Ferrari Club of America 50th Anniversary

Starting on Friday, August 17, 2012 at Concorso Italiano, the Ferrari Club of America will embark on a 12 month celebration culminating in a return “home” for its 50^th Annual Meet – a Gran Finale, at Road America/Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin from July 30 to Aug 4, 2013. During this 12 month period, volunteer FCA members will drive a new specially prepared Ferrari 599 on a continuous relay, one lap of North America, visiting over 50 major population centers across the United States and Canada.

In 1962, three enthusiastic Ferrari owners were at the Road America/Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin races and saw a Ferrari Barchetta in tatty condition. Later in the day, the hood was opened revealing that the Barchetta had a Chevrolet engine! The group agreed that something had to be done to discourage such modifications and to encourage the proper preservation and restoration of all Ferraris.

One year later, in 1963, the Ferrari Club of America (FCA) was incorporated.

1962/1963 – 2012/2013, FCA will celebrate its 50^th Anniversary this year!

Starting on Friday, August 17, 2012 at Concorso Italiano, the Ferrari Club of America will embark on a 12 month celebration culminating in a return “home” for its 50^th Annual Meet – a Gran Finale, at Road America/Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin from July 30 to Aug 4, 2013. During this 12 month period, volunteer FCA members will drive a new specially prepared Ferrari 599 on a continuous relay, one lap of North America, visiting over 50 major population centers across the United States and Canada.

The Club will organize receptions with many local dealerships along the way. Ferrari of San Francisco is pleased to be able to support this event, by hosting one of the receptions. The Ferrari Club of America as well as the special edition 599 will visit Ferrari of San Francisco on Monday, September 24^th, 2012.

This 50^th anniversary rally will also raise money in support of Ronald McDonald House Charities® (RMHC®) over the course of this year-long celebration. When a child is sick, parents need a team of support to help them recover. Ronald McDonald House Charities® (RMHC®), a non-profit 501(c) 3, wants to give children the best chance of recovering - and that means having their parents, siblings, and sometimes grandparents nearby for love and support.

Please contact us at (415) 380-9700 for more information.

[PRINTER FRIENDLY VERSION]

Ferrari Pre Owned Car of the Month!

2012 Ferrari California featuring the Vintage Package

Ferrari California in Azzuro California over Crema leather interior with blue leather dash and steering wheel. This is a very rare California with the new for 2012 Vintage Package. Loaded does not do this car justice; almost every option box was checked when this car was ordered from the factory. Diamond stitched seats suit the demeanor of this car perfectly and add the correct accent to the dark Blue Scurro leather dash and steering wheel bringing together the absolute stunning blue exterior with the Crema interior. The forged 20” sport rims add the right aggressive touch in conjunction with the silver brake calipers while the Vintage Package ‘A’ Pillar, front grille, and side air vents in silver. With only approximately 1,000 miles on the odometer you can save a bundle and have a near-new 2012 with the full 7-year maintenance package to drive all summer long. Why wait? This car is ready for its next adventure. Are you?


Call our product specialists James or Emmanuel to find out how you can lease this car and enjoy your summer with the top down. 415-380-9635
To view full listing click here

[PRINTER FRIENDLY VERSION]

Complete Control

Published on The Official Ferrari Magazine issue 13by Nick Mason


Imagine suddenly discovering that Arnold Schwarzenegger is actually really, really good at knitting. For years I’ve happily worked on the assumption that Ferrari makes the greatest sports and racing cars in the world, and that’s more than enough for any company to achieve. In fact, in the guise of the FF, Ferrari has now gone and produced a car that can transport four people in unparalleled comfort, along with a considerable amount of luggage, while still providing all the excitement of the contemporary Ferrari driving experience. Coupled to this is some 21st-century technology of such disturbingly advanced intelligence that the car can be driven in conditions that would leave a lot of SUVs struggling. My day in the FF was remarkable in that much of the driving took place in areas where it wasn’t really possible to explore the car’s dizzying straight-line speed. Instead, I experienced it on twisting mountain roads where the ability to grip and get the power on to the road and around the hairpin corners took precedence.

The FF, as you probably know by now, is Ferrari’s first all-wheel drive car, though purists have nothing to fear: it’s rear drive most of the time, and the desired weight distribution front-to-rear (47/53) is unaffected, despite that mighty V12 sitting upfront. The way it negotiates slippery corners is uncanny. Unlike conventional AWD cars, the FF does without an additional propshaft to the front wheels and all its attendant mechanicals, and instead uses what Ferrari calls a “power transfer unit”. This mechanism weighs just 45kg, and is fiendishly clever and rather complicated, so bear with me. Basically, it comprises a set of gears (roughly speaking second, fourth and reverse) and a pair of continuously slipping wet clutches. This, and an armoury of electronics, sends torque to each front wheel when the system decides it’s needed. On a dry road, in other words, the FF is likely to remain a good, old-fashioned rear-driven Ferrari GT almost all of the time. It’s not dry up here, though.
Time was that when a performance car elected to intervene on your behalf, it would do so with all the subtlety of a brick wall, leaving the driver flailing mid-corner before exiting in a clumsy understeering mess. Not the FF. In “Comfort” or “Sport” mode, it optimises the available traction so seamlessly that you simply cannot tell what is occurring on your behalf. Progress isn’t just perfectly controlled, it’s thrilling too. The car’s electronics are so clever that they even monitor what sort of grip is going to be available during the braking and turn-in phase of the driving experience, and react accordingly once you’re there, no matter how injudicious your right foot might be. Yes, you read that right: the FF knows in advance what you’ll need. It’s like having the world’s most intuitive driving coach with you, only powered by a V12. With a bit of clairvoyance thrown in for good measure. I had been forewarned that at some point on this journey around the edges of physical possibility and suspension kinematics that a man with a piano accordion would be waiting. With a vision of a lederhosen-wearing yodeller in mind I was not in a particular hurry to arrive. (Please note that I have nothing personal against yodelling accordion players, with or without alpenhorns in attendance, but they do come rather far down my list of favourite things to listen to, in a car or anywhere else…)
Before that, however, we had an appointment at the San Lorenzo Mountain Lodge, run by Stefano Barbini where things took a distinct turn for the better. There was a warm welcome from Stefano’s wife Giorgia who showed us around this beautifully restored building before plying us with coffee and a substantial selection of homemade local pastries. This high-altitude pit stop in the Alto Adige allowed for an opportunity to gather my thoughts on the FF, and also ponder its distinctive “shooting brake” styling. As a Briton, I have a particular fondness for this unusual configuration, since due to our inclement weather most of us need something like this to transport our shotguns or golf-clubs in. I suspect it will take some getting used to, though you have to applaud Ferrari’s commitment to doing something different. The next test was to unpack the car. This was of particular interest as the challenge had been to fit an entire drum kit into the back, and I think to everyone’s surprise this was achieved quite easily. In fact, we could have added an extra drum or two, along with the odd (admittedly small) groupie or drum tech. It was nice to be reunited with this particular kit, a Prancing Horse special. I think there are still only two of them in existence. Made by the Drum Workshops in LA, with cymbals by Paiste, the kit sounds great and perhaps even benefited from being transported around in something as unique as the FF. A bit like ageing whisky in sherry casks on-board ships. I really must organise some Ferrari drumsticks to go with them…
In fact, this was to be a day of surprises, and the accordion player turned out to be the highly talented Herbert Pixner who uses the instrument to play blues and jazz in a way I had never heard before. The accordion actually lends itself surprisingly well to the genre, and the only way to describe it is to suggest that it’s almost like a giant harmonica in terms of the way it can provide a wailing quality to the music. I’m rather sorry we didn’t have more time together but, with only a day to experience the car, the priority was driving. We set off on a search for the perfect photographic location, which was surprisingly tricky given that we were touring through some of the most scenic mountain vistas in Europe, in the glorious Dolomites.
There was perfection everywhere we looked. Eventually a suitably precipitous hairpin was discovered and I was dispatched to drive through it innumerable times – having to make three-point turns after each run. This was probably not a bad way of learning a little more about the car, especially its fabulously smooth sevenspeed dual-clutch gearbox. So much progress has been made on these systems in the past 10 years that it’s now almost impossible to mount a case for a conventional manual transmission, as much as I still love them. Not that such a thing would be able to cope with the sort of torque the FF generates. Despite its size and power, this really is a very tractable and friendly car. Not to mention incredibly supple in the way it deals with the sort of rough road conditions that would have made mincemeat of an F40 splitter plate, and limited an Enzo to low speed with the raised ride height in operation. I’ve been in the back of a few limos in my time, and the Ferrari FF really is every bit as comfortable as the best of them, and better than many of the less accomplished. There’s a new multi-link rear suspension to thank for that, as well as a new wishbone design in the front suspension architecture, and clever adaptive damping.
The FF, like all modern Ferraris, is thoroughly useable, only even more so. Useable, but still powered by one of the most astonishing engines you’ll ever come across. Now, I’ve been lucky enough to form a close bond with a variety of 12-cylinder Ferrari engines over the years, and I am well acquainted with the unique way they do their thing. I don’t wish to labour the metaphor, but there really is a musicality to the dozen-cylindered layout. There’s a definite harmony, but it’s muscular. The FF is another classic of the genre. The engine is new, 6.3 litres in capacity, pumps out a faintly startling 660hp and revs to a stunning 8200rpm. There are no turbochargers or other agents of forced induction hereabouts, and the result is a car that pulls like the proverbial freight train. Faster, in fact, than most trains I’ve ever been on, and certainly with a more seductive exhaust note. (The sound engineering on this car really would shame some big records I could name.) This is Ferrari’s definitive gran turismo, so while it will accelerate to 100km/h in 3.7 seconds and thunder on to 320km/h with no pause for thought, where conditions permit, of course, it will also settle into a phenomenally relaxed motorway cruise. Conversation with passengers is perfectly possible, in surroundings that are vastly more pleasant than those available in most commercial airlines.
I remember using my old Daytona to drive from the south of France to Le Mans, while Pink Floyd were recording The Wall there in 1979, and it’s a memory I cherish. The same trip in an FF would be just as stimulating, but altogether more soothing at the same time. And while it might seem a little churlish to discuss greenery here, it should be noted that the FF’s V12 uses direct injection to improve its emissions and reduce fuel consumption. One might get too hooked on the bloodcurdling wail of this amazing engine to worry too much about that, though. We covered another couple of locations in the local towns to complete the pictures, and inevitably there was the wonderful sight of the local kids rushing up to see the car, and being encouraged by the Ferrari personnel rather than being shooed away. That’s the way to generate brand loyalty! But now to the really good bit. I have to say I now have a new hero in my life. Dario Benuzzi has been the legendary Ferrari test driver for 40 years, man and boy, but he clearly can’t do all the work by himself. Several years ago at Fiorano I had a couple of laps with Raffaele de Simone in the FXX which were sufficiently stunning to suggest he could be the man to follow in the maestro’s stylish footsteps. I’m now convinced he’s the man, after a demonstration of the FF on a purpose-made snow circuit 2,000m up a mountain alongside the slopes and ski lifts in Brunico. Not only could he demonstrate the FF’s supernatural traction on this most unforgiving of surfaces, he was later perfectly prepared to sit as passenger and explain the technicalities of the system. If I were him I think I’d have been sitting there with my eyes firmly shut…
The car was fitted with regular winter tyres and the surface was compacted snow underpinned by an evil icy layer. And the FF was magic. The grip was extraordinary, and the system could be adjusted to allow the driver to push harder and harder without losing control. For the first time in my experience, the car could be driven faster with the traction control on than off and was perfectly content to let the tail hang out in a hooligan fashion, assuming the appropriate mode had been selected on the manettino control. Perhaps the setting should be changed from “Sport” to “Happy” or “Wild Man”, such is the degree of confidence the system instils in the driver. I also really like the touch of giving the passenger their own information read out – in a sliver of screen just above the glovebox – which they can alternate between power distribution, rev counter and speed and gear ratio read-out. I suppose it’s there to keep the poor souls distracted from the scenery whizzing by outside. Or so that they can help fill in the statement at the police station later on. Finally, the trip also gave me a chance to play with the FF’s launch control.
I’ve used it before on my Enzo, but it becomes so expensive on clutch wear that most owners soon stop as Ferrari makes it clear it’s a consumable, not a guaranteed item. Many thanks to the factory for three successive starts at someone else’s expense. However, I have to confess that I shall not be ordering an FF just yet. It’s a magnificent machine, and though it swallowed my drum kit with ease and has a sumptuous interior, it may actually be just a bit too practical for my particular needs. (Those, incidentally, will be catered for by the 599 GTO which is due to arrive soon.) For those who do wish to carry four adults to the ski chalet, or sample a truly world-class powertrain and some of the most dazzling chassis technology ever to appear on a motor car, the FF is arguably the most complete Ferrari ever made. Now, where’s my accordion?
Published on The Official Ferrari Magazine issue 13, May 2011

The Ferrari FF

Available at Ferrari San Francisco in Grigio FF

Ferrari stands alone at the pinnacle of brand identity and when Maranello releases a new design everyone waits with baited breath. The introduction of the Ferrari FF created a buzz like none other through the design and automotive technology worlds with questions to follow about the shape, name, and the introduction of Ferrari’s patented 4-wheel-drive system? Now that we have lived with the Ferrari FF for a short while, the answers seem obvious and almost redundant; consumers today want the performance Ferrari epitomizes however owners are demanding more out of their Supercars: practicality, usability, daily drivability and a car that can truly encompass all of these attributes while being true to the core competences of the Ferrari brand.

Luca di Montezemolo’s vision of the Ferrari-Four is a car that embraces the essence and culmination of these design parameters. With a 0-62 MPH time of 3.7 seconds, a quarter-mile time of 11.4 seconds, and a top speed of 208 MPH, the numbers firmly place this car in Supercar territory, with capacity seating for four adults… comfortably. While it is all too common for automotive companies to market their cars based on their racing derived technologies and prowess, the Ferrari FF’s 4RM system is a transverse gearbox with independent clutches for each front wheel; the direct link to Formula One technology is unequivocal and was developed by Ferrari for the Scuderia team. Driven directly off the crankshaft without the bulk, weight, and inefficiencies of the center differential, the FF’s 4-wheel drive system is truly extraordinary in its application and performance.

The shooting-brake concept is probably the most discussed feature of the FF. One look inside the car or the first time you take three of your friends along for a spirited drive in your Ferrari and there will be no doubt in anyone’s mind why the elegant shape was critical to the success of the car. Cargo space is usually not a topic of discussion in the Supercar realm however the FF is a class-leader here as well. If you are an active person and prefer participation to the idle sport of spectating, you will fully embrace the FF as the car ready to be driven not just to an event but deliver you to your starting line, whether it be golfing, skiing, cycling or trackside where your pit crew is ready and waiting to strap you into your single-seater.

Throw in luggage for a week or weekend along with a few sets of clubs, skis, or bicycle and the SUV crowd will be in awe as you comfortably drive past them in sublime style and grace to the slopes, to the country club, or to your next meeting. Mr. Montezemolo’s vision of passion, performance, and practicality has brought the FF into the exclusive world of Ferrari. Be the first to embrace his vision and see for yourself why the FF is a world-class 4-occoupant Supercar for your daily driving ambitions.

[PRINTER FRIENDLY VERSION]

Test Drive: The Ferrari FF Is The Perfect Getaway Car

by Hannah Elliott, Forbes

Some of the most alluring people in history were not great beauties, at least in the conventional sense. Cleopatra had a nose worthy of Cyrano de Bergerac. Colette lost her girlish figure decades before she ceased seducing young lovers. Richard Burton had bad skin.

But they each possessed an energy that compelled others to worship at their feet.

So goes the Ferrari FF. Its hatchback profile is far from what one imagines upon hearing the word “Ferrari.” The protruding front end looks mismatched with the abrupt stop of the rear. But if you drive it for a week I promise you’ll fall in love.

I first

met the FF last week in Manhattan—a friend and I planned to drive to a Harry Winston party out in Shelter Island, and it seemed like the perfect opportunity to test whether the four-seat coupe could really hack it as a daily driver.

Ferrari certainly wants you to think so. The company has vaunted the FF as the ideal answer for drivers who love the Ferrari badge but wouldn’t drive a 599 or 430 every day (and rightly so). It’s making them for $300,000 each, though I doubt anyone who buys a Ferrari ever just sticks with the base model. Upgrades like exotic leather and custom paint add tens of thousands of dollars to the final fee.
Indeed, the new FF is lighter, faster and more practical in every way than its 612 Scaglietti predecessor. And though the California is easy enough to drive, suitable as a fair-weather daily driver, it doesn’t allow for inclement driving—either with friends or on pavement. In the FF, sculpted leather sport seats easily fit four adults – it’s smallish in the back but doable for a day drip– and the auto-open trunk was large enough to hold two overnight bags, a valise, a beach bag, and 50 pounds of camera equipment. The fold-down function comes in handy.
This is the family man’s Ferrari, as one friend put it. True. But I’m no family man, so I was skeptical.
See, I thought I had this car all figured out: Sort of a made-for-the-masses Ferrari that will generate some media hype for its odd looks but fade quickly after a year or so in debut. Nothing to see here, folks. Move along. This isn’t a real Ferrari.
Tell that to the guys on the street. Even as I exited the parking garage on the way out of the city, young boys ran up screaming in excitement over the car; men waiting at street lights along the West Side Highway begged to hear the V12 engine rev. At a gas station in Mattituck two drivers jumped out of their vehicles just to help direct the car out of a tight spot.
Indeed, when we hit the Long Island Expressway heading north, I knew the car was something special. A mid-front V12 engine gets 651 horsepower, with maximum torque of 683 Nm. It’ll go 0-62mph in 3.7 seconds, and I’m pretty sure I had it close to that mark on the way out. Top speed: 208mph.
This is the most perfectly balanced car I can ever remember driving, and I’ve driven plenty. FF churns a bit under 20mph, like a silver steed impatient to run, but gets easier, quieter and more elegant to drive the faster you go. (Purists take note: 53 percent of the weight is distributed to the rear of the car; power still comes from the rear wheels, since FF distributes torque to each of the four wheels individually. That’s thanks to the fact that all of the dynamic vehicle control systems have been integrated into a single unit. Torque transfers to the front axle only when required.)


Third-generation Brembo carbon-ceramic brakes; comfort, sport, wet and sn6-DVD player, and audio/video input for multimedia devices. I also liked the ow driving modes; and a seven-speed F1 dual-clutch gearbox add to the charisma. Inside look for dual-zone climate control, rear-seat infotainment with remote control, two sets of cordless headphones, a push-button indicators—they mean you don’t have to take your hands off the wheel.
The finesse of the handling, especially at high speed, means you can shut down anything else on the road while you casually discuss dinner plans or the relative merits of Lana del Rey. But don’t surrender too completely to the temptation to whip it. A speedometer in the passenger-side dashboard allows everyone in the car to see precisely how fast—and at what RPM—you’re going. And the prancing stallion badge is a veritable taunt to the traffic cops posted all along the stretch out to Montauk, salivating for a chance to bring it down.
Efficiency can be a hassle. FF has greatly improved fuel consumption over Ferrari’s previous V12s, using just 15.4 liters for every 62 miles (11 mpg city/18 mpg hwy) with CO2 emissions at 360g/km, a 25-percent reduction in fuel used. But I still had to fill up ($75+) on the way home from Sunset Beach, and once again the next week after driving around town. Ah, the things we do for love.
The car is polarizing in that many people, including presumably those who shot iPhone videos of it whilst driving behind, ahead of and alongside me, actually love how it looks. It’s formed on the old shooting brake design, a term that developed as an amalgam of the name given to 19th century chassis used to break horses and, later, gun-racked vehicles taken on safari. These days automakers use it to refer to everything from a five-door station wagon to a sportback coupe.
Whatever. The FF has a noble mien from the front, with delicate bulges in the hood, angled headlamps and graceful wheel edges that bespeak Delsart, as they say. I was happy to get my hands on a Pininfarina-designed work of art before Sergio died.
It’s not traditionally handsome. But it is my favorite of any car I’ve tested over an extended time. Once inside you’ll forget that rear end. Trust me.
for original article: http://www.forbes.com/sites/hannahelliott/2012/07/05/test-drive-the-ferrari-ff-is-the-perfect-getaway-car/



[PRINTER FRIENDLY VERSION]

The F12berlinetta Unveiled!

Opening the doors to a new generation of V12s: the F12berlinetta unveiled
by The Official Ferrari Magazine


“I am very proud to be presenting our latest creation, the product of a huge amount of work, passion and our collaborations with our finest technological partners worldwide”.
Warm words of welcome indeed from Chairman Luca di Montezemolo on February 29th for the F12berlinetta which ushers in a whole new generation of Ferrari 12-cylinders.

The new car has been well worth the wait, delivering unprecedented performance and a striking new design that is both classic and innovative at once.
It had already been announced that the new arrival would hail a revolution in the Ferrari V12 range, and the F12berlintetta does mark a genuine break with the past. It has an extraordinarily efficient powertrain courtesy of running gear, architecture and components that ensure its 740 hp are exploited to the last.

In fact, after putting the car through its paces at Fiorano, Felipe Massa admiringly described the engine as “mean”. Alonso, on the other hand, was pleasantly surprised at the F12berlinetta’s soundtrack: “Ferraris are famous for their power, beauty and soundtrack which is sexy just to listen to.”

The result? The exhilarating driving experience delivered by every Ferrari combined with absolutely unprecedented performance.
This takes us to the F12berlinetta’s chassis which was meticulously honed and constructed by the Scaglietti Centre of Excellence. Aluminium is the star of that particular show with no less than 12 different alloys used to create a completely new bodyshell. A combination of new assembly technologies have also slimmed down its weight by 70 kg compared to that of the previous V12 coupé and boosted structural rigidity.
As Montezemolo described it, the F12berlinetta is “rigid and thus safe, compact, but very light”. It’s also faster into the bargain, sprinting from 0-100 km/h in 3.1 seconds, 0-200 km/h in 8.5. What this translates to in practical terms is a lap of Fiorano in just 1’23’’. That’s a record time but, to quote Massa, “there’s never any loss of control”.

The F12berlinetta is extraordinarily aerodynamically efficient too. Lengthy testing in the Wind Tunnel has honed the structure that inspired its design, the fruit of a collaboration between the Ferrari Style Centre and Pininfarina. The car’s clean forms are the product of a seamless marriage of superlative aerodynamic efficiency and elegantly balanced proportions.
The latest addition to the Prancing Horse range truly is “a very beautiful car brimming with personality and innovative design” as Montezemolo summed up the move away from the classic front-engined berlinetta idea of beauty which has been given an original, very modern twist in the F12berlinetta whilst still retaining a touch of the inimitable Ferrari tradition. The result is aggressive yet sleek lines clothing a compact exterior and rounded flanks. A design so unusual it also affords exceptional cabin space and comfort, thanks in part also to new technologies and sophisticated handcrafted detailing.
An exhilarating driving experience is guaranteed aboard the F12berlinetta, the fruit of creativity and tradition focused on new generation technological innovation.

As featured in the Ferrari Magazine: http://magazine.ferrari.com/blog/2012/03/opening-doors-generation-v12s-f12berlinetta-unveiled/


[PRINTER FRIENDLY VERSION]

Bella figura: the Ferrari California

by Simon Mills

If that old cliché about being born Italian and male is to win first prize in the lottery of life has any truth to it, then surely being a man and driving a convertible Ferrari around the switchbacks of the Apennines, heading towards a long lunch at a beach-side restaurant on the Ligurian coast during the languorouslyschvitzing summer, must be akin to having all five winning balls in a line to sweep the EuroMillions jackpot.

Piloting a Ferrari, pretty much anywhere with the possible exception of, say, Moss Side or Darfur, always feels good. I've driven a 612 Scaglietti on an epic and dusty adventure across Rajasthan, an iconic F40 around the racetrack at Goodwood and have even been allowed behind the wheel of a very trusting pal's Testarossa on the mean streets of Chelsea. And while each experience was lush, leathery, tumescently sensual and boyishly grin-inducing, when it's at home, the new Ferrari California likes to deliver something rather different.
Perhaps it's the lack of oikish haters throwing rude gestures from the pavements, but in Italy, sensitive to the fact that it is being generally more appreciated, the famous prancing horse on the side of our navy-blue California GT relaxed a bit, breathed easier, underwent a subtle transformation and became an indigenous animal, behaving as Romans do/always did: on heat, priapic, coquettish, flirtatious. To put it bluntly, when it's driven in Italy, a Ferrari suddenly seems a whole lot randier.
And wouldn't you, if you got so much adoring attention? In central London, where GQ keeps its photocopier and pencil sharpener, Ferraris purr at red lights on every junction and are lined up boot-to-bonnet in the parking bays. We are spoilt rotten for 599s and 458s, and our relationship with such exotica can sometimes be a bit matter-offact casual.
Drive a Ferrari in Italy, however, and you soon realise what a rare thing it is to clock one on its home turf. In more than 400 miles of driving, through town and country, even in cosmopolitan Rome, we didn't encounter another. Not one. Which is probably why village pedestrians actually applauded the California, petrol-pump cashiers dished out compliments with their till receipts, traffic wardens forgave parking violations and policemen waved us through a coned-off section near the Colosseum.
On the outskirts of Pisa, while we cruised along the autostrada at a steady 60mph, a chap in a distressed Renault Clio kept up alongside us for a good mile and a half, hanging out of his window and staring at the car like a moon-faced fan boy. All he wanted was a smile and thumbs up: on receipt of which, he kissed his fingertips in appreciation and sped off. I reckon he was around 44.
And the girls liked the California, too. Maybe because it is a glam-slam convertible and not exactly what you'd call an anorak-ish purist's Ferrari.
While it'll do 0-60mph in four utterly fabulous, buttock-clenchingly life-affirming seconds, it would be hard to argue a case for this being a race-ready car in the grand old tradition of classic Ferraris that Enzo built to fund his Scuderia racing team.
An automatic gearbox is terrific point-and-shoot fun, but renders the car about as demanding to drive as the arcade version of Out Run - a delightfully silly red-line LED light show blinks on the steering wheel every time you floor it.
The V8 engine is in the front to make way for the retractable roof (the California is only available in a cabriolet - a first forFerrari), which adds weight and reduces rigidity but still manages to find enough room in the back for a set of golf clubs.
That said, the Maranello factory's skilful accommodation of the balletic hood mechanics has made the California look serendipitously sexier; curvaceously hard-bodied with StairMastered haunches and a tush that is positively Kardashian.
All this poke, practicality and prom-queen styling has helped make the £152,000 California a complete sellout since it launched back in 2008. Still, any lascivious urges must be put politely aside when watching a California grand tourer being put together at the Maranello factory, because this is a truly quasi-religious experience. In the shadow of Renzo Piano's incredible, cathedral-sized "Galleria del Vento" wind tunnel you pass into a rarefied, red-tinged atmosphere that is oddly monastic. It's an unhurried combination of dazzling, robotised construction, machine engineering and gentle, manually administered tweaks with a long-handled Allen key. There's no hammering or clanking. Just the odd high-pitched hum, whizz or whirr. I've been to rowdier dentists.
Overhead, like a vast Calder mobile as directed by Michael Bay, the hollow aluminium bodywork shells of various models - 458s, Californias, brand-new FFs - swing slowly by. Don't stare upwards too long though, because on the ground you have to watch your back for the silent runnings of that low-riding droid wagon, ferrying an HR Geiger monster of an engine block - all black tubes and intricate, silvery cylinder work - to what they call thematrimonio (wedding) area, where chassis, body and equestrian muscle are united via a combination of hydraulic choreography and a few careful blasts of a power-spanner.
Walk further down the line, and in a hermetically sealed glass box like a futuristic reptile house, an apparently intuitive robot is fitting windscreens, first administering the adhesive sealant, then picking up the glass before offering it up to the void above the bonnet. I could have watched this mesmerising miniature space odyssey all day.
Incredibly, despite its global profile, despite Ferrari SpA dominating most of industrial Maranello, Ferrari remains, and feels, very much like a boutique operation. Until a couple of years ago the production line was only making 27 cars a day (compared with, say,BMW, which produces 1,300 a day), but a new factory built to cope with anticipated demand for the California has upped production by 50 per cent. And according to Ferrari chairman Luca Cordero di Montezemolo, "Sixty per cent of buyers who have ordered the car have never bought a Ferrari".
Why the big push, why the increased commitment and investment? Ferrari has a new first-time-buyer customer base in the Far East programmed into its fiscal sat-nav. The marque now sells 500 cars a year in China compared with just six in 2004, making it Ferrari's second-largest market. Then there are the women: it is said that only one in 20 Ferrari customers is female. The brand is hoping that the romance of the open-top, electric roof of the California might get them shopping for more.
But let's not start alluding to the idea of the California as a girl's car. The original and very gorgeous Ferrari 250 GT California Spyder, built from 1957 to 1963, was driven by the likes of Steve McQueen and James Coburn. (Back in 2008, Radio 2's Chris Evans paid a record £5.5m for Coburn's old California 250 GT.)
More than 50 years after those original cars were built, the California still appeals to a certain type of male. My friend, Justin Portman, a wealthy man who dates supermodels and winters in Punta del Este, Uruguay, was an early adopter. Ashton Kutcher and Hugh Grant are also in the new owners' club. And as soon as I eased myself into the California's Poltrona Frau leather driver's seat, I wanted to join up, too.
I pulled on a red Ferrari cap (feeling that this was maybe the one and only time I would be justified in wearing such a thing), hit the start button, grinned like a goon when the engine yowled in action, took a right out of the Maranello factory and headed for the hills.
The plan was to drive to Rome via Forte dei Marmi. Why? Because Forte dei Marmi is the nearest thing the European continent has to a Californian-style resort. Ray Charles used to do cabaret here, summerhouses look like something from The Graduate, the town is built on a grid system, while the sandy strip is atypically long, wide and handsome, served by 90 immaculate beach clubs with names like Bagno Bruno and Atlantico. It's more Santa Monica than Portofino.
We reached Forte dei Marmi by driving over the Apennines on roads that generously delivered The Italian Jobopening-credits switchbacks I'd hoped they would. Doing multiple hairpins is an undeniable blast of a way to spend any morning, but in the afternoon, back on more level territory, the California handled the yonic tunnels of the Ligurian coastline like a supercharged marital aid, shafting its way through each glorious, cylindrical soundbox with the passion of a hot and heavy one-night stand.
I smiled like a little kid every time the combination of semi-darkness, noise amplification and pull-focus acceleration kicked in, thrilling to the disorientating configuration of - in quick succession - the open road, tunnel, light and shadow that the Italian equivalent of the Pacific Coast Highway so elegantly provides. Tupac Shakur was right. California...knows how to party.
Ferrari California
You need to know: Designed as the grandest of grand tourers, this is only available as a cabriolet - a first for Ferrari. Relaunched at the Geneva Motor show with an updated, more powerful V8, the new model is 30kg lighter than the car at launch in 2008.
Engine: 490bhp GDI V8
Performance: Top speed 193mph, 0-62mph in 3.8secs
Price: £152,000
Originally published in the July 2012 issue of British GQ.

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Ferrari's F70, An Eco-Friendly Supercar

by Tommaso Eberhardt

Many makers of expensive performance cars have long valued one characteristic most: raw power. But now Ferrari, the preferred drug for many deep-pocketed drivers with a need for speed, is turning to fuel-saving hybrid technology to create its most powerful and expensive model. Using technology

developed for Formula One racing, the Italian automaker’s first hybrid, dubbed the F70, will combine two electric motors with a 12-cylinder gasoline engine to produce more horsepower than any previous Ferrari while cutting fuel consumption by 40 percent.

The F70 won’t come at a Prius price: The vehicle will probably surpass the €660,000 ($850,000) cost of the automaker’s storied limited-edition Enzo, which the company considers it a successor to, says a person familiar with Ferrari’s plans who was not authorized to talk about them. “Dedicated Ferrari drivers look first at power and technology,” says Fabio Barone, president of the Passione Rossa owners’ club, who has two Ferraris. “The new Enzo will satisfy their appetite.”

The model is part of a wave of green supercars as high-end automakers step up efforts to make their models environmentally palatable while maintaining or boosting performance. As more models become available and emission rules tighten, sales of hybrid supercars may surge from fewer than 100 this year to more than 2,100 in 2015, according to IHS Automotive (IHS).

Porsche, which sells hybrid versions of its Cayenne sport-utility vehicle and Panamera four-door coupe, plans to start deliveries next year of the €768,000 918 Spyder. The top-of-the-line Porsche sports car will combine a 500-horsepower engine with two 218-hp electric motors to hit a top speed of more than 320 kilometers (199 miles) per hour. BMW (BMW) will roll out its own i8 plug-in hybrid in 2014. The BMW supercar, similar to one used in the film Mission: Impossible—Ghost Protocol, will be able to drive up to 35 kilometers (21.7 miles) on electric power and accelerate to 100 kilometers per hour in less than 5 seconds. “If you want to sell a vehicle in the U.S. and Europe, you must show you want to make the difference in terms of lower emissions, even if you sell a €100,000 car,” says Ian Fletcher, an analyst at IHS Automotive. “Even a supercar becomes more usable for city driving if it carries a hybrid engine.”

Toyota Motor’s (TM) Lexus, which has led the green technology shift among luxury-car makers, offers five hybrid models, ranging from the $29,120 CT to the $112,750 LS. Daimler’s (DAI) Mercedes-Benz sells the $91,850 S-Class hybrid and introduced a diesel-electric version of the E-Class in Germany this year. Even Volkswagen’s (VOW) ultraluxe Bentley line is considering a plug-in hybrid version of its planned $201,000 to $252,000 SUV.

The Ferrari hybrid will go on sale next year, with the U.S. likely to be its biggest market, according to the person with knowledge of the car’s rollout. Ferrari will produce a limited number of the model, with the final price yet to be decided, the person says.

The original Enzo, which sports wing doors, a carbon-fiber body, and a 660-hp engine, was limited to a run of 400 vehicles between 2002 and 2004. Because of its rarity, it now sells for about $1 million, according to website Infomotori.com. The Enzo successor will be powered by HY-KERS hybrid technology developed for the brand’s Formula One team. In the system, the electric motors deliver about an extra 100 hp to the wheels by operating through one of the gearbox’s two clutches. The setup transfers power instantaneously between the 12-cylinder engine and the electric motor, Ferrari says.

That brings some important gains for members of the 1 Percent with an eco-bent. A 40 percent savings in fuel economy would give elite car drivers some green bragging rights and about an additional 9 miles to the gallon vs. a conventional car of comparable weight. But the green benefits of the propulsion changes aren’t what has supercar fans excited. Instead, it’s the prospect that adding those supplementary electric motors will actually allow the cars to go even faster without requiring a larger main engine. “Boosted by the electric motors, the new supercar may have more than 900 hp,” says Barone, the Ferrari club president. “It’s going to be a sensational car, and it also lowers emissions.”

The bottom line: Ferrari’s first hybrid vehicle, likely to cost more than $850,000, shows that even elite supercars are under pressure to get greener.

as published in Bloomberg Businessweek

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The Robb Report

Best of the Best 2012: Convertibles: Ferrari 458 Spiderby Robert Ross for Robb Report

Ferrari purists seldom are followers of soft-top fashion, preferring the marque’s rigid berlinettas and their beautiful flowing forms to the canvas-roofed spiders. However, Ferrari’s latest mid-engine marvel, the 458 Italia, has morphed into a convertible without the fussy fabric flying buttresses of its predecessors. The 458 Spider features a folding aluminum hard top that transforms the convertible into a civilized coupe. When raised, the top cuts an elegant profile, but it disappears completely when the 458 sets out in full Spider mode. The aluminum top weighs about 50 pounds less than a conventional folding soft top.

The 458 Italia set the bar for modern sports cars, and the 458 Spider compares well to its berlinetta brother when it comes to performance and torsional rigidity. Ferrari engineers have maintained the same exquisite handling characteristics and steering feedback bordering on telepathy that make the Italia such a thrill to drive.

Of course, the real thrill of the 458 Spider is situated aft of the driver, where eight stampeding pistons spool up to a fevered 9,000 rpm redline, tempting the driver with every gear change. The 4.5-liter V-8 develops 562 hp and 398 ft lbs of torque and enables the Spider to nudge the 200 mph mark when the top is up. When the top is down, the engine’s induction roar and exhaust note delight driver and passenger with a soul-stirring scream that accompanies every high-rpm shift. Gear changes with the 7-speed, dual-clutch, paddle-shift gearbox are lightning fast and butter smooth. With a dry weight of less than 3,200 pounds, the 458 Spider is relatively light and shoots from zero to 60 mph in about 3.3 seconds.

The interior is impeccably detailed Italian modern. Leather and carbon fiber are plentiful, as are space and comfort, making the 458 Spider a true grand-touring convertible for two.

as featured: http://robbreport.com/Paid-Issue/Best-of-the-Best-2012-Convertibles-Ferrari-458-Spider

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The quickest distance between two points is a straight line. When your wheel alignment is off, you’ll find it hard to stay on the right track. Proper alignment will keep your vehicle driving straight and true, and helps get the maximum life out of your tires.

And to keep you completely informed about the service you’re receiving, we print out your vehicle’s specs before and after the alignment, so you can see what needed to be done to get back on track with your manufacturer’s specifications.

Another feature of our alignment system that uses the latest technology in alignment measuring is the ability to save your information for future reference. This gives us the information we need to ensure your vehicle is safe for your next high speed adventure whether it is on the track or a scenic drive through Napa Valley or along the coast.

Book online through our online service advisor now and save. We offer direct online scheduling along and the ability to stay informed of the status of your repairs.

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Great Success For the Ferrari for Emilia Auction

over 1.8 million euro raised for families of earthquake victims

It took only the slightest encouragement for the Ferrari community to mobilise and bids were soon pouring in from all over the world. Naturally enough, expectations were running high for the 599XX which sold in the end to an American client for over 1.4 million euro. This exclusive car is a real one-off and will sport a special commemorative plaque signed by Chairman Luca di Montezemolo and the two Scuderia drivers. It will also be personally delivered to its owner by Fernando Alonso and Felipe Massa at the next Italian Grand Prix at Monza.

The F60 nose-cone is bound for the USA too, as it was purchased by a Malaysian client who put in a bid of 23,000 euro.

The engine from the F2008, which won the Constructors’ World title in 2008, will instead be wending its way to Great Britain having made 80,000 euro, almost twice its reserve price.

There was also an enthusiastic response to the rest of the auction with multiple bids made on all of the lots going under the hammer, including Fernando Alonso and Felipe Massa’s helmets and Giancarlo Fisichella’s racing suit.

“A pole position result: I knew I could count on the big-heartedness of the Ferraristi but they’ve still managed to surprise me once again,” declared Ferrari Chairman, Luca di Montezemolo. “I would like to thank all the clients, collectors and enthusiasts that did their bit. Their bids have sent out a message of warmth and solidarity to the people in our region affected by this tragedy.”

The sum raised by the auction includes spontaneous donations sent to Maranello by fans and enthusiasts the world over, including a Russian client who generously gave €100,000, and the proceeds from the sales of the Scuderia Ferrari watches.

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