Lotus Exige 2009
Lotus Exige 2009
Lotus Exige 2009Friday, 7 August 2009
Wednesday, 5 August 2009
2010 Ferrari California
Through a fluke in timing or just plain luck, I'm fortunate enough to have now been behind the wheel of every single current Ferrari currently on sale. That's a rarity even for automotive journalists, and it's an honor I don't take lightly. Today's drive of the California marked a special occasion, since this was not just the only Ferrari I haven't driven, it's also an all-new kind of Ferrari.
The California is full of firsts: it's the first-ever front-mounted V-8-engined Ferrari, it's the first use of direct injection in a Ferrari, and it's Ferrari's first dual-clutch automated manual transmission. It's also the first Ferrari built on a modular architecture, and the first built on a new production line that is downright spooky in its modernity. I was able to tour the facility last month, and the California's production line is spotlessly clean, eerily quiet, and freakishly automated. On the one hand, computerized, precise mass production makes the California seem somehow less special; on the other, it ensures the highest level of quality. I think it's a worthwhile tradeoff, especially for a Ferrari that's inherently less special than some others.
Screeeetch -- less special? I mean the California no insult by that. It's the least expensive offering in Ferrari's stable, but that's only part of the reason why. The other reason is that I equate "special" with "insane." I, a certified automotive nutcase, adore the F430 for its insanity. I love the way it crackles and barks and screams. I love how it scares small children and grown men alike with its acoustic assault; how it accelerates and shifts with such violence that it renders its passengers hysterical. I love how its occupants are assaulted with the feel of every pebble on the road after luring them in with the sight and aroma of the world's finest materials.
New Ferrari 458 Italia looks to deliver 17-mpg fuel economy as well as 201-mph performance
For what seems like ages, Ferrari has focused on taming the world's most sophisticated engines to make their machines the fastest and most agile on the planet. Now, just in time for global warming, Ferrari's engineers have added a new element: efficiency.
The just-unveiled 458 Italia will rate 17 miles a gallon, which may not sound like a lot unless you consider that it's more powerful than the V-8s that preceded it. It aims to reduce CO2 emissions as well. The mid-rear engine italia is due to be shown this fall at the Frankfurt Motor Show. Price? We're not there yet.
The two-seater is powered by a new 4499-cc V-8, which is Ferrari's first direct-injection engine to be mid-rear mounted. Best of all, it still sounds like a Ferrari. The 458 Italia will come with a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission. It has an aluminum chassis, with nearly 60% of its weight over the rear wheels. Weighing in at 3,042 pounds, the car will be able to accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in under 3.4 seconds. Maximum speed is more than 201 mph.
Sunday, 2 August 2009
Michael Schumacher seeks test clearance ahead of Ferrari return
Michael Schumacher has been practising in an old Ferrari vehicle. Photograph: Wolfgang Rattay/Reuters
Ferrari have written to the FIA and all its rival teams requesting special dispensation for Michael Schumacher to undertake a day's testing in the team's F60 challenger before his return to Formula One in the European grand prix at Valencia on 23 August.
Regulations forbid any testing during the season apart from strictly controlled straight-line runs to check out aerodynamic development. But it is believed that Ferrari will request on safety grounds that the seven-times world champion – preparing to fill in for the injured Felipe Massa – should be allowed to become acquainted with his new machine before the meeting rather than being pitchforked into the frenzy of Friday's first qualifying session on an unfamiliar Valencia circuit.
Schumacher has spent the past couple of days testing at the Ferrari-owned Mugello circuit near Florence, driving one of the Ferraris in which Kimi Raikkonen won the 2007 world championship, the year after he retired. Driving an old Formula One car does not breach the testing ban, which only applies to the current cars being used by the teams contesting the world championship.
"It's a great thing getting back on the track with an F1 even if this was a car from 2007," he told Ferrari's official website. "After a couple of laps I was able to drive constant lap times and I'm happy with the performance. Now we've got to see how my body and the muscles respond in the next days."
Ferrari 458 Italia debuts 562hp of beautiful seduction
Even a car as good as Ferrari’s F430 has a shelf life, and with the official unveiling of the new 458 Italia, the outgoing model looks old indeed. Pulling some cues from its mid-engine predecessor as well as the new California, the 458 Italia is another breathtaking design by Italian corrozzeria Pininfarina.
Engineering has long been an even more important part of Ferrari’s road cars than styling, and the 458 promises to deliver the best V8 performance of any predecessor. A new 4.5L V8 revs to a stratospheric 9,000 rpm, and on the way it produces 562hp and 398 lb-ft of torque. A sizable 80% of that torque arrives low in the rev range, at 3,250 rpm, partly due to a 12.5:1 compression ratio.
Putting power down to the rear wheels is a seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox, optimizing performance and fuel economy, although with respect to the latter its EU test cycle 13.7L/100km (17.1 mpg US) combined city/highway rating is an improvement yet won’t be winning any awards on the green front.
In the same way that aluminum kept the F430 lightweight, the 458 Italia features all-alloy construction resulting in a curb weight of just 1,380 kilos (3,042 lbs) dry.
Yes, with all that power and such minimal mass to push off the line it’s extremely fast, managing 100km/h in only 3.4 seconds before running to a top speed of 325km/h (202mph). And if you know your Ferrari lore you’ll realize that bypassing the illusive 200mph barrier is a major coup for the Italian brand, at least in a volume production model. The 458 Italia is the first “mainstream” model out of the Ferrari stable to achieve this feat.
Saturday, 1 August 2009
2009 Ferrari 612 Scaglietti
Ferrari's oldest current model, the 612 Scaglietti, is also its least desirable, if marketplace demand is any measure. While the F430 and the 599GTB Fiorano enjoy lengthy waiting lists, Ferrari's flagship can occasionally be bought right off the showroom floor. Does that make it a bad car? Of course not - the least desirable Ferrari is, after all, still a Ferrari.
The problem is that the 612's elegant, reserved demeanor is decidedly at odds with the outrageousness that we've come to expect from Maranello. The entry-level F430's adolescent break-dance handling and ghetto-blaster V-8 encourage 8500-rpm upshifts and tire-smoke-drenched hole-shots. That kind of bad behavior seems juvenile in the polished Scaglietti, which feels best when it's cruising gently around town. Its V-12 is quiet inside the cabin, the ride is plush, and the steering is light, offering far less feedback than you'd expect. The interior is flawlessly finished, with beautiful leather on every surface.
But then you accidentally turn the manettino to Sport mode, and the 612's automated-manual transmission cracks off a neck-snapping, 100-millisecond, full-throttle shift. Maybe that's why the Ferrari key fob, which seems totally out of place in this understated coupe, remains arrest-me red. The 612 may be polished, smooth, and refined, but it can still dance the Ferrari dance when the road turns curvy.
Ferrari has made some subtle changes to the Scaglietti for its fifth model year, and one not-so-subtle change to the price. The cheapest 612 you can now buy retails for an almost incomprehensible $318,538. Last year, you could drive out of a dealership in a 612 for roughly $55,000 less. So what do you get for your extra money?
First of all, an updated SuperFast version of Ferrari's F1 automated-manual gearbox is now standard, complete with the aforementioned manettino. A manual transmission is no longer available. If you force it to, the updated 612 will haul its 4100-pound self to 62 mph 0.2 second sooner than before, in four seconds flat. The big coupe keeps accelerating to 199 mph, and it's that figure that is likely more impressive to potential 612 customers.
The updated Scaglietti also receives a Bose infotainment and navigation system and a glass panoramic roof. A center-console-mounted, three-position switch commands electrochromatic elements in the glass to help block the sun's rays and keep the interior cooler on warm days.
And if the sticker price still isn't steep enough, you can make use of Ferrari's new One-to-One program, which allows you to customize your car to your own tastes. Here's how I'd personalize my fleet: I'd buy an F430 for when I needed only two seats, a Maserati Quattroporte for when I needed four, and a diesel VW Jetta wagon for everyday use. And my three cars would still cost the same as one 612 Scaglietti.
The problem is that the 612's elegant, reserved demeanor is decidedly at odds with the outrageousness that we've come to expect from Maranello. The entry-level F430's adolescent break-dance handling and ghetto-blaster V-8 encourage 8500-rpm upshifts and tire-smoke-drenched hole-shots. That kind of bad behavior seems juvenile in the polished Scaglietti, which feels best when it's cruising gently around town. Its V-12 is quiet inside the cabin, the ride is plush, and the steering is light, offering far less feedback than you'd expect. The interior is flawlessly finished, with beautiful leather on every surface.
But then you accidentally turn the manettino to Sport mode, and the 612's automated-manual transmission cracks off a neck-snapping, 100-millisecond, full-throttle shift. Maybe that's why the Ferrari key fob, which seems totally out of place in this understated coupe, remains arrest-me red. The 612 may be polished, smooth, and refined, but it can still dance the Ferrari dance when the road turns curvy.
Ferrari has made some subtle changes to the Scaglietti for its fifth model year, and one not-so-subtle change to the price. The cheapest 612 you can now buy retails for an almost incomprehensible $318,538. Last year, you could drive out of a dealership in a 612 for roughly $55,000 less. So what do you get for your extra money?
First of all, an updated SuperFast version of Ferrari's F1 automated-manual gearbox is now standard, complete with the aforementioned manettino. A manual transmission is no longer available. If you force it to, the updated 612 will haul its 4100-pound self to 62 mph 0.2 second sooner than before, in four seconds flat. The big coupe keeps accelerating to 199 mph, and it's that figure that is likely more impressive to potential 612 customers.
The updated Scaglietti also receives a Bose infotainment and navigation system and a glass panoramic roof. A center-console-mounted, three-position switch commands electrochromatic elements in the glass to help block the sun's rays and keep the interior cooler on warm days.
And if the sticker price still isn't steep enough, you can make use of Ferrari's new One-to-One program, which allows you to customize your car to your own tastes. Here's how I'd personalize my fleet: I'd buy an F430 for when I needed only two seats, a Maserati Quattroporte for when I needed four, and a diesel VW Jetta wagon for everyday use. And my three cars would still cost the same as one 612 Scaglietti.
Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano car
The Ferrari stand at the 2008 Paris Auto Show will host the official unveiling of the new Ferrari California, the stunning coupé-cabriolet that has created such expectation amongst both those in the industry and the public at large.
But this is not the only piece of good news to come from the Prancing Horse at the Paris Show as they will also be announcing the extension of the One To One Personalisation Programme, debuted in March 2008 solely for the Ferrari 612 Scaglietti, to the Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano.
Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano One-to-One 2009 - Top View
Thanks to the success it has enjoyed over the last few months, the service is beeing extended to the most powerful 12-cylinder in the current range. Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano One-to-One clients will now be able to visit the dedicated Atelier in Maranello to create their own truly bespoke car. Not only will they have a vast range of special content to choose from but they will also be assisted by specially trained Ferrari consultants.
As at the 2008 Geneva Auto Show, Ferrari recreated the Atelier for its stand at the Paris Show too. This is an area to which clients can come to work out every last detail of their Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano on the basis of their own personal needs and tastes.
Dedicated Ferrari staff will be on hand to work with clients at each step of the way. Naturally, all of the various personalisation options on offer will ensure that the intrinsic character of the car is unchanged and will not in any way impinge upon the car's active or passive safety systems.
But this is not the only piece of good news to come from the Prancing Horse at the Paris Show as they will also be announcing the extension of the One To One Personalisation Programme, debuted in March 2008 solely for the Ferrari 612 Scaglietti, to the Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano.
Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano One-to-One 2009 - Top View
Thanks to the success it has enjoyed over the last few months, the service is beeing extended to the most powerful 12-cylinder in the current range. Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano One-to-One clients will now be able to visit the dedicated Atelier in Maranello to create their own truly bespoke car. Not only will they have a vast range of special content to choose from but they will also be assisted by specially trained Ferrari consultants.
As at the 2008 Geneva Auto Show, Ferrari recreated the Atelier for its stand at the Paris Show too. This is an area to which clients can come to work out every last detail of their Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano on the basis of their own personal needs and tastes.
Dedicated Ferrari staff will be on hand to work with clients at each step of the way. Naturally, all of the various personalisation options on offer will ensure that the intrinsic character of the car is unchanged and will not in any way impinge upon the car's active or passive safety systems.
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