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Luca di Montezemolo to run for Italian presidency in 2013

December 22, 2011 at 10:51 am By Anthony Lim Filed Under Cars, Ferrari, International News

Some news about Luca di Montezemolo – reports say that the Ferrari chairman has indicated his intention to be a candidate for the Italian presidency in 2013, the announcement being made in an open-letter to Italiafutura, a think-tank that he formed in 2009.

“The Second Republic has failed. Politics has been losing touch with the everyday problems of Italians and the challenges of a difficult international situation, but is also full of opportunities,” di Montezemolo said in the letter.

“If there is a country that should not be afraid of globalisation, it is Italy. If only we stop thinking defensively and start to invest resources on our core (culture and industry), benefits will not be long in coming,” he added.

The 64-year-old’s campaign is set to focus on creating employment as well as on issues critical to the country’s future, such as taxation and reform of the institutions. “We will promote the adoption of measures, concrete and operational, to respond to many emergencies in the country. We will begin by presenting a proposal for the rapid sale of public assets and lowering debt,” he said. It remains unknown if di Montezemolo will step down from his position at Ferrari.

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Ferrari introduces free 7-year maintenance programme

November 2, 2011 at 9:53 am By Anthony Lim Filed Under Cars, Ferrari, Local News

Ferrari has announced a new customer care service, where clients ordering a California, 458 Italia, FF or 458 Spider from the authorised dealership network will be entitled to a free seven-year scheduled maintenance programme.

The service, which commenced in Malaysia with Naza Italia as of November 1, will be progressively available in all Ferrari markets, covering all global authorised dealership networks.

The Genuine Maintenance programme, as it’s called, covers each individual vehicle, and thus extends to any eventual subsequent owner during the entire seven-year period. The programme covers the scheduled maintenance at standard service intervals (20,000 km, or once a year, with no restriction on total kilometres) along with the relative original spare parts, engine oil and brake fluid.

The programme is unique, Ferrari says, being the first time a car manufacturer is offering such cover – the advantage to the owner is the assurance that the vehicle will be subject to regular annual inspection by Ferrari-trained personnel, using factory-approved dedicated diagnostic equipment.

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Frankfurt preview: Ferrari 458 Spider

August 24, 2011 at 11:12 am By Anthony Lim Filed Under 2011 Frankfurt Motor Show, Cars, Ferrari, International News

Ferrari will be debuting the world’s first mid-rear engined berlinetta equipped with a retractable hard top at the Frankfurt show next month – the 458 Spider is set to join the 458 Italia in the company’s lineup.

Power comes courtesy of a naturally-aspirated, direct-injection 4.5 litre V8 offering 570 cheval vapeur (CV) – which works out to 562 hp – at 9,000 rpm and 540 Nm at 6,000 rpm. This is mated to a dual-clutch F1 paddle-shift seven-speed transmission with E-Diff, which integrates F1-Trac traction control and high-performance ABS.

The hard-top is made entirely of aluminium – the company says this offers a number of advantages over the traditional folding soft-top, including a reduction of 25 kg in weight and a deployment time of just 14 seconds. Fully integrated into the styling of the car, the hard-top fits neatly ahead of the engine bay without compromising aerodynamics or performance, or even space – there’s still a generous rear bench for luggage behind the seats.

Styling-wise, the rear of the car – which sits on 20-inch wheels and 235/35 front and 295/35 rear rubbers – is characterised by buttresses designed to optimise the flow of air to the engine intakes as well as the clutch and gearbox oil radiators.

For maximum comfort whilst driving top down, there’s a generously-sized adjustable electric wind stop, which slows and diffuse the air in the cockpit and allows normal conversation to be held even at speeds over 200 km/h, even though chances are you won’t be talking that much at that point.

Ferrari says that technical solutions adopted for the chassis guarantee identical levels of structural rigidity with the roof up or down, and that the engine soundtrack has been honed to ensure that the car’s occupants are completely captivated by the drop-top driving experience.

Gallery after the jump.
[Read more...]

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Ferrari FF is here in Malaysia – 4WD, 4-seats, RM2.8 million

August 16, 2011 at 1:18 pm By Danny Tan Filed Under Cars, Ferrari, Local News


UPDATE: Big image gallery from the event added

Naza Italia gave the media a preview of the Ferrari FF at their Petaling Jaya showroom this morning. The FF is the latest product wearing a Prancing Horse badge and it made its debut at the Geneva show in March. A replacement for the Ferrari 612 Scaglietti, the FF is what Maranello calls “a completely new take on the sporting Grand Tourer theme”.

FF stands for Ferrari Four. The FF is a four-wheel drive (a first for the brand) four-seater GT with its engine in a “front-mid” position under that long hood. The powerplant in question is a direct injection V12 displacing 6,262 cc. It makes 660 horses at 8,000 rpm and 683 Nm at 6,000 rpm, 500 Nm of which is available at just 1,000 rpm.

Needless to say, performance is staggering – the 0-100 km/h sprint is covered in 3.7 seconds on to a top speed of 335 km/h. The FF weighs in at 1,880 kilos by the way.

Coupled with a seven-speed F1 dual-clutch gearbox, efficiency has been significantly boosted too, with fuel consumption standing at 15.4 litres per 100 km and CO2 emissions at 360 g/km. This is 25% lower compared to Ferrari’s previous V12s, thanks to the HELE (High Emotions- Low Emissions) System that incorporates Stop&Start technology. Yes, even Ferrari has to think green in today’s landscape.

The patented 4RM four-wheel drive system has torque delivered mainly to the rear wheels, but a Power Transfer Unit sends drive to the front wheels when necessary on low grip surfaces. Torque to divided to each of the four wheels individually, and the car’s dynamic vehicle controls (E-Diff, F1-Trac and PTU) have been integrated into a single CPU.

The weight distribution is 53% to the rear. Those brakes are third gen Brembo carbon-ceramic items that are now lighter and longer-lasting, with “virtually negligible wear during normal use on the road”.

The CF rich interior features four individual seats (they look very body hugging) divided in the middle by a high tunnel.

With this Ferrari, once can bring the family along with their luggage – boot space is a generous 450 litres, and the independently folding rear chairs can expand it up to 800 litres. The matching luggage set looks really good, too.

There’s even a rear-seat infotainment system screens for watching DVDs and a 1,280 watt, 16-channel stereo with Dolby Surround Sound. Yes, this is a Ferrari!

Is this four-wheel drive, four-seat, Ferrari for the family your kind of thing? If all is agreeable, what’s left is the small matter of writing a RM2.8 million cheque to Naza Italia, and your own FF will be flown in from Italy.

Full gallery from the event is after the jump.
[Read more...]

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Ferrari to debut 458 Spider at Frankfurt, Scuderia in 2013

August 12, 2011 at 9:47 am By Danny Tan Filed Under Cars, Ferrari, International News

We know that a topless Ferrari 458 is on the way, and it looks like Frankfurt will be the launch venue. The 458 Spider, sister to the fixed top 458 Italia, will replace the 430 Spider. Reports say that the new Spider will have a retractable hard top in place of the 430′s canvas top. European sales will begin in September, while the US will get their share in the first quarter of 2012.

The 458 family will expand in 2013, where a higher performance 458 Scuderia will be introduced. This will come before the standard 458 Italia gets a refresh in 2014, according to Automotive News.

There will be changes higher up the range as well. Next year will see Maranello replace the 599 GTB Fiorano a model codenamed F152. This one will stay as a two-seater, and will be motivated by a direct-injection V12 longitudinal engine mounted up front, with drive going to the rear wheels. A Geneva 2012 debut is planned.

The men in red are a busy bunch, as it’s reported that a limited edition successor to the Enzo is planned for next year as well. This flagship poster car will be all carbon fibre, previewing the weight/fuel saving tech that will appear in next generation Ferraris. It’s guaranteed to be highly exclusive – Ferrari built just 399 units of the 2002 Enzo and 349 units of its predecessor, the 1995 F50.

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Ferrari technical chief leaves after poor start to season

May 24, 2011 at 11:22 pm By Danny Tan Filed Under Ferrari, Formula 1

Ferrari’s poor start to the 2011 season – where they have scored only one podium finish so far, and are 110 points off the pace in just five races – has claimed its first casualty. The Maranello team has announced that technical director Aldo Costa has left the position.

The 50-year old Italian, who was appointed technical director at the end of 2007, will “take on new responsibilities within the company” the Scuderia said.

It’s more than just one person though, it’s a reshuffle. Former McLaren chief engineer Pat Fry is now the director of the chassis side while production will be handed to Corrado Lanzone. Luca Marmorini stays on as the man in charge of engine and electronics. The trio will report directly to team principal Stefano Domenicali.

The team in red will need to quickly find some pace to be in contention. Red Bull has been dominant from the start, with McLaren the only other team looking capable to match them.

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Alonso extends contract with Ferrari till 2016 season

May 20, 2011 at 11:10 am By Danny Tan Filed Under Ferrari, Formula 1, Motorsports

Two-time champion Fernando Alonso has scored a contract extension with Ferrari. He joined the Maranello outfit last year and has a deal to stay till the end of the 2012 season, but this fresh four-year deal will see him race for the Scuderia till 2016.

The Spaniard did well to stay in the championship hunt till the final race last year, despite his red machine not being the most dominant. It didn’t work out in Abu Dhabi, so the ex-Renault man finished second in the championship.

“It is a great pleasure to have renewed our agreement with a driver who has always demonstrated a winning mentality even in the most difficult circumstances.

“Fernando has all the required qualities, both technically and personally to play a leading role in the history of Ferrari and I hope he will be enriching it with further wins very soon,” said Ferrari president Luca di Montezemolo.

Alonso on the other hand, has never hid his love for the Scuderia, and used this occasion to underline his commitment. “I am very happy to have reached this agreement. I immediately felt comfortable within Ferrari and now it feels to me like a second family,” he declared.

“I have the utmost faith in the men and women who work in Maranello and in those who lead them: it is therefore natural for me to decide to extend my relationship in the long term like this, with a team at which I will no doubt end my Formula 1 career one day.

“I am happy and privileged, and maybe in 2017 we will have another contract. I will see if I am not too old and if Ferrari still want me,” he added.

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The last say: Ferrari gives its 2011 F1 car final name change – from F150 to F150th Italia, now it’s the 150° Italia

March 7, 2011 at 3:30 am By Anthony Lim Filed Under Cars, Ferrari, Ford, International News

Ah, nothing like a little, ahem, friendly tiff to bring out the best in people. The Ford dispute with Ferrari over the latter’s naming of its 2011 F1 car – in which the boys that make the F-150 said Maranello was taking things a bit too far in naming its racer the F150 – was supposed to have been resolved when Ferrari changed the name of its vehicle.

So, you’d think it was all over when the F150 became the F150th Italia, which the blue oval thought was okay and which brought the whole matter to rest. The prancing horse lads, however, have come up with what is the final say (and presumably, some virtual digits – and I don’t mean numbers – aimed at a particular direction as well).

The Ferrari 2011 F1 car will now be known as the Ferrari 150° Italia, with the F dropped and the “th” replaced with a symbol that’s the Italian equivalent of the suffix. Ferrari stated the change with a very nicely worded posting on its website.

“In order to avoid the slightest risk of anyone confusing a Formula 1 car with a pick-up truck, for their part, the men from Maranello have decided that the car will lose the F that precedes the number 150 and which stands for Ferrari, as it has done on numerous occasions when it’s come to giving a car a code name, be it for the race track or the road,” the posting stated.

“It appears that this could have caused so much confusion in the minds of the consumer across the Pond that, at the same time as losing the F, the name will be completely Italianised, replacing the English “th” with the equivalent Italian symbol,” it continued.

“Therefore the name will now read as the Ferrari 150° Italia, which should make it clear even to the thickest of people that the name of the car is a tribute to the anniversary of the unification of our country. Let’s hope the matter is now definitely closed and that we can concentrate on other matters, namely ensuring that our car that already seems to be pretty good out of the box, becomes a real winner,” it concluded.

Well, yes, so there it is. Certainly, the whole thing is definitely a pickup compared to what transpired at the beginning. Sorry, couldn’t resist that.

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Novitec Rosso Race 606 – the California gets more CFRP

February 15, 2011 at 4:57 pm By Anthony Lim Filed Under Cars, Ferrari, International News

In essence, it’s pretty much the same vehicle as offered about a year ago, but German tuning specialist Novitec has gotten more zip out of its reinterpretation of the Ferrari California. It’s called the Rosso Race 606, and it makes its debut in Geneva next month.

Mechanically, there’s no change to the supercharged Euro IV-compliant 4.3 litre V8 block, with the Novitec Rosso engine conversion continuing to offer 606 hp at 7,900 rpm and 603 Nm of torque at 5,500 rpm. Same figures too performance-wise, with a 0-100 kph time of 3.8 secs and a 325 kph top speed.

In fact, pretty much about everything here is a dead ringer for the 2010 outing, from 35 mm reduced ride height and the button-activated hydraulic front lift system that ups the front by 40 mm to most of the aerodyanamic-enhancement package.

What’s new is that there’s a whole lot more carbon-fibre to be seen on this one – the front and rear spoilers and the rear diffuser are finished in matte clear-coated carbon-fibre, so that’s not so evident, but the elements that are include a hood centerpiece, the radiator grille, the outer skin of the folding hardtop and the taillight surrounds.

The revamped look is rounded out with the same three-piece Novitec Rosso NF3 wheels as before (as well as the tyres), now finished in a matte carbon-fibre coating. So, the same, but different, that’s what it is.

Gallery after the jump.
[Read more...]

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Ferrari changes reference of 2011 F1 car to F150th Italia

February 11, 2011 at 11:05 am By Anthony Lim Filed Under Cars, Ferrari, Ford, International News

Seems that sometimes, if you make your point clearly everything can be resolved, and quickly at that. Helps somewhat if you go to court too. The Ford-Ferrari issue over the F150 nameplate looks to have been settled.

Ford had filed a lawsuit against Ferrari about the latter’s F150′s moniker for its 2011 Formula 1 car, stating that it was simply too close for comfort to its F-150 pickup, which is one of the best-selling vehicles in the US.

Reports have it that, faced with the lawsuit, Ferrari has backed down and announced that the racecar will now be called the F150th Italia, a name it says has been the official designation of the car all along. As of now, it will use the full description for the vehicle.

The Prancing Horse boys don’t really know why Ford is getting so hot under the collar over the name given to its racecar.

“Ferrari believes its own contender in the upcoming F1 Championship cannot be confused with any other types of commercially available vehicle whatsoever, nor can it give the impression that there is a link to another brand of road-going vehicle. Therefore it is very difficult to understand Ford’s viewpoint on the matter,” the company said in a statement.

Ford’s response was to say it never thought anyone would confuse its muscular truck with a F1 racecar, but the motive behind the action was about protecting the brand from being diluted. Think F-150 in any form, hyphen or not, think a particular truck and nothing else, not even a flash drive, that’s what the blue oval wants to retain.

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