffee. As far as exotic sportscars go, they're like apples and oranges.

The question is, which one is faster? The video after the jump has your answer. The two supercars make two runs from a rolling start. One pulls ahead but by the end of the drag strip the second is ahead by a couple car-lengths. Follow the jump to find out which took the checkered flag.

(If you're thinking the Enzo would be a more fitting adversary for the Carrera GT, you're not the only one.)

[Source: German Car Blog]

Click for image gallery.

Haman the Wicked was an ancient Assyrian viceroy who thought himself better than the King. He had an unquenchable thirst for power and fathered equally wicked sons. History, it seems, has come full circle, and there's a lot in a name. Today it belongs to the German tuning house Hamann that, in its unquenchable thirst for power, aims to better Ferraris – kings of all sportscardom – and as a result produces some seriously wicked offspring of its own.

The latest is a complete tuning package for the Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano, already hailed as one of the best GTs of all time. Hamann has tweaked an extra 53 horsepower out of the Fiorano's Enzo-derived engine, bringing peak power up to 673 hp, by fitting its own custom header. And in case the wail of the Fiorano's V12 just wasn't cutting it, Hamann also fitted its own exhaust.

Follow the jump to continue reading and for the full press release, or click here for more pics.