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Ferrari has released a new video with the impressive LaFerrari which is celebrating the company’s 15 million fans on Facebook. The Maranello based automaker Ferrari has a different way of celebrating its 15 million fans on Facebook and for the video posted below a LaFerrari has been required, along with a pair of Google Glass and the company’s development test driver, Raffaele de Simone. The hybrid supercar has been taken for a quick lap on the Fiorano track and the whole clip can be seen below, right after the jump.
The Ferrari LaFerrari is being powered by a 6.3 liter V12 engine backed up by a HY-KERS unit, producing a total output of 950 HP (708 kW) and more than 900 Nm (664 lb-ft) of torque. The assembly is connected to a seven-speed dual clutch automated manual transmission which is sending power to the rear-wheel drive. The 0 to 100 km/h sprint takes less than 3 seconds in the LaFerrari and from 0 to 200 km/h (124 mph) the supercar needs less than 7 seconds. From a standstill to 300 km/h (186 mph), the model needs 15 seconds. Top speed stands at more than 350 km/h (217 mph).
Ferrari’s fabulous 250 LM was a product of the mid-engined revolution of the early 1960s – a revolution that no one had resisted more strongly than Enzo Ferrari himself...
But whatever Enzo’s personal feelings on the essential ‘rightness’ of sticking the engine at the front of the car, the writing was on the wall. In 1963, a Ferrari 250 P became the first mid-engined car to win Le Mans, and no front-engined car ever won there again. The 250 LM – essentially a 250 P with a roof – swept to an overall win (and second place, too) at Le Mans in 1965, the last time Ferrari won that great race.
Mathematical misnomer
On the racetrack, the 250 LM is an outstanding car – nimble, well-balanced and powered by a superlative 3.3-litre V12 engine. “Hmm,” I hear the more mathematically inclined of you mutter. “Why is it called a 250 LM when Ferrari model numbers at the time used the capacity of an individual cylinder? And 3,300 divided by 12 is… er… 275. So why isn’t it called a 275 LM?”
Good point, but the very first LM had a 3-litre engine and perhaps Il Commendatore thought that any name change would cause further problems with the FIA. He’d already failed to convince the racing regulators that the 250 LM was simply a 250 GTO with the engine moved along a bit – hence the mid-engined car was never homologated. It therefore had to race in the prototype class of international sports-car racing, where it was run exclusively by non-factory teams. Often with enormous success, as in the 1965 Le Mans win by Luigi Chinetti’s NART team.
19 of 32
Just 32 examples of the 250 LM were ever built, which makes them rarer than the GTO. The car seen here was the 19th of those built, and it’s highly unusual in that – despite the model’s prowess on the track – this car was never raced in period. It was sold new by Luigi Chinetti Motors to casino mogul William Fisk Harrah for his personal, on-road use.
A winner in later life
After leaving Harrah’s care, the car passed through a handful of owners before landing with its current custodians, who fully restored the car in order to campaign it in historic racing and display it at concours events. Restored to its original specifications and granted Ferrari Classiche certification, it scooped The Ferrari Classiche Cup at the XIII Palm Beach Cavallino Classic in January 2014, where it was named as the most outstanding 12-cylinder Ferrari at the show.
Even in today’s supercar-rich automotive landscape, Ferrari stands out as special and awe-inspiring
Look at the critical numbers for the 2014 458 Spider that we just drove, and it’s in an elite tier among just a few of the world’s top performance machines. The high-revving, 4.5-liter V-8 makes 562 horsepower (570 ps), and it’s hooked up to a seven-speed race-derived dual-clutch gearbox. Top speed is 199 mph, while 60 mph comes in a factory-official time of ‘less than 3.4 seconds.’ It can brake from 62 mph in less than 108 feet, according to Ferrari—and from 124 mph in less than 422 feet.
Those are all nothing to scoff at. They’re scorching by any gauge. But now that we have that out of the way, we can move on to what makes this car such a standout—and not just another status symbol.
As we point out in our video review above, the 458 is that car. Whether it was the Testarossa, the 308, the 348, the 355, or one of many others, mid-engine Ferraris have always been gorgeous—and a model for what a sports car can be.
But it’s not just that; it’s an onslaught of the senses. In sight and sound, and in poise—as well as performance numbers—the 458 Spider is unparalleled among top-down cars. It’s sexy beyond all the usual cliches, yet it’ll be happy to oblige all of them; it looks technical and racing-influenced in all the right ways; and it emits a soundtrack that will delight even those who typically shake their head at noisy sports cars.
Whether the 458 Spider is your first Ferrari or whether you have a garage full of them, and a fleet manager to boot, we’d venture to say that, based on our scant three days and nearly 350 miles with one earlier this month, it’s probably going to be the one that you as the driver would most enjoy driving out on real roads, at legal (or at least in the vicinity of legal) speeds.
Why more than other Ferraris? Because it embodies everything that we’ve come to appreciate about Ferrari, yet with what we think is more lasting charm and practicality. Although the 458 Spider is quite easy to drive, it can deliver astonishing performance, and with its open-air possibilities it’s more enchanting than any other high-dollar supercar.
First retractable hardtop with a mid-rear engine layout—and wow
Yes, it’s a convertible. The tight-fitting top is very well designed, and it can in less than 20 seconds bring the 458 Spider from a Coupe, visually, to what looks at quick glance like a well-done Targa. Only it’s truly an open-top car.
According to Ferrari, the 458 Italia is the first car ever to combine a mid-rear engine layout with a retractable hardtop.
At the risk of eliciting groans: It’s not a one-trick Itallian stallion. Yes, it’s the latest in a long line of mid-engine Ferraris—and the car we drove lived up to that image, delivered in Rosso Corsa (the classic red), of course. But it’s a car that could really be enjoyed for weekend touring, with a top arrangement that lets you enjoy the car well after the rain overtakes the sun.
We did exactly that, heading out to the golden foothills around the Columbia River Gorge from almost-always-rainy Portland. There we found some beautiful driving roads that allowed us to romp the 458 Spider on mostly smooth road surfaces—albeit on sinewy two-laners with cliffs, rock walls, and drop-offs. Adding to those concerns is that the 458 Spider is a relatively wide car, for what it is; at 178.2 inches, it’s the length of a compact car, but its 76.3 inches of width make it the width of much larger cars, so you need to place it carefully in tight turns on narrow backroads.
The 348 was the entry-level model to Ferrari'srange, back in the late ‘80s, early ‘90s, but while it looked and sounded like an Italian supercar, it was apparently criticized for not being as fast as it looked. The Prancing Horse manufacturer did bring out the 348 Challenge, but it was still not enough to impress all the critics.
However, some twenty years after the 348 Challenge ceased production, there came those who thought modern tech could definitely benefit it, and thus crammed as much of it into the model as possible.
This particular car is a monster. It may look as tame as any other 348 on the outside, and it even has the stock Challenge wheels, yet it’s heavily modded and refined, featuring both all-new parts and some borrowed from the newer and more advanced 355 model that succeeded it.
Matt Farah had a go in it and made good use of its 610 hp output (at the wheels!). Of all his videos, in this one he seems to be more impressed than he’s been in some even more powerful cars than this, and it’s probably not just down to the power…
It’s an old Ferrari, with a gated manual shifter, high-revving V8 noise that only seems to be augmented by the turbo woosh (I wonder why series turbo V8s don’t sound this good) and excellent steering – you really can’t beat it, even if it would still be monstered by a modern 458 around the twisty bits.
Jay Leno takes this 1952 Ferrari Barchetta for a spin with Leslie Kendall, chief curator at California's Petersen Automotive Museum.
PHOTO: Screenshot, Jay Leno's Garage via YouTube
The latest episode of Jay Leno’s Garage features a very special vintage car — a 1952 Ferrari Barchetta — but it’s neither the colour (hey, it isn’t red!) nor the fact that almost every part on this car is original.
What makes this Ferrari special is the connection it has to a certain well-known figure in the automotive world. Henry Ford II, to be exact. As the story goes, the car was a gift from Enzo Ferrari himself to Ford after the two were in talks to merge their two brands, which Leno remembers happening as early as 1952. Could you image how different today’s automotive world would be if the two men actually followed through with that plan?
Like the Jaguar XKSS featured a few episodes ago, this Ferrari is a gem in the polished Petersen museum, which we all know is something of a mecca for all things automotive. This particular Barchetta, which actually means “little boat” in Italian, is powered by a single-overhead cam 2.7-litre V12 engine, similar to the ones Ferrari used in its race cars at the time.
Interestingly enough, Leno brings up how when he was a kid, it was the Barchetta inspired Ford to introduce the Thunderbird later on in the decade. Leslie Kendall, chief curator at the Petersen museum, says there’s some truth to that rumour because in the museum’s archives, they have sketches that suggest Ford’s designers were at least aware of the car. You can even see some of the design cues shared between the Barchetta and the T-bird, including the exhaust tips routed through the rear bumper and the “egg crate” grille that appeared on later T-birds.
Perhaps that’s why, in Leno’s words, Ford and Ferrari “hated each other” as the years went on and talks about the two companies merging fell through. Of course, the fact that the Ford GT-40 beat Ferrari at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in the 1960s didn’t help matters much, either. Oh, and don’t forget to catch the full episode below:
The already bonkers Ferrari F12 has gone crazier as images of a one-off Ferrari F12 Berlinetta have surfaced. This one could be called the F12 TRS. Created by Ferrari’s Special Projects Division, the car adopts targa, open top styling that reminds of the car in the movie ‘Speed Racer’ and looks surprisingly prettier and purposeful than the regular Berlinetta.
According to reports a wealthy American customer has paid $4.2million USD for this creation, an amount enough to buy Mongolia. The normal Ferrari F12 Berlinetta doesn’t come for candy money either, costing $1.4million USD apiece. The car could come with F1 styled KERS(Kinetic Energy Recovery System), which means the car will make more power for a short time, while it already makes 730hp from it’s 6.3 liter V12.
Many have termed the power output from the F12 as too much to handle, some calling it as hairy and too much for the road. The styling isn’t ground breaking or heart melting like the 458 either, however this Ferrari loyalist has made them transform the car, affirming the fact that love has the power to change, the cost sometimes might be too much though.
Very few were built and each one cost a pretty penny. They weren't even street legal. BeforeFerrari 599 GTB production ended, the Italian supercar maker decided to build a hard-core version for the track. Only preferred and longtime Ferrari customers were offered the chance to buy one. We’re talking about the Ferrari 599XX. With 720 horsepower coming from its 6.0-liter V12, the 599XX set a Nurburgring record for being the fastest production-derived sports ever, with a time of 6:58.16.
And because they’re illegal for the road, the chances of you seeing one in-person aren’t great. Fortunately, our friend Marchettino happened to be at the Fiorano track a few days ago. And while there, he was fortunate enough to hop onboard and experience a few laps of this incredible machine.
source: http://www.carbuzz.com/news/2014/6/7/THIS-is-What-it-s-Like-to-Ride-in-a-Ferrari-599XX-7720684/ by Jay Traugott
In a recent Corse Clienti track day, several Ferrari FXX Evoluzione models were brought to Monza race track by the company for their owners to have fun with. They made so much noise and chaos, Monza had developed a few new corners by the time they were finished!
It’s a good thing Ferrari doesn’t allow Evoluzione owners to take custody of their cars. They’d probably kill themselves.
Ferrari FXX Evoluzione is an upgraded version of the FXX, which itself is a track-only version of the Enzo. It features an 860 horsepower V12 engine, special 19″ Bridgestone tyres, Brembo brakes with large Composite Ceramic Material (CCM) discs, active front spoiler, a new rear diffuser, nolder and rear flaps, and a choice of no less than nine different settings (plus the off position) for the traction control system.
So they invited local Austrian hero and former Toro Rosso team principal Gerhard Bergerdown to the track to have a run in the team's 2012 championship-winning RB8, while Seb got his own treat, getting behind the wheel of his former boss's Ferrari F1/87/88C, the car that Berger raced to victory in the 1988 Italian Grand Prix.
Check out the video above to see the two friends getting to grips with each others' cars on the undulating Spielberg track.
A 250 GTO and a Goodyear Blip. Welcome to Sebring in 1963!P
The Rosebud Racing Team Ferrari 250 GTO of Richie Ginther and Innes Ireland heading out to the airport straights at Sebring in 1963. Overhead the Good Year blimp watches the action and in some races reported the action on commercial radio. The car was powered by a three-liter V12 and would finish 6th and 13 laps behind the winning factory Ferrari 250 prototype of John Surtees and Ludovico Scarfiotti. The E-type Jaguar in the photo was driven by John Fitch and Briggs Cunningham and failed to finish.
source: http://jalopnik.com/the-greatest-motorsport-picture-ever-has-a-ferrari-250-1580139407
by Mate Petrany
Check out the video above to see the two friends getting to grips with each others' cars on the undulating Spielberg track.
