Ferrari SF90 Stradale (phev) Reviews

Named after the Circuit de la Sarthe where the famed 24 hours race is held, the brand says the supercar is inspired by Le Mans prototypes from the 1980s. But there’s a definite resemblance to the McLaren MP4-12C, especially around the gills.The Sarther’s 45 per cent front/55 per cent rear weight distribution is centred on mid-mounting the 380kW/650Nm GM-sourced V8.The engine is mated to a six-speed transaxle – combining transmission and differential into the rear axle – rather than the high-tech computerised transmission you might expect in today’s supercar.It’s a bit spare on electronic technology everywhere under the skin, with ABS brakes really the only departure from a thoroughly old-school approach that might appeal to purists.And with a light tubular steel frame, carbon fibre body and honeycomb aluminium floor keeping the weight down to an anorexic 1387kg, you can have some faith in Vencer’s claims of a 0-100km/h time of 3.8 seconds and a top speed of 328km/h.However it will still trail behind the Ferrari 458 Italia and McLaren MP4-12C who can do the distance in as little as 3.2.Vencer hasn’t released any details of when – or if – it will go into production, and at what price point they will pitch it.

The Ferrari SP12 EC – the last two letters being the rock god’s initials – reportedly set Clapton back about $4.75 million, although Ferrari declines to reveal the price.The SP12 EC was created by the Italian supercar maker’s styling studio Centro Stile Ferrari as a joint project with famed design house Pininfarina. In an official statement, Ferrari confirmed that the one-off car was influenced by Clapton’s love of the 1970s and early 80s 512 Berlinetta Boxers he’s previously had in his enviable carport.

... pack that will provide a whacking 670 kiloWatts for the supercar successor to the Enzo, codenamed F70.  The 'new Enzo' will have a 6.2-litre V12 engine boosted by an F1-style Kinetic Energy Recovery System, as well as a full carbon fibre chassis and a price tag that will come close to $1 million in Australia - if the car is actually made with right-hand drive.

Burning rubber on a Chinese landmark isn’t the best way to promote a brand – one Ferrari employee did it anyway. Now Ferrari are up to their eyeballs in apologetic gestures after the dealership worker was filmed doing donuts on a section of a 600 year old Nanjing wall. The hoon-like PR stunt left parts of the Ming-Dynasty era landmark smeared with tyre marks. Worse still, Chinese officials claim structural damage has also occurred which will result in a hefty after-party cleanup bill for the luxury car company. While Ferrari can easily foot the bill – estimated to be over $600,000 – the brand may struggle to win back China’s respect.

Now Ferrari's engineering skunkworks is hotly pursuing similar performance figures with its F70 supercar. The Ferrari Enzo replacement goes on show at the 2013 Geneva motor show using the F12 Berlinetta's 6.2-litre V12 aided by an electric motor. The F70 - the Ferrari internal code for the car and not expected to be used as a name for the production vehicle - is to be the Ferrari flagship. So it must outdo the F12 in power and performance -- meaning it must beat the F12's 552kW and 3.2 second acceleration time.  The F70 is likely to delivery around 650kW and get the acceleration times below 3 seconds. So what will it look like? Hopefully something like the image above – which is an artist impression rendering from Pininfarina and uses styling cues from the 430 and Enzo. We will have to wait until March next year to see the real thing.  

Since the photos first appeared last year, there’s reportedly been a great deal of interest in the car, which is being held at a Dubai police station.That interest reached near fever pitch this week – and reportedly sparked a non-stop string of calls to the police station – when word got around that the car would be listed in a police auction.But before you race to your phone, be prepared for a cruel disappointment. The car is not truly abandoned, and is not going to be sold.The Enzo and another Ferrari were seized in a theft case, and is being held as evidence to be presented in court – whenever that happens.The reason it looks abandoned is that it’s been sitting out in police yard, bearing the full brunt of Dubai weather since the middle of last year. That means it quickly became coated with dust, dirt and who-knows-what.That kind of treatment for an innocent Fezza is in itself is a crime, we reckon.

Yes, this Ferrari 458 Spider is the only way Manof Al Wathiqi - the three-year-old son of telecoms tycoon Sheik Jassim Al Wathiqi - can nod off.

The British guitarist, a renowned car collector, teamed with designers at the Italian manufacturer's Special Projects division to customise the Ferrari 458 Italia. It was built in homage to one of Clapton's favourite vehicles, the 1970s Ferrari 512BB, which he crashed. The Mail Online reports the car carries a distinctive registration plate of SP 12 EPC. Mega-rich US businessman James Glickenhaus, who has used the service before, has told the website he has heard from "reliable sources'' the Ferrari set back Clapton $4.59 million, making it six times more expensive than Ferrari's most expensive production car - the Enzo.  The sleek red model was put on display at a Ferrari dealership in London. It was removed, however, after it attracted too much attention. Tim Burton, who edits supercar video website Shmee150.co.uk, was fortunate to have grabbed a glimpse of the car. "It is fantastic to be fortunate enough to see a car that is this special, a unique one-of-one which carries incredible value,'' he told the Mail.  "You always expect cars like this to head directly to private collections and garages never to be seen again.  "Even though it was only on display very briefly, a huge stir was caused in the car community.''

If you could get to 60 years of marriage, it would be a diamond anniversary - and you'd deserve a medal.If life begins at 40 then maybe by 60 you're looking to slow down a bit, maybe stepping out of the 599 or 458 and into something a bit more practical. Stopping to indulge in the odd roadside petal instead of using wind vortexes to rip them off as you scream by.The brand is celebrating six decades of Australian residency and the product arriving with the black horse on the nose is far more user friendly - six decades of progress, that's what the California is.It's not the fastest, flashest or filthiest Ferrari of recent times, but it is the most user-friendly. This is not the typical Ferrari tome - far from it, as this is time behind the wheel in wind and rain, through traffic and stopped in it.Granted, it has a V8 (front mid-mounted behind the line of the  front wheels) and it sings when prompted. Yes, it has a paddleshift gearbox (the first Ferrari to have one) so the shifts are smooth and sharp.It's a droptop GT with - for the first time for Ferrari - a folding metal roof. Not that the weather let up enough for us to time it for a 14 second drop, but the company says it takes that long.But we're not headed for winding, sweeping ribbons of tarmac away from the prying eyes of NIMBYs with the Police Attendance line on thir speed-dial. Part of the problem is it is persisting down with rain - record-breaking rains make Sydney roads something of a battleground.Somewhat perversely, an interesting scenario has been produced - we know it goes, stops and handles, looks decent to most eyes and has done ample to fatten up Ferrari's sales columns, but how does it go where most of us dwell?Idling gently from the garage beneath the Ferrari showroom in inner-Sydney, the broken roads of the NSW capital are felt but only distantly as the 2+2 (although the rear seats are mainly for show) is punted through the inner-city rabbit warren.Recent amusements in 458 models suggest a similar route in the two-seater would be more disturbed and more concerning when it came to preserving the snout's splitter, but the folding hard-topped California has few of those issues.It has real indicators stalks too, which are a bonus when trying to change routes as the satnav (which has roles to play in Chrysler group product as well) but slotting it into traffic is not difficult if a gap arises, thanks to the V8.What would be cause for concern is the width, as Sydney traffic lanes feel skinnier in a normal car, let along something 1902mm wide.Scope for a sandwich between a bus and a Kenworth is considerable - had this been ye olde Ferrari I may well have been so busy trying to drive it sensibly that such a travesty might have been a lot closer.But precious little in the way of tantrums, tramlining or trivial issues maligned the metropolitan drive. The USB cable would charge my iPhone but failed to have the music player recognised on the car's infotainment system - but that could have been more about not allowing AC/DC on the sound system.Rear vision isn't great with the high rump and narrow window, neither is the twin-clutch automated manual at parking speeds on a slope. Get it a little way out of town and while it's not as nimble as the new Spider, the California is no slouch.Even in the wet it can hustle along, within reason, but it never feels like it's going to bite if you (or your ego) overdo it. But the idea of a Ferrari that you could drive every day and not require weekly shrink and physio appointments?Some will say the cache may diminish if you drive one every day, I just think the commute is more likely to end with a smile, regardless of which way you were headed.Assuming, of course, you have half a million to blow on a car.BREAKOUT(S)The last California was on the brand's pricelist in the mid 1960s, although a couple went for far more than most - the California nameplate recently hit the headlines again as a car once owned by James Coburn sold at auction for a then-record price.The original California models were part of the iconic Ferrari 250 range built between 1953 to 1964.The 1957 250 GT California Spider was designed for export to the US and less than 50 made the trip - one sold for US$4.9 million at a recent auction.The Coburn car was a 1961 250 GT Spider California SWB (one of 55 built) - and sold at auction for US$11 million - almost twice its expected price - to British broadcaster Chris Evans after a 20 minute bidding war.The model was also driven by Lucy Liu and Cameron Diaz in Charlie's Angels, and a replica was wrecked in Ferris Bueller's Day Off.The modern-day California has been on the Ferrari sales books since 2009 and will be updated with the HS option pack the company unveiled at the recent Geneva motor show.The HS will be 30kg lighter, 22kW and sit on more aggressive suspension and be available for order by the middle of this year for an arrival in early 2013.FERRARI CALIFORNIAPrice: $459,650Warranty: 3 years, unlimited kmService Interval: 20,000km or 12-monthsEconomy: 13.1l/100km, tank 78 litres; 306g/km CO2Safety Equipment: four airbags, ABS, EBD, stability and traction control.Crash rating: n/a starEngine:  338kw/485Nm 4.3-litre V8Transmission: seven-speed auto, rear-wheel driveBody: 2-door folding hard-topped convertible, 4 seatsDimensions: length 4563mm, width 1902mm, height 1308mm, wheelbase 2670mmWeight: 1735kgTyre size: 245/40 R19

Switzerland is car-making neutral ground and has little vehicle industry of its own. But its annual showcase has a reputation as the "designer" show, where the elite brands put their best ideas on display and the minor players can share the limelight.VOLVO V40Vehicle: Small premium hatch.Volvo has been treading water on vehicle development and a clear strategic direction has yet to emerge after its takeover by China's Geely two years ago. Its first new product since then still owes a lot to previous parent Ford, with parts of the V40 traceable to the Focus.But like the Mercedes A-Class, it tackles the booming segment of premium compact hatchbacks and is expected to add 100,000 sales a year. Volvo chief Stefan Jacoby says it sets new standards in the segment, with features trickling down from its larger cars. These include City Safety, a collision avoidance system that can prevent a rear-ender at up to 50km/h, and the headline feature, the world's first pedestrian airbag, which deploys from the rear edge of the bonnet.PORSCHE BOXSTERVehicle: Convertible sportscar."The car that rescued Porsche'' is not over-stating the significance of the Boxster, its little mid-engined roadster, which troubled brand purists when it appeared in the 1990s but undoubtedly brought the brand back from the financial precipice.Pictures of the heavily restyled new car have been around for a while but Porsche saved the real thing for Geneva. It shares many of its innovations with the 911, and Porsche will be rolling out variants of these two models for years to come. Lighter than before despite a longer wheelbase and wider track, two flat-six engines are offered from the outset: a 195kW 2.7-litre or 232kW 3.4-litre in the Boxster S. Its bound to better than the last one, and that's still the benchmark in this category.MERCEDES-BENZ A-CLASSVehicle: Luxury hatchback.Mercedes-Benz has had mixed fortunes with small cars. Its previous A and B-Class were the Tweedledum and Tweedledee of a segment that contained cars such as the Audi A3 and BMW 1 Series.Expensive to build and mumsie in their appeal, Mercedes has torn up that approach and started from scratch. The A will be the smallest and least expensive of what will eventually be a five-car line-up in which only the practical mini-bus B is recognisable from before. The premium small car market is running hot and the A will aim to lure anyone shopping with Golf money and above. It's more macho, more premium and ready-fitted with top-shelf equipment such as collision prevention systems. It's also Mercedes biggest roll of the dice since the new M-Class SUV.FERRARI F12 BERLINETTAVehicle: Supercar.Most Ferraris sold are V8s, particularly since it added the entry-level California convertible to its range. Thanks in part to that car, last year production reached a record of 7200, and its margins are the envy of the industry.But true believers know it's the 12-cylinder cars that are really at the heart of the badge. Last year it replaced its flagship four-seater 12-cylinder and this year it rolls out its two-seater V12 coupe, the F12 Berlinetta. This replaces the six-year old 599 GTB and lifts the bar on performance even further. The F12 is the most powerful road car Ferrari has built, with a new 6.3-litre engine that develops 544kW and can rev to 8700rpm. It propels the F12 to 100km/h in 3.1 seconds and 200km/h in 8.5. Ferrari has been fast-tracking technology recently and the F12 comes with every dynamic trick Ferrari can muster.INFINITI EMERG-EVehicle: Concept supercar.Nissan's luxury division Infiniti has global ambitions after years establishing a foothold in the US. For its fifth appearance at the Geneva show it rolled out the third in a trio of concepts that demonstrate the evolution of its design thinking. The clunkily named Emerg-e pushes the boundaries on technology and performance.Its striking silver carbon-fibre body houses lithium ion batteries that power two mid-mounted electric motors. Together they pump out 300kW and can power the car to 100km/h in four seconds. Emerg-e can travel 50km on electricity before a three-cylinder petrol engine fires up and extends its range to almost 500km. Infiniti launches in Australia later this year.BENTLEY EXP 9 FVehicle: Luxury SUV.There's long been a gap in the SUV market above the most expensive Range Rovers and Porsche Cayennes that elite makers have been slow to fill. Not any more. In a few weeks, Lamborghini will unveil its extreme offroader, but Bentley has got in first with the EXP 9 F.Its first experimental, or EXP, car in a decade, the F stands for Falcon, the fastest animal on the planet. Huge and in many people's eyes not the prettiest, it's recognisably a Bentley thanks to its matrix grille, strong haunches and interior heavy with wood and leather.The showcar boasts 23-inch "turbine'' wheels, while under the bonnet is the same 6.0-litre turbo W12 engine that powers Bentley's GT line. Its goal is to set a new pinnacle for the segment, it says, and, despite any production schedule, Bentley left little doubt it was committed to the idea.BERTONE NUCCIOVehicle: Concept sportscar.Geneva is where the European tuners, aftermarket specialists and styling houses turn up to impress the industry with their skills. It's where names such as Pininfarina and Giugiaro, Ruf and EDAG strut their stuff alongside the majors.One of them, Italian design specialist Bertone, has survived to celebrate 100 years against the odds. Its showcar, named after the "master of Italian style'' Nuccio Bertone, honours that milestone and the determination of his widow to keep the company going.The car, a dramatic orange-and-grey wedge with a mid-mounted 4.3-litre V8, references famous concepts from Bertone's past, such as the Lancia Stratos Zero of 1970. You can't see out the back, so a camera feeds the view on to an LED-screen-virtual-rear-window. It's unlikely to go into production, but shows there's life in Bertone yet.LAMBORGHINI AVENTADOR JVehicle: One-off supercar.What does it feel like to have the wind in your hair at 300km/h? If you're the one with more than E2 million ($2.5m) to spend on the Aventador J, then you'll find out. Only one will be built, and even by Lamborghini's extreme standards this is an uncompromising set of wheels.It starts life as the Aventador, Lamborghini's new carbon-fibre mid-engined V12 supercar, and then doubles down. It removes the roof and windscreen and you can forget about satnav or a radio. It's unlikely you'll be able to hear much, anyway, apart from the engine because the cover has gone, replaced by a carbon-fibre lattice. Underneath is the same 6.5-litre 515kW V12 that propels the Aventador, but with less weight to shift. Lamborghini doesn't say how fast it is, but it does refer to the driver as a "pilot''.LAND ROVER EVOQUE CONVERTIBLEVehicle: Convertible SUV concept car.Almost four years since it was taken over by Indian giant Tata, Jaguar Land Rover really is hitting its straps. Profits exceeded pound stg. 1 billion ($1.48bn) last year for the first time, it's pumping money into R&D and creating 4000 jobs. Plans are also afoot to expand production into India, China and Brazil.One reason: in the Evoque luxury SUV it has a phenomenal hit on its hands. Evoque's success hinges on its striking design and Land Rover takes the idea further in its Geneva showcar, which is a study for an open-top version. Officially designed to "gauge reaction'', it will certainly get made if JLR has an assembly line spare