Ferrari 612 Scaglietti

Ferrari laid out its model refresh plan last month, and it is promising to Ferrari lovers. The company will continue with four lines: the California, 612 Scaglietti, 458 Italia and 599 Fiorano. The former two will be part of the GT division and the latter two will be part of an “extreme performance” car division. Each individual car’s cycle will run four years, at the end of which, a heavily-revised M or modificato model will replace the original and will include significant styling, powertrain and chassis changes. Four years later a completely new model will replace the M model. With four cars in its line, Ferrari will add an M or brand new model every single year.

If that isn’t intriguing enough, Ferrari will also launch a flagship model like the Enzo every 10 years or so and will launch variants like Spyder and Scuderia models within the cycle.

Ferrari believes that they will keep the four-model range for years to come, with the two GT models and the two high performance models. The Italian automaker intends to widen the gap between the two types in the future.

The first new model will be the 612 Scaglietti replacement, codenamed F151, which will be due out in 2011. It will be cheaper and more practical car than the current 612. The F151 will cost around the same amount as the 599 GTB, with an aluminum body and engine in the front, but it will also get more interior and cargo space.

The 599′s replacement, the F152, is due in 2012. It will be positioned farther from the F151 than the 599 is from the 612. We think that this new model will be harder and faster than the current 599 GTO. The F152 will keep its front V12 and rear transmission layout.

Even though Ferrari is working on a hybrid model, nothing has yet been planned up to 2014. At the Geneva Motor Show, Ferrari CEO Amedeo Felisa told Motor Trend “It’s not feasible for production yet. It would take three years to develop the components and two more years to get the suppliers ready for production. The purpose of this is to find customers.

“We are doing hybrids because if we don’t there will be no more Ferrari,” he added. “We are forced by fuel consumption and CO2 rules. We will have to do other things too-aerodynamics and lightweight-because hybrid isn’t enough. But it’s not under discussion to change the character of a Ferrari. We won’t lose performance.”

He finished by ruling out the possibility of an all-electric Ferrari, though he believes that an electric motor combined with a normal engine can result in serious fun. “Every new model needs a new sensation. It is not just about extra performance or lateral g. If you couple an electric motor with a combustion engine, you can have an extra feeling of sportiness. I cannot imagine a fully electric Ferrari.”

What do you think about Ferrari plans to have a new model every year?

Join the discussion. Please leave a comment.

Share the article on Twitter by retweeting it by pressing the button below.

Source: motorcrave.com and topspeed.com

Jason Castriota

Jason Castriota, formerly designer for Ferrari, Pininfarina and Stile Bertone, has been tapped by Saab to lead design, through Mr. Castriota’s design firm to help the Swedish carmaker take on Bayerische Motoren Werke (BMW) AG and Audi AG.

Jason Castriota Designs has been hired to handle design for Saab Automobile, the automaker that was bought in February by Spyker NV, a Dutch car company.

Saab’s news release referred to Mr. Castriota, 36, as design director, adding that he would take “the lead role in design at Saab,” but he will not work exclusively for Saab, Mr. Castriota said in an interview on Monday.

Mr. Castriota is widely regarded as a star in the car design world. He started his career at Pininfarina SpA in Turin, Italy from 2001 to 2008. While he was at Pininfarina, he worked on the Ferrari P4/5, Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano and also for Maserati (which is owned by Ferrari) including the Maserati GranTurismo and the Maserati Birdcage concept. More recently, he worked at Stile Bertone in Italy until September 2009, where he designed the Mantide, an exotic car based on the Corvette ZR1.

Mr. Castriota, who was born in the United States, set up his own firm, Jason Castriota Design, last December. The design house is based in New York City and Turin, Italy, where he also keeps a residence.

In the interview, Mr. Castriota said that the Saab relationship began with a meeting he had with Jan Ake Jonsson, Saab Automobile’s chief executive, and Victor Muller, the chief executive of Spyker and chairman of Saab, at the Geneva Auto Show in March. They discussed Mr. Castriota’s designs for a sportier, upscale version of the company’s bread and butter 9-3 sedan.

At first Mr. Muller and Mr. Jonsson wanted to hire him as Saab’s in-house design director, Mr. Castriota said. Instead, it was agreed that Mr. Castriota’s firm would remain independent, but direct design for Saab.

How does Mr. Castriota see Saab?

“Quirky and distinctive are important words,” he said. “It should be a true premium car alternative to the Germans. With the 900 series, with turbocharging and sporty performance, it was a smart buy. You saw doctors and lawyers everywhere driving Saab.”

These days, he noted, Audi has taken that position in the market that Saab occupied in the 1980s and part of the 1990s.

Mr. Castriota’s 9-3 may be on the road by 2012. He also may work on a small car, the 9-2.

Mr. Castriota pointed to the success of the Mini Cooper as a model for the success that the 9-2 might achieve. “There’s some behind-the-scenes talk going on for platform sharing with other companies,” he said, adding that he will have a voice in Saab’s marketing.

Mr. Castriota said his firm has five employees, and among its other clients are a boutique shoe company and a maker of a water bottle. The only other automotive client he was willing to mention is Shelby SuperCars – the name belongs to Jerod Shelby, not Carroll Shelby – which produces the Shelby Ultimate Aero. Castriota Design is shaping the next generation of that car and possibly a smaller model that will bear Mr. Castriota’s name.

As described by Mr. Castriota, the relationship between Saab and his firm sounds like those common in the product design world, but rare in the auto industry. Consultant design firms have long functioned as de facto design departments or directors for corporations. Examples include Walter Dorwin Teague for Kodak or Henry Dreyfuss for Polaroid.

Examples in the car industry include the tie between Pininfarina and Ferrari from the 1950s or between Raymond Loewy and Associates and Studebaker Corporation, from the late 1940s to the ’60s. That liaison produced such iconic models as the Studebaker Starlight Coupe and the Avanti.

For new designs, Mr. Castriota said, “We want to return to the Saab DNA.” He pointed to the first or “Ur”saab, the original highly streamlined concept that was created in 1945. It sits in the Saab Museum and preceded the first production model, the 92, which was designed by Sixten Sason in 1947.

“Aero was a key factor in that model,” Mr. Castriota said, “and today of course aero is more important than ever.”

What do you think about Jason Castriota and his design firm?

Join the discussion. Please leave a comment.

Check me out on Twitter: http://twitter.com/FerrariDreams and Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/FerrariDreams 

Ferrari P4/5

Maserati Gran Turismo

Bertone Mantide

Saab 92

Source: wheels.blogs.nytimes.com, businessweek.com and ridelust.com

Ferrari 599 GTO

This grainy picture claims to show the upcoming GTO version of the Ferrari 599.

The Ferrari 599 GTO was expected to be shown earlier this month at the Geneva International Motor Show, but instead Ferrari revealed a hybrid version of the V12-powered supercar. It’s supposedly will be publicly unveiled in September at the 2010 Paris Auto Show.

The peculiar thing is Ferrari’s reuse of the GTO tag hasn’t been applied to one of Ferrari’s road cars since the launch of the much-revered 288 GTO in 1984. Nevertheless, Ferrari 599 GTO will be a lightweight version of the 599 GTB Fiorano.

The GTO (translated as Gran Turismo Omologato) will be a more focused version of the 599 than the current GTB and HGTE models, and was confirmed by Ferrari boss Amedeo Felisa on a trip to Australia last month.

This model will have a 6.0-liter V12 engine derived from the Ferrari Enzo. Power will likely be north of 650 bhp, with a similar rise in torque and performance.

Weight will be reduced to less than 3,630 lb (1,650 kg), and the car will likely feature the higher performing ferous iron brake pad technology pioneered on the hardcore 599XX model plus, perhaps, the more aggressive gear shift software and certain elements of the aerodynamic upgrades seen on the 599XX. The new model will feature a set of carbon-fiber exterior panels and a stripped-out interior and specially developed alloy wheels.

This car is capable of racing from 0-60 mph in just 3.3 seconds which is 0.3 seconds faster than the Enzo. With a top speed at 210 mph, this model is limited to 500 editions only and will cost around a half a million dollars.

What do you think about the picture of the Ferrari 599 GTO?

Join the discussion. Please leave a comment.

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

Picture used courtesy of FastLane Daily.

Source: autocar.co.uk, automotto.org, and mibz.com

2012 Ferrari 612 Scaglietti

The Ferrari 612 Scaglietti is due for a major overhaul and spies have caught new pictures of the next-generation model.

It was undergoing testing near the Arctic Circle which the development mule is showing a longer wheelbase, a new exhaust system, a redesigned front bumper, and a bulging hood. According to a report, the mule was being run alongside two other prototypes with similar modifications.

While details are limited, power will likely come from an Enzo-derived V12 engine with at least 397 kW (533 hp/540 PS) and 588 Nm (434 lb-ft) of torque. Backed up by a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission found in the 458 Italia and Ferrari 599 HY-KERS concept, the 612 should accelerate from 0-62 mph (0-100 km/h) in less than four seconds, before topping at 200+mph (322+km/h). Unlike today’s model, the 612 replacement could offer an all-wheel drive system.

If you’re inclined to buy a Ferrari for status, you may be interested to learn the 612 could come as a hybrid. As previewed by the HY-KERS concept, which recently debuted at the Geneva International Motor Show, the hybrid would probably feature a three-phase electric motor and a lithium-ion battery pack.

Since the car is expected to be launched in 2012, look for Ferrari to start testing a prototype of the production model later this year.

What do you think about the spy photos of the Ferrari 612 Scaglietti mule?

Join the discussion. Please leave a comment.

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

Source: worldcarfans.com and autoblog.com

The green 599 that is on at the Geneva International Motor Show is technically a concept. The hybrid powertrain is called-somewhat amusingly-HY-KERS. The ‘HY’ stands for hybrid and ‘KERS’ refers to the Kinetic Energy Recovery System Ferrari used during the 2009 Formula One racing season and was dropped because it was deemed too expensive, troublesome and not effective enough. Ferrari says that the F1 authorities will be reviewing the role of KERS in future seasons and that it is recovering its development costs by fitting it to the road car. The KERS is used to recover the braking and decelerating energy in a state-of-the-art lithium-ion battery.

The electrical energy is converted into about 650 volts, which gives an additional 100 hp that is used to supplement the acceleration of the six-liter V12 petrol engine and also run the engine’s air conditioning and power-steering pumps.

It was reported that Chairman Luca di Montezemolo (who is also Chairman of Fiat Motors, majority owner of Ferrari) aims to apply the hybrid system displayed in the 599 HY-KERS show car to all of Ferrari’s production models.

“To see a green Ferrari is something unusual,” he admitted.

But Mr. di Montezemolo was at pains to reassure Ferrari buffs that the carmaker has not gone all tree-huggy.

“It’s not a bourgeois Ferrari,” he said in an interview.

“This is a first step of a long project,” he said, “and we want within three years-maximum four-to have a hybrid Ferrari car ready for every single product of our range. In three years, we aim to cut emissions by a minimum of 35 percent.”

Mr. di Montezemolo recalled how outraged some Ferrari aficionados were in the 1970s when the company introduced automatic gearboxes. Now virtually all new Ferraris are automatics. They are not ordinary automatics, but rather gearboxes actuated by paddles next to the steering wheel like a Formula One racer.

Mr. di Montezemolo’s point: hybrid Ferraris will also be true to the Ferrari legacy.

Emissions, in fact, have much to do with the Prancing Horse’s push for hybrid vehicles. By 2015, European automakers’ fleets will have to emit an average of 130 grams of carbon dioxide per kilometer or better. The equivalent target for small-volume manufacturers like Ferrari hasn’t been announced yet. In the U.S., all cars are required to meet the minimum fuel consumption rate of 35 miles per gallon(mpg) by 2020. Currently, the most fuel efficient car produced by Ferrari, the new 458 Italia emits 307 grams of CO2 per kilometer, and delivers 11 mpg in the city and 15 mpg on highways. Ferrari engineers all agree on the fact that hybridization is the only possible answer to meet the new emission standards set both in the U.S. and Europe. Any failure to follow the set of rules would force Ferrari to pay hefty fines or even worse, stop manufacturing cars all together.

Supercar manufacturers are addressing this in different ways. Lamborghini feels it can survive by building lighter cars made with more carbon fiber and smaller engines, while Ferrari-along with Porsche-is taking the hybrid approach. The HY-KERS system shown in Geneva allows the 599 to run solely on electricity during the EU urban cycle, but during longer runs-or if the driver should stomp on the accelerator pedal-the V12 comes to life.

Ferrari says the 599 HY-KERS cuts emmissions by 35 percent-right where the company is aiming to be when 2012 comes.

Ferrari also unveiled a start/stop system for its California model. This systems goal is to save fuel by switching the engine off at road junctions and traffic lights and reducing pollution in the process.

What do you think about the Ferrari 599 HY-KERS?

Join the discussion. Please leave a comment.

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

Source: telegraph.co.uk, rumors.automobilemag.com, wheels.blogs.nytimes.com, nitrobahn.com, allcarselectric.com

Novitec Rosso "848 RACE" Ferrari 599

Novitec Rosso has struck once again with an even more powerful version of the Ferrari 599 GTB. Thanks to some new turbine blades on the superchargers, some modified piping and a retuned ECU, the twin-supercharged V12 engine has been bumped from the last 808-hp tuning phase all the way up to 848-hp. Novitec claims a 0-60 mph time of 3.4 seconds and a top speed of 214 mph.

Painted in matte white and black and including all of the Novitec accessories, like a special aero kit, 20 and 21-inch wheels with a massive brake upgrade and a height adjustable suspension, Novitec will build just three 848 Race models.

The car was officially revealed at the Geneva International Motor Show this week. I will keep you up to date on the latest news of the Ferraris being shown at the show.

What do you think about the Ferrari 599-based Novitec Rosso 848 RACE?

Join the discussion. Please leave a comment.

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

Source: autoblog.com and autoguide.com

Ferrari 599 Hybrid

As one of the more hotly-anticipated vehicles of the 2010 Geneva International Motor Show, the Ferrari 599 Hybrid is on the list of cars people just can’t wait to see. Despite Ferrari’s efforts to keep its car away from prying eyes before its official debut, intrepid auto buffs have managed to capture the first series of images of the hybridized supercar, presumably from the actual Geneva Show stand to put on the web.

Photos aside, it was asked around and sources gave some inside information on the hybrid system featured on the ‘green’ 599 concept model.

The system comprises of an electric motor producing somewhere around 100 horsepower and 137Nm (110lb-ft) of torque that is attached on the back-end of the rear-mounted transmission, and a battery pack located under the floor.

The extra power is said to compensate for the added weight which is said to be close to 100 kilos or about 220 pounds, making the 599 Hybrid faster than the stock model.

Last but not least, we were told that the hybrid system is still in its infancy stage and will most likely take a few years to be offered on a series production model.

I’ll have all the details on the concept car after its debut in Geneva next week so be sure to stay tuned for more information.

What do you think about the ‘green’ Ferrari 599 Hybrid?

Join the discussion. Please leave a comment.

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

Source: carscoop.blogspot.com and wot.motortrend.com

Red-colored Ferrari 599 GTO test mule

Spy photographers over at Arthomobiles managed to get a few photos recently of a few Ferrari test mules running around outside the factory. The car’s are believed to be mules for the expected 599 GTO or could be for the hybrid 599 that we know is due to be unveiled at this years Geneva International Motor Show.

The photos themselves are stunning quality and depict three different colors-red, blue and black. The reasons why we think this is more likely to be the GTO than the hybrid stem from the visual similarities that the red car shares with the 599XX project; most notably, the matte black roof.

Whatever these cars may represent, it’s obvious that Ferrari are testing each of them to their limits.

What do you think about the spy shots of the three different colored Ferrari 599 GTO test mules?

Join the discussion. Please leave a comment.

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

Blue-colored Ferrari 599 GTO test mule

Black-colored Ferrari 599 GTO test mule

Source: gtspirit.com

For those hardcore Ferrari owners and collectors-who have a few million to toss around-there is the FXX development program, where Ferrari cleverly uses its client base to test new technologies used in F1 which could carry over to production. The client purchases the car without ever being able to take the car home; however, they have the chance to work closely with Ferrari engineers at dedicated track days providing feedback on the car’s performance and driving characteristics.

Now, I know the Ferrari 599XX is nothing new to many of you as it was launched last year in the Geneva International Motor Show. But since only a handful of Ferrari owners (known as Client Test Drivers) will ever get the chance to get close to one, I thought it would be great to share this Autocar test drive video with you.

The Ferrari 599XX is 10 seconds faster than the Enzo on the Fiorano race track and the price for this supercar, a hefty GBP 1.3 million.

What do you think about the video on the Ferrari 599XX?

Join the discussion. Please leave a comment.

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

Source: chrisescars.com and brakebanzeen.com

Dino 246 GT

You don’t buy a Ferrari expecting the latest in green technology, but there are signs of environmentally friendly evolution in Maranello.

Not only did Ferrari’s chief executive, Amedeo Felisa, spoke to the British press, he has had several things to say such as that V-6 cars could be in the company’s future and asked about the possibility of V-6-powered Ferraris by Autocar, Mr. Felisa said, “If I had to answer the question a year ago I would have said no, but attitudes are changing and we build cars for customers.” He has said to Autocar in the U.K. saying in regards to the hybridized 599 that the automaker has been testing for quite some time:

“The technology is not ready. The suppliers are not ready. Everything is underdeveloped. There is a lot of work to so. It is not for tomorrow. We haven’t decided when [it will be introduced]. It will be around 2015, but not before five years.”

Luca di Montezemolo, the company’s chairman, also announced recently that it was bringing a hybrid version of the 599 GTB to the 80th Geneva International Motor Show, which runs from March 4-14, 2010. He described the hybrid as “a great path towards the future.”

A Ferrari 599 hybrid model has been in testing for about one year. The vehicle is showing a 25 percent reduction in fuel consumption but that comes with an increase in weight. While a Ferrari hybrid is going to have a smaller impact on the environment, at its core it is still a Ferrari, and Ferraris are known for their performance. This increase in weight may be a deal breaker for Ferrari enthusiasts.

Amedeo Felisa explains that the Italian supercar manufacturer has no plans to introduce electric cars, saying:

“If you look at global warming, the right solution is not full electric. It’s more a marketing solution than a real one. Sound, in the form of a rich exhaust roar, is important to Ferrari,” he said, and the company “will not make engine sounds with speakers.”

The V-6 car, anathema to purists, is probably not imminent – Mr. Felisa said, “In 20 years, who can say?” – but a Ferrari hybrid is definitely coming, though there’s no assurance it will ever see production.

Matteo Sardi, Ferrari North America spokesman, said: “It is going to be a prototype, and it will appear in Geneva. We absolutely think ahead of everybody in technology research, and a hybrid is in line with that.”

The last time Ferrari built a V6 (also used in Fiats and Lancias) was with the Dino 246 (pictured above) that went out of production in over a quarter century ago. The Dino is, however, fondly remembered as a classic, despite its relatively small engine.

The hybrid has long been rumored, especially since the company patented a “four-wheel-drive system with hybrid propulsion a year ago. In that concept, the gas engine and electric motor drive the front or rear wheels separately. In practice, according to Motor Authority, that could enable the driver to switch between rear-and four-wheel-drive, and enable brief spurts of battery-only power. And that, the site said, “will vastly improve Ferrari’s carbon footprint and position in the eyes of environmentalists.”

What do you think of a Ferrari hybrid or a Ferrari with a V-6 engine?

Join the discussion. Please leave a comment.

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

Source: wheels.blogs.nytimes.com, green.autoblog.com, autoblog.com and mnn.com