The cracked-glaze-vase look special one-off Ferrari 599 China was auctioned off for a final price of 1.2 million Euros, which translates to just over 6 million ringgit. The car was auctioned off at a gala dinner organised by Ferrari at the Red Gate Gallery in Beijing.

The cracked glaze paintwork by Chinese artist Lu Hao was inspired by Song Dynasty Ge Kiln pottery patterns. There are more Chinese-inspired features inside including a jade-encrusted start button and rev counter numbers written in Xiao Zhuan script. There is nothing technically special about the car except the fact that it comes standard with the HGTE package.

The buyer is a Chinese but was unnamed in Ferrari’s press release. The money will go to the Tsinghua University’s Department of Automotive Engineering. Top students from the department will be sent to study at Italy’s Politechnico di Milano University and then do an internship at Ferrari’s factory.

© 2009 Paul Tan's Automotive News. All Rights Reserved.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sat, 21 Nov 09 19:22:39 +0800.

What exactly is a Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano HGTE China Limited Edition? For some xenophobes, anything that’s associated with the word China is likely to be scorned upon. But maybe this car will change their mind. It just shows us how important China is becoming in our world economy. More and more people are interested in Chinese culture now and need to learn the language to conduct trade.

The 599 China Limited Edition was developed together with Chinese artist Lu Hao. The car comes in a two-tone paint that I think looks pretty good actually, maybe some Ferrari owners could like to emulate it on their existing cars. The body is red as usual (this shade is called Rosso Fuoco, or fire red) but the pillars and roof is done in a shade of medium grey.

There is more to remind you that this is a special edition car on the inside. Just look at the rev counter! I took some Mandarin classes when I was very young and that’s all gone to waste now but I can still recognise the numbers one to four.

And of course like its very long name suggests, the car also gets the HGTE package. Less than 12 will be made and there is one one-off car that will be sold in an auction. For this one, the “cracked glaze” pattern of the paintjob was inspired by the Ge Liln porcelain of the Song Dynasty. Er, I’d rather stick with the red and grey paintjob. A vase, no matter how expensive or precious it is, doesn’t exactly tie in with the qualities that one would associate with a Ferrari.

© 2009 Paul Tan's Automotive News. All Rights Reserved.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sat, 21 Nov 09 19:22:39 +0800.

I can definitely ignore how bad the new 458 Italia looks after this video… plenty of engines screaming and tyres screeching. Two Ferrari 458 Italias battle it out on a track. It should help any potential owners decide between yellow and red… heh. Check the video out after the jump.

© 2009 Paul Tan's Automotive News. All Rights Reserved.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sat, 21 Nov 09 19:22:39 +0800.

No, this isn’t a video about Schumi trashing the new Ferrari through the bends but more of Schumacher waxing lyrical (er, sort of) about the new Ferrari 458 Italia in this third video in a series which features Ferrari and related (Pininfarina?) executives giving their scripted opinions about the new car. Nothing being said is particularly interesting but watch it just for the sights and sounds of the 458 Italia on the track.

Other Ferrari 458 Italia Videos:
VIDEO: Ferrari 458 Italia Styling Elements
New video on the new Ferrari 458 Italia

© 2009 Paul Tan's Automotive News. All Rights Reserved.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sat, 21 Nov 09 19:22:39 +0800.

I’m sure there are some of you that wonder why the new Ferrari 458 Italia looks the way it does, especially those that don’t really like it. According to Ferrari, every design feature on the 458 Italia is driven by aerodynamics, and the video after the jump explains each grille’s function as well as how the deformable winglets at the grille area work. Watch the video after the jump. There’s also one previous video, in case you missed that.

© 2009 Paul Tan's Automotive News. All Rights Reserved.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sat, 21 Nov 09 19:22:39 +0800.

Maranello-based Ferrari has released eleven brand new high-res images of the recently unveiled Ferrari 458 Italia. Some of the images were taken outdoors, which is good news. The 458 Italia is motivated by an all new 4499 cc V8 with direct injection, that can crank out 562HP (570PS) at 9,000 revs and 540Nm of torque, achieved at 6,000 revs (with over 80% available from 3250 rpm). It sprints to 100 km/h in under 3.4 seconds and delivers a top speed of slightly more than 325 km/h. Mated to a 7 speed dual-clutch transmission, the engine consumes 13.7 liters to deliver 100 kilometers (combined cycle), which is lower than the F430’s figure.

Look after the jump for a high-res image gallery of the 458 Italia.

© 2009 Paul Tan's Automotive News. All Rights Reserved.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sat, 21 Nov 09 19:22:39 +0800.

Ferrari has released a new video on the Ferrari 458 Italia and the video gives us a new view angle on the 458 Italia that I don’t think we’ve seen before. It’s a view of the car’s tail lamps, which are lit up with LEDs.

Anyway, the video basically features Ferrari Senior VP of Commercial and Brand Dany Bahar and Ferrari Technical Director Roberto Fedeli talking about how awesome and Ferrari-like they think the new Ferrari 458 Italia is. We also learn that the aerodynamics generates 55kg of downforce at 125km/h, and up to 365kg of downforce at 325km/h.

Still not much footage of the actual car in action. More sights and sounds of the car please! For now, watch the video after the jump.

© 2009 Paul Tan's Automotive News. All Rights Reserved.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sat, 21 Nov 09 19:22:39 +0800.

Here you go, the all-new Ferrari that will make 360 and 430 owners whip out their checkbooks, or so Ferrari hopes.

The new Ferrari 458 Italia is powered by a new 4.5 liter V8 engine producing 570 horsepower at a mind-boggling 9,000rpm, and 540Nm of torque at 6,000rpm (over 80% of this available from 3,250rpm onwards), thanks to high-revving, a 12.5:1 compression ratio, and direct injection. The torque numbers are pretty darn high for a normally aspirated of this size, thanks to direct injection and the high compression. Ferrari pointed out that out of the 570 total horses, 5 are gained only at higher speeds thanks to a ram air effect.

Power goes to the rear wheels via a new 7-speed dual clutch F1 gearbox (no mention of a stick shift so far?). This combination of a V8, a twin clutch, and a dry weight of 1,380kg takes the car up to 100km/h in 3.4 seconds, and the top speed is set at over 325km/h. For those who even bother, fuel consumption is 13.7 liters per 100km on a combined cycle and Ferrari says this is the best in its segment.

See the triple exhaust setup at the rear? It wasn’t mentioned in the press release but apparently it is said that they work in stages, with all three pipes only working from mid-rev onwards. I’m still looking for more confirmation on this.

Do I like it? No. I mean, it’s not ugly but it won’t win any beauty contests for sure. I’m sure it will be an object of lust and attention in the metal but I’m seriously not digging the overly cab forward design of this new car. It takes after the Enzo too much but ends up looking like a Pagani Zonda from the sides.

I’m not sure if the decision to make the car look overly futuristic was influenced by the fact that many are falling for Lamborghini’s cleaner, simpler, straighter and futuristic fighter jet design cues. The new 458 somehow seems to lack the class that a Ferrari is supposed to have.

Ferrari says the car’s styling is heavily influenced by aerodynamic needs. The nose features small aeroelastic winglets which help generate downforce and contributes to the 140kg of downforce generated at 200km/h.

Look after the jump for a few more photos of the new 458 Italia, and watch a teaser video of the 458 Italia accelerating from a stand-still – however it looks like, the sound and performance of that V8 overshines it all!

© 2009 Paul Tan's Automotive News. All Rights Reserved.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sat, 21 Nov 09 19:22:39 +0800.

All the poor owners of the Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano who bought the car before the car with the HGTE package was offered and are now jealous of their mates can now fit the HGTE package as an aftermarket package, although it will not include the interior trim modifications that are part of the factory HGTE cars.

Look after the jump for full details on the package.

The HGTE package includes:

1) Handling, includes:

• Lower suspension (10mm)
• New magnetorheologically controlled suspension calibration for the Manettino SPORT and RACE configurations
• More rigid suspension springs (front + 17%, rear + 15%)
• More rigid rear anti-roll bars (diameter increased to 25mm)
• HGTE specific tyres with improved compound (8% more grip)
• 3-piece modular rims with reduced weight (forged spokes) and special new design

2) Performance (only available for post-2008 cars, from engine no. 122779), includes:

• New exhausts silencers with two-tone finish tailpipes
• Enhanced F1 gearshift actuation, with response times reduced to 85ms
• New accelerator logic with modified mapping for improved throttle response
• N.B. The Performance kit cannot be installed on cars with manual gearboxes.

3) Exhaust, includes:

• New exhausts silencers with two-tone finish tailpipes. The Exhaust kit is designed for vehicles that cannot receive the software updates listed in the Performance kit since the engine was produced before assembly number 122779 (pre-2008), all cars with manual gearboxes, or clients who are only interested in modifying the styling and sound of their own cars. The Exhaust kit is included in the Performance kit, for cars post-2008.

4) Aesthetic, includes:

• New design front grille with a special chromatic treatment
• Burnished finish to Prancing Horse symbols on the front grill and rear boot lid

The kit costs £19,703 for 2008 cars onwards and £17,213 for cars before that, as there are differences in the equipment as listed above. You can be sure Naza Italia will be offering this locally. Look after the jump for a video and a hi-res gallery.

© 2009 Paul Tan's Automotive News. All Rights Reserved.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sat, 21 Nov 09 19:22:39 +0800.

Ever wondered what a lucky (and rich) dude on a weekend spirited drive in his Ferrari Scuderia Spider 16M experiences? Well, can’t give you that experience but through this video you can get a virtual passenger view of sorts.

The V8-powered Scuderia Spider 16M completed a 1.16 mile hillclimb at the Sunday Times Supercar Runs at the Goodwood Festival of Speed in just 59 seconds. Also available are similiar videos of the 599 GTB Fiorano HGTE and two videos of the new Ferrari California. What makes these videos quite interesting other than the lovely sounds are the fact that you can compare the different kind of sounds that Ferrari V8 and Ferrari V12 engines make, they’re quite different!

Check the vids out after the jump!

VIDEO: Ferrari Scuderia Spider 16M Hillclimb

VIDEO: Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano HGTE Hillclimb

VIDEO: Ferrari California Hillclimb #1

VIDEO: Ferrari California Hillclimb #2

© 2009 Paul Tan's Automotive News. All Rights Reserved.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sat, 21 Nov 09 19:22:39 +0800.

Ferrari’s new F149 California was unveiled not too long ago and will be making its way to Naza Italia showrooms pretty soon. When it was first unveiled I think many were put off by how it looked and what it stood for. Some consider it Ferrari’s first Porsche – an A to B car instead of an A to A car, as in the first Ferrari that you can actually use as a daily driver and even on cross-state trips comfortably instead of just for a short weekend drive to somewhere nearby for thrills and back to the garage.

The California also looks smaller than it actually is. Check out the video below of Michael Schumacher talking about the California. You can see that the California is actually larger than it looks. I think it looks smaller because it’s not seriously low like most Ferraris thus the whole scale is not typically Ferrari.

The body is made from aluminium and the design by Pininfarina attempts to pay homage to the old Ferrari 250 California. And it does look similiar, from the shape and the way the headlamps are set in the body, to the size, shape and position of the lower air intake grille. At the same time it shares a family look with the rest of the FMR Ferraris – its older brothers the 599 and the 612.

There are rumours going around about how the California came to be. Some say that the model was originally designed to be a Maserati, which explains why it was designed to be so livable in, compared to the other Ferraris. However the amount of research and development put into the car required it to have a Ferrari badge and thus Ferrari price points and profit margins to justify its R&D cost and technologies. This has never been communicated officially by Ferrari of course, but I can see why it cost so much.

The Ferrari California is currently the first and only model with a V8 engine installed longitudinally in a front-midship position, that means the engine is in front of you instead of behind you. Power travels through a signature flat propeller shaft to the rear wheels. It’s also the first to feature a 7-speed twin clutch transmission, and this is currently the only option for the California – no gated-manual transmission here, though I’m sure one could come later if there is demand. The chassis rides on a double wishbone setup at the front and a multilink setup at the rear. Optional is a magnetic adaptive suspension, similiar to the one on the 599 GTB Fiorano.

It’s also the first Ferrari with direct injection, which will improve emissions, fuel efficiency, and boost power at lower RPMs. The 4.3 liter V8 is built entirely from aluminium and uses a 90 degree angel between the two V banks, and an 180 degree angle between the cranks. The crank is a flat plane instead of a cross plane, which gives the V8 a more racecar-like sound – like two inline-4s singing or rather shrieking in harmony together instead of an American-ish rumble that you expect from a crossplane crank.

Power is 460 horses at 7,750rpm and 485Nm of torque at 5,000rpm. Now not only is that a pretty high torque to displacement ratio for a normally aspirated engine, but 75% or 340Nm of that is already available and usable from just 2,250rpm, a testament to the magic of direct injection as well as variable valve timing on both intake and exhaust.

Don’t expect the California to represent an early entry point into the Ferrari buyer experience though – the company has no Boxster/Cayman equivalent in terms of pricing yet, at least here in Malaysia, not sure about overseas. Expect to pay 7 digits for this baby when it arrives here in Malaysia!

Look after the jump for more videos and a gallery of the California.

© 2009 Paul Tan's Automotive News. All Rights Reserved.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sat, 21 Nov 09 19:22:39 +0800.

The Naza Italia Lifestyle Centre is the largest Ferrari and Maserati showroom out of Italy. Sitting beside the Federal Highway in PJ, it has 2 floors with Ferrari on the ground floor and Maserati on the top. I paid a visit last week to check out the limited edition Ferrari Scuderia 16M Spyder. Have a look at some photos after the jump, and remember you can click the images for a larger resolution version!


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This is the front entrance to the showroom. The stairs you see on the left takes you up to the second level which showcases the Maseratis.

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This is the reception area. Even the reception counter looks quite luxurious as it is wrapped with leather! The showroom manager says most of the crowd comes in the mornings before lunch, with heavier traffic during the weekends.

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Probably the only Ferraris I can afford, these are for very very young drivers, haha!

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The Ferrari model range on display. In the foreground is the F430 Spider. Its soft top folds down into an area between the seating area and the engine bay within 20 seconds.

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The F430 has two types of brakes available – regular cast-iron Brembos and Carbon fibre-reinforced Silicon Carbide ceramic composite brakes. The latter are more expensive and have higher resistance to heat and brake fade. Ferrari claims the brakes do not fade even after 300 to 350 laps on their test track!

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This is the limited edition 16M, done in a matte grey!

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Massive brakes are expected for this model.

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I can’t believe this badge is also found on the Hyundai Matrix.

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The V8 peeks through the glass window of the engine bay.

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This baby puts out 510 PS at a screaming 8,500rpm and 470Nm of torque at 5,250rpm and takes the 16M from 0 to 100km/h in only 3.7 seconds.

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The exhaust backbox of the 16M.

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It’s said that this unit was sent in by Ferrari for showcase purposes for a limited time only, but apparently already 3 Malaysians have booked this baby. That’s really amazing considering there are only 499 available in the world.

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Another angle of the models on display.

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This is the lounge for the Ferrari Club Malaysia members usage.

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The engine bay of the Enzo Ferrari looks quite different from its other siblings. It looks way more hardcore and track-like somehow, more barren and purposeful rather than focusing on looking good, but yet somehow ends up looking nice in a different way anyway, because we know the raw power it produces – 660 PS and 657Nm of torque from a normally aspirated 6.0 liter V12.

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According to Naza Italia, this is the only remaining Enzo in the world that has not been registered to a customer. You could probably call this Naza’s car, but since Naza is also the dealer, technically it does not have an “owner” yet. The last one out of 399 units.

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This is the Ferrari merchandise corner – caps, shirts, perfume, and soon watches.

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This is the customisation area, where a Ferrari buyer will be able to select the materials he wants in his car. When you’re paying this much you’d better be able to have pink leather if you want!

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Various trim and alloy wheel designs as well as brake caliper paint.

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The various types of leather.

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Now we go upstairs to check out the Maseratis.

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Of course a Maserati owner has the same customisation options too.

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They have an MC12 here, what most people call the Enzo of Maseratis. It is built on the Enzo’s chassis but its larger than the Enzo. There are only 55 in the world, but 5 are not for sale, with the remaining 50 produced in 2 batches. The engine is based on the Enzo’s but tuned differently, it has a lower redline of 7,500rpm compared to the Enzo’s 8,200rpm for example.

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The new permanent service center is still under construction so service now runs at a temp area nearby.

© 2009 Paul Tan's Automotive News. All Rights Reserved.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sat, 21 Nov 09 19:22:39 +0800.

There is one unit of the new Ferrari Scuderia Spider 16M at the Naza Italia Ferrari showroom by the side of the Federal Highway. It’s hard to miss really, but if you need the address here it is: Lot 1, Jalan 51A/221, 46100 Petaling Jaya.

Head on there if you want to check it out. It’s one out of 499 limited units that exist in this world, assuming some Hollywood stars don’t destroy a few on their way to the next car showroom. The showroom is open for viewing from 11am to 5pm daily, and the Scuderia Spider 16M will be there until the 6th this month.

The 16M Spider is an odd monster. It’s a hardcore stripped down version of the 430 Scuderia, but the stripped down image feels abit out of place considering the fact that its a convertible and requires additional weight to strengthen the roof-less chassis. So that extra weight is still there.

But then again, the 16M name refers to Ferrari’s 16th F1 constructor title win, and F1 cars don’t have roofs… so maybe that’s the logic, I don’t know.

The car’s engine is a 4.3 liter V8 producing 510 horsepower at 8,500rpm and 470Nm of torque at 5,250rpm. The engine bounces off the redline at 8,640rpm. Its gearbox is a dual clutch dry transmission, but unlike the Ferrari California it only has 6 forward gears instead of the California’s 7. 0 to 100km/h takes only 3.7 seconds. If that’s not enough for you, Novitec Rosso sells a tuning kit for the 16M that bumps up its power to nearly 700 horses via twin turbochargers.

Naza Italia’s Lifestyle Centre isn’t just for potential Ferrari buyers and Ferrari Owners Club members. It houses a full range of Ferrari and Maserati merchandise as well, so perhaps instead of a normal red shirt for next year’s Chinese New Year open house visiting you could go in a Ferrari polo or something.

Look after the jump for a full gallery of the 16M.

© 2009 Paul Tan's Automotive News. All Rights Reserved.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sat, 21 Nov 09 19:22:39 +0800.

The Shell Ferrari model cars are back again! Shell releases these cars with a new feature every year and last year was the engine sounds of course. This year the cars have abit more intelligence in them.

See the thing is these are Ferraris which are supposed to be able to scream through corners like they’re on rails but the previous cars only go straight like American dragsters! So Shell has solved this – this year the 1:38 scale cars can actually turn!

Shell calls this feature “Touch Steering”. There is a directional button underneath which you can press to store up to 15 different directions. A microchip inside reads these commands and stores them, and controls the front wheels to steer.

Watch how it works:

I think this is quite a good feature, because after all alot of kids are going to play with these cars. A kid can set up his own little race circuit in his living room hall or playroom and then program the car to race through the circuit. This extends the lifespan of the toy before the kid gets bored with it as it opens up a whole new world other than just a toy car going straight into the wall.

Shell also did a TVC featuring Michael Schumacher:

5 cars are offered, which are the 430 Scuderia, FXX Evoluzione, 599 GTB Fiorano, 612 Scaglietti and the 360 GTC. The cars are RM6.90 with a minimum purchase of RM40 of Shell V-Power Racing, or RM8.90 with a minimum purchase of RM40 of Shell Super or Shell Diesel.

The yellow 599 GTB Fiorano and red 430 Scuderia re only available at RM6.90 with the purchase of 4L Shell Helix Ultra or Shell Helix Diesel HX7 or RM8.90 with every purchase of 3L/4L Shell Helix HX5.

There is also a play mat and a display garage set for RM15 and RM60 respectively.

© 2009 Paul Tan's Automotive News. All Rights Reserved.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sat, 21 Nov 09 19:22:39 +0800.

Naza Italia Sdn Bhd, sole distributor and importer for Ferrari & Maserati will be opening the largest lifestyle centre for both these marques on 31 March 2009 in Petaling Jaya.

It consists of a state-of-the-art 4S (sales, service, systems & spare-parts) centre, including two-level Ferrari and Maserati showroom which houses the latest and most current models, as well as a contemporary lounge with full facilities for Ferrari Owners Club members and Maserati owners to enjoy.

The Naza Italia Lifestyle Centre is open to all and offers an extensive array of brand merchandise to both Ferrari & Maserati fans, owners & enthusiasts, as well as providing the owners the assurance that their Italian luxury marques will well cared for and maintained in pristine condition.

The showroom will be officiated by His Royal Majesty The King of Malaysia Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abidin.


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© 2009 Paul Tan's Automotive News. All Rights Reserved.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sat, 21 Nov 09 19:22:39 +0800.

Italian sports car maker; Ferrari has unveiled the 599 GTB Fiorano with the new Handling GT Evoluzione (HGTE) performance package. The HGTE package includes stiffer springs and rear anti-roll bar as well as re-calibrated Manettino system which adjusts the the 599 HGTE’s magneto-rheological shock absorbers for a more dynamic driving experience. Other improvements include; a lower ride height, new high performance tires, an upgraded version of the F1-SuperFast transmission which offers faster shifts and improved accelerator response, as well as an improved exhaust silencer.

Design wise as mentioned earlier, its is finished in three-layer metallic Rosso, while other visual and performance upgrades on the outside include; 20 inch sports wheels as well as a matte black rear diffuser. The 599 HGTE’s interior is treated to two-tone leather and Alcantara seats with carbon-fiber rear seat backs.

Continue reading to view an image gallery.

© 2009 Paul Tan's Automotive News. All Rights Reserved.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sat, 21 Nov 09 19:22:39 +0800.

Italian sports car maker which has also won its 16th Formula 1 Constructors’ title; Ferrari has announced that it will unveil the 599 GTB with the Handling GTE package as well as the track ready 599XX which is based on the 599 at the Geneva Motor Show.

Although the Prancing Horse has chosen not to reveal further details, we know that the 599 GTB with the HGTE offers a far better, spirited, and track friendly drive than the stock 599 GTB and that it is finished in a new three-layer metallic Rosso body colour.

The 599XX, which would only be available to a selected few (just like the Enzo), is something like the Ferrari FXX, that incorporates the most advanced technologies resulting from Ferrari’s road-going and F1 research.

The only thing Ferrari revealed about the 599XX is that it is finished in a colour matching the F2008 Formula 1 contender. We will bring you the latest updates, stay tuned!

© 2009 Paul Tan's Automotive News. All Rights Reserved.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sat, 21 Nov 09 19:22:39 +0800.

And here we have it, a slightly mixed up creation by Ferrari – a hardcore stripped down rear engined, rear wheel drive racing car… with a convertible roof! This is the drop top version of the 430 Scuderia and its been christened the Ferrari 430 16M Scuderia Spider, limited to only 499 units. It’s apparently to celebrate their F1 team’s 2008 constructor championship title.

The 16M Scuderia Spider shaves 80kg (as a comparison, the 430 Scuderia shaved 100kg off the regular F430 coupe) off the regular spider through the omission of a few stuff like floormats and other weight reduction measures such as increased use of carbon fiber. Playing around with product tie-ins a little, there is also a Ferrari-customised Apple iPod Touch integrated into the center dock in front of the dashboard.

Unlike the 430 Scuderia which featured the single clutch F1-Superfast2 transmission, the 430 16M Scuderia Spider gets an even faster shifting 6-speed twin clutch transmission for uninterrupted power transfer. Interestingly this is one cog down from the 7 speeds in the Ferrari California, I wonder why.

0 to 100km/h only takes a blistering 3.7 seconds, thanks to the power unit which is the highly tuned direct injection 4.3 liter unit from the Ferrari California putting out 510 horsepower at 8,500rpm and 470Nm of torque at 5,250rpm. It revs up to a limiter of 8,640rpm.

Look after the jump for a whole photo gallery of the new Scuderia Spider.

PHOTO GALLERY: Ferrari 430 16M Scuderia Spider
Click thumbnails to view high resolution photo

© 2009 Paul Tan's Automotive News. All Rights Reserved.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sat, 21 Nov 09 19:22:39 +0800.

Naza Italia’s Ferrari service center at the Naza Automall in Petaling Jaya is now fully operational, complete with equipment and a staff of 7 Ferrari service specialists with a total combined experience of over 68 years, with the team’s manager Mr Joseph with 9 years of experience with Ferrari. This is a precursor to a new 45,000 square feet Ferrari flagship showroom that will be ready and operational in early 2009. Naza claims the center will be one of the largest and most advanced outside of Ferrari’s own facilities in Italy.


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© 2009 Paul Tan's Automotive News. All Rights Reserved.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sat, 21 Nov 09 19:22:39 +0800.

A new set of images of the Ferrari California 2+2 hard top convertible has been released onto the internet. They are quite suitable to be used as wallpapers so you may want to check out the full set of thumbnails after the jump.

The Ferrari California – codenamed F149 – features a few firsts for a Ferrari. It is the first Ferrari with a 7-speed twin clutch transmission, the first with direct injection and the first with a folding metal hard top.

Look for the full gallery after the jump.

PHOTO GALLERY: Ferrari California
Click thumbnails to view high resolution photo

© 2009 Paul Tan's Automotive News. All Rights Reserved.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sat, 21 Nov 09 19:22:39 +0800.

This promotional video showing driving scenes of the new Ferrari California GT (F149) appears to have been done with the Gran Turismo game engine. Watch the video along with a photo gallery of the Ferrari California after the jump.

VIDEO: Ferrari California GT

Related Posts:
Ferrari California GT Videos
F149 GT revealed to be new Ferrari California
More photos of the Ferrari California GT

PHOTO GALLERY: Ferrari California GT
Click thumbnails to view larger photos

© 2009 Paul Tan's Automotive News. All Rights Reserved.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sat, 21 Nov 09 19:22:39 +0800.

The mysterious Ferrari that had been sighted on tracks like the Nurburgring had finally been revealed as the Ferrari California GT in May this year, and many photos have been released of the new GT convertible with a folding hard top.

After the jump you will find a few videos of the new Ferrari GT, including one showing how the folding hard top works.

VIDEO: Ferrari California 1

VIDEO: Ferrari California 2

VIDEO: Ferrari California 3

Related Posts:
F149 GT revealed to be new Ferrari California
More photos of the Ferrari California F149 GT

© 2009 Paul Tan's Automotive News. All Rights Reserved.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sat, 21 Nov 09 19:22:39 +0800.

Ferrari has released a couple more images of the new F149 Ferrari California GT car. This particular specimen is done up in Azzurro California blue, and this time the shots show the top in place, and half-open too. Look after the jump for more photos, including photos from the previous set, or read about the car’s technical details.


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© 2009 Paul Tan's Automotive News. All Rights Reserved.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sat, 21 Nov 09 19:22:39 +0800.

Ferrari has unveiled the name of the F149, and as expected its called the Ferrari California. Along with the name announcement, the boys at Maranello have released three photos of the car with its top down, which reveals that it is a convertible. The rear three quarter review also gives us a little glimpse of the car’s interior. It is a Grand Tourer car, with the engine mounted at the front.

The engine under the hood is a 4.3 liter V8 engine making 460 PS at 7,500rpm, which is quite an impressive state of tune because as compared to BMW’s new V8 in the M3, the Ferrari engine produces a similiar horsepower to liter ratio but achieves the horsepower at about 1,000rpm lower. Other neat tricks Ferrari has used to extract the most power out of this engine include direct injection and a “flat crankshaft”.

I’m not completely sure what that is at the moment, but with some Googling I found out apparently a flat crankshaft in a V8 usually refers to a flat-plane crankshaft as opposed to a cross-plane crankshaft with throws spaced 180 degrees apart rather than a cross-plane’s 90 degree spaced throws. This results in a sound that is smoother and of a higher pitch than a typical V8 rumble.

This engine is mated to a 7-speed dual clutch transmission, the first production usage of a dual clutch gearbox in a Ferrari! No shift times have been revealed, but expect this to be known later when the full details about the car is released. What is revealed is the car’s 0 to 100km/h time, which is said to be under 4 seconds.

The Ferrari California also has Ferrari’s F1-Trac traction control system, tuned for a typical GT car’s driving conditions. The rear suspension uses a new multilink setup. Brakes are Brembos featuring carbon-ceramic discs as standard equipment. It is available with a convertible hard top only, with no current plans for a roofed coupe.

More details to be published as they are revealed, but for the moment check out the two more photos of the car after the jump. Check out the rear exhaust design in particular, they look like they took a page out of the Lexus IS-F’s book.


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Related Posts:
Ferrari GT California: name for the new F149?
Ferrari puts up Ferrari F149 GT teaser site!

© 2009 Paul Tan's Automotive News. All Rights Reserved.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sat, 21 Nov 09 19:22:39 +0800.

Some other new bits of unconfirmed info – according to a report by US magazine AutoWeek, the engine mounted at the front of the new F149 will be a 4.3 liter V8 based on the F430 engine’s block, but will feature direct injection, a new throttle body, new intake designs, new cylinder head designs, and a new valvetrain.

This should be exciting for those who love to take in technical bits of info about engines, and a contender for next year’s International Engine of The Year awards.

Source: USPTO, Registration Cert

Related Posts:
Ferrari puts up Ferrari F149 GT teaser site

© 2009 Paul Tan's Automotive News. All Rights Reserved.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sat, 21 Nov 09 19:22:39 +0800.

Ferrari has set up a countdown site for its upcoming Ferrari F149 GT car with four sound clips and a promise for more details and photos to be revealed later.

From the sound clips we can guess that the new F149 will come with a V8 engine and will have a SuperFast2 computerised shifting transmission that can do shifts in about 60 milliseconds. You can hear the cogs swapping smoothly without much delay in the drive-by clips, and a V8 growl, likely a derivative of the F430’s 4.3 liter V8.

The GT car will have a front engine and power will go to the rear-wheels, and styling is expected to be inspired by its larger sibling the 612 Scaglietti. The teaser image above gives a shadowy preview of the rear brakelight cluster of the car.

The new Ferrari F149 GT car will be unveiled at the 2008 Paris Motor Show.

© 2009 Paul Tan's Automotive News. All Rights Reserved.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sat, 21 Nov 09 19:22:39 +0800.

Naza Italia Sdn Bhd was appointed as the sole importer for Ferrari cars in Malaysia, and will begin operations in April 2008. It plans to invest in 4S showrooms, with the first flagship showroom to begin operations by Q3 2008.

“A substantial amount of the investment will be allocated for customer relationship management, sales and after-sales services, training, branding and marketing activities. Naza Italia will be bringing to local customers the whole Ferrari line-up, ranging from the F430 range to the 599 GTB Fiorano (shown above) and the flagship 612 Scaglietti. Our existing automotive business has enabled us to build significant relationship with the niche market which is demanding access to high quality automobiles. Our mission is to provide an experience to the Malaysian market. We plan further enhancements with new additions, innovative facilities and services, all of which will significantly contribute to the success of Ferrari in Malaysia,” said Naza Italia Sdn Bhd CEO S. M. Faisal Tan Sri S.M. Nasimuddin, who is also the Executive Vice President of the Naza Group.

Ferrari’s communications director for Asia Pacific Mr Matteo Bonciani said Ferrari considered Malaysia as an important market, and that there were 1,054 units sold in Asia Pacific in 2007. He added that Naza had proven to be the premier distributor in Malaysia, which was why it was picked to be the new sole importer. The Ferrari business in Malaysia was previously handled by Next Car Sdn Bhd.

© 2009 Paul Tan's Automotive News. All Rights Reserved.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sat, 21 Nov 09 19:22:39 +0800.

This is the most powerful tune-up of the Ferrari F430 from Novitec Rosso to date, and it is given the name F430 Race. We saw a 656 horsepower version just last year, but Novitec Rossi is back with a 707 horsepower monster thanks to the two superchargers slapped onto the Ferrari F430’s V8 engine. The 707 horses kicks in fully at 8,350rpm, while torque is rated at a peak of 712Nm at 6,300rpm, giving the Novitec Rosso Ferrari F430 Race a 0 to 100km/h time of 3.5 seconds.

The 4.3 liter V8’s two belt-driven superchargers gets upgraded turbine vanes and boost upped to 0.48 bar, which seems rather low but already very decent for the engine thats been force induction, considering the high revs and the high compression ratio. The blown air gets cooled by water-cooled intercoolers, one for each supercharger. Air is sucked in via a new heat-insulated intake manifold with larger ports, and high-performance air filters. On the exhaust side, low-pressure performance catalysts and a high performance stainless-steel exhaust system designed by Novitec Rosso ensures minimal restrictions.

The car rides on 20 inch wheels instead of the standard 19 inchers, and the tyres used are 235/30ZR20 at the front and 325/25ZR20 at the rear from Pirelli. The suspension system is a Novitec Rosso system, which can be raised by 40mm at the push of a button to get past curbs, driveway entries and speed bumps. Once the speed goes past 80km/h, the suspension will lower back to its normal setting automatically, which is 35mm lower than the production F430. This means the car can be raised up to 5mm higher than a production F430.

Prices start at 193,277 Euros for the base version. For existing Ferrari F430 owners, a conversion kit is priced at 51,260 Euros.

Look at more photos after the jump, and also a video featuring the previous F430 tune-up which produces 656 horses.

VIDEO: Novitec Rosso Ferrari F430 Bi-Compression Evoluzione (656hp)

Click to enlarge

Click to enlarge

© 2009 Paul Tan's Automotive News. All Rights Reserved.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sat, 21 Nov 09 19:22:39 +0800.

The latest Ferrari FXX incarnation is the Ferrari FXX Evoluzione, an upgrade of the original Ferrari FXX, the company’s track car program for its cream of the crop buyers. Like the FXX, it is not homologated for road use thus cannot be registered.

The original FXX’s 6.2 liter V12 engine now puts out 860 horsepower at 9,500rpm, a solid 1,000rpm higher than the original engine. The F1 gearbox’s gear shifts now take only 60ms, a drop of 20ms, and naturally the gear ratios have been adjusted to match the engine’s new wider rev range.

The Ferrari FXX Evoluzione’s traction control system now has 9 settings including off. These were developed with the GES Racing Division engineers. This allows the car’s track behaviour to be changed according to the different positions on the track you are on, something Formula 1 drivers do.

A new front suspension design allows the Bridgestone custom made 19 inch tyres to last longer, as if money is a huge problem when are amongst the only 20 clients in the world who get to drive this car, including Michael Schumacher.

More photos after the jump.

© 2009 Paul Tan's Automotive News. All Rights Reserved.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sat, 21 Nov 09 19:22:39 +0800.

The latest member of the Ferrari 430 family was announced earlier this week, and now you get to hear the sweet sound of it’s engine! Have a look after the jump.

Video: Ferrari 430 Scuderia

© 2009 Paul Tan's Automotive News. All Rights Reserved.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sat, 21 Nov 09 19:22:39 +0800.