Autoblog

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 Because in Italy, the end of the beach season is superseded only by the end of the Formula One season, and this year the Scuderia took home the constructors' title.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!

[Source: Ferrari]

Ferrari has promised to make its future products lighter and more mindful of the environment, and the first example of the Italian automaker's new direction will likely be the F430 replacement. This new Ferrari, code-named F142, is rumored to arrive towards the end of 2009 or early 2010. The vehicle will start out by weighing less than the F430, even the extra lightweight Scuderia model that tips the scales at 1250 kg. The Italian exotic could share technology and styling cues with the eco-friendly Mille Chili concept (above)from a year ago, which utilized lightweight and active aerodynamics to help reduce its CO2 emissions.

The F430's venerable 4.3L V8 is also rumored to be shrinking, but since it will still don the prancing horse, we're pretty sure it won't lose much in the way of power. CAR Magazine believes that Ferrari has turned to direct injection and turbocharging to make up for any loss in the new engine's displacement. The F142 also won't have a soft-top Spyder option, instead for a psuedo-convertible setup with hard panels. New Ferrari models don't typically decrease in price, and with all this added technology the price of the F142 is expected to easily exceed that of the F430. Ferrari wants to reduce emissions by 40% by 2012, and with lighter materials and a smaller engine, the F142 could be the Italian supercar the Sierra Club has been waiting for.

[Source: CAR Magazine]

Ferrari is either getting strategic or careless. The company usually keeps details about its upcoming models hush-hush until the vehicle is ready to make its debut, but lately Maranello seems to have more leaks than a pasta strainer. The latest is a screen-cap that seems to confirm the speculated 430 Scuderia Spider.

Based on the fixed-roof 430 Scuderia, the roadster version has been speculatively rendered and anticipated to debut at the company's upcoming mega-event at Mugello, the same place where they took the wraps off the FXX Evoluzione last year. The additional weight of an open-top version of the lightweight supercar is expected to be offset by the implementation of the company's new seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox. The image above, which seems to confirm the model's imminence, comes from a video of the new Ferrari California that was just unveiled in Maranello and Los Angeles ahead of its debut at the upcoming Paris Motor Show. In the background of the video behind a Ferrari spokesman is a studio photograph of the rumored 430 Scuderia drop-top. We'll just have to wait until November 5 when the Ferrari Challenge heads to Mugello to know for sure.

[Source: World Car Fans]

Click for more 430 Scuderia Spider renderings in hi res

Lies. Damn lies and speculation. Rumor would be another way to put it, as word of a potential convertible version of the 430 Scuderia spreads across cyberspace. Tentatively referred to as the 430 Scuderia Spider, the roadster would naturally be based on the lightweight, Enzo-rivaling 430 Scuderia supercar, but with the roof chopped off.

Various reports have given conflicting information about what kind of roof mechanism would be fitted to the Spideria, including a retractable hard-top similar to that found on the new California, a manual cloth roof to keep weight down, or the same automatic fabric top from the conventional F430 Spider. Or maybe no roof at all, who knows. The wide range of speculation leads us to chalk this up to pure rumor. The removal of structural rigidity and the addition of weight would seem antithetical to the Scuderia's entire raison d'etre. However the prevailing reports suggest that the Spider will also get the California's new seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox, be produced in a limited series of 300 and be unveiled on November 5 at the Ferrari Challenge weekend in Mugello... the same event where Ferrari unveiled the FXX Evoluzione last year. Jon Sibal, the skilled supercar illustrator we've come to know and trust, has presented a few renderings of what the 430 Scuderia Spider could look like, which in our eye looks right on the money and you can see for yourself in the gallery below.

[Source: JonSibal.com]

Click above to watch the video

Not that the deal would need to be sweetened, but buying the latest Ferrari supercar comes with perks. For a group of European customers who came to Maranello to take possession of their new 430 Scuderias, that included a hands-on advanced driving course to show them what their new rides could do. And who better to demonstrate the capabilities of the fastest car ever to lap Fiorano than the driver who helped develop it? Follow the jump and you'll find a video of Michael Schumacher glad-handing the millionaires and their new rides around Ferrari's private on-site test track, posting hot laps and drifting around the wet handling course. Prepare to be jealous.

[Source: FerrariWorld channel on YouTube]

The automotive web lit up this weekend with speculation over a mysterious Ferrari photographed running development laps around the Fiorano test track.. While some suggest this could be the successor to either the F430 or the Enzo, observers were confused by the complete lack of any apparent effort to disguise the car's bodywork. The latest reports now indicate that the vehicle in question is a one-off rebodied F430 custom made by Italian design house Fioravanti for what must be an incredibly wealthy customer.

The emergence of the purported Fioravanti F430 follows similar creations from Pininfarina, Giugiaro and Zagato (and reportedly soon from Touring) as well as the announcement of Ferrari's program to offer discerning (and financially unlimited) clients with custom models. The criteria call for leaving certain elements – including the crash structures and the running gear – intact, but apart from that it's open season. The Fioravanti take on the F430 includes a mildly re-sculpted front end, a heavily-modified rear section and an extensive remolding of many body panels in lightweight (and costly) carbon fiber. The vehicle looks about ready for delivery, so we hope we might get a chance for an up-close view at the upcoming Paris show in October.

[Sources: Italiaspeed and Autoblog.nl]

This one's a little hard to explain, as it's not often you see a Ferrari F430 with a removable hardtop. As the source surmises, it could be a mule for the next F430, but it looks for all intent and purposes like a standard F430... just with a removable hardtop. On the other hand, Ferrari could actually be developing a hat for the F430 Spider in response to owner requests for it. That's not very likely either, because Ferrari owners know what they're getting, and if they're concerned the sun will singe their balding heads, then they get the coupe version. Finally, this could be a single, rogue Ferrari owner who has spent some money to make his F430 more unique than the next. Being that the car was spotted in Ferrari's hometown of Maranello and it's wearing manufacturer license plates, that scenario's unlikely, as well. We're stumped, but it's pretty clear this car, whatever it is, comes with the full sanction of Ferrari itself. What is the Prancing Horse up to here?

[Source: Autogespot]

Click above for a high-res gallery of the Novitec Rosso F430 RACE

Novitec Rosso is good at making fast things even faster. Such has been the case with its twin-supercharged Ferrari F430s, which pretty much go like stink. Now, with the introduction of the Novitec Rosso F430 RACE, it would appear that any remaining deodorant has worn off. What's faster than going like stink? Going like stench? So be it. That's what this striped rocketship does.

The boost is dialed up on the dual blowers, which are also fitted with larger turbine vanes. Further engine, intake and exhaust tuning bump the car's output to 707 horsepower and 525 lb-ft of torque. Zero to sixty takes merely 3.5 seconds, and this stallion doesn't stop running until the speedo touches 216 miles per hour. Naturally, the suspension, brakes, aerodynamics and overall appearance are also given the once-over. After all, this is a super tuner car, and it needs to look and act the part. The customized interior features details like longer shift paddles, and the updated bodywork is set off with darkened lenses and the triple stripes. Bigger wheels and brakes sit at each corner, and an even bigger check is required if you want to take one home -- plan on writing it for a minimum of €193,277. How creative you get with Novitec Rosso's generally limitless set of options will determine just how much higher it'll be. Full details are in Novitec's press release after the jump.


[Source: Novitec Rosso]

click above to view more images of the Ferrari 430 Spider Bio Fuel

Ferrari's press conference here in Detroit was rather short and to the point. They reminded us that Kimi is World Champion and that the team is busy readying his defense. They also pointed out that the F430 GT is doing a bang-up job in GT2. And then they talked about the street cars. Besides telling us that Ferrari had a record year, with sales up 8% to 6,400 units worldwide, they also showed the E85 ethanol-powered version of the F430 Spider we talked about yesterday. The F430 Spider Bio Fuel runs on the familiar mix of 85% natural ethanol and 15% gasoline, which results in a modest 10HP power bump and fuel economy that improves by 5% over the standard gas-only V8. So that means that the sweet-sounding 4.3-liter plant is now good for a true 500 HP.

The bio fuel car on display in Detroit is still labeled a concept, but the company says that it'd like to put it into production as part of its efforts to reduce fuel consumption and cut emissions 40% by 2012. As we mentioned yesterday, the regions where ethanol is readily available – like the Midwest states, Brazil and Sweden – are not major markets for the sportscar maker. But ethanol is already being used in the ALMS and elsewhere, so Ferrari already has some experience with it. We already put in our request to have one in the AB Garage. We'll let you know how that goes.

[Source: Ferrari]

Remember that "219 mph" Murcielago video? Well, someone's gone and matched that feat using a Ferrari F430 (kind of). As you'll see, this attempt is equally fraught with danger (there's a harrowing moment at the 1:08 mark), and other cars thwart the top speed attempt a couple of times, just as was the case in the original. This attempt ends far more dramatically, however, and should serve as yet another cautionary tale for those thinking of trying a stunt like this themselves.

Thanks to all who sent tips!

[Source: YouTube]