Di Montezemolo - "A Ferrari can’t have more than two doors"

As if we needed more confirmation on the matter, the Ferrari CEO, Luca di Montezemolo has announced, yet again, that the Prancing Horse brand will not be offering any sedan or SUV any time soon, despite the fact that there is clear demand for such vehicles.

Talking with automotorundsport.de, di Montezemolo said: “Ferrari is all about sportiness in the most pure form of the word, and that doesn’t involve SUV’s of four-door saloons. A Ferrari can’t have more than two doors.” He also goes on to say that a cheap entry-level Ferrari “simply wouldn`t be a Ferrari, enough said!”

He argued that the current California is as low as they`re willing to go, and proof that hte strategy is working is the fact that around 70% of all owners of the car are new first-time Ferrari owners. They are attracting enough new buyers as it is, and they don`t need an even cheaper model to do so.

Still, for those who want an entry-level Ferrari, which is cheap, fast and most likely fun, you`ll just have to wait for Alfa Romeo to finally launch the mid-engined 4C.

Via autoedizione.com

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For Sale: Pontiac-Based Ferrari F40 Replica

Supercar replicas are largely massive fails. The Toyota MR2 has been the car of choice of which to build Ferrari, Lamborghini and Porsche replica’s on for many years and although the body work can be replicated quite well in some cases, the basic engine of the MR2 often remains meaning you’re left with what appears to be a supercar, yet one which can barely keep up with a Toyota Prius.

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Video: Lamborghini Traces Carbon Fiber Use in Aventador and Boeing Dreamliner

It’s almost hard to comprehend that carbon fiber was first used extensively in a production road-car with the McLaren F1 over twenty years ago. Nowadays, almost every supercar on the market is made out of the stuff, or features significant parts constructed from this super-strong yet super-light fiber.

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Moscow plane crash captured by car's dashcam

Many automotive speculators predicted the death of the supercar a few years ago. Even Jeremy Clarkson had a bleak outlook on the future. Fortunately however, the next couple of years are shaping up to be some of the most exciting in recent decades due to the plethora of new automotive superlatives set to hit showrooms all over the world.

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Video: Rallye Germania 2012 Compilation

The organisation of Rallye Germania 2012 provided us with an indepth look at their annual event back in September. The video and photos give us a great view on the event, which featured a two-day program.

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Video: Pagani Reflects on Huayra in 2012

2012 has been nothing been short of a stellar year for Italian hypercar maker Pagani Automobili. Their brand new Huayra, despite having a name that a sum total of three people can actually pronounce correctly, accumulated more acclaim in one year than just about any other car — hypercar or otherwise.

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Bugatti Veyron Super Sport at Nurburgring Nordschleife to Set Lap Time

A team of Bugatti employees and a Veyron Super Sport were spotted today in the city of Nurburg. This little town in the German countryside is the place where the Green Hell attracts many petrolheads and car manufacturers interested in setting a lap time on the famous Nurburgring Nordschleife.

The Bugatti Veyron Super Sport, officially the fastest road-legal production car in the world, seems to be the next in line lapping the 20km-long race track. Wearing Wolfsburg plates of parent company Volkswagen, the Veyron pictured here has been feeling its way around the Nordschleife all morning. And it’s getting faster, according to BridgetoGantry.com.

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The Supercar Club Giro Italia 2012 in Florence

The Supercar Club from England visited the Ognissanti square in Florence, Italy, where they started their Giro Italia 2012 tour. Our Italian reporter Matteo woke up at 5:00am to check out the large group of 25 supercars in the Italian city.

The event takes place every two years and brings together owners of high performance cars who spend a week driving the most beautiful Italian roads, surrounded by beautiful landscapes and accompanied by delicious food. The event will end, as always, at the Casino square in Monte Carlo.

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Alfa Romeo running ahead of schedule on 4C development

Considering how long we've been anticipating the return of Alfa Romeo to North America , we can hardly be blamed for growing tired of the endless reports of its further delay. This, however, arrives as a welcome surprise.

The marque's arrival here was originally supposed to be spearheaded by the 8C Competizione, but that sumptuous model came and went, and we're back to an Alfa-free market. Later re-strategization put the upcoming 4C in the same position, establishing a beachhead for the arrival of a broader (read: more accessible and versatile) range of Alfa models. Now an Autocar report suggests the 4C may be ready earlier than expected.

The carbon-intensive, mid-engined sports car made its debut in concept form at the 2011 Geneva Motor Show and was expected to bow in production trim at the 2014 Detroit Auto Show, but is now tipped to debut in about a year from now (next summer) - a good half-year ahead of schedule.

Word has it that the 4C will also be produced at two sites, meaning that the North American version (if it's any different from the European car) could be assembled locally. 

via: Autocar

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Roadkill Pits Rat Rod Against a Lamborghini Aventador

Motor Trend’s Roadkill released the review video that everyone has been waiting for, Lamborghini Aventador vs Rat Rod! It’s the ultimate test of wildly impractical vehicle choice, but which one is the worst to live with for 24 hours? The team found out in the video, as you’ll see below.

There really was no contest in terms of speed. Watch the fantastic video below and let us know which one you’d choose!

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The Car You Want to Wake Up Next To!

If you thought that cars just aren’t enough these days, think again. If you had one of these in the driveway, we bet you’d get out of bed early in the morning just to look at it, sleeping there like a thing of beauty. Because you know that one you wake her up she’ll jump straight for your whole wallet because she ran out of fuel.

Obviously, there are are prettier supermodels to look at these days. But SV as we like to call her is a very special little monster. You just fall in love it and never notice any other Lambos. Up until the very moment when the Aventador struck the scene, strutting its 700 hp, this was the fastest production Lamborghini you could buy.

But even if she’s thirsty, one you laid on her svelte, powerful contours, you just know you’re craving a drive.

Photo: DLMphotos

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Ferrari 458 Spider Clamped in Poznan Poland

A reader at Motofilm.pl spotted this Yellow Ferrari 458 Spider on Polish plates parked on the Old Market Square in Poznan. The pictures show clearly a clamped 458 Spider. 

We have seen clamped sports- and supercars before on our front page, like this Veyron in Prague and these two Turquoise supercars in London.

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2012 Bugatti Veyron Vitesse review

What is it?

An open top Bugatti Veyron Grand Sport with performance improvements. Basically it's a toupee-troubling version of the world's fastest car – the Bugatti Veyron Super Sport.

It costs 1.65million euros, reaches 255mph and transfers 1183bhp to the tarmac from its W16 cylinder, quad-turbocharged engine. It is the world's fastest roadster.

Technical Highlights

Bugatti has liberated nearly 200 extra bhp from the standard Grand Sport’s engine with larger turbochargers, new water-to-air intercoolers and a tweaked ECU. That's a fifth more horsepower, or a whole Renaultsport Clio. Torque is 1106lb ft, delivered from 3000rpm to 5000rpm - that's a little higher than the 'small-turbo' standard Veyron.

The Veyron's four-wheel drive system is retained, as is the seven-speed DSG twin-clutch gearbox - albeit with reinforced internals.

Springs and dampers are new, the monocoque has further layers of reinforcing carbonfibre and - get this - fuel consumption is improved. Not that you'd notice, or care.

What's it like to drive?

Extraordinary. Unique. Thrilling. It has been said many times, but the Veyron's single most impressive feature is its ability to sustain seemingly endless levels of acceleration. But this is evo, and raw pace is nothing without driver involvement - and perhaps what's not said enough is that the Veyron engages with the driver more than you'd expect. The steering is light and responsive, the brakes offer terrific feel and the throttle response good. The driver controls and feedback are such, and this will sound absurd, that you can hurl the car around pretty soon after stepping inside for the first time. And of course, with the roof removed the visceral dial goes all the way up to 11.

Negatives? You feel the weight of the engine and gearbox pushing you forward in the braking zone, which in turn translates into understeer. Get on the power, and this is forgotten as the car hooks up and fires you onwards. Traction is never an issue - but then we didn't drive it in the wet...

How does it compare?

To what? A private jet? A motor cruiser? An expensive mistress? Bugatti admits that the Veyron is rarely chosen instead of another supercar. Most owners already have a Ferrari Enzo or Porsche Carrera GT, and many also have one, or two Veyrons in the garage already...

In pure performance terms, only Koeniggsegg and Pagani get close - and subjectively speaking there's a sense of indomitable strength in the Bugatti that neither rival can match.

Anything else I need to know?

In this realm, unfettered choice is the norm. Normal purchasing dilemmas do not apply.

Customers can have pretty much whatever they want, so exclusivity, owner experience, factory relationships and kudos are the key differentiators when it comes to buying decisions. The Bugatti Veyron Grand Sport Vitesse, while not ultimately as engaging as an Enzo, Carrera GT or the Pagani Zonda, is all this and more - offering overall driveability, unburstable engineering, colossal acceleration and the kudos of being the world's fastest roadster. It is a magnificent car.

Oh, and did we mention that it can do 0-186mph in 16 seconds, and the quarter mile in ten?

via: evo

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Porsche Boxster, Carrera GT, 550 in Grand Central Stration

To Promote the 2013 Boxster, Porsche has launched a US marketing campaign called The Spirit of Escape. This recently ex-NFL linebacker Dhani Jones experiencing a red Boxster with a black roof. But to really get the car in everyone’s minds, Porsche put a silver example where every New Yorker was likely to see it: Grand Central Station.

It was joined there by the 550 Spyder and the Porsche Carrera GT supercar, both spiritual ancestors of the drop-top model, in both design, layout and most importantly essence.

The iconic New York landmark will make for a lot of cool photo opportunities. However, getting the three cars inside was no easy feat, a fact clearly illustrated by the time-lapse video showing the back-braking work of getting the cars inside.

The cars rolled in on special mats and had their tanks emptied of fuel. After all, not everybody enjoys the smell of gasoline. After they were set in place, the trio of Porsche was dusted off and cordoned off. 

via: autoevolution 

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Kahn Ferrari 458 Italia Shines

The Ferrari 458 Italia is one of the hottest supercars of the moment. This vehicle is a true God, one that has just receive a new worship demonstration from British aftermarket developer Kahn.

This 458 Italia left the Maranello factory dressed in Rosso Corsa, but Kahn wanted to bring some contrast and thus finished the front and rear bumper sections, rear diffuser, side skirts and roof of the car in matt pearl grey. Since the car is using UK plates, even these are color matched with the yellow calipers of the ceramic brakes.

The final exterior touch comes in the form of a set of Kahn rims, which use a 21x9-inch size fro the front axle and 22x12-inch size for the rear one, with these using a matt pearl grey finish and fitting the original center caps.

As for the interior, this has kept its black Daytone leather finish for the seats, but Kahn invites you to challenge it to create a unique finish that suits your tastes.

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ADV.1 Wheels Lamborghini Gallardo Superleggera Photo Shoot

Where did the guys at Advance One Wheels find such a large stretch of tarmac in the middle of the mountains? We don’t know the answer to this question, but we do know what they’ve manage to do with it.

The US wheel specialist took a Gallardo Superleggera, the lightweight edition of the Italian supercar, which had been fitted with its goodies, to the location and is now offering us a delicious photo shoot.

Before you scroll down to watch the Gallardo playing, we ahve to tell you that the vehicle was fitted with a set of ADV05.1 SL Series (yes SL comes from super light, what else would you have expected them to use for a Superleggera?).

The monoblock rims come in a 20x8.5-inch size up front and in a 20x12.0-size at the rear, suing a matter black finish and a concave five double-spoke design.

 

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McLaren MP4-12C to get extra power

In a letter sent to a MP4-12C owner (as published on PistonHeads.com), McLaren Automotive Managing Director, Anthony Sherrif, outlines the upgrades that will be made available to existing owners and applied to future MP4-12C models.

The biggest news is that the engine map for the 3.8-litre twin-turbo V8 has been tuned to deliver an extra 25hp (bringing total power to 625hp), but with economy and emissions remaining unchanged.

While the cars are in for the work McLaren will also install a remote-opening passenger door system, tweak the Meridian stereo and update the IRIS infotainment/satnav system. These upgrades come about through customer feedback that McLaren has received from existing MP4-12C owners.

The upgrades will be installed by McLaren dealers in October and is the second raft of updates for the supercar after the Woking based manufacturer added some 'emotion' to what was seen by some as a competent but sterile car - by channelling engine noise into the cabin, fine-tuning the gear changes and adding more feel to the steering.

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Lamborghini Reveals Earthquake Effect on Production

A wide area close to the Lamborghini factory in Sant’Agata Bolognese was struck by a sequence of earthquakes that started on May 20th, two further large earthquakes struck on May 29th and small tremors continue to hamper the rebuilding process as of today. 

The Italian supercar manufacturer revealed the extent of the earthquakes damage with us today. The earthquakes which have hit the Northern part of Italy did not damage the factory of Automobili Lamborghini in Sant’Agata Bolognese which is perfectly accessible nor did they affect the Gallardo production.

Since some key Aventador suppliers have had to slow down and in some cases relocate production of specific key components, there might be potential delays in the delivery of the V12 supercars. The Italians are working with the local authorities and its partners to rebuild and to normalize supply as quickly and safely as possible.

Furthermore Lamborghini decided to help those employees and their families who live in the area around the epicenter. This includes the possibility of an anticipated holiday allowance, but also individual help to those who have been particularly hit by the earthquake. 

Additionally, in order to guarantee the future of the students in the region Lamborghini decided to provide financial support in the field of education, in particular for the reconstruction of five laboratories that are part of school centers in the affected region.

Like Lamborghini, Ferrari is providing a similar relief after the earthquake. An international online auction will raise funds for the families of the victims of the earthquakes that have rocked the Emilia-Romagna region.

Via: gtspirit

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Batman’s Lambo Aventador spotted at Silverstone

Next month, your computer will quietly implode. Internet forums across the globe will enter meltdown, telephone lines will crackle with interference and comic-book fanboys will be unable to construct decipherable sentences.

This is because the new Batman movie, The Dark Knight Rises will hit cinemas. And it'll probably be good, not least because Bruce Wayne will drive a Lamborghini. A Lamborghini Aventador, to be precise. The Lamborghini Aventador in the picture above, to be utterly pedantic.

You'll recall that last weekend, the one-make racing series fielded exclusively with Lamborghinis - the Super Trofeo - hit Silverstone. And amid lots of rain and some racing occurring, we managed to find this little snap of Bruce's daily driver resting menacingly on a special stand. The pic, uploaded by Lamborghini UK's Twitter feed, was posted with the simple line: "THE Bruce Wayne car".

Of course, we confirmed Bruce would be driving an Aventador in The Dark Knight Rises last year after this very car was snapped on set, sporting ‘Gotham City' licence plates. A perfect fit, it would seem, for the billionaire playboy with a penchant for rubber-clad violence.

And speaking of Batman, fear not: that affable, light-hearted, cheery merchant of knuckle-flavoured vengeance will of course, drive that ruddy outrageous motorbike-thing, judging by the nifty film trailer.

Reckon the 6.5-litre, 700bhp, V12-engined Lamborghini is a good match for ol' Bruce? He drove a Murcielago in The Dark Knight, don't forget...

Via: topgear

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