Ferrari News

Ken Block makes do with a specially-built Ford Fiesta Gymkhana thrash machine for his video ventures, but the anonymous souls at Tax The Rich like to create their sideways sequences using museum-grade thoroughbred supercars or ultra-luxury machines.Over the past 18 months we’ve seen a Ferrari 288 GTO, Bugatti EB110 SS, Rolls Royce Phantom, twin Ferrari F50s, a Ferrari Enzo, and a Jaguar XJ220 thrashed mercilessly around their agricultural playground, to the chagrin of supercar fanciers and the guilty pleasure of everyone else.For their latest and tenth instalment, the mega-dollar 288 GTO returns to the Tax The Rich farm, where they put it through the usual opposite-lock action across mud, gravel and tarmac, all to the tune of Wagner’s Ride of the Valkyries.The 288 GTO was developed for Group B rallying, but never raced due to the disbanding of the category, and the 272 road cars are now worth serious money. Perfect for the Tax The Rich treatment then!The highlight this time are the slo-mo figure-eights the GTO executes within the tight confines of a hay shed, with its composite body slewing sideways just inches from brick walls.And as with recent entries, it looks like there’s a clue to the subject of the next Tax The Rich instalment, with what looks to be a prototype Ferrari F40 (chassis 74047 as seen below) appearing through smoke at the end of the film. If so, it will be the most precious to be pummelled yet.While the identities of the Tax The Rich progenitors officially remain a mystery, the elaborate gates shown in the Phantom film just happen to signify the entrance to Heveningham Hall, a palatial 25 bedroom manor that makes Downton Abbey look like an outhouse, set in 460 acres of lush Suffolk farmland. Significantly, Heveningham Hall is owned by real-estate magnate Jon Hunt, and his rally driver son Harry…This reporter is on Twitter: @Mal_Flynn Watch the desktop version of the Tax The Rich Ferrari 288 GTO video here.  

Melbourne crime families are behind a fake road smash racket costing millions of dollars. The scam, known as "claim farming", is now a daily occurrence in Victoria, industry experts say. Claim farming, which is driving up premiums for honest drivers, is hitting the insurance industry so hard it is increasing forensic testing of accident vehicles.Firms are "red-flagging" certain surnames for closer scrutiny when they lodge claims. They are names associated with what one investigator called an inordinately high number of smashes. Prangs involving high-end makes such as Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Ferrari and Maserati are popular with the fraudsters. Some fraudsters are deeply involved in other branches of organised crime like car theft and drug trafficking. "Absolutely, it's organised," an insurance fraud investigator said. "It's a business."The Herald Sun has been told:A Ferrari insured for $150,000 was wrecked in a staged smash;There were threats of violence and bikie intervention after a rort cooked up between a driver and panel shop operator turned sour;Scammers have deliberately deployed airbags to ­back their accident stories; andMost of the crashes are in the north-western suburbs.Many of the accidents are staged late at night in quiet industrial areas to eliminate the risk of witnesses and allow maximum planning.A typical sting involves scammers buying a damaged prestige vehicle of low value at auction, repairing it to the point where it is roadworthy then insuring it at a greater worth. It is crashed with the aim of writing it off and getting the full value of the policy.Some of the drivers were raking in even more money by making bogus accident injury claims. The investigator said smash repairers looking for a slice of the action were frequently involved in orchestrating the smashes. A panel shop operator will face court soon after becoming one of the few people charged in connection with claim ­farming.The forensic checks are regularly finding damage inconsistent with the drivers' accounts of what happened. In some cases, there is evidence of multiple impacts to maximise the damage. Telephone records, which can be demanded by insurers as a policy condition, have brought some shysters undone. A check after one smash found the two drivers had been in phone contact before the bingle occurred.Insurance Council of Australia special risks manager Laurie Ratz said the same businesses and people continually cropped up in fake smash scams. Mr Ratz, a former Victoria Police and National Crime Authority officer, said the industry had more and better forensic staff to help but it remained a challenging area. "It's like most frauds. It can be easily identified but problematic to prove it," he said.Claims faked: Insurance scams riseThere's big money at stake in the fake car-smashing game and plenty of people are ready to cash in. The insurance industry has become increasingly keen to take on the shysters, as it did with a man trying to make a $60,000 claim on his ­Mercedes-Benz. Assessors wondered, as they made an inspection, why a set of wire-cutters was sitting on the front passenger seat of the otherwise pristine Merc.Luxury cars, like this Maserati, are being used in claim farming schemes. They assessed it as reparable but the driver disagreed, presenting a questionable quote, which stated the car should be written off and he be given a fat cheque. Because the car would not start, a mechanic pulled away its dashboard and found evidence that wires had been tampered with. This led to suspicion that attempts had been made to deploy the car's airbags, backing the crash claim.A tow truck was dispatched to get the car back. At one stage, the man even turned up with the police, ­saying the insurer had stolen his car. Investigators began to look at the four-wheel-drive vehicle that had collided with the Mercedes-Benz. Within days, it had been stolen, as the driver enjoyed a meal alone at an ­inner-suburban restaurant.Further checks revealed all of the Mercedes claimant's brothers had also been ­involved in vehicle insurance claims for written-off cars, and the man's father had tried to make a $30,000 claim on a small performance car a few years earlier. When investigators arrived to interview the owner at his home in Melbourne's north, they were told to leave. 

You know you're getting old when car comfort is more important than a stoplight sprint. Either that or, like me, you've recently spent too much time with doctors and comfort suddenly becomes the single most important thing in your driving day.I love the Ferrari 458, but right now I would hobble straight past the rip-snorter Italian thoroughbred on the way to a cushy Jaguar XJ limo. It would be the same situation for my first-choice funster, the Porsche Cayman.I've recently driven a race-prepared Fiat 500 Abarth and the pain was almost - almost - worse than the pleasure of romping the pocket rocket around the high-speed swoops and curves of Phillip Island. I was more than happy to slide back into the cushiness of a Chrysler 300 for the drive home, even if the seats in the motown monster don't give as much support as I normally like.The ride back to the airport got me thinking about the strengths and weaknesses of a number of vehicles that have recently passed through the Carsguide garage, focusing on how they make you feel in the body instead of in the head. Every week there are emails to CarsGuide from people of age, asking about upgrading - from a conventional passenger car into something in the SUV style that's easier on the hips and legs at mounting and dismounting time.An SUV can look like a good idea on the comfort front, but lots have bench-flat seats, crappy ergonomics and nowhere near enough suspension compliance. The Subaru Forester has a nice ride, but I prefer the seats in the Toyota RAV4. On the car front, the new Nissan Pulsar has seats that do nothing for me, but the Renault Clio is surprisingly comfy for a little, affordable car.My top favourite seat is a Recaro racing bucket that is almost shrink-wrapped to my shape, like a bathtub full of jelly that provides perfect support. But it's just about the toughest seat to get into or away from. So, right now, the first-choice comfort car is a Range Rover. It's stupidly expensive, but everything works for me, from a body that drops down on its air springs for easy access to beautifully-shaped front buckets finished in lovely leather and even a user-friendly automatic gearbox that means my left leg never has to move out of its comfort zone.This reporter is on Twitter: @PaulWardGover 

This patent image may look like an upcoming GTO version of Ferrari’s F12 Berlinetta, but it’s actually the first official hint at the upcoming one-off Ferrari SP Arya supercar. Comissioned by petrochemical magnate Cheerag Arya, the SP Arya will be based on the previous 599 V12 supercar, and built by Ferrari’s Special Projects team. The SP Arya will be the sixth model to emerge from Ferrari’s bespoke skunkworks, following the Eric Clapton SP12 EC, the 430-based SP1, the P540 Superfast Aperta, the Superamerica 45, and the 612 GTS Pavesi. Like its predecessors, this patent image leaked to Car News China suggests the SP Arya will feature unique bodywork, blending details from the F12 Berlinetta and the flagship GTO version of the 599.  The hockey stick headlights, front facia and side scallops are clear F12 references, while the quarter panel winglets and the glasshouse and doorframes are pure 599 GTO. Arya has already accrued a formidable collection of prancing horses in his 32 years, which include an F40, Enzo, and a 599XX, and reportedly chose the SP Arya’s design from twelve concept sketches. Whether the Ferrari SP Arya will ever make a public debut is unclear, but is expected to be completed in the near future. This reporter is on Twitter: @Mal_Flynn    

The Prancing Horse brand is about to launch an even prancier version of the already snorting 458 Challenge. Called the 458 Challenge Evoluzione, the new car -- set to be fully revealed later today -- draws on the experience the Italian supercar maker has gained in GT racing. Ferrari says that experience has led to aerodynamic improvements, most notable in this first image with a leviathan rear wing to produce increased downforce, balanced at the nose by modifications to the splitter and floor. This "allows drivers to make full use of the 458 Challenge Evoluzione's dynamics and performance, extending its limits and those of the driver, while improving performance both in terms of laps times and over long distances," the Ferrari teaser statement says. The donor 458 Challenge's mid-mounted 4.5-litre V8 engine carries over without any increases to the 419kW of power and 540Nm of torque, but Ferrari has modified the gear ratios and calibration to deliver peak torque earlier and has added its first electronic differential for a track car. Interested buyers will have to wait a little while to hear the price, but those who already own one of the 458 Challenges -- first launched in 2010 overseas for the 2011 one-marque season -- will be able to upgrade with the Evoluzione pack. This reporter is on Twitter: @KarlaPincott  

This could be our first glimpse of the finished design for the next Ferrari California hardtop convertible. The sketches are reportedly official patent drawings filed by Ferrari with a registry for trademarks and patents in Europe.The images were found by the World Car Fans site, which believes the drawings show a new two-seat hardcore version of the Ferrari FF. However with the similarities to the current California, we believe the sketches -- if the real thing -- are more likely to be the California replacement due to be launched next year.A quick review of previous spy shots of a test mule for Ferrari’s California replacement show similar proportions, and a matching layout for the quad-exhaust tips. Also, there is no mistaking the suggestion of cut lines for what would be the California's retractable hardtop. The overall impression is of a more aggressive design than the current car, with cues taken from recent arrivals to the Ferrari line-up -- the FF four-seater, F12 Berlinetta and coming LaFerrari flagship.Specification details for the next California are still some way off -- and we'll know more closer to its estimated global debut at the Geneva motor show in March. But it’s thought the car will come with a twin-turbocharged V8 engine, with an F1-inspired KERS system possibly added to help boost power without incurring an emissions penalty.www.motorauthority.com 

Despite the global economic slump, We've seen the record price for cars rise several times over the past few years. And each time, it's been a Ferrari that takes the crown -- suggesting that the car brand is a better investment than gold, shares and real estate.A new record has been reached, according to Bloomberg, with a 1963 Ferrari 250 GTO -- like the one shown above -- selling for US$52 million ($55.3m) in a private deal.The car is reportedly an ex-race car from the holdings of Greenwich, Connecticut-based collector Paul Pappalardo, but may have recently moved to a Spanish collector. Although the buyer has not been identified, the sale was confirmed to the business news service by three independent specialist classic car traders.But Pappalardo himself declined to give any confirmation when contacted. "We don’t confirm these things," Pappalardo told Bloomberg. "I have no comment."The car had been in Pappalardo's collection since at least 1974, and is a renowned race vehicle that bagged first place in the 1963 Tour de France Automobile, and the 1964 and 1965 Chamrousse Hillclimbs.The Ferrari 250 GTO models are a must-have for serious collectors of the Prancing Horse -- including  Pink Floyd drummer Nick Mason and fashion designer Ralph Lauren -- and this desirability is reflected in their string of record prices.The 1963 Ferrari 250 is the latest of its breed to hold the world record, taking it from  a 1962 Sterling Moss Ferrari 250 GTO sold for US$35m ($37.2m) in January 2012. That car swiped the crown from another 1962 250 GTO that went for US$28.7m ($30.5m) in September 2008 during the onset of the global financial crisis.Those were all private sales. We've yet to see a 250 GTO offered publicly, and the Ferrari record at auction is considerably lower -- held by a 1957 Ferrari 250 Tesa Rossa that saw a hammer fall of US$16.4m ($17.4m) at a Pebble Beach auction in 2011.This reporter is on Twitter: @KarlaPincott 

The wraps came off the Ferrari LaFerrari at the Geneva motor show earlier this year, but we're still in the dark about final performance figures. That data is likely being honed right now as the LaFerrari tests on the Nurburgring.Most of the figures we have so far include the 'less than, more than' qualifiers. Ferrari has so far claimed a 0-100km/h time of less than 3.0 secs (300km/h in 15 secs) and a top speed of more than 350km/h -- which could reach as high as 370km/h.That's achieved with a 6.3-litre V12 engine developing 588 kilowatts of power at 9000rpm and 700 newton-metres of torque at 6750rpm, mated with a 120kW HY-KERS energy recovery unit that adds short bursts of extra zing for a total 708kW and 900Nm.Final performance figures should arrive after more testing, and Ferrari is keen to bust the recent Nurburgring lap record for a road homologated car set by the -- also hybrid -- Porsche 918 Spyder, which finished the circuit in 6:57. McLaren is also eyeing the record for their P1 hypercar.Our spy photos show the test car on the difficult German circuit looks to be similar to the show car from Geneva -- with the addition of some camouflage wrap on the body. Although with it already having been shown undisguised, including runs on Ferrari's own test track at Fiorano, there could be little to hide now. 

Hyundai has given a look at the first of its show cars headed for SEMA in November: a loudly blue Genesis Coupe modified by Bisimoto Engineering.Based on a Hyundai Genesis 3.8 R-Spec, the concept added two turbochargers to the donor car's naturally aspirated V6, which also gained a raft of other changes, including forged pistons, a bigger fuel pump to feed the unit and the aggressive exposed radiator look of an intercooler to cool it -- resulting in a power output of 745kW.Yes, 745kW -- 200kW more than a Ferrari F12 Berlinetta. In fact, it also trumps the Bugatti Veyron's 736kW. The Bisimoto Genesis Coupe sports an eye-gouging blue paint job set off by carbon fibre and black panels, and rides low-slung on 20-inch Incurve aluminum wheels.The cabin gets track-ready kit, including a roll cage, racing seats and harnesses --fitting with Hyundai's statement the Bisimoto Genesis aims to blend "the reliability of a street car but with the outrageous power of a no-holds-barred racer." Hyundai and other carmakers will be revealing other outrageous concepts ahead of SEMA's opening in Las Vegas on November 5.This reporter is on Twitter: @KarlaPincott 

Formula One has moved into turbo charged engines – and so will Ferrari road cars