Friday, 28 August 2009
2005 Citroen C6
Citroen C1
Thursday, 20 August 2009
High cost for Ferrari
Lucky millionaires out there can now upgrade their "basic" Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano to HGTE-spec, by buying a tuning kit which has a starting price of £19,703. You can actually buy a whole (old) Ferrari for that.
Ferrari 288 GTOs Gather At Monterey
And a whole slew of them gather together at this year’s Monterey Historics.
To call a car a GTO is throwing down a mechanical gauntlet, especially if the company doing so is Ferrari. Saying that your car is the measure of one of the greatest sports racers of all time is a helluva thing to say. The 288 GTO was just such a boast, and although it never turned a wheel in anger (at least sanctioned by the factory), it WAS intended to race and win. Back in the mid-80s, there was growing manufacturer fascination with a group of race cars, rally cars actually, known collectively as Group B. It went from homologated specials like Renault R5 Turbos to things like Peugeot 205s and Lancia Delta S4s and pretty soon people like Porsche (with there 959) and Ferrari (with the 288 GTO) were interested.
But before all of this could get properly going, a bunch of spectators were killed at the Rally Portugal, and then Henri Toivonen turned his Delta S4 into a crumpled flaming ball in Tour de Corse and the FIA said “Basta!”, and that was that.
The 959 was modified to race (and win) in the Dakar, and the 288 GTO went on to be one hell of road car, although a handful to drive. This was back in the days before “mash-it-and-point-it” traction control, and from the friends I have that own 288s, these things are a real handful, especially in the wet. Although somewhat mitigated, there is, apparently, still turbo lag in there, and the car can go from 200+ horses to 500+ in the blink of an eye … say mid corner … at night … in the rain.
Ferrari's latest the 458 has 570bhp
There are two things that Italy does better than anyone else: outrageous politicians and sports cars.
And while old Silvio has been up to his tricks, Ferrari has been busy building a fabulous new mid-engined sports car to replace the F430, itself a bit of a stunner.
The new car is called the 458 Italia. From the first bit of the name we can deduce that it's powered by a 4.5-litre eight-cylinder engine.
The new engine is direct-injection and has a whopping 570bhp at a screaming 9,000rpm.
It's more powerful than the F430 engine yet it is cleaner and more economical, not that economy is going to bother an owner that much.
What is important is driving slowly past nightclubs and attracting attention by blipping the throttle.
Many car companies claim to learn lots from racing and include the lessons in their road cars. Often it's just marketing talk but with Ferrari it's believable.
The Italia is full of hi-tech gizmos. For starters it has a seven-speed twin-clutch gearbox that changes gear faster than a blink, an electronically controlled differential and something called F1-Trac - a traction-control system that maximises acceleration out of corners without the risk of you flying off into a field.
The major controls are mounted on the steering wheel and by major we don't mean the stereo controls. Ferrari gives you a host of buttons to press that change the traction-control settings, throttle response and lots more. Just like on Raikkonen's F1 Ferrari racer.
Wednesday, 19 August 2009
Driving the Ferrari California
As we pulled up to the historical gates of that famous red brick building in downtown Maranello, I felt the excitement begin to ravish through my body. But this was no ordinary excitement, mind you. It started in my toes and found its way through my extremities like warm cognac being gently poured through my veins, until it gathered enough momentum and intensity, eventually filling my chest and finding its way up my neck before exploding inside my head. I never knew you could feel like that with your clothes on. I almost lit up a cigarette right after. And I don’t even smoke.
It is one thing to come to such hallowed grounds to drive a Ferrari – we’ve done this more than a couple of times before and believe me, so long as your body temperature is above twelve degrees, it doesn’t get any less exciting – but this? This is no ordinary Ferrari. It is arguably the company’s most ground breaking model, if not their most controversial one, and it has the loyalists hopping mad.
Aside from being the very first Ferrari with an electronic retractable roof, they demand to know why the engine is in the front, especially that it is “only” a V8. They also want someone to explain how it can have the power of a third world dictator, but the manners of Kofi Annan. And they want to know who’s idea it was to give it some decent luggage room.
They call it the California; but is it a Ferrari?
First up, before even tackling that question, we need to agree on what a Ferrari is. It needs to be fast. Check. It needs style. Check. It must handle like woman scorned. Ummm, we’re going to have problems here... You see, first impressions of the California is that it is incredibly easy to drive. Too easy, in fact. And there lies the problem. Most Ferrari owners want to feel like a member of some exclusive little club that not everyone is qualified to join, and having a Ferrari that is as civilized to drive in traffic as a Fiat Punto doesn’t sit well them – its almost as if Ferrari has broken the sacred rule and allowed a girl into their little boys club.
Having said that, there were those who were opposed to sliced bread, too. Several decades later, I think we can all agree that it is the way to go. Gnawing off bits of your finger just to make a sandwich doesn’t make the experience any purer. Same goes with the California. Being easier to drive only means you can now drive it harder, and I have to say that the all-new double clutch, seven speed sequential gearbox is insane. It doesn’t matter what anyone tells you, this is awesome. If you hear any negative reactions about it, I guarantee you it is coming from those who haven’t figured out how to build one yet, and will hide behind the “purity” curtain.
It is so good in fact that the gearbox alone can probably take full credit for the California being able to match the acceleration of the 430 despite being 628 pounds heavier and 30 PS less powerful than its mid-engined sibling. To call it perfect would only dilute the word. Then there’s the all-new direct injection petrol engine; aside from being the greenest Ferrari ever built, the engineers have managed to bring the fuel consumption down and the power curve up, making 75% of its torque available as early as 2,500rpm, and delivering the outstanding balance by 5,000rpm.
Dreaming of a Ferrari? Here is the answer
Australia's Supercar Club, which makes luxury cars available to a pool of members, is drawing new clients every month who would rather borrow an Aston Martin or a Lamborghini on the weekend to release their inner James Bond than own one.
"I joined the club so that I could enjoy the benefits of the cars without the expenditure," said Rod Spencer, an IT consultant from Melbourne.
Luxury car clubs have become a popular alternative to the costly hobby of owning, insuring and maintaining high-priced hot wheels, giving car enthusiasts easy access to the keys of dozens of exotic cars.
Amid the financial crisis, sales of luxury cars have fallen sharply with Lamborghini, Bentley and Maserati this year reporting sales down more than half from a year ago in the United States alone. Sales for Ferrari and Porsche are down 30 percent.
This fall-off in luxury car sales has been a boost for clubs like Australia's Supercar Club which has sought to take advantage of this surge in interest by launching new ways to attract members seeking an auto adrenaline rush.
Ferrari 599
Ferrari 599
Ferrari 599
Ferrari 599
Ferrari 599
Ferrari 599
Ferrari 599
