A botched lane change led to a spectacular traffic pileup in Japan over the weekend that left a highway strewn with the smashed wreckage of eight Ferraris, a Lamborghini and three Mercedes sports cars.
The crash drew international attention not only for its stunning price — the vehicles collectively cost more than $1 million — but also for the rare glimpse of Japan’s superrich, who tend to avoid ostentatious public displays of wealth. Local police officials were quoted as saying that they had never seen so many expensive cars in one place, much less involved in a single accident.

News reports gave no names and few details about the cars’ drivers, beyond quoting police officials as saying their ages ranged from 37 to 60. But they clearly form a select group in Japan, where fewer than 500 Ferraris were sold last year.

The cars appeared to be part of an outing of luxury automobile enthusiasts, traveling north together from the island of Kyushu to a festival in the city of Hiroshima, on the southern end of the main island of Honshu. As the convoy sped through rain in the western prefecture of Yamaguchi, one of the Ferrari drivers, trying to change lanes, struck the median and spun out of control. Evasive maneuvers by other cars, which also included two Toyotas, sent them smashing into each other.

According to The Associated Press, 10 of the people involved in the wreck received treatment for minor injuries.

News reports quoted eyewitnesses as saying that at the time of the accident, the procession appeared to be traveling at 85 to 100 miles per hour, well over the speed limit of 60.

Bloomberg News quoted a traffic official, Mitsuyoshi Isejima, as saying that the driver suspected of causing the pileup, a 60-year-old self-employed man, could face up to three months in prison or a fine of 100,000 yen, about $1,300.

The police closed the highway for six hours as they cleared away the ruined vehicles. Television footage showed several red Ferraris with bumpers or engine hoods torn off, bodies crumpled. One had plowed nose-first into a guardrail.

Mr. Isejima, for one, had little sympathy.

“It was a gathering of narcissists,” Bloomberg quoted him as saying.

I bet the guy who started this accident feels like an idiot and his insurance will go through the roof.
Do you think any company will insure him after this?
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Source: nytimes.com

Of all the rivalries within the land of the exotic sports car, perhaps none is as fierce as Ferrari versus Lamborghini. The Underground Racing garage in North Carolina took two giants of gearhead-dom, a Ferrari 458 Italia with a “bolt on” twin-turbo engine and a Lamborghini Aventador LP700-4, and put them in the ultimate head-to-head highway race.

The two cars make for an interesting match-up because the Aventador boasts a 700 horsepower engine, and the Stage One bolt-on twin-turbocharging system on the  Ferrari 458 Italia boosts 700 horsepower as well. Naturally, a race was in order.

Now, we’ll go on record right away and say we’re shocked that the team decided to do an acceleration race on a public highway, but nevertheless, it’s clear that the addition of two turbochargers have indeed helped the Ferrari’s performance. Was it enough to beat the Aventador? Follow the jump to find out.

Who did you want to win the race? The Ferrari or the Lamborghini?
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Source: 1340thefan.com and autoblog.com

People tend to associate the color red with Italian sports cars. But for decades Ferrari cars and red paint have been almost synonymous.

Just about every Ferrari Formula One car and factory sports racer since the company got its start in the late 1940s has been red. Sure, there have been a few painted in different livery, such as Belgium’s yellow racing hue. But for the most part, as a rule, Ferraris have been red. This trend has affected the company’s road cars as well. Indeed, in the early 1990s 85% of Ferraris built were red.

Now the company is branching out, giving an increasing number of its sports cars two-tone paint schemes.

The use of two colors on sports cars dates to the 1950s when Ferrari models like the 212 Inter, 410 Superamerica and 250 GT often had one color on the main body and a contrasting one on the roof, or on the roof and hood. Sometimes the contrasting color was on the car’s lower flanks. However it was done, the look was very 1950s. As such it recalls a time when Ferraris were more rare, exclusive and relatively exotic than they are today.

Ferrari recently began pushing the two-tone look again in part because of a new painting system it calls the three-layer technique. The company says it applies paint in three separate coats to give it a deeper, glossier look. The paint also has an iridescent finish that gives it a unique look when reflecting sunlight from different angles.

Ferrari says the effect is “extremely striking” when the three-layer method is combined with a two-tone scheme.

As part of its long-running program for personalizing customers’ cars, the company will match the car’s color to samples the customer provides. As a result of the recent developments in paint technology, Ferraris come in a wider variety of colors than ever.

Red is still most popular, accounting for about 45% of the cars Ferrari builds. But special order finishes, including two-tones, are gaining. They accounted for more than 10% of Ferrari cars in 2010 compared with 1% in the early 2000s.

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If you weren’t shopping for a Gucci wallet on Rodeo Drive last weekend, you’ll want to check out this well-done video from the big Father’s Day concours in Beverly Hills. From Fiat to Ferrari, some of the most magnificent cars on earth were parked together to create several blocks of automotive heaven. This year, the concours paid tribute to Italian design.

Martin Kasindorf, a retired reporter for USA TODAY, put together this 8-minute (long, we know, but worth it) video from a stroll down the famed stretch of asphalt. He found 100-year-old Fiats, Italian-designed Cadillacs and Chryslers from the 1950s and what appears to be the stunning black-and-yellow Bugatti owned by Rodeo Drive clothier Bijan Pakzad, who died in April.

Kasindorf interviews owners and even notes some of the more unusual personalized license plates gracing Ferraris. Our two favorites: VVA ENZO and 4RARI. Ciao!

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Source: content.usatoday.com

MARANELLO, Italy, June 13, 2011 /PRNewswire/ — The first part of the Ferrari World Design Contest selection process has been concluded. The Contest has been launched by the manufacturer from Maranello in collaboration with Autodesk, the Ferrari’s technical partner and proud supporter of the project, for 50 prestigious international design schools. The seven finalist schools, with students from all over the world, will be involved in planning the Ferrari of the future. The finalists are: IED and IAAD from Turin (Italy), the London Royal College of Arts (UK), the European Design Institute Barcelona (Spain), Seoul’s Hong-ik College (Korea), the DSK Supinfocom from Pune (India) and the College For Creative Studies in Detroit (USA).

In this second part of the competition, which follows the part of the style research, the finalists will be involved in the creation of the three models every school can present: in 3D Autodesk ® Alias and as a physical model in a scale of 1:4. The contest’s goal is to develop the Ferrari of the future, a pure hypercar, using technologies and materials of the latest generation. A supercar, extreme regarding its architecture and its functional aspects: hyper-light and hyper-fast, hyper-ecologic and hyper-technological. During this second stage, the students have to pay special attention to details and the interior’s development, without leaving the car’s functional aspects unconsidered.

The more than 200 projects, which arrived at Maranello, underlined great attention towards lowering consumption, combined with alternative powertrains, mainly focused on hybrids. Meanwhile the projects all have driving pleasure in common, ensured by weight reduction, while the design goes both ways: geometric or tortuous, with organic forms created by the students. It was a difficult selection process for the jury, under the presidency of Luca di Montezemolo, which decided unanimously, thanks to the works’ quality, to raise the number of finalists to seven, compared to six schools scheduled for the contest’s final stage.

The winners, with the results announced in July, will win an internship at Ferrari, and cash prizes. Autodesk will also present an award to the student team that best uses Autodesk Alias software to both communicate their design intent and demonstrate the process of design. The contest follows the tradition of Enzo Ferrari, brought forth by Chairman Montezemolo, supporting research and investing in young talents.

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Source: prnewswire.com

MARANELLO, Italy, June 8, 2011 /PRNewswire/ — Ferrari and PUMA today announced a long-term extension to their partnership. PUMA, the global sport-lifestyle brand will continue to be the official licensing partner for Ferrari branded products and the official supplier of team and race wear for Scuderia Ferrari. On the back of highly successful six year collaboration, this new agreement will see the two companies work together for a further long term period.

(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20110608/461053 )

Through this extended partnership, PUMA will continue to develop Ferrari licensed footwear, apparel and accessories for global sales and distribution. As the Formula One race calendar is expanding into new markets, the global reputation and profile of the sport continues to grow, resulting in a projected increase in the sales performance of Ferrari licensed product worldwide. The partnership has become one of the most commercially valuable licensing relationships for both Puma and Ferrari, and the two companies have strengthened their relationship by developing a complete new collection which will be presented at the end of this year.

PUMA is the sport-lifestyle brand with the longest heritage in motorsport, and its development of fire retardant technology has revolutionized driver racewear by dramatically reducing weight while maintaining the optimal performance of safety and comfort. PUMA will continue to supply Scuderia Ferrari with the latest technological innovations in team and racewear, enabling Fernando Alonso and Felipe Massa to compete for the coveted Drivers’ and Constructors’ Championships in one of the lightest and safest race suits in Formula One.

Luca di Montezemolo, Chairman of Ferrari S.p.A., said: “We have enjoyed a very successful relationship with PUMA over the past six years, and we are very happy that this will continue long term. Their commitment to product design, development and racewear technology is unrivalled in the industry, and they continue to impress us on all counts. Clearly licensed apparel and footwear is a key business area for us, and it could not be in better hands. We look forward to continue working with PUMA for many years to come.”

Jochen Zeitz, Chairman and CEO of PUMA AG, said: “We are delighted to continue and deepen our partnership with Ferrari. To extend a relationship with the most prestigious brand in the automotive industry and the most popular and successful team in Formula One is of great benefit to us both commercially and reputationally. The Ferrari licensed product development we have undertaken so far has been very successful, and the plans we have for the coming years are equally exciting. They are an ideal motorsport partner for us in every respect.”

PUMA

PUMA is one of the world’s leading sport lifestyle companies that designs and develops footwear, apparel and accessories. It is committed to working in ways that contribute to the world by supporting Creativity, SAFE Sustainability and Peace, and by staying true to the principles of being Fair, Honest, Positive and Creative in decisions made and actions taken. PUMA starts in Sport and ends in Fashion. Its Sport Performance and Lifestyle labels include categories such as Football, Running, Motorsports, Golf and Sailing. Sport Fashion features collaborations with renowned designer labels such as Alexander McQueen, Mihara Yasuhiro and Sergio Rossi. The PUMA Group owns the brands PUMA and Tretorn. The company, which was founded in 1948, distributes its products in more than 120 countries, employs more than 9,000 people worldwide and has headquarters in Herzogenaurach/Germany, Boston, London and Hong Kong. For more information, please visit http://www.puma.com .

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Anything you can do, I can do better. It might as well be the battle cry sung along the autostrada between Maranello and Sant’Agata Bolognese. Because Ferrari and Lamborghini have been at each other’s throats like the Sforzas and the Medicis for decades. So if you thought the notion of Lamborghini charging €2 million for a track-bound production version of the Sesto Elemento sounded crazy, look no further than their cross-town rivals for the precedent.

Here’s a rare Ferrari 599XX – and a sinister one at that, decked out all in black – up for sale in France. It’s one of only 30 examples made for the company’s exclusive client test driver program and packs a screaming 720-horsepower 6.0-liter V12 with all the latest wind-cheating, stop-watch trouncing technology the company’s considerable army of engineers has come up with. It’s not every day that one of these goes up for sale. In fact, this is the first one we’ve seen.

So what’s the asking price? €1,315,600 – used. (That’s about $1.9 million at current exchange rates.) You can bet it was driven hard, too. What’s more, someone will most likely snap it up in due course. And if someone can spend €1.3 million on a used Ferrari track car that’s based on an existing production model, suddenly it doesn’t seem so far-fetched to imagine Lamborghini finding 20 buyers willing to shell out €2 million on a completely new one.

Head on over to JamesList for the full listing. We’ve got the regrettably low-res images of this particular example compiled for your viewing pleasure in this post.

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Source: autoblog.com

While all automakers are working to reduce their products’ carbon footprint and CO2 emissions, it may surprise you to learn that Ferrari (yes, that Ferrari) is leading the charge!  The Fiat-owned company has reduced their fleet’s overall C02 emissions by 46 g/km, according to JATO Dynamics‘ yearly report on the European industry’s progress towards an (eventual) 130 g/km fleet average.

According to JATO’s figures, Ferrari’s emissions cut is equal to a whopping 12 % year-over-year, and equals approximately half the total reduction that volume car makers are expected (if not required) to implement by 2015.  It’s worth noting that JATO’s calculations take into account the sales of individual cars, so Ferrari is benefiting from the increase in sales of its California model, whose emissions average “just” 301 g/km.  Ferrari hopes its upcoming hybrid and HY-KERS-equipped models will further help reduce the overall figure.

Among “the competition”, Aston Martin – which will be aided next year by its upcoming Cygnet city car – managed a 0.6 per cent reduction, Bentley 1.9 per cent and Lamborghini 1.5 per cent.

What do you think about Ferrari lowering it’s CO2 emissions?

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Just a side note, check out the “24 Heures du Mans” at the Endurance Magazine website!

Source: gas2.org

FERRARI SpA said it aims to boost sales in China to 600 units this year and hopes to drive the world’s largest auto market to become its second-largest market after the United States in the future.

The Italian sports car maker sold close to 300 cars on the Chinese mainland in 2010, up nearly 50 percent from a year earlier and marked the best result since the company started business here in 2004.

China became Ferrari’s fifth-largest market when it sold nearly 500 units in combined sales on the mainland, Hong Kong and Taiwan.

“The result confirmed the positive trend within the market in recent years, and China will play a more and more important role in the Prancing Horse global success,” said Ferrari Chief Executive Officer Amedeo Felisa, who was in Shanghai for a ceremony marking Ferrari’s 999th owner on the mainland with the delivery of the Ferrari 458 Italia. The figure nine has very good meaning in Chinese. It means long-lasting, perfection, and sustainability.

“It took us four years to welcome our 500th owner and just two years to gather another 500,” said Edwin Fenech, Ferrari’s Asia-Pacific CEO. “We have confidence it will be much faster to reach the next milestone.”

Ferrari also intends to tap the large potential offered by China’s younger consumers.

“One thing that Chinese clients differ from those elsewhere is that customers in Europe and America are normally between 30 and 40 years old but many Chinese owners are less than 30,” Felisa noted.

Ferrari plans to increase the number of dealerships from 10 to 15 this year to tap growing demand on the mainland, with new dealers set to open in non-coastal cities. At present, the dealerships focus on east coast cities such as Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Qingdao and Hangzhou.

Will Ferrari sell 600 units in China in 2011?

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A Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano is displayed at an exhibition held to celebrate Ferrari's 999th car sold on the Chinese mainland at the Oriental Pearl Tower in Shanghai.

Source: english.eastday.com

Ferrari is working on in-car technology that will monitor a driver’s mental and physical state and adjust the car’s stability and traction control systems to suit, Autocar can reveal.

The technology is outlined in a series of Europe-wide and global patent applications. The documents show how Ferrari expects a range of sensors to provide the cars of the future with data on the driver, allowing it to adjust its set-up accordingly.

Ferrari’s application states: “Drivers tend to miscalculate — in particular, overestimate — their driving skill and, more importantly, their psychophysical condition, with the result that driver-selected dynamic vehicle performance simply reflects the driver’s wish, as opposed to the driver’s actual psychophysical condition and proficiency.”

The application describes a cabin housing “various (preferably non-invasive) biometric and psychometric sensors for recording and transmitting… the values of a number of psychophysical parameters of the driver”.

It adds: “The biometric sensors may comprise a piezoelectric measuring device for measuring the driver’s respiration, a device for measuring the driver’s blood pressure and heart rate, a television camera for monitoring the driver’s eyes (blink rate) to determine the driver’s alertness, a device for monitoring the electric activity of the driver’s brain, a device for recording the driver’s surface temperature and a device for recording the conductivity of the driver’s skin (to determine the degree of perspiration).”

A single line diagram with the application appears to indicate that sensors would be mounted in the cabin ceiling, dashboard, steering wheel and driver’s seat area. It also includes a manettino dial, indicating that Ferrari intends to continue offering the race-based driver control system.

The application is based on improving driver safety but could also be used to sharpen a car’s dynamics to better satisfy a more alert driver.

Ferrari says: “The dynamic performance may be modified to enhance driving safety in the case of a tired or unresponsive driver, and also to enhance driving pleasure and/or performance in the case of an alert, responsive driver.”

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Source: autocar.co.uk