Ferrari News

Scaglietti, who gave his name to the Ferrari 612 Scaglietti, also gave his life to the company and gave the company its life. He styled some of Ferrari's best cars - the 250 Testa Rossa and 250 Monza - and even went outside Italy to create the Chevrolet Corvette Scaglietti Coupe of 1958. In an official statement, Ferrari chairman Luca di Montezemolo said: ``Today is a sad day for Ferrari'' ``We lost a friend, a travel companion, a man who had his name forever connected to the Prancing Horse.  ``Sergio Scaglietti leaves behind the legacy of an artist who, with his talent, created some of the most beautiful cars of our history. ``(Those who) had the luck to know him like I did will also remember him as a straightforward and honest man, completely dedicated to his work. We will miss him.''  Scaglietti, who worked mainly in aluminium and preferred to sculpt a car body rather than draw it, started work in a garage in Modena at the age of 13. By age 17 he and his brother had opened a workshop opposite Ferrari's Scuderia factory.  He worked on repairing race cars for Ferrari's clientele as well as for Enzo Ferrari. During the 1950s Enzo was so impressed with Scaglietti's work that he hired him to build a new chassis. Scaglietti soon after handled most of Ferrari's work.

Set to be at the top of the street legal Ferraris, the 599 GTB will be officially unveiled at Geneva motor show in March, but has been snapped testing by spy photographer group, Carparazzi. Under the bonnet – rather than at the rear -- will be a version of the 6.3-litre V12 also carried by the four-seater FF all-wheel-drive – however the 599 GTB will be rear-wheel drive, via a seven-speed DSG transmission. Considerable work has been done with advanced aluminium technologies to reduce weight, and with a tipped 520kW of power, is likely to get to 100km/h in about 3.2 seconds and have a top speed above 340km/h.

In 1952, with Alfa Romeo having withdrawn from Grand Prix racing, fans faced the prospect of a dull F1 season with outdated cars. Track promoters persuaded the Grand Prix to make the more exciting Formula 2 car races championship events. It was perfect for the Ferrari Tipo 500 -- a Formula 2 car designed by Aurelio Lampredi, which monopolised the racing and the podium over the next two seasons. The car was powered by a simple in-line four-cylinder 2.0-litre engine which was mounted behind the front axle, improving weight distribution. Driver Alberto Ascari piloted the Ferrari 500 to his first World Championship in 1952. He won every race except one – because he was driving the 4.5 litre Ferrari at the Indianapolis 500 – but Ferrari still won the race in his absence. In 1953, Ascari again won the World Championship, with Ferrari taking all but the final race. Ascari’s record of nine straight World Championship wins in the 500 has not yet been broken. In 1954, the World Championship returned to Formula 1 engine regulations, so the Ferrari 500 chassis was modified with the 2.5 litre 625 engine and won two just more races, one each in 1954 and 1955, being largely outclassed by the Mercedes-Benz W196 and Maserati 250F.  Two model revisions were released over that time, but the 625 was used until 1956 when it was replaced by the D50 chassis bought in as part of Ferrari’s purchase of the Lancia Formula One team

1 Jay Leno: Duesenbergs What a Doosey of a way to start this top 10 star cars feature! One of the world's most expensive cars and most sought after by Hollywood legends over the years is the American luxury Duesenberg. Talk show host Jay Leno has one of the biggest stables of exotic cars in the world, including six Deusenbergs, each worth more than $1.5m. They are so luxurious, they gave birth to the expression "What a duesy/doosey"! They have been owned by celebs such as Clark Gable, Gary Cooper, Greta Garbo, and Mae West. they have also been owned by millionaires Howard Hughes and William Randolph Hearst, criminal Al Capone and royalty. 2 Simon Cowell: Bugatti Veyron They cost about $2m and are one of the fastest production cars on the planet with a top speed of 431km/h. The Veyron also launches to 100km/h in 2.5 seconds. The TV talent show judge is a good judge of a car with a garage that also includes a Ferrari F430 and Rolls Royce Phantom. He has also paid a deposit for the Rolls-Royce 100EX Cabriolet which is still just a concept. 3 David Beckham: Custom Rolls-Royce Phantom Drophead The V12-powered Roller is worth about $1.3m in "standard" trim. But there is nothing standard about this Roller for the soccer superstar and husband of Posh Spice. For a start, it has custom-made 24-inch Savini forged wheels which cost several thousand dollars each. Beckham's number 23 is embroidered on to the leather seats. 4 Jerry Seinfield: Porsche 959 The reclusive comedian built a $1.4m multi-storey garage in New York just to house his 46-car collection, most of which are Porsches. The most expensive is his rare 959. Only 337 were built and only 200 of those were street legal. A 959 is estimated to cost more than $1m. Bill Gates also owns one, but neither he nor Seinfeld can drive them on the streets as they don't pass US emissions tests. 5 Jay Z and Beyonce: Maybach Exelero Rapper Shawn Corey Carter (Jay Z) and Beyonce Knowles paid about $8m for this one-off German luxury sports car. It was commissioned by Fulda Tyres to test their widest tyres, but now Maybach is building the Batmobile-esque cars for general sale. The 350km/h two-seaters are powered by a 522kW twin-turbo V12 engine. The Exelero features in Jay Z's Lost One video. 6 Kim Kardashian: Ferrari 458 Italia Now that she has filed for divorce from her husband of 10 weeks, Kris Humphries, her collection of cars could also be split up. The reality TV star has several cars, including a Bentley Continental GT, Rolls-Royce Ghost, Range Rover and Ferrari F430, to which she has added the F430's successor, the 458 Italia. In Australia they cost more than $500,000, but Kim's has apparently been specially pimped. 7 Paris Hilton: Bentley GT Continental Of course, it's pink! The body, the grille, wheels, seats and interior trim. If that's not bling enough, it features a diamond-encrusted dashboard that is reported to be worth more than $250,000. In Australia, they cost about $400,000, but with a diamond-encrusted "PH" badge on the front, this one cost a whole lot more. The heiress bought it as a Christmas gift to herself in 2008. 8 Nicolas Cage: Ferrari Enzo The Hollywood actor's addiction to cars caused his financial ruin. At one stage he owned nine Rolls-Royces. But his most valuable and valued car was the legendary Ferrari Enzo which was gone in less than 60 seconds at auction for a bargain price. The V12 sports car, named after Ferrari's founder, had a top speed of 350km/h. Only 399 were built. They can sell for up to $20m. 9 Ralph Lauren: McLaren F1 LM The American fashion designer owns a huge collection of classic cars including the Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Gullwing Coupe, Porsche 550 Spyder, a Bugatti Veyron, two Ferrari 250 Testa Rossas and a rare 1962 Ferrari 250 GTO, of which 39 were made. While some might consider the 250 GTO the greatest Ferrari of all time, fetching up to $15m at auction, it's not as rare as the McLaren. Only five were built to honour the five McLaren F1 GTRs that finished and won the 1995 Le Mans 24-hour race. 10 Patrick Dempsey: Jaguar XK120 The hunky actor from Grey's Anatomy has great taste in cars, especially race cars. The aspiring racer has driven the pace car in Indy 500 and has raced sports car and off-road buggies. He is a co-owner of an IndyCar team and also owns a classic Jaguar XK120. They were built between 1948-1954 and successfully raced at Le Mans.  

The McLaren MP4-12C tops the list of Dad's dream cars.

When it comes to used dream cars, the Ford Falcon GTHO Phase III takes the cake.

The second member of the new 458 family follows the family droptop pattern, as the second model in the new mid-engined range, with a go- faster Scuderia expected out of the blocks in the second half of 2012. The Ferrari 458 Spider is confirmed for production next year with the first Australian deliveries before the end of 2012. No-one is betting yet on the bottom line, but it's likely to be somewhere significantly beyond the $526,950 of the 458 coupe. The big difference in the new fresh-air speed machine is the roof - it's been switched from a canvas soft top to a folding clamshell similar to the one already fitted to the Ferrari California. It comes with the promise of more security and reduced noise levels, although the top speed is still pegged at 320km/h with a 0-100km/h sprint in 3.4 seconds. The top is made from aluminium, achieving a 25 kilogram weight reduction over the previous system, and Ferrari says it can be raised or lowered in 14 seconds. The design was integrated into the 458 program from the beginning, which Ferrari says has not compromised the car's aerodynamics or the ability to carry luggage on the small bench behind the car's twin bucket seats. The Spider will be officially unveiled at the Frankfurt Motor Show next month but the car is already close to a sellout in Australia - at least for deliveries in the first 12 months. "At this point we're sitting on well into the double figures of expressions of interest. It's not a case of how many cars we can sell, but how many are allocated for sale," says Edward Rowe, spokesman for Ferrari in Australia.

The Eternità concept designed by Kim Cheong Ju, Ahn Dre and Lee Sahngseok of Seoul’s Hongik University took first place in the competition, which saw entries from 50 universities around the world aiming to design imagined Ferraris of the future. In second place was the Xezri designed by Azerbaigian student Samir Sadikhov at IED in Italy’s Turin. Third place was taken by Cavallo Bianco, designed by the team from the Royal College of Arts in London, comprising UK student Henry Cloke and Chinese student Qi Haitao. The Eternita was judged as having best met the design brief for “a thoroughbred hypercar brimming with new generation technologies and materials, an extreme (“hyper”) car not only in its architecture but also in every other aspect”. After drawing an initial design, the entrants then developed computer-generated 3D illustrations, and followed that with the production of a 1:4 scale model concentrating on detailing and interior features. Common themes across the entries included alternative propulsion systems – largely hybrid – for improving fuel economy, and weight reduction to improve dynamics. “Nurturing the creativity of young people is a fundamental strategy in every walk of life,” Ferrari chairman Luca di Montezemolo said after the prize-giving ceremony. “The Ferrari World Design Contest represents a window that we want to keep open on the world and the creative energy of the next generation. I saw at first hand the many genuinely innovative ideas that these talented youngsters sent us and could feel the enormous passion and commitment that had gone into them.

The airfield, a former military base hidden in lush green countryside about an hour south-east of central London, is best described as shabby.Yet there is no denying the magic in the place, thanks to Top Gear. Dunsfold is the place where the world's favourite motoring show is filmed and also houses the test track where The Stig - whoever or whatever he is this week - does his stuff.Hitting the Top Gear track in the McLaren MP4-12C, with a British touring car race winner along to point the corners, is a win-win-win in anyone's book. Best of all, there are no limits. So long as the car comes back undamaged, the McLaren men are happy to have their car pushed right to the edge. After watching the Stig-ring for years on the television I think I knew it well.But the first surprise is discovering that it's actually a figure-of-eight layout, with a crossover where Chicago corner goes right and the 'tyres' take you left.The second surprise is the runway surface, which is bumpy, broken in places, skittery across some painted markings, and gives you almost zero marker points for braking and turning.So it's not an easy place to drive. It's a giant challenge in a car that cranks the speedo round past 230km/h in places and corners at well over 160.But the McLaren at Dunsfold is F-U-N. We're not playing with Top Gear slides and burnouts, just trying to learn the car and get the maximum speed and grip over every lap, and my adrenalin is pumping.Anything that gets into the 1 minute 20-second bracket on the Power Wall is quick at Dunsfold, and the McLaren settles there easily thanks to its twin-turbo V8, track-tuned adjustable suspension, giant carbon brakes and lightweight race-style construction.It whacks out of corners with a big surge of turbo thrust, brakes incredibly late, and gives you metre-by-metre feedback and grip in every corner. The back slides wide on me a couple of times, once under power and once when I misjudge my braking, and there is some turbo lag, but the 12C is basically a thoroughbred racing car with the comforts of a luxury limo.I get my last big surprise during a full-on race launch when the car rockets to 100km/h in less than four seconds before pushing me over the blind brow that hides the left-handed first corner at more than 200km/h. It is spooky fast.Just when I think it cannot get any better, Jackson chimes in from the passenger seat. "One-nineteen point four. Not bad," he says. At that point we park. Job done.

Holden leads with 12 models plus 10 HSVs, all of which are naturally aspirated. Ford was second, before it deleted all its XR8 models and handed the V8 exclusively keys to FPV which has nine supercharged V8s in its Falcons.So it's now - surprisingly - Mercedes-Benz that is runner-up to Holden in the muscle-car stakes, with 12 models, four different V8 capacities and three turbocharged choices.Mercedes-Benz Australia spokesman David McCarthy says the number will increase with the introduction of the E 63 AMG estate with twin turbo later this year."And that's in response to customer demand," he says.McCarthy calculates that V8 sales represent about $200 million a year in AMG and $50 million in other models."A quarter of a billion dollars is a pretty sizeable chunk of our business."He says V8s account for about 10 per cent of sales in most classes, except the super-costly CL 500 which is 20 per cent."That will probably change a little when we release the CL 500 bi-turbo."McCarthy says the future looks good for V8s."The reason for that is that technology is delivering lower emissions and better fuel economy without sacrificing power," he says.The ranks of the supercars are surprisingly not dominated by V8s, but by bigger cylinder capacities. For example, all Lamborghinis are either V10 or V12. The most expensive V8 in Australia is the $526,950 Ferrari 458 Italia with a 419kW 4499cc V8. If you can still find one, the cheapest is the Falcon XR8 ute with a 290kW 5408cc V8 starting at $41,690.The most powerful is the 420kW 6208cc V8 in the Mercedes-Benz SLS ($468,820) which has just 1kW more than the 458 Italia. Least powerful V8 is the 250kW 5.7-litre HEMI in the Chrysler 300C ($46,000), although the SRT version is a healthy 317kW.