Race Car Service and Repair Bay Area - Museo Ferrari: Temple to the Prancing Horse - Zucchi Motorsports - Sonoma - 707-334-3700

The official Ferrari museum in Maranello is a sacred place to Ferraristi. Here, at No. 43, Via Dino Ferrari, are housed some of the most beautiful GT sports cars and single-seaters in automotive history. Classic Driver decided to make a visit.

The greatest Cavallini Rampanti, at the end of their lives, head not for the knacker’s yard but to theMuseo Ferrari. Behind the modern glass facade are several levels and 2,500 square metres of exhibition space, housing the major models of the brand's history. More than 200,000 Ferrari enthusiasts, or Ferraristi, flock each year to the Italian Emilia-Romagna, to pay homage to their own personal sports or racing favourites in the metal. The Ferrari museum is very different indeed from the architectural spaceships of the Porsche museum and its ilk. The charm of the Ferrari pilgrimage is more down to earth, and more rooted in the past. The spirit of Enzo Ferrari is still very present in Maranello.

As with its business operations, Ferrari’s museum makes a clear distinction between road cars and race cars. Of course, Ferrari is a marque firmly rooted in its motorsport success, with the marque’s 1949 Le Mans victory – with a Ferrari 166 MM Berlinetta – providing a cornerstone of the Italian brand’s early identity. So first we visit the Sala delle Competizioni, where we find cars from the all-important post-War era. Here we are received by the 1947 Ferrari 125 S, the marque’s first racing car, and other beauties including the 750 Monza.

Scarcely less impressive are the Ferrari 195 Inter of 1950 in burgundy-black two-tone paint and the legendary 250 GT Tour de France. We discover delight after delight – a reconstruction of Enzo Ferrari's first office, for example, and rarely-seen sports-prototype racing cars such as F1 126C, 512 M and one of only 18 examples of the 365 GTB/4 Competizione. Beyond is the ‘Hall of Victories’, for F1 fans the central shrine of the museum, where the more recent successes of the Scuderia are celebrated –with more than 110 trophies, and the original helmets of no fewer than nine World Champion drivers, plus many other artefacts besides.

Up a staircase is the ‘Gran Turismo Hall’, where we find the road-going icons of the brand: Ferrari 250 GTO, 250 California, 275 GTB4 and Dino 206 GT – where else would you find all these gathered in one room? Twenty-five years on, and the Ferrari F40 is still an attraction to the many visitors. And special models such as the Ferrari 360 Barchetta or the new SA Aperta impressively demonstrate the importance of ‘individualisation’ in Maranello today. At the pinnacle of current production, meanwhile, is the 458 Italia – and the brutal 599XX.

As well as the cars, the Ferrari museum has much else to offer – a shop and a well-stocked bookstore, for example, where you can find many works that are currently out of print. The museum is open daily.

Photos: Classic Driver

source: https://www.classicdriver.com/en/article/cars/museo-ferrari-temple-prancing-horse

Race Car Service and Repair Bay Area - Video: DK Engineering's Ferrari 857S restoration project - Zucchi Motorsports - Sonoma - 707-334-3700

Here is a fascinating video account of DK Engineering’s restoration of Ferrari 857S, chassis no. 0588, the last of the four cars built. “I seriously consider the finished result is as close as anybody could get to how the car was when delivered in February ’56,” says David Cottingham.

Photos, Video: DK Engineering

 source: https://www.classicdriver.com/en/article/cars/video-dk-engineerings-ferrari-857s-restoration-project

Race Car Service and Repair Bay Area - Ferrari P4/5 by Pininfarina at Pebble Beach - Zucchi Motorsports - Sonoma - 707-334-3700

The car is a one-off commissioned by James Glickenhaus, the American collector with a passion for the legendary racing cars of the Sixties.

Starting from a Ferrari Enzo (Mr Glickenhaus already has another...) the car was designed, engineered and built entirely by Pininfarina in Italy. The aim was to produce a unique vehicle inspired by sport racing cars with extreme purposes: not just a show-car but a vehicle to be enjoyed on the road.

After fixing the final styling after several changes to the initial sketches, the surfaces were defined using CAS modeling, then moving on to actual construction and assembly. More than 200 components were specifically developed through constant interaction between styling and design: from the bi-xenon lighting clusters specifically designed with an innovative system of yellow and white leds to the alloy wheels – 20-inch aluminum – milled from the block, up to and including the aluminum and special steel in-sight hinges.

The sleek lines of the vehicle took shape on the body – made entirely of carbon fibre. The tapered profile of the nose highlights both its aerodynamic function and the car’s new look; the central body is dominated by the single-shell windscreen, while the car is accessed via two butterfly type doors. The rear features powerful sides with the embedded teardrop type transparent rear window which also acts as engine cover and from which ceramic-coated exhaust tips peep out, as on racing cars of the Sixties.

“The entire vehicle – stresses Ken Okuyama, Director of Pininfarina Styling – expresses elegance and fluidity with the clear-cut, uncluttered lines that are typical of Pininfarina’s style. Our designer, Jason Castriota, succeeded very effectively in interpreting this approach to the project”.

Considerable attention has been dedicated to aerodynamics with continuous testing at the Pininfarina Aerodynamic and Aero-acoustic Research Center of Grugliasco (Turin, Italy) in an effort to reach the highest levels of performance combined with perfect functionality of all the appendices integrated in the body of the vehicle.

Three questions were posed to James Glickenhaus -

Why did you choose Pininfarina for your special car?

First of all, because I think that Pininfarina is the greatest designer in the world. Another aspect that impressed me was Pininfarina's extraordinary ability to create not just cars but real works of art. The only vehicle permanently on display at MOMA is a Cisistalia penned by Pininfarina. Last but not last, its long-lasting relationship with Ferrari, with its ability to dress all the most legendary vehicles produced at Maranello. I would also like to stress the right feeling established with Pininfarina personnel from the very first meeting.

To what extent were you involved in the project?

Completely. It was very exciting to take an active part in all the main phases of the project, from definition of styling to design of the vehicle. I was looking for a real car, not simply a show-car. I was able to understand the real complexity of producing a functioning custom-built car and how Pininfarina conducted the entire project is a masterly manner. Without forgetting the aerodynamic tests in the Pininfarina Wind Tunnel: absolutely fantastic!

Would you advise another car enthusiast to contact Pininfarina?

Sure! I really think I have been very lucky, being able to bring to life what was just a dream until a few months ago. Pininfarina has demonstrated that it has all it takes to satisfy even the most demanding customers.

Words: Classic Driver

Photos: Pininfarina

source: https://www.classicdriver.com/en/article/cars/ferrari-p45-pininfarina-pebble-beach-2006

Race Car Service and Repair Bay Area - This is the World’s Only Bare Carbon Ferrari Enzo - Zucchi Motorsports - Sonoma - 707-334-3700

Few cars are truly timeless designs. It only takes a brief glance to know that the lauded Ferrari Enzo supercar is one. Between 2002 and 2004 a scant 400 Enzo road cars were constructed, making it a very rare stallion indeed… and highly collectable. 

This Enzo is a bit more uncommon than the rest, however. It was photographed at a recent event by reddit user l0_0I, and it’s claimed to be the only Ferrari Enzo in the world to sport bare, unpainted carbon fiber bodywork. It’s an eye-catching design for sure, with an interesting back story.

According to the reddit poster, the Enzo didn’t roll off the production line at Maranello in this naked form, and it isn’t the result of paint stripping, sanding, vinyl wrapping or media blasting a standard Enzo body. Rather, the car was rebodied with bespoke carbon fiber panels at Carrozzeria Zanasi, a company that works closely with Ferrari on body, paint and repair.

Though it retains its membership in that hallowed 400 vehicle production run, this car’s bespoke body makes it a true one-off creation. Judging by the number of passersby who came to photograph the car, it’s quite a popular one-off at that.

Albeit unrelated to this car, the Ferrari Enzo is proving to be a popular model this week. RM Auctions recently announced they will auction off the last production Enzo ever built – a car which was originally gifted to Pope John Paul II.

source: boldride

by Zach Doell

Race Car Service and Repair Bay Area - 1963 Ferrari 250 GT/L Berlinetta 'Lusso' By Scaglietti - Zucchi Motorsports - Sonoma - 707-334-3700

It can be difficult to keep all of the different Ferrari 250s straight, as the number was attached to nearly every prancing horse for a period running from the early ’50s until well into the ’60s. But the 250 GT/L Berlinetta “Lusso” does at least give you hint as to its purpose right in the name, as “lusso” is Italian for “luxury.” While many of the iterations of the 250 were made to skirt the line between road car and track car, the Lusso was an unapologetic luxury road car, to an extent that was uncharacteristic (though not entirely unheard of) with Ferrari at the time.

Exterior

There is not a single Ferrari 250 that even comes close to being what you would call ugly, but even in such attractive company, the Lusso body is exceptionally striking. The design, unsurprisingly, comes from Pininfarina, while the bodies were actually built by Scaglietti. The chassis uses a tubular design, similar to that of the 250 GTO. The body is mostly made of steel, but the doors, hood and trunk lid are all made from aluminum, and the car is indeed very light. The Lusso also borrowed suspension components from the GTO, despite, again, not being built for the track.

There were actually a fair number of motorsport components that went into the Lusso, as Ferrari apparently couldn’t help itself. But this is fine, touches like the Kammback rear end of the car look good no matter what the purpose, and it makes for an interesting footnote in Ferrari history. The back end of the car includes a small spoiler, and this marks the very first time that one was incorporated into the bodywork of a Ferrari.

Interior

As good as the Lusso looks from the outside, it is the interior that is the car’s raison d’etre. With the engine mounted much further forward than was the norm, all versions of the 250 had unusually spacious interiors, even short-wheelbase versions like the Lusso. The interior isn’t quite as spacious as that of the 250 GT/E, which was a 2+2 version of the 250, but without the back seats, the driver and passenger still end up with more space. Not to mention, there is a bigger trunk and a parcel shelf behind the seats. This shelf, as well as pretty much every other surface in the car, is covered in high-quality quilted leather. This particular Lusso has had its interior changed a few times, but the leather has been returned to its original color and style. All of which is Ferrari Classiche certified.

Drivetrain

Ferrari’s Colombo V-12 engine is the stuff of legends, and the 250 configuration is the most legendary of all of them. The “250” in the car’s name comes from the engine’s unitary displacement, a common practice for Ferrari’s naming scheme at the time. This means that each cylinder displaces 250 cc. For those of you who didn’t feel an overwhelming need to do the math in your heads, that means the engine’s total displacement is 3.0 liters. And though all 250 models had related engines that were the same size, there were often differences in the internals, and the Lusso borrowed its pistons from the GT/E, while the valves and crankshaft came from the 250 GT SWB. This was a single-overhead-cam version, with just two valves per cylinder, producing a total of 250 horsepower — still pretty quick in a car weighing only about 2,500 pounds. It could hit 150 mph at a time when the fastest car in the world (the Iso Grifo) topped out at 161 mph.

DRIVETRAIN SPECIFICATIONS

Type	SOHC V-12 engine with three Weber carburetors
Displacement	2,953 cc
Output	250 HP
Transmission	Four-speed manual

Prices

With 350 units produced, this is not the rarest of 250s, and it is correspondingly not one of the most valuable. But keep in mind that the most valuable 250s are among the most valuable cars in the world, so we’re still talking about insane amounts of money. RM Auctions hasn’t listed an official estimate, but for such a recent restoration and to have all the numbers matching, this probably won’t go for any less than $2 million, likely topping out around $2.5 million. Even unrestored barn find Lussos generally don’t go for much less than $1.8 million.

source: http://www.topspeed.com/cars/ferrari/1963-ferrari-250-gt-l-berlinetta-lusso-by-scaglietti-ar169825.html#main

Race Car Service and Repair Bay Area - James May Reviews the Ferrari 488 GTB (Video)- Zucchi Motorsports - Sonoma - 707-334-3700

Imagine that Top Gear never happened, but James May still became a semi-successful motoring journalist. This video from The Sunday Times is exactly what you’d get.

Back in April this year May disclosed he has bought himself a brand new 458 Speciale and needs “a job to pay for it”. Obviously, he has found an opportunity to film for the Sunday Times, reviewing the new 488 GTB.

He also commented he has spent 208,090 GBP for buying the Speciale as a celebration for the new three-year Top Gear deal that was ended after Jeremy Clarkson’s scandal.

This could be “annoying for James May”, as the video description says, because the price of the new 488 GTB stands at 184,000 GBP.

source: http://canadajournal.net/technology/james-may-reviews-the-ferrari-488-gtb-video-27829-2015/

by James May

Race Car Service and Repair Bay Area - Ferrari LaFerrari FXX K: Listen to 1036 BHP of pure hybrid power- Zucchi Motorsports - Sonoma - 707-334-3700

Ferrari truly created a masterpiece with LaFerrari and that’s an undeniable fact. With a massive power of 950 BHP (963.2 PS) and a top speed of 350 kmpl, the LaFerrari is beyond any doubt one of the fastest road legal production hybrid supercar in the planet. Having said that, the makers of the legendary prancing horse are known to always push the envelope, but what could be more menacing than the LeFerrari? Well the here’s your answer – the La Ferrari FXX K, a 1036 BHP (1050.4 PS) of pure hybrid power built solely to be unleashed on the tracks.

The LaFerrari FXX K is a super limited edition track focused hybrid supercar of which only 40 units have been created. Each one of these masterpieces are priced at a whooping USD 3 Million (INR 19.18 Crore) and just for your information all of them have been sold out. Yes! You heard it right all 40 of them have been sold out.

Apart from being the first Ferrari in the automotive history to produce more than 1000 BHP, the FXX K is a good 90 kg lighter than the regular LaFerrari and makes nearly a 100 BHP more power than its road legal counterpart. Under the hood the FXX K uses the same V12-plus-electric drivetrain as the LaFerrari, but churns out more power. Boosting a total output to 1036bhp, 848 BHP comes from the 6.3-litre naturally aspirated V12 @ 9200rpm and 187 BHP from the electric motor, while the combines torque stands at 900.26 Nm.

Just to give you an idea as to what all these translates into, let us tell you that the regular LaFerrari completed a lap of the Ferrari’s 3 km Fiorano Circuit in 1m 19s, whereas its monstrous cousin did the same in  a blazing 1m 14s, which is a good 5 seconds faster than the former. But you cannot truly perceive these in words, so grab you best headphones and listen to the sound of this monstrous hybrid machine.  

source: http://www.oncars.in/car-news/ferrari-laferrari-fxx-k-listen-to-1036-bhp-of-pure-hybrid-power/6737

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