Autoblog

Click above to view the letter

An internal document has apparently gotten lost somewhere along the information super-highway leading from Maranello to Beijing. The letter, bearing the signature of Ferrari president Luca di Montezemolo, contains vital information on a new supercar coming from Ferrari.

The successor to the Enzo and beneficiary of the FXX program is labeled as prototype "FX150". According to the document, the supercar will be powered by a mid/longitudinally-mounted twin-turbo V8 producing 794 horsepower and 772 Nm of torque (approximately 570 lb-ft) hooked up to a version of the seven-speed dual-clutch transmission already launched on the California codenamed SF3 (presumably for the third-generation SuperFast gearbox) with shift times down to 50 milliseconds. The carbon fiber construction is said to keep weight down to 1300 kg (~2866 lbs), which, when coupled with the nearly 800hp on tap, is anticipated to propel the FX150 to 100 km/h (62 mph) in a blisteringly fast 2.7 seconds en route to a top speed of 390 km/h (242 mph). Testing is stated to begin next month with an eye towards releasing the car sometime next year with a price tag between 1.2 and 1.3 million euros, which is even more than the Bugatti Veyron. It's not that hard to fake an official document, however, so click above to check it for yourself.

UPDATE: We've received correspondence from some fellows who claim responsibility for creating the fake "leaked" document from Ferrari. Turns out it was all just a spoof.

[Source: FerrariChat.com and euro car blog]

Cerberus Capital Management shot off a nine-page letter to investors outlining ways that Chrysler could sink, while also pointing out that they believe Chrysler's on the track for success. Some of the possible failure scenarios include a nasty recession, an extreme slowdown in the car market, or a further credit downturn. Credit is already looking green around the gills, and the potential for a widespread domino effect that starts with an implosion of the teetering mortgage business would be catastrophic for Chrysler Financial and GMAC, of which Cerberus owns 51 percent. As easy mortgages and equity go, so goes willy-nilly new car purchasing, and we're probably already seeing the results of that adjustment. Cerberus believes that it can weather a mild credit downturn, and even a mild recession, just fine.

One way to attain success is to declare it, and changing the definition doesn't hurt, either. Cerberus optimistically declares that there's no need to be heroes to earn a good return on their investment. It sounds a little bit like they're saying it's okay to tread water. Stating that it's not necessary to build Chrysler up, even though that's the underlying hope, Cerberus thinks that just hanging in there should be good enough to earn a return. All of Chrysler's employees must feel great knowing that Bob Nardelli, Jim Press, and Tom LaSorda can essentially just keep the company coasting along until Cerberus sells Chrysler off so it can collect that mythical return. Chrysler's performance is so far outpacing expectations, and the company does have cash on hand. Those are actual, concrete good signs that Chrysler could yet emerge from its chrysalis.

[Source: Detroit News]