Ferrari SF90 Stradale (phev) Reviews

Swiss firm Hublot, maker of the world’s most expensive watch, the Bing Bang 5 Million, so named because of its $5 million pricetag, has announced a new watch celebrating Ferrari’s latest flagship supercar, the LaFerrari.The new watch, called the MP-05 “LaFerrari,” won’t set you back as much as some of Hublot’s other products, although getting one may be challenge since only 50 examples will be produced.Hublot’s MP-05 “LaFerrari” has been designed, developed and manufactured entirely by the Swiss firm and features a 50-day power reserve--a world record power reserve for a hand-wound tourbillon watch.The 50-day power reserve is thanks to the watch’s 11-barrel design, arranged in a line just like a spinal column and interconnected so that they do not each discharge in turn but support each other. On initial glance, the design almost resembles a miniaturized version of one of Ferrari’s engines.The hour and minute are displayed to the right of the barrels, also indicated by means of one anodized black aluminum cylinder each. On their left is the cylinder indicating the power reserve. Reinforcing bars either side, made from anodized red aluminum, also bring to mind Ferrari's signature exteriors.The face is sapphire crystal, designed to prevent scratches, and this sits within a titanium case finished in black. More titanium and even some carbon fiber add accents to the design.Hublot is the current timekeeper for both Ferrari and its racing division Scuderia Ferrari,  having inked a five-year deal back in 2011 to become the fourth watch company to have the honor. Others have included Girard Perregaux, Panerai and Cabestan.www.motorauthority.com 

From the same group that brought us videos of a Rolls-Royce Phantom going off-road and a Ferrari Enzo being driven in rally conditions, comes a new one, this time featuring two Ferrari F50s throwing dirt and then playing a game of tug of war.Why? Because Tax The Rich. The group’s mission is to bring you footage of supercars being used in the most unlikely manner, so you can bet there will be more outlandish videos to come. As for their latest video, they’ve chosen two pristine-looking examples of one of Ferrari’s former flagship models, the F50.The F50 may not be the wall poster favorite that the earlier F40 and newer Enzo and LaFerrari models may be, but, with only 349 examples ever built, plus an F1-derived V12 in its engine bay, the F50 remains one of the most sought-after Ferrari models ever produced and is still worth the small fortune.Luckily, neither of the examples here ended up landing in a ditch or crashing into a wall. Watch the desktop version of the Ferrari F50 tug-of-war video here.www.motorauthority.com 

It’s a well-known fact that Jamiroquai lead singer Jay Kay is an avid car nut. His cars have often featured in his music videos, including the famous clip for Cosmic Girl which starred a Ferrari F40 and F355 as well as a Lamborghini Diablo, and then there was his album cover for Traveling Without Moving, which featured a logo similar to Ferrari’s own, though instead of the silhouette of a prancing horse Jamiroquai used his own buffalo man.With a F40, F50 and Enzo among his collection, plus countless other exotics, could Jay Kay be one of the 499 lucky people to have secured a build slot for the new LaFerrari hybrid supercar?The singer recently stopped by the Ferrari factory in Maranello to take a close look at the LaFerrari and meet up with Chairman Luca di Montezemolo. According to Ferrari, Kay also spent a long time in the personalisation department, the Tailor-Made Program, to look at all the possible options he could add to his ‘next’ purchase. Could that next purchase be a LaFerrari? We don’t know yet, though we do know Kay certainly loved the car.“It’s an amazing car and, just looking at it makes you want to drive it,” Jay said, upon seeing the LaFerrari. “I think it’s hard to imagine such a concentration of style, technology, performance and excitement all in the one package.”Ferrari’s newest flagship, the LaFerrari is the fastest and most powerful road car ever launched by the company. With 715 kilowatts and more than 900 Newton metres of torque delivered by its V-12 hybrid drivetrain, the LaFerrari will accelerate to 100km/h in under 3.0 seconds, hit 300km/h in 15 seconds and go on to reach an undisclosed top speed in excess of 350km/h.www.motorauthority.com 

Ferrari owners will be better drivers as part of a new Italian commitment to Australia that includes shorter waiting times, better value and more motorsport. Owners will be trained through the Corsa Piloti program as Ferrari works on a closer relationship with its followers after the switch from a local importer to a full factory-owned operation. There is also talk of full-on Formula One demonstration runs and an improved and expanded dealer network downunder. “These are things that a private importer cannot do. We're here for the owners and the customers,” says Herbert Appleroth, the newly-appointed head of Ferrari Australasia. “Where we have mature markets we prefer a 1-1 relationship with our customers. We have 61 years with Ferrari in Australia and they have a deep knowledge of the brand and our motorsport DNA. In line with that, they expect a direct relationship with the factory.” The driving school is typical of the bigger commitment, since it is costly and complicated. “It's one-to-one training, with our factory trainers and in our fleet of cars. It will happen in quarter four . . . in Sydney and Melbourne,” Appleroth promises. Ferrari grew steadily with more than 1000 deliveries under the previous relationship with European Automotive Imports, a company owned by Neville Crichton, but Appleroth says he cannot commit to extra cars. “This is not a about a revolution, it's about an evolution with ongoing levels of service,” he says. “We expect some growth in the marketplace, but it's really the quality of the cars and customers. We expect single-figure growth, year-on-year.” But there is a solid commitment to cutting the wait for a new Ferrari. “We have worked on reducing the waiting list time. The market has changed and people will now not wait three or four years. Part of my role is to ensure the waiting lists don't last much more than 12 months.” On the competition side, Appleroth - who hosted a giant Fire-and-Ice party for owners during the Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne - is hoping to lift things to a new level. “We're investigating bringing the Ferrari Facing Days to Australia. That's where we bring the Ferrari world, including the full fleet of F1 cars, the ex-Clienti cars like the FXX, and the Ferrari Challenge series. “We are in discussions with the Australian Grand Prix and other race categories about bringing the Ferrari Challenge to Australia. That might not be in someone else's event, but in our Ferrari racing days.” Appleroth says Ferrari owners in Australia are some of the most committed and he promises a payback from company headquarters in Maranello. “Australians spend an average of more than $50,000 a car on bespoke items. So we will be bringing a whole new level of customer engagement. It's a personal concierge. It's bringing Ferrari events to Australia that have never come before, with a focus on the motorsport DNA. It's just a whole new level.”  

A handful of the fastest, most powerful and most capable Ferrari ever built -- the LaFerrari unveiled at last month’s Geneva motor show -- will likely become static collector pieces in Australia. The only time they can be driven in anger is on a private racetrack because it will be made in left-hand-drive only. Despite the hurdles Ferrari Australasia says it has been overwhelmed by the response to the prancing horse’s most technically advanced car, and it is now sorting through the customer applications to be invited to buy one of the rare machines. “We’ve received more than 20 CVs to be invited to buy the car,” the president and CEO of Ferrari Australasia, Herbert Appleroth, told News Limited. “Australia won’t be allocated anywhere near that amount so we are going through the applications now.” Australia and New Zealand are expected to get fewer than five of the 499 cars to be made over the next three years. As is customary among supercar makers, Ferrari will not reveal who is on the list of potential buyers. But famous Ferrari supercar owners and car collectors in Australia include transport magnate Lindsay Fox, car dealer Laurie Sutton and retired Coca-Cola chief executive Dean Wills, who also owns a private road on the northern outskirts of Sydney. “We never reveal the identity of our buyers and we certainly never reveal the identity of our collectors,” Appleroth said. Ferrari says famous and high profile people won’t necessarily qualify to be eligible for a LaFerrari “invitation to purchase”. “It doesn’t matter if you’re famous or not. It’s not based on who you are. The decision is based on loyalty and passion for Ferrari,” Appleroth said. “You would not believe the famous people who won’t be invited to purchase.” Ferrari and other exotic car makers are keen to avoid selling their most prestigious models to Hollywood stars and music artists. Some rappers, such as 50 Cent, and singers, such as Justin Bieber, have a reputation for “pimping” their rides with gaudy colour schemes, lowered suspension and oversized chrome wheels, which the car makers say detract from the engineering integrity of the vehicles and the image of their brand. Ferraris have proven to be a good investment over the years. The world record price for a car sold at auction is a 1957 Ferrari 250 Testa Rossa that went under the hammer for $US16,390,000 in 2011. Meanwhile, Bloomberg reports that the value of classic Ferraris have appreciated at a faster rate than gold over the past three years. The LaFerrari is powered by a 6.2-litre V12 engine matched to a high-output electric motor that will boost acceleration once the car is already on the move. Unlike the Toyota Prius, which can idle and move from rest silently using electric power, the LaFerrari is understood to leave the V12 running at idle because customers want to hear the Ferrari engine. Last year Ferrari sold more than 7500 cars globally -- its highest annual tally ever -- and posted its biggest profit based on growth in emerging markets and in particular China. Ferrari sold 1500 cars in its first 53 years in Australia -- and 1000 cars in the past seven years. This reporter is on Twitter: @JoshuaDowling  

Adelaide BMW operator Adelaide Motors has been awarded the prized Ferrari dealership and is finalising plans for a new state-of-the-art, stand-alone showroom. A new “face of Ferrari in SA'” is being sought to operate the dealership, which will offer sales and servicing. Adelaide Motors director Kym McInerney would not reveal the location of the new showroom but said its design had been approved by Ferrari headquarters in Maranello. However, The Advertiser understands the company's Suburban Taxi site at the western end of Hindley St is being proposed for the new development, expected to open later this year. “The new dealership will be a statement of modern Italian design and the showroom structure will incorporate design elements taken directly from Ferrari's vehicles,” Mr McInerney said. Ferrari has been absent from Adelaide's new car sales market since November 2011, when Prestige Formula was downgraded. The president of the South Australian division of the Ferrari Club Australia, Frank Russo, said it was critical the incoming sales and service team offered a superior level of customer service. “Regardless of whether it's a 2013 or a 1960s car, as far as our members are concerned their Ferrari is special,” he said. Adelaide Motors already plans to start servicing Ferraris from its West Tce home next month.  

An Italian driver has crashed his $600,000 Ferrari 458 Italia Spider while trying to overtake another Ferrari on a freeway. The expensive crash was captured on the dash camera of the Ferrari that was travelling with the 458. The crash in southern Italy occurred as the driver of the Ferrari 458 Italia tried to get past the camera car, but instead lost control and fishtailed into a roadside guard rail. According to reports in overseas media, the police were called to the site of the crash, but the Ferrari was not there when they arrived.  

Ferrari -- which it once said it would never build a hybrid car -- has unveiled the world’s fastest and most powerful. And it has fitted a V12 engine for good measure.The Italian supercar maker that used to mock the Toyota Prius, the world’s highest selling hybrid, has been forced to embrace the technology because of stringent emissions regulations in Europe.Ferrari used to boast that its cars produce fewer emissions than the Prius because so few Ferraris are sold each year. There are more than 4 million Prius hybrids on the road compared to Ferrari’s annual production of about 7000 V8 and V12 sportscars.But at least the “LaFerrari” will go like the wind. With a 0 to 100kmh time of “less than 3 seconds” it is almost as fast as a Formula One race car. It has a top speed in excess of 350km/h, and can reach 300km/h from rest in less time than it takes a tiny Smart car to reach 100km/h.It is powered by a conventional 6.2-litre V12 engine matched with a 120kW electric motor to create a combined output of 960 horsepower, or 715kW (more than a race-ready V8 Supercar). It is so fast that tyre maker Pirelli had to develop special tyres.“The LaFerrari represents Ferrari’s most ambitious project yet, to push the boundaries of technology on a road car,” the company said.As with its previous Ferrari supercars, only 499 will be built. Price is yet to be confirmed but it is expected to cost in excess of $AUD1 milllion. None will be made in right-hand-drive so any rich Australians who import one can only use it on a private road.Ignoring the European recession, the Ferrari was just one of three new “hypercars” unveiled at the Geneva motor show overnight.British supercar maker McLaren also unveiled a hybrid supercar called the P1 combining a twin-turbo V8 with electric power, with an expected price tag in excess of $AUD1 million.Meanwhile Lamborghini unveiled a limited edition supercar called the Veneno, named after a famous Spanish fighting bull that killed the bull fighter. Powered by a non-hybrid V12, just three will be made, again with a $AUD1 million-plus price tag.Not everyone is launching head-on into a supercar program, however. Jaguar announced late last year that it had pulled the plug on its hybrid supercar called the CX-75.A Jaguar spokesman told reporters at the time: “After a thorough re-assessment of near-term market conditions, the company’s view is that the global economic landscape does not currently support the introduction of a supercar such as the CX-75.”Jaguar’s hybrid supercar had a 1.6-litre turbo engine matched with an electric motor said to propel it to 100km/k in 2.8 seconds.This reporter is on Twitter: @JoshuaDowling 

According to the results of a latest study, Ferrari is the world’s most powerful brand, outperforming much larger automakers such as BMW, Lexus, Mercedes-Benz and Volkswagen. The Prancing Horse also managed to outpace giants such as Apple and Coca Cola when it came to brand power, although it fell short when it came to overall brand value. Topping the list was Apple, with a brand value of $87.3 billion ($84.2 billion AUD), followed by Samsung with a value of $58.8 billion ($56.7 billion AUD) and Google with a value of $52.1 billion ($50.3 billion AUD) for their respective brands. By comparison, Ferrari’s brand value was only $3.6 billion ($3.5 billion AUD). The study, conducted by British research firm Brand Finance, compared the brands of the world’s top 500 companies. One of the key drivers of brand value is revenue, which, as an exclusive luxury brand, Ferrari cannot compete on compared to huge multinationals. However, when you factor in other important financial metrics such as net margins, average revenue per customer, marketing and advertising spend, along with qualitative measures such as brand affection and loyalty, the Prancing Horse comes out on top. According to the researchers, having a strong brand, though an intangible, is a key factor for driving profitable growth; something we’re sure will help Ferrari achieve more records in 2013. Crucially, having a strong brand helps with customer recognition, reputation and loyalty, as well as influence. “It is always a pleasure to top any list and still more so when the competition includes some of the world's most famous companies,” Ferrari chairman Luca di Montezemolo said in a statement. “This achievement proves that even in very tough economic times, Italy can still offer the world businesses of excellence.” Five Most Powerful Brands and their brand values (in billions): Five Most Valuable Brands and their brand values (in billions): www.motorauthority.com