Luxury Auto Toys

Posts Tagged ‘Ferrari’

After five years in production, Ferrari are preparing to retire their F430 line, replacing it with their all-new mid-engined model – the 458 Italia. Set to be officially unveiled at the Frankfurt Motor Show this September, the latest model to roll out of Maranello packs the same high performance into a fresh, head-turning design.

The two-seater berlinetta has benefitted from the expertise of the best and the brightest in the industry, with its Pininfarina-designed aerodynamic aluminum chassis, the latest technological innovations from the Formula One track, and input from race legend Michael Schumacher himself.

With its 4.5-liter V8 pushing out 570 bhp, the 458 Italia sprints to 60 mph (100 km/h) in under 3.4 seconds, with a top speed of 202 mph (325 km/h), making it the first Ferrari V8 to break the 200 mph speed barrier. Other improvements over its predecessor include a more direct steering ratio, more advanced traction control and ABS, and reduced emissions and fuel consumption.

With Ferrari’s name so intricately tied to Formula One racing, you would have expected Germany’s infamous Nürburgring Nordschleife circuit to already sport one of the Prancing Horse’s souvenir shops.

But just last weekend, Ferrari drivers Felipe Massa and Kimi Räikkönen took some time off Sunday’s Grand Prix to officiate Ferrari’s first-ever store in Germany, overlooking Nordschleife.

The 240 sq m Ferrari store is developed by Studio Iosa Ghini, and is a shrine to all things Ferrari. And the store is just a piece of the jigsaw to expand the Nürburgring complex into a Ferrari wonderland, with hotels, shopping centers, lounges and even conference and events centers in the pipeline.

Plans are also afoot to bring the number of Ferrari stores to more than 40 over the next three years, with several lined up for China and Southeast Asia.

The Ferrari Enzo is the dream of every car lover, to be specific, the dream of every sports car lover. It is not easily accessible to the common man as it ranges around a million and a half dollars. But it is a passion for many to owe a Ferrari. In Ferrari Enzo, you are just discovering new things. The sophisticated technology used has made driving an all-new experience. You may win races lose races but the brand stands up with lifted shoulders.

High-end sports cars have different ways to generate lift. The Ferrari Enzo uses down force to the tune if about 300 pounds at 124 mph owing to its low ground clearance of the smooth body, reduced cabin height and with the help of very effective diffusers. It is amazing that they achieve this without the use of add-on down force producers such as rear wings and front splitters. This in addition to maintaining a relatively low CD of .32 shows the class of the genre.

The Enzo has got all the specifications needed for a new generation car. The originality and the style of the vehicle prompted the Sports Cars International to name it as the best three cars in the modern era.