Ferrari BLS1 new sports car : modern tribute to an old Ferrari

You've watched TV programs focused on vintage vehicles and wished you could own and drive such machines. But for Barry Smith, a former ad-agency owner in Scottsdale, Ariz., it became more than a wish.

Smith owns a DVD set of Alain de Cadenet's Victory by Design series and has watched the show dedicated to Ferrari over and over. He was mesmerized by the Testa Rossas and lusted for a 1957 250 TR. The model he coveted most was a TR60, a car that started a six-year Ferrari win streak at Le Mans.


Smith wanted it so much that he began serious research. He discovered that of the three original TR60s, one was destroyed in a crash, while the two survivors (should either be for sale) would demand a figure approaching $15 million apiece.


At the time, Smith's daily driver was a Ferrari 360 Spyder, a surprise birthday present from his wife, Lynn. (Another part of that surprise: She'd used his Porsche 911 Turbo as a down payment.) Since then, Smith has replaced the Spyder with a 1996 Lamborghini Diablo roadster. He and his wife share a Porsche 550 Spyder replica, and she has a customized Shelby Daytona Coupe replica, as well as an Infiniti FX35 for grocery getting.

The Smiths exercise their exotics, but even Barry realized that an original TR couldn't be jeopardized in such a way, nor was he eager to hire a full-time mechanic to tend to its fanatical needs. "I like to drive my cars," he says, not keep them locked in a museum.

But, oh, how he lusted for the TR. If he couldn't buy one, perhaps he could find someone to build him one that would look, sound and respond nearly like the original. Another bonus to this re-creation: Modern mechanical parts would make it comfortable to drive on a frequent basis.

Smith started calling restoration shops and coachbuilders, searching for someone who could create his dream. Most told him he must be crazy, especially since no blueprints existed for such a project. All he had been able to find were the TR's mechanical specs and a selection of photographs.


Working his call list, he got to Jason Wenig at the Creative Workshop in Dania Beach, Fla. "I said, 'We can do anything,' " Wenig boasts. "The more eclectic and unique, the more excited I get." The shop specializes in one-off coachbuilt cars and concours restorations.

Wenig is a lifelong hands-on car guy. He and his wife, Kim, worked in New York City. He had been involved in an Internet startup that united his profession--marketing--with automobiles.

"When the company imploded, my wife and I said, 'Let's do something really stupid and nutty,' and we sold almost everything, put the rest in a trailer and drove to Florida." That was the summer of 2002, when they bought a small auto-restoration business based in a dilapidated, 70-year-old barn at a former granary.

The Wenigs were not as unprepared as it might seem. Jason spent several months working on a business plan for what he called "converting" classic cars by updating and upgrading them with modern technology so people could "use them more readily." What he wanted, he explains, was to improve original engines so people with Austin-Healeys wouldn't need a Chevy 350 transplant, or those with "Borgwards and Tatras would have an opportunity to drive them and not worry about the weak links."

The Wenigs' workshop was well established if somewhat unknown as Smith launched his quest to re-create the TR. But Wenig doesn't do reproductions. "I would never disgrace a marque by trying to replicate someone else's work," he says.

Still, he was eager "to interpret it and to capture what hopefully was getting [Smith] excited and make him feel like he did when he first saw that Ferrari."

Wenig's goal is to "put yourself in the shoes of the designers or engineers at that time and to ask what they would have done with better technology if it had been available."

As a car builder, Wenig saw his role as creating a vehicle that met Smith's mandates but was not a clone. "Barry knows what he likes and obviously has very good taste, and he takes very good care--meticulous care--of his vehicles." Wenig says he wanted to "build the car Smith wanted but didn't know he wanted."

The result is the BLS1 Sport Speciale. It didn't come cheap, as $500,000 bought period-correct techniques and, in many cases, period-correct parts.

Wenig assembled 10 specialists with old-world skills and modern technological minds. While they used contemporary chrome-moly instead of aged steel, they used the same "birdcage" construction for the chassis; they hand-formed the superleggera-style aluminum body. The car has Veglia instruments, a vintage Nardi steering wheel, Marchal lighting and Magneti Marelli switches. They persuaded an Italian wheel company to use the original Borrani molds to create a new set of 16-inch wire wheels, though slightly wider now.

"The things you touch and see are original," Wenig explains. "These are all absolutely authentic 1950s restored. But the things that stop, steer and accelerate the car are cutting-edge."

We therefore find Brembo front and Wilwood rear brakes, an Auburn limited-slip differential, insulation to protect the passenger compartment from engine heat and even clear Mylar chip protection for forward-facing body surfaces.

While the TR60s drew power from a 3.0-liter Ferrari V12 topped by a six-pack of Weber carburetors, the BLS1 (B for Barry, L for Lynn, S for Smith) is propelled by a 6.0-liter BMW V12 modified to 450 hp and 480 lb-ft of torque by the factory and Korman Autoworks. To mimic the Webers, a custom Hilborn-style fuel-injection system features a dozen stacks.

Wenig says the BMW powertrain (engine and six-speed manual topped by a shifter machined from a block of stainless steel) was used because it had to be reliable and serviceable. Also, to use a Ferrari engine would encourage people to consider the BLS1 a replica rather than a one-off for show-and-go.

As the car makes appearances at events, Wenig says there have been "almost humbling accolades" for the Sport Speciale. As for Barry Smith, he just smiles as he drives his car along the Arizona desert highways.

A One-of-a-Kind 1959 Ferrari Testarossa

A One-of-a-Kind 1959 Ferrari Testarossa Special Offered at Russo and Steele Scottsdale Event
Built by Jason Wenig and His Creative Team at The Creative Workshop, This One-of-a-Kind World Roadster Racer Will Cross Russo and Steele's Auction Block in Scottsdale, AZ

SCOTTSDALE, AZ, Sep 11, 2008 (MARKET WIRE via COMTEX) -- Standing on the cusp of a brand new year, Russo and Steele is thrilled to bring you the best American Muscle, European Sports, Hot rods, and custom collector automobiles available in 2009. Its Scottsdale Sports and Muscle auction event promises to be a memorable experience as it prepares to have the one-of-a-kind 1959 Ferrari Testarossa Special cross its auction block January 14-18, 2009. The auction event will once again be held at its traditional home in North Scottsdale, at the intersection of the freeway 101 Loop and Scottsdale Road.

This scratch-built Sport Speciale is a true legacy inspired by the big-displacement European racing specials from the late '50s and early '60s. The vision behind this car was to take cues from cars such as the Ferrari TR59/60, Aston Martin DBR1, Maserati 450S and others, resulting in a car that would seamlessly fit into the 1959 Championship paddock with the mentioned marques in the stalls to either side.
Although bodylines would place us right on par with the period field, what lies beneath offers our team an unfair, if not anachronistic, advantage. Fitted with a chrome-moly tubular chassis in a true Superleggera style, stainless steel wire rimmed, hand formed aluminum body. Under the sleek flowing bonnet, power is supplied by the legendary F1-inspired, specially-built, performance BMW V12 with one-off cylinder heads provided by the BMW Factory in Germany and a custom Hilborn racing fuel injection system. The exceptional power is then transferred through a matching 6-speed transmission. Road handling is taken care of by Brembo and Wilwood racing disc brakes, tubular, adjustable suspension arms, BRT rack & pinion steering, racing-bred sway bars and many other technological advancements taken from years of competition experience.
While the technical highlights of the car are modern hi-tech goods, the tactile and visual details inside and out are all original and authentic. Instrumentation is period-correct Veglia, the steering wheel a similar Nardi item, the lights are original Marchal and Carello, switches are correct Magneti-Marelli and the wheels, hubs and knockoffs are true were built by Borrani on the original jigs that built the same classic wires for the Ferraris of old. With modern engineering and traditional hand-forming Carrozzeria build techniques from scratch, this one-of-a-kind masterpiece is a seamless fusion of classic style and modern performance. Unlike any other car extant of its similar style, it provides a singular soul and character that no modern car and few classics can emulate. This car captures all of what those magnificent cars of that era were, yet provides a level of convenience,

Supercars struggle to stay ahead of the game

As Europe's giant carmakers do battle with environmentalists and lawmakers over emissions curbs, makers of classic European sports cars like the Aston Martin DB9, Ferrari F430 and Porsche 911 are struggling to be heard.

Environmentalists say today's supercars, with huge engines pumping out up to three times as much carbon dioxide as the average vehicle, have no place in a world struggling to rein in climate change. But Lamborghini and its rivals argue that theirs is a rare art that needs protecting, blending timeless European design elements with cutting-edge technologies that themselves can help save the planet. At the same time, sports cars usually only leave the garage at the weekend, contributing just 0.3% of European Union car emissions.

"As a high-luxury brand, we are representing Europe to the world,'' Lamborghini chief executive Stephan Winkelmann says.

"We are a species to protect.''

Many European carmakers fear the EU's focus on emissions will make them uncompetitive around the world, leading to their eventual demise. As part of its drive to lead the world in battling climate change, the EU's executive has proposed cutting carbon dioxide emissions from new cars to an average of 120 grams per km by 2012, compared with a current EU average of around 160 grams.

But the EU has come up against the political muscle of big carmaking, with its wide range of marques from the tiniest Fiat to the most powerful Porsche.

Sports cars, which usually pump out anywhere between 200g and 500g of CO2 a kilometre, will be handled differently to avoid damaging their ability to compete in international markets.

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We want a strong outcome for the environment ... but we don't want the rules to disproportionately disadvantage small-volume and niche manufacturers, many of which are in the UK,'' a British diplomat in Brussels said.

Niche manufacturers making fewer than 10,000 vehicles a year will be able to negotiate individual targets with the EU executive. But the situation is different for prestige marques such as Ferrari, Bentley, and Lamborghini that are divisions of larger car groups, and as such cannot argue their own targets.

"We are committed to reduce CO2 emissions heavily in the next years, so we are doing whatever is possible without destroying the DNA of the brand to bring them down to a much better level than today,'' Mr Winkelmann said.

"But you have to understand, it will never meet the 120g or 130g per kilometre.''

Sports-car makers are already cutting weight to improve acceleration and reduce fuel consumption and emissions. Britain's Lotus has managed to get carbon dioxide emissions down to 196g per kilometre in its Elise S, using a glass-composite body and aluminium chassis.

Cars powered by hydrogen or fuel cells remain in the realm of fantasy, and the next big technological step looks set to be electric-powered cars. Although electric sports cars like the US-based Tesla are available, customers might be slow to embrace the technology.

Peter Everingham (62) says fellow Ferrari drivers might accept an electric Ferrari one day, as long as it featured the same perfectionist design qualities they are used to.

"At the same time, you're buying into the history, the Formula One team; all that is part of the passion,'' added Mr Everingham, who drives a 20-year-old Ferrari 328 and is secretary of Britain's Ferrari owners' club.

While working to reduce emissions as much as possible, sports-car makers still need to cut a deal with EU politicians.

The European's Commission's exemption for niche manufacturers would cover Aston Martin, which hopes to sell 7500 cars this year, 60% of them in the EU. It could also cover smaller marques like Britain's Lotus and Morgan, which still uses wood in its cars.

But it would not help Ferrari or Maserati. The two marques sell fewer than 5000 high-powered cars a year in the EU, but they would be excluded on the grounds they are part of the larger Fiat group with western European sales of about 1.2 million.

``Fiat does not agree with the current proposal, which would discriminate against Ferrari and Maserati,'' Fiat Group spokesman Gualberto Ranieri said.

The European Commission argues Fiat could spread the burden of the sports-car emissions across the group - a situation Fiat says would add about 1g per kilometre to every car.

Mr Everingham says that just as the world is changing to focus more on the environment, so sports-car drivers are also changing the way they use their cars, driving more on race tracks and less on crowded highways.

Resorts are cropping up in the United States and Spain where enthusiasts can keep their cars, visiting at the weekend to use them.

"They'll thrash them round the track for a couple of days, send them to the repairers, and then they'll head home,'' he said.

Ferrari Unveils Its Scuderia Spider 16M

FERRARI celebrated its Formula 1 Constructors World Championship win this week by unveiling a new model variant: the Scuderia Spider 16M.

Based on the F430 Spider, the 16M is the quickest convertible Ferrari has ever made at 0-100km/h in 3.7 seconds and a top speed of 315km/h. The mid-mounted 4.3-litre V8 has a modest power and torque boost to develop 375kW and 470Nm, and drives through a six-speed F1 two-pedal manual gearbox. Like the coupe released earlier this year, the Spider achieves its gains mainly by stripping weight from the donor car -- 80kg. Unique features include carbon-fibre clad roll-bars and audio system with removable Ferrari iPod. Australia gets 10 of 499 to be built. Prices around $530,000.

Top 10 Production Cars destined for showrooms

After three days of exciting new car debuts during Press Preview, our team of writers, photographers and editors have seen nearly everything at the auto show in Detroit. After much deliberation, here are our picks for the best production cars destined for showrooms.

Audi TTS

Launched on the 10th anniversary of the original TT, the TTS adds a level of performance to Audi’s compact sports car. With a 2.0-liter turbocharged FSI engine delivering 272 horsepower to all four wheels, the TTS hits 60 mph in just 5.2 seconds. Most major components of the engine were strengthened to make it suitable for turbocharging. Styling befits the added performance with standard 18-inch wheels, deeper door sills, two sets of twin tailpipes and a spoiler that extends at speeds of greater than 75 mph. Available in coupe or roadster form, TTS goes on sale this summer.


Cadillac CTS-V

Although we have not driven it yet, this car should feel like a solid fist in a velvet glove. Whether or not Cadillac Vice President of Global Product Development Bob Lutz’s claim that it will be the fastest sedan on the road is just headline-grabbing hyperbole is irrelevant. With 550 horsepower under the driver's right foot and the promise of hitting 60 mph in around 4 seconds, this four-door, five-seat sedan will be blisteringly quick — that much Cadillac can guarantee. To avoid frying the rear tires every time the light turns green, there’s a lot of technology in this car to help keep it on the road, including Magnetic Ride Control and Performance Traction Management. Inside, occupants are wrapped in luxury with every available gadget to keep them comfortable, entertained and informed. Despite all this power, technology and luxury, this car will still come in about $20,000 to $30,000 below its obvious competitors.


Ford F-150

It can’t be easy redesigning the best-selling vehicle in America, but Ford got it just about right. The engineers have managed to add some great features to the F-150, making it more usable and more comfortable, without messing with the basic ingredients of the country’s top-selling pickup for the past 30 years. The truck remains defiant despite pressure from environmentalists by staying big, bold, powerful and tough, yet it gets away with it since the F-150 is essentially a workhorse with an important role. And thanks to some ingenious new features it is now even better at its job. The new version has more room inside and better access to the bed, thanks to steps on the side and the tailgate. Add a sophisticated entertainment and communications systems, and you have quite a package. The 35 different configurations mean there’s something for everyone.


Chevrolet Corvette ZR1

The Corvette ZR1 is the most powerful production Corvette ever, designed to compete with the best exotic sports cars in the world. Powered by a new supercharged 6.2-liter V8 engine, the ZR1 will put out at least 620 horsepower and 595 lb-ft of torque. A 6-speed, close-ratio transmission and a high-capacity dual-disc clutch deliver power to the rear axle. Performance features include large carbon-ceramic brake rotors and Magnetic Selective Ride Control with track-level suspension. The ZR1 sports carbon fiber front fenders, hood (with a polycarbonate window) and roof panel; a full-width rear spoiler and a unique gauge cluster with boost gauge. The 20-spoke 19-inch wheels in the front and 20-inch wheels at the rear are shod with Michelin Pilot Sport 2 tires developed specifically for the ZR1. Top speed is estimated to surpass the 200 mph mark, making it the fastest production car ever to come from General Motors.


Ferrari F430 Scuderia

Ferrari is nothing if not the master of presentation. The F430 Scuderia, finished in a gorgeous powder blue paintwork, looked stunning in its elevated, black-walled display box, highlighted by a cool, sharp light and flanked by the obligatory beautiful models. It may not be new but it’s still a big draw. Described as “an extremely high performance berlinetta brimming with Formula 1 technology,” the F430 Scuderia rockets to 62 mph in just 3.6 seconds by its 510-horsepower V8. In the cold light of day it may be essentially another reworking of Ferrari’s entry-level V8 coupe. But with its upgraded engine, carbon ceramic brakes, F1-derived “superfast” sequential gearbox, revised styling and aerodynamics, it is as fast as the Enzo around the Italian automaker's test track.


Hyundai Genesis

Whether Hyundai can accomplish its stated mission of taking on the luxury brands with the new Genesis flagship remains to be seen. At first glance, this car has moved the Korean automaker forward in a number of ways. It is the most cohesive design to date and genuinely looks good from every angle. It is pretty, sophisticated and balanced. The interior is just as refined, with an understated wood and leather finish, well-placed controls and plenty of room. It possesses technical sophistication, and a choice of V6 or V8 engines with 6-speed transmissions. The five-link front and rear suspension is designed to provide responsive handling and high ride quality. Features such as XM Satellite Radio with NavTraffic, Adaptive Front Lighting System (AFLS), Smart Cruise Control, a 17-speaker Lexicon Audio System, electronic active head restraints, and heated/cooled seats are all available in a car that is likely to go on sale at a starting price around $30,000. If Genesis drives as well as it looks, it has to be a fantastic value for money.


Mitsubishi Lancer Ralliart

It has taken a few years, but it appears that Mitsubishi is ready to do battle with the popular Subaru Impreza WRX with the new Lancer Ralliart. Designed to slot between the GTS and top-of-the-line Lancer Evolution, the Ralliart gets a new 235-horsepower 2.0-liter turbocharged engine mated to Mitsubishi’s fast-shifting Twin Clutch-SST gearbox. The transmission also operates in fully automatic modes for Normal and Sport driving conditions. Styling is similar to the EVO but somewhat understated, and, unlike the past Ralliart edition, this one gets all-wheel drive. Look for sales to begin later this year.


Nissan GT-R

When Nissan brought out its heart-stopping GT-R in Tokyo, the crowd went wild. It has now arrived in Detroit, holding court in the center of the Nissan stand, and we’re still in awe. Under the GT-R’s long hood is a 3.8-liter twin-turbocharged V6 engine that puts out 480 horses. Sixty-two mph comes up in just 3.6 seconds on the way to a top speed approaching 200 mph. Power gets to the pavement via what Nissan calls the "most advanced four-wheel-drive system on a road car ever used." That's quite a claim, but the ATTESA E-TS system constantly varies the torque from rear to front, based on a variety of inputs including speed, lateral and transverse acceleration, steering angles, tire slip and yaw rate. Straight out of the video games and onto the street this summer.


Subaru Forester

Subaru’s Forester gets a major update for the 2009 model year with styling that not only ties in better with the rest of the Subaru lineup, it now looks more like an SUV. Larger than the previous generation, Forester gets chassis and suspension upgrades designed to deliver a sport-sedan driving experience. The new Subaru DC3 chassis, also used for the high-performance Impreza versions, gives Forester improved rigidity and a new double-wishbone rear suspension. Inside, the 2009 Forester is more comfortable and the dash styling reflects the twin-cockpit design that flows into the center console, first seen in the Tribeca and adapted to the new Impreza. Forester continues to be powered by two different horizontally opposed engines, including the 224-horsepower turbocharged option. Of course, all-wheel drive is standard.


Volkswagen Passat CC

Not content to just be the people’s car company, Volkswagen introduced this shapely, upscale Passat CC here in Detroit. Longer and lower than the Passat sedan, the CC has frameless doors, a steeply raked rear screen, a small integrated trunk spoiler and distinctive rear light clusters. The interior is all luxury with two sculpted rear seats providing a limousine-like feel. Sophisticated technology includes a lane assist system that applies pressure to the steering wheel if it detects lane drift, and Dynamic Drive Control that varies suspension and other settings in Normal, Sport and Comfort modes.
source: msn auto

Ferrari F142 - 2009: Maranello’s new V8 sports car scooped

Ferrari is preparing to unveil its new V8 supercar, codenamed F142, later in 2009. We still don’t know the name of the production car, but some alphanumeric combination between F400 and F500 are possible badges for the F430 successor, reflecting the mid-engined V8’s displacement.

Our artist’s impression is compiled from the Ferrari F142 spyshots that have been circulating in recent months, suggesting a more modern look. That’s fitting for an all-new model that’s promised to move the game on in a substantial way for the first time in a decade.

Don’t forget, today’s F430 is essentially a rebodied 360 Modena, which dates back to 1999. Ferrari types will deny it, but lift the engine cover of Ferrari’s junior supercar and you’ll find F133e stamped in the engine bay; F133 was the codename for the 360 and ‘e’ stands for evoluzione, you see…

Ferrari F450/F500/F142/whatever: tell me about the tech!

This is where it gets interesting. The F142 project will stick with a V8 slung amidships, but apart from that the engineering recipe is markedly different from the F430’s. It’s an important advance: the V8 makes up three-quarters of Ferrari’s entire production.

We’re still not sure of the V8’s capacity, but it will definitely use Bosch-developed direct injection operating at exceptionally high pressures for this 500bhp application. One source we spoke to suggested the new car will use a downsized, turbocharged V8 to lower emissions and consumption, but other reports suggest a capacity stretched out to 4.5 litres or beyond. Expect plenty of details to lower internal friction, including super-polished camshafts to boost efficiency.

Whatever the final size, it’ll still be a high-rev screamer – such is the Ferrari way – and the California’s seven-speed twin-clutch transmission is set to provide the finger-flicking gearbox thrills. However, Ferrari’s software will be tuned for more sporting shift points than on the California GT.

Will there be a manual ‘box? Fewer than one in 10 buyers order the DIY transmission on the 430, so it’s conceivable the twin-clutch box will be compulsory. Ferrari was reported to be dropping stickshifts altogether, but CAR has learned that it’s seemingly relented and is about to announce a manual transmission option for the California.
And what of the Mille Chili influence on the new Ferrari V8?

The 2007 lightweight design study will influence the F142 project, insiders vow. There’s a possibility the fixed-seat system will be employed, doing away with heavy electric motors and lowering the centre of gravity and instead having pedals and instruments that move.

Of more significance is the use of lighter materials. The F430 already uses aluminium extensively, but Ferrari is likely to add even more exotic materials made possible by the new V8’s likely price tag north of £150,000. Maranello’s new Mille Chili institute is already developing hybrid aluminium/composite honeycomb materials that could be used in the bulkhead between the cabin and engine bay for instance.

Net result? The new Ferrari V8 supercar is likely to weigh less than the 1250kg of today’s F430. We somehow doubt they’ll quite hit the eventual 1000kg target quite yet, but Ferrari chief insists that every new Ferrari heralds a technological breakthrough and F142’s is likely to focus on clever-clogs weight saving and active aerodynamics.
What about KERS on the new Ferrari?

Not yet. Ferrari is on record as saying a road car application isn’t likely before 2012 – but be in no doubt that Maranello is developing an F1-style energy recapture system for its showroom range. It’s slightly at odds with the light weight mantra, adding as it does 35kg of batteries on today’s F1 car.

Other high tech details on the new V8 will include the latest iteration of the E-diff, controlled by the mannetino, and standard carbon brakes. It’ll be built in the new Ferrari factory that started making the California – with new, more efficient and higher quality production promised as a result.

Real Deal For Florida Car Company

On the surface, it sounds suspicious enough: A pair of automotive entrepreneurs, Ian Grunes and Dean Rosen, have developed an exotic, two-seat sports car that delivers Ferrari-like looks and performance for about $100,000, which is about $150,000 less than the slightly slower Ferrari F430.

And they are selling it from their new headquarters in Pompano Beach, located in a big, black-white-and-pink block building that backs up to Interstate 95. A car company based in Florida? Really?
But having driven the Rossion Q1 — and, for that matter, a Ferrari F430 — these guys, this company and their car are for real.

The story began about a decade ago, when Grunes and Rosen began selling a similar car called the Noble from their then-home base near Cincinnati. The Noble was designed by British racer and engineer Lee Noble and built at the Superformance factory in South Africa. Grunes and Rosen acquired the rights to sell the Noble in the U.S. and were happy filling the very small niche of providing a vehicle that was essentially a street-legal race car.

Then word came that the Noble would be discontinued. Grunes and Rosen acquired worldwide rights to the car and began creating a replacement that would begin with the bare bones of the Noble but be more refined and more luxurious, with features such as leather upholstery, air conditioning, even an optional navigation system. Some potential Noble customers had been turned off by the car's utter absence of creature comforts, and the new Rossion Q1 — the name comes from Rosen's last name and Ian Grunes' first name — would lack nothing in that area.

They would continue to build the car in South Africa, though it would not be a Noble. "We made hundreds of changes," Grunes said. "A lot more than Superformance was expecting, I think." Only the windshield and other bits and pieces are held over from the last-generation Noble.

One thing that did not change: the lack of features such as air bags, stability control, traction control and anti-lock brakes. But aren't some of those required on new vehicles sold in the U.S.? Yes, and that's where the Rossion Q1, and the Noble before it, slips into the country through a loophole.

In some countries, including much of Europe, the opportunity exists for very small, limited-production manufacturers to obtain a governmental exemption from most safety-feature requirements. That is not available in the U.S. So the Rossion is shipped from the factory in South Africa to Charleston, S.C., and trucked to the Pompano Beach facility with no engine or transmission.

Once the car arrives, and is sold, Rossion will help the new owner arrange for the installation of a 3.0-liter, twin-turbocharged, 450-horsepower V-6 engine and a six-speed manual transmission at a partner facility. That way, the Q1 can be titled and insured as a "kit car," built in part under the guidance of the owner — who, says Rosen, "essentially acts as his own contractor." Kit cars don't have to have air bags, for instance. But the owner still ends up with a brand-new car, under warranty.

The Rossion Q1 made its world debut last year in Orlando at the Festival of Speed car show, and the company has sold a couple of dozen, though there has been no advertising, no media attention. A major car magazine recently tested the Rossion Q1 for an upcoming story, and the test results were impressive: 0 to 60 mph in 3.2 seconds, and 0 to 100 mph in 7.8 seconds.

So it's fast, but how is it to drive?

That's the biggest surprise of all. Once you slide behind the wheel — climbing into the Q1 isn't like getting into a Buick, but it doesn't require the gymnastics of, say, entering a Lotus Exige — there's room for two large-sized adults. At 6 feet tall, I had to pull the driver's seat forward. Headroom is considerable. The Q1's engine is behind the seats, so there is no trunk space, and the hood opens to the radiator, so there is no luggage space up there, either. All that's available is some room down low, behind the seats. Pack light.

Pedals are small and at first, anyway, best driven wearing only socks until you get a feel for them. Otherwise, business as usual: The air conditioning worked very well during a long stop-and-go traffic session; seats are very comfortable; and rear visibility, as with most sports cars like this, is lousy.

Once you reach some open road, though, this is a different car. The engine, a version of which is used in some Ford and Jaguar products, feels like it's more than 450 horsepower, due largely to the Q1's ultralight weight of less than 2,500 pounds. The six-speed Getrag manual transmission works well and is spaced perfectly. Steering is light and direct, handling is phenomenal, brakes are astounding. This is a very solid, well-executed car, capable of tearing up a race track — which was expected — or happily commuting back and forth to work each day, which was not.

Prices begin, with engine and transmission, at about $100,000, and top out at about $110,000 with various options.

Ferrari unveiled its 458 Italia 4.5L 200mph spectacular sportscar

Ferrari have unveiled their latest supercar, the frankly delicious 458 Italia, a slippery wedge of V8-powered insanity that will replace the F430.

The combination of a freshly-fettled 4.5-liter 562 horsepower V8 and carefully engineered aerodynamics means the 458 Italia not only makes the o-60mph dash in under 3.4 seconds but does so with the lowest emissions and fuel consumption in its class.
When your “class” is utterly extreme luxury sports coupés, though, that’s perhaps not as impressive as the latest super-frugal hatchback. Still, you’re unlikely to risk breaking the 200mph barrier as you will be able to in the Ferrari.


Plenty more detail about the 458 Italia at the car company’s site, and they’re promising video from the design teams, Pininfarina and Michael Schumacher over the next month. One of the best details, perhaps, are the front grill winglets, which are intended to deform with increasing wind resistance and thus shift to a place whereby downforce is maximized. Start saving now…

Michael Schumacher Makes A Comeback For Ferrari

German formula one racing star Michael Schumacher on Wednesday announced he will be returning to the F1 racing circuit to fill in at Ferrari for badly injured driver Felipe Massa.

Michael Schumacher record is seven time formula one champion.

The rumour was on that the champion will "consider" the possibility of a comeback to replace the Brazilian for the remainder of the season if Ferrari would ask him.

Two weeks ago, former German driver (40), who retired in 2006, said during an interview with women magazine Bunte that he feels physically and emotionally prepared to fight for a victory. 
He made these statements were made before Felipe Massa suffered such a terrible accident, but he said it didn't mean he will in fact return to the Formula One; now, Ferrari's current situation gives Schumi's words another connotation.

Massa suffered a serious accident during second qualifying round at the Hungarian GP in Hungaroring; a spring from Rubens Barrichello's car hit him into his head.

Other drivers said to replace Massa are 19-year-old Spaniard Jaime Alguersuari and Ferrari testers Marc Gene and Italian Luca Badoer.

McLaren’s Ferrari & Lambo Fighter Luanching Soon

Looks like McLaren’s obsession with beating Ferrari is taking to the roads again, although this time with a less ambitious offering than their highly impressive F1 three-seater of yore. That’s an artist rendering you see pictured here, and although it has some of the styling cues of the F1, a lot of commenter on various message boards have slammed the car as looking derivative; some see a lot of the Porsche Carrera GT, others see various Japanese influences.
Those are just random people with opinions (in most cases) but perhaps the most damning criticism comes from within.


The new car, dubbed the MP4-12C features an automatic variable rate suspension, that at low speeds is softer “to prevent the jaw-jarring experience you get in most sports cars if you hit a pothole at slow speed,” according to McLaren main man Ron Dennis. And when you park the MP4-12C at home, you can use wireless internet to download MP3 music files, phone numbers, e-mail addresses and Google maps with driving directions from your computer to the car. Which is nifty, no doubt about it.

Dennis and his partners have already sunk £100 million on the venture, and they plan racing variants, as well as extending the model range down, to include a car to go head-to-head against the likes of the Porsche 911 and another model higher to compete against cars like Ferrari Enzos and Bugatti Veyrons.

Best of luck with that, Ron. He has decided to launch a new, high end car brand during the worst recession since The Great Depression, and to also go up against people like Ferrari, Maserati, Audi, Aston Martin, Bentley, Porsche, Bugatti and even Ford.

The MP4-12C is small two-seater, as any real sportscar should be. Out back there’s a high-revving V8 engine, and a seven-speed gearbox. The chassis is carbon fiber and it features “gullwing” doors that open upwards, not outwards.

The design of the MP4-12C was done by Frank Stephenson. On the upcoming MP4-12C he says: “It has an iconic design, like the E-type Jaguar and, on all performance parameters and price, will be better than our competition.” Strong stuff, and who could disagree with him since he’s the same fellow responsible for the new Mini, Ferrari’s F430 and the new Fiat 500.

Well one guy who is, is Gordon Murray, the man behind the McLaren F1.

“It’s bound to disappoint,’ Said Murray expressing his uncertainties “There’s no point in trying to outdo the F1, they’ll never do it. The world has moved on and anyone who thinks the market for Gallardo-type cars is going to bounce back to levels of two or three years ago is dreaming… ‘From what I’ve heard, McLaren has gone back to producing a big car with a heavy engine. People will inevitably see it as a successor to the F1 but I can’t see any way in which people aren’t going to be disappointed. They’ve just taken the wrong route for it. That’s a shame.”

Germany’s E-Wolf Targets Ferrari With New Electric Supercar

E-Wolf E2 concept rendering

It seems these days that a new electric sports car concept is announced almost every month but it's not often that we get to see the actual concept in the metal, so to speak, or in the case of the new E1, in the carbon-fiber composite.
The E1 electric roadster is the latest creation of German firm E-Wolf and it is just one of two new electric vehicles from the company, with the latter vehicle set to compete with the likes of Ferrari in the performance arena.

Working in partnership with the Saxony Lightweight Center and the Institute for Lightweight Structures and Polymer Technology at the Technical University of Dresden, E-Wolf unveiled its street-legal E1 roadster at the recent 2009 Frankfurt Auto Show and plans to add the E2 supercar to its lineup in about two years.

The key to the cars’ performance is a light weight structure. In the case of the E1, the entire chassis weighs in at just 1,102-pounds but this comes at a cost as the vehicle can only accommodate drivers weighing up to 150-pounds.

Power comes from a 150-horsepower AC induction motor with 185-pound-feet of torque. This is enough to propel the E1 from 0-62 mph in less than five seconds and see it reach a top speed of 143 mph. An array of lithium-ion batteries will see the E1 drive up to 200-miles on a single charge.

While the E1 can be bought today at a price of €150,000 (approximately $218,818), E-Wolf is also working on an E2 supercar due in 2011.

The E2 will feature four electric motors, one in each wheel, delivering a combined output of 544-horsepower and 737-pound-feet of torque--All this in a chassis that is expected to weigh around 2,000-pounds.

So far the E2 only exists in computer-generated rendering form but its designers promise the car will be able to reach a top speed of 155 mph. Hopefully the production version will stay true to the concept’s lines.

Ferrari to produce its first hybrid?

Ferrari will come out with its first hybrid system on the upcoming replacement for its 612 Scaglietti grand touring car. Britain's Autocar magazine quoted unnamed Ferrari sources confirming that the Italian exotic car company is working on a hybrid system that will see electric power going to the front wheels, giving the car all-wheel-drive capability. The system reportedly won't be available before 2014.

Although Ferrari has not officially confirmed the report on the magazine's site, Ferrari CEO Amadeo Felisa confirmed at the most recent Frankfurt Auto show that the first Ferrari hybrid was “likely to be” a V12 model.

Spy shots have since appeared suggesting that the 612's replacement will be the next all-new V12 car from the home of the Prancing Horse. The hybrid system would not be available at that car's launch, but debut closer to the 2015 model year, said the latest report, released last week.

The current 612 offers a massive 5.7-litre V12 engine driving the rear wheels, but this hybrid system would focus more on improving handling and acceleration than fuel economy, according to the company insiders.

But Ferrari is nevertheless interested in reducing fuel consumption and lowering the emissions produced by its products, even though they and exotic car fans in general have long maintained that the limited numbers of these cars sold and the relatively low mileage they accumulate account for a tiny blip in the overall carbon footprint of the global auto industry.

Felisa confirmed that Ferrari's new-for-2009 California hardtop convertible would receive a start-stop system in 2010, which automatically turns off the engine at red lights and restarts it instantly upon letting go of the brakes, which is the system that accounts for the majority of real world fuel savings in most gas-electric hybrid vehicles.

Ferrari is not the only Italian car maker going the planet-friendlier route, while still maintaining its focus on high horsepower performance. Lamborghini CEO Stephan Winkelmann also admitted in August that the Volkswagen-controlled company will launch a hybrid model by 2015, likely in the Gallardo, he suggested to a German auto trade journal in August. Winkelmann said Lamborghini was not planning to go the all-electric route, which Mercedes-Benz will pioneer among supercars with its upcoming SLS eDrive, and which Lambo's sister company Audi has recently confirmed it will pursue with an all-electric version of its mid-engine R8. 

The new Ferrari 458 Italia has supermodel looks

The Ferrari 458 Italia is the car tuned by seven-time Formula One champion Michael Schumacher.

The German, regarded by some as the greatest driver of all time, spent roughly 40 hours behind the wheel of the new Ferrari 458 Italia, feeding his unique insights to the engineers based on his considerable experience in car set-up.
That’s no guarantee of success for the latest supercar to wear the legendary Prancing Horse badge, but it’s not a bad start.

Neither is the first impression you get when you see the 458 in the flesh. It looks sensational – more stealth fighter than road car. It’s a cleaner design than the F430.

The big air intakes that dominated the flanks of the F430 have been replaced by more discreet vents on the car’s window sills and under the rear wings.

The vertical daytime running lights add another dash of theatre, while the cluster of three exhaust pipes at the rear looks like a jet’s afterburner.

Step inside and the Ferrari 458 Italia is equally impressive. Other manufacturers like to talk about a driver-oriented, cockpit-feel, but this car delivers. In fact, the passenger is almost cut out of the picture altogether.

There is no conventional centre stack. Instead, there are two screens either side of the giant tacho in the instrument panel. The one on the left has the read-out for the vehicle set-up and (too small) digital speedo, while the one on the right has the sat-nav and audio (there’s no CD player, instead you get a red Ferrari iPod and docking station).

The only buttons within easy reach of the passenger are the air-con controls and the three buttons on the centre console – the launch control, reverse gear selector and auto transmission setting.

In contrast, almost every system in the car is at the fingertips of the driver. There are no indicator stalks, the blinkers are activated by buttons on the steering wheel, as are the headlights and windscreen wipers. It seems a little odd at first, but works well. The driver can also select a softer suspension setting via another button on the wheel, while the trademark “Manettino” switch allows you to choose from five different set-ups.

The rest of the cabin is traditional leather-lined luxury, including supportive racing seats, with great side and thigh support.

Start the Ferrari 458 Italia up, blip the throttle and the intoxicating sound of a thoroughbred V8 fills the cabin.

The Italia’s 425kW V8 sounds surprisingly tame and refined when you’re driving sedately around town. But as with most sports cars these days, the Ferrari has an exhaust bypass flap that opens up as the revs rise. The harder you push the 458, the better it sounds, all the way to an ear-splitting 9000rpm.

But the noise is only a small part of the fun. The acceleration is mind-boggling. Ferrari says the 458 reaches 100km/h in 3.4secs and 200km/h in 10.4secs. After a day driving the car on the track and the open road, we found no reason to doubt those figures.

Some of the credit for the blistering acceleration goes to the Ferrari’s seven-speed dual clutch automatic transmission. The maker decided not to develop a manual transmission for the 458 because it says the dual-clutch delivers noticeably better performance while using less fuel.

The shifts in the Ferrari 458 Italia are razor-sharp and intuitive, with the car downshifting automatically each time you hit the awesome ceramic brakes. Each downshift is accompanied by a wonderful-sounding blip of the throttle, whether you change gears by the paddleshifts or let the 458 do it for you. The car also gargles and spits when you come off the throttle.

A flick of the Manettino really transforms the car from luxury grand tourer to race-car. The Manettino adjusts the car’s suspension, throttle sensitivity, gear shift patterns, brake feel and suspension settings. It also adjusts the sensitivity of the various driver aids, including the traction control, stability control and electronic diff, which distributes torque between the rear wheels to increase drive out of corners.

The suspension and steering are the final pieces in the jigsaw and neither disappoints. As always, we’ll reserve judgment on the ride until we get the car on local roads, but it was impressively well-controlled and comfortable on patchy road surfaces. The strangely named “bumpy road” setting also works well. It’s only available on the sportier settings and it’s designed to improve the tyres contact with the road on rough surfaces.

The setting softens the dampers so the car is less prone to skip about over corrugations.

The Ferrari 458 Italia’s grip was phenomenal, even when driven enthusiastically on wet roads, while body roll was hardly noticeable through corners. The car’s exceptional handling encourages you to push harder at each corner, while the steering is incredibly sharp and direct, adding to the overall feeling of supreme surefootedness.

Ferrari to Show 599 Hybrid at 2010 Geneva Auto Show

While presenting the F10, Ferrari’s 2010 Formula 1 car, company president Luca di Montezemolo mentioned in passing his plans for the upcoming Geneva show. The big boss said that that’s where we’ll finally see a hybrid Ferrari. 
The company’s first hybrid will be based on the 599GTB. Recent patents suggest it may be an all-wheel-drive affair, with electric motors turning the front wheels. The hybrid system likely integrates technology from Ferrari’s Kinetic Energy Recovery System (KERS), which was developed for the 2009 F1 season. Systems such as Ferrari’s were allowed but not required last year—they added weight and complexity but afforded extra 82-hp bursts for up to 6.6 seconds per lap. Ferrari struggled with the system on and off during the season and ultimately decided not to use it in the 2010 car. (F1, being the bastion of cost-savings that it is, also instituted a no-refueling rule that required everyone to redesign their cars for this year.)

Are we excited about the possibility of an electrified Ferrari? In a word, no. As with the F1 application, it will make the overall car heavier and even more expensive. But if it helps the company meet tightening efficiency standards and sells well enough to help fund the development of real Ferraris, we’ll begrudgingly accept the hybrid. 

Ferrari Hybrid Heads to Geneva

Ferrari will show its first hybrid production car this March at the 2010 Geneva Motor Show. The high-end hybrid specimen will be a gas-electric version of the carmaker’s eye-popping 599 GTB. It will also be the world’s first ready-for-market exotic hybrid.
The exact specs will not be known until the car is unveiled, but it will most likely unite a lithium ion battery pack with a pair of electric motors fixed at the rear axle, along with Ferrari’s outlandishly powerful 600-plus horsepower V12 engine. Other fuel-saving features will include start-stop capabilities and Formula One-based regenerative braking technology known as KERS (Kinetic Energy Recovery System). Fuel economy is expected to increase by about 30 percent over the non-hybrid 599 GTB. In other words, it will go from about 9 miles per gallon to about 12 miles per gallon.
The World's Fastest Eco-Cars

The days of fuel economy only coming in small, slow and stripped-down cars are over. Every major auto show these days brings the unveiling of another green super car using hybrid or electric car technology to conserve fuel while delivering Ferrari-like performance.

Nobody expects the Ferrari 599 GTB to save the earth from global warming—especially when you consider how few Ferraris there are, and how little they are actually driven by their owners. Ultimately, this move serves more as a sign of the times and a testament to technology, rather than having any kind of tangible impact on the environment. “It sends a message,” said Ben Davis, roadtest producer for PBS’ MotorWeek. “It’s a ripple effect that starts at the upper echelon of the auto industry, and echoes a theme that green is good.”

Reports of Ferrari testing a hybrid powertrain first surfaced in June 2009, but details were sketchy. Ferrari’s plans to reduce carbon emissions have been making news for the last few years, mainly due to Europe’s resolution for more stringent emissions standards to take effect in 2012. Still, it is unclear what route Ferrari and other ultra-luxury brands will take. Hybrids are just one possibility in a field of options that included diesels, electric cars, biofuels, and hydrogen. Ferrari may explore these other areas, but gas-electric technology is the carmaker’s first concrete initiative on the green front.

Chris Evans buys Britain's most expensive car – £12m Ferrari

Chris Evans has bought the most expensive car in Britain just days after pulling in the biggest ever audience for a radio show in the country.

The Radio 2 DJ, who took over from Terry Wogan as the station's breakfast host, spent £12m on the vintage Ferrari 250 GT.
he 44-year-old, who is known for his admiration of expensive sports cars, sold three Ferraris from his collection to pay for the 1963 model, the Sun claimed.

The car cost £6,000 when it was first sold 47 years ago.

Evans posted a picture of his latest motor on Twitter with the caption: "The new one has arrived."

Only 36 of the 174mph top speed racing cars were made. The car has five manual gears and does zero to 60 in 6.1 seconds.

Earlier this week it was announced that Evans had beaten his predecessor, Sir Terry Wogan's record for the largest ever audience for a British radio show.

His Radio 2 show averaged 9.5 million weekly listeners in his first three months in the job – a rise of almost 1.5m on Sir Terry who stepped down in December after 27 years.

EXCLUSIVE: Ferrari coming to India in 2011

Company to open dealerships in Mumbai and New Delhi

Luca Di Montezemolo is looking at India rather seriously. According to BBC and sources close to BS Motoring, Ferrari is looking to open its first dealership in India in the next six to eight months.
Speaking to BBC News, Luca said that he is looking at opening a dealership here in India this year itself, though according to our sources that might be a little premature. What Ferrari will do, according to our sources, is open two dealerships in two of the largest metros in India, New Delhi and Mumbai with the latter most likely to be the first one. In Mumbai, the dealership will most likely be located in South Mumbai.

Ferrari is likely to appoint Tata Motors or a sub-division of Tata Motors as its sole Indian distributor and dealer. Ferrari had earlier hinted that any move into India would involve Tata Motors in one way or the other. With Ratan Tata on the board of Fiat Auto, this arrangement seems most likely and convenient. In fact Ratan Tata also drives the only known Ferrari California in existence in India.

Ferrari's entry into India comes at a time when other supercar manufacturers are making a beeline into India. Bugatti recently appointed its dealership cum distributor for India while Aston Martin too has appointed two dealers, both in Mumbai and New Delhi. A whole host of other supercar manufacturers too have shown interest in India and keep a close eye on BSMOTORING.COM to read about their developments in the coming days.

Ferrari manufactures road-going sportscars, supercars and grand tourers and sells in excess of 6500 units a year. Its model lineup includes the California, 458 Italia, the 599 GTB and the 612 Scaglietti. 

Ferrari 458 Italia One of The Outstanding Sports Car

Monticello, New York: Heat pouring from its carbon-ceramic brakes, the Ferrari 458 Italia rests its heaving lungs at Monticello Motor Club, preparing for more shrieking laps to come.

Perspiring and exhilarated myself, I have a moment to appreciate Ferrari's newborn beauty in repose at this private road course tucked below the Catskills.
Today, as club members romp at this challenging track, the scene resembles an improptu Ferrari family reunion: there's the Italia's beach-bum cousin, the California convertible; its just-retired predecessor, the midengine F430; and from the traditional gran turismo side of the clan, a 599 GTB Fiorano with a V-12 engine.

Not wanting to bruise anyone's feelings, I keep one thought to myself: my baby, the 458 Italia -- all right, so I'm just the nanny -- is definitely the prettiest. The smartest, too, thanks to the latest Formula One diet of Ferrari racing technology. And the Italia is also the second-least-costly Ferrari (after the California) at $230,275. That base price undercuts the 599 by over $100,000.

What I'm about to say might enrage the guy struggling to keep a roof over a 10-year-old Chevy. But if you have that kind of money, the Italia -- unlike some high-priced, half-baked exotics -- is worth every penny. The car's sensory experience is nearly unfathomable; barreling Woody Allen's Orgasmatron over Niagara Falls might get you close.

Stumbling from the 458's cockpit after hours of g-force frolic, it's easy to get caught up in woozy hyperbole. (See above.) But even with endorphins normalized, I declare the 458 is the best sports car I've ever driven, the current state of the art. Or maybe that's the art of the state, given that Ferrari's chairman, Luca Cordero di Montezemolo, named the Italia after its homeland. Italy should cut Ferrari a check for such product placement.

The Ferrari certainly buffs Italy's reputation for high design. It may also represent a revival of Ferrari's legendary styling form, which had shown signs of becoming secondary to remorseless function. Even some Ferrari owners agree that recent models, including the F430 and the limited-edition Enzo, were becoming less purely sensuous, a pulse-quickening quality that had always elevated Ferrari above more cold-blooded sports cars. (I once parked a Lamborghini Gallardo next to an F430 and asked a few dozen passers-by to judge which car was better-looking. To my surprise, only a few men, and not a single woman, chose the Ferrari).

The Italia should find more love from either sex. The striking carrier-deck rear end also recalls the departed Enzo. But while that forceful styling suggests, truthfully, that the Italia can match or outrun that $650,000 supercar, the old Ferrari flow is back in the steamy suggestion of its Mediterranean curves. The Italia says that beauty doesn't have to be sacrificed to modern performance.

The design also inhales cool air for the engine, brakes and aerodynamic downforce -- while dispersing gearbox heat and smoothing turbulence at the rear -- without a profusion of scoops and nostrils. In the nose, a pair of rubbery winglets deform nearly an inch at high speeds to reduce drag and lift.

The cabin is all about the driver, with every control and display angled that way. Passengers are clearly meant to sit in awe, thankful to get a ride. A saffron-colored tachometer nods to tradition and a 9,000 r.p.m. red line, but it is flanked by a Ferrari first: twin digital displays that flash everything from performance parameters to navigation maps and iPod playlists.

A few critics have griped that these displays seem more Honda than Ferrari. But as with Lamborghini and its modern Audi-based screen controls, I'm just grateful they work, in only mildly awkward style. In some Italian cars, you're lucky to find the AM radio.

Continuing the Grand Prix fantasy, the Ferrari's steering wheel houses so many controls that there's barely room for the pretty pony at the center. Fire the red start button, and LEDs trace the rim of the wheel to to chart the engine's upward progress. The manettino -- not an obscure pasta, but Italian for "little hand" -- controls settings for Ferrari's remarkably transparent F1 Trac stability and traction systems, in tandem with an electronic differential that dynamically apportions torque between the rear wheels. Another switch adjusts the Ferrari's magnetic-fluid shocks for especially bumpy roads.

Even the turn signals and wipers are controlled by steering-wheel buttons. The steering column eschews stalks entirely, leaving huge paddle shifters for the dual-clutch, seven-speed automated manual transmission.

Citing indifference among potential buyers, the Italia does not offer a conventional manual.

While I'd still prefer a clutch (and if you've got a quarter-million to spend, why shouldn't Ferrari cater to your whims?), the Italia's transmission is a piercing riposte to My Left Foot purists.

Drivers can fire off buttered-lightning shifts until their fingertips ache. But even the pure automatic mode makes an amazing show-and-tell: it is murderously aggressive when driven hard, snapping off firecracker double-downshifts and holding gears as high as 8,000 r.p.m. Especially in the Ferrari's racier performance modes, the Italia is so loudly oblivious to community noise standards that I often reverted to manual to avoid attention.

Yet owners may volunteer for 2 a.m. diaper runs just to hear that six-figure exhaust note. It's one part classical, one part metal thunder, like a duet of Pavarotti and Chris Cornell. A trio of exhaust outlets, reminiscent of Ferrari's old F40 supercar, open the outside pipes to unleash sound under hard throttle.

In the center of a space-frame chassis lies the source of that racket, a flat-crank, dry-sump V-8 that makes 562 horsepower and 398 pound-feet of torque from just 4.5 liters of displacement. That's an industry record in power-per-liter for an engine that breathes naturally, without air-cramming aid from superchargers or turbochargers.

Ferrari claims a 3.4-second run from a standstill to 60 miles per hour, a few ticks faster than the F430, and a top speed of 202 m.p.h. But the edge over the F430, as well as most other sports cars, isn't raw numbers. Instead, the Ferrari opens an unmatched window onto how a champion driver must feel. It's like waking up to find you can trade groundstrokes with Rafael Nadal, and even rip one past him on occasion.

On Monticello's 4.1-mile, 22-turn course, the Italia shrieks past 160 m.p.h. on the back straight, thrillingly composed even as it brakes into bends and catapults out with shuddering force. Ferrari claims the newest F1 Trac and E-Diff deliver 32 percent more longitudinal force leaving turns than the F430, and the seat of my pants doesn't argue.

Nor does Bill McMichael, the track's chief executive, who is awaiting delivery of his own crimson Italia. And while I'm expecting a measured appraisal on Mr. McMichael's first trip in a 458, he instantly pegs the car above his own F430 Scuderia. "Even from the right-hand seat, I can tell there's more grip, more power, better body control," he said with enthusiasm as we rolled into the pits. "It never puts a foot wrong."

One problem must be mentioned. I had driven this identical car to Monticello a week earlier, when a wire worked loose and fried on hot metal. That put the car into limp-home mode before the engine shut down entirely. In the Ferrari's defense, the rigors of track laps can take out any car -- though that caveat wouldn't have prevented a few choice Italian curses if I were the owner.

On this trouble-free day, the Ferrari seduced everyone it met, including club members whose opinions might translate into sales. One is Mr. McMichael, whom I can't help but jealously imagine practicing in his new Italia, whacking seconds off the eye-popping lap times he recorded in previous Ferraris.

Ferrari Developing Secret New Enzo Successor Hybrid

Ferrari have been experimenting with KERS (kinetic energy recovery system) hybrids in both their Formula 1 cars and road going sports cars since at least 2009, now according to Ferrari Chairman Luca Cordero di Montezemolo, Ferrari are developing an all new hybrid designed to replace the venerable Enzo hypercar.
Rather than a typical battery based hybrid Ferrari will be sticking with the flywheel based KERS hybrid system that they debuted in the much touted 599 Hy-KERS at this year’s Geneva Motorshow. The flywheel essentially stores energy usually lost under braking in a transmission mounted flywheel and then uses that stored kinetic energy to add a boost of power when the driver hits a little red button in the cockpit. Formula 1 used a KERS hybrid system in the 2009 season and will resume the use of KERS in the upcoming 2011 season.

The new model is due out in 2012 and will also undergo a feat of weight loss, inline with Ferrari’s desire to boost fuel economy without sacrificing performance.