To watch the film, click on the words: “Watch on YouTube” after clicking on the arrow to start the video.
As you probably already know, Ferrari is working on a brand new car, in fact it’s working on two very important cars that might be connected, though we’re not sure. One is a replacement for the Enzo mid-engined marvel, and the other is a fresh 599.

We say they might be connected because the engine could be shared, or at least the block. Right now, it rumored that the engine to be used displaces 6.3 liters, and the naturally-aspirated V12 makes use of direct injection to offer a high level of efficiency. The output of this all-mighty lump is supposed to be a very Aventador-like 700 horsepower, and thanks to German publication Auto Motor und Sport, we can actually hear it.

Currently, it’s expected to debut at the 2012 Geneva Motor Show in March, though we have no way of knowing just how ready that prototype is. Either way, that monster definitely sounds like it’s worth the wait.

Do you think that this Ferrari will compete with the latest Lamborghini?
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Source: autoevolution.com

Ferrari 458 Challenge making laps at the Fiorano test track

 Auto Motor und Sport posted this video of Ferrari’s newest race car ripping around its Fiorano test track.

With only a small selection of photos available, we’re certain you haven’t seen enough of the Ferrari 458 Challenge and so we’re excited to bring you several minutes of video of the newest Ferrari racer.

According to Ferrari the new 458 Challenge weighs significantly less than the production model, although specific numbers have not been given. In addition, this race car gets aluminum bushings, stiffer springs that lower the car by 30mm, 19-inch racing wheels and wider Pirelli racing slicks. Ferrari claims it’s capable of 1.6 Gs of lateral acceleration. Also included are a new generation of Brembo carbon ceramic brakes (called CCM2), that first debuted on the 599XX.

And for the first time on a Ferrari Challenge car, the Prancing Horse has decided to equip its gentleman racers with traction control. The F1-Trac system constantly monitors grip to deliver the most power possible, with a dry track and wet track setting. And because these are real Ferrari race cars, drivers can also opt for CT-OFF on the steering wheel-mounted manettino to completely shut off the TC system.

Compared to the F430 Challenge car, Ferrari claims the 458 Challenge is two seconds a lap faster on its Fiorano test circuit, setting a new record time of 1:16.5.

The 458 Challenge will run alongside its 430 Challenge predecessor in the 2011 Series, while the latter is phased out. Ferrari also plans to expand its Ferrari Challenge series next year, adding a new series in the Asia-Pacific region.

What do you think about the video of the Ferrari 458 Challenge?

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Source: autoguide.com and blogs.insideline.com

Ferrari 612 Scaglietti

There is another rumor about a hybrid Ferrari. The British magazine Autocar says “senior officials” at the Scuderia have confirmed they’re hard at work on an all-wheel-drive gas-electric drivetrain that will appear in the successor to the 612 Scaglietti. This has been said before, but this time around Ferrari’s offered a deadline for the technology-2014.

Word that Ferrari was considering hybrid tech first came more than a year ago when company boss Amedeo Felisa told Germany’s Auto Motor und Sport “a hybrid solution will come.” The rumor mill kicked into overdrive last summer when Autocar got its hands on patent drawings of a hybrid all-wheel-drive system that uses an electric motor to drive one set of wheels and a gasoline engine to drive the other.

The system is designed to maximize handling, not fuel efficiency. Autocar’s sources say the all-wheel drive system will use motors mounted inboard of the front wheels. The idea is having electric motors up front will improve acceleration and handling because the torque sent to the wheels can be “carefully controlled.”

In a separate report, Autocar says Maranello also is looking at turbochargers but so far isn’t satisfied with the systems it has tested. “Turbocharging will come eventually, but we need to solve the issue of turbo lag,” engine developer Jean-Jacques His told Autocar.

And, as His so eloquently put it, any delay in a Ferrari’s power delivery is simply unacceptable.

What do you think about an all-wheel-drive gas-electric drivetrain on a Ferrari?

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Check me out at Twitter: http://twitter.com/FerrariDreams and Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/rick.resch .

Source: wired.com