Lincoln MKX 2009
Lincoln MKX 2009
Lincoln MKX 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.
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