Autoblog

Click either image to see Valentino Rossi driving the Ferrari F2008 at Mugello in high resolution

The Ferrari World Finals at Mugello finished a few weeks ago. But someone appeared to have forgotten to tell the tifosi, as a loyal garrison of the Scuderia's most loyal fans, thousand-strong, came back out last week to the track. After the Challenge series were decided, the 16M Scuderia Spider unveiled, the FXX program ran its laps and the fans celebrated the Formula One constructors' championship, what exactly were they hoping still to see? How about the prospect of seeing an Italian driver piloting an Italian F1 car around one of Italy's most famous tracks? And not just any driver, but Valentino Rossi, a world champion with credentials to rival Schumacher's.

Valentino Rossi is an unassailable legend in motorbike racing, having taken the titles in the 125cc, 250cc and 500cc categories in quick succession before moving up to MotoGP and taking the championship five times... so far. Having achieved dominance on two wheels, Rossi has examined the possibility of switching to four. He's competed in several championship rallies, winning the Monza rally in 2006. He initially tested a Ferrari F1 car at Valencia in 2006, where he embarrassed some of F1's most experienced drivers, prompting him to consider a professional switch to Formula One before ultimately deciding to stay in MotoGP. This past week's test session was just for fun then, but Rossi still proved his mettle. He lapped Mugello at 1:22.550 – just a second and a half behind Kimi Raikkonen's time – on his first drive without traction control. Rain interrupted the second day of testing, but while Rossi showed promise, he admits he'd be too old to start in Formula One at this point. Shame for F1 fans, but reassuring for MotoGP aficionados. Check out the gallery of high-resolution images from Rossi's test by clicking the thumbnails below.

[Source: Ferrari]

Usain Bolt now wears the mantle of Fastest Man Alive having set world records in the 100 and 200 meter sprints at last summer's Olympics in Beijing. Fitting then that he was placed in one of the fastest cars in the world recently to take a stroll around one of the richest places in the world: Monaco. In the principality for the IAAF awards, Bolt was given the keys to drive an F430 along portions of the F1 circuit in the city. You can check out the gallery of high-res photos below while we wait for word on if he set any world speed records in the process.


[Source: Ferrari]

This little gem in Muscat, Oman represents what you do when you have bodacious sums of money and time. Now we're all for having a little fun, but we're talking about an Enzo, which, while not the prettiest of Ferraris, still doesn't deserve to endure the eighth-level of Maaco paint-shop Hell. Whoever did this gets points for authenticity, even including the roof signage. If nothing else, we'd certainly go for a ride: as passenger to get anywhere in seven seconds, as driver, so we could say, imitating the voice of Blofeld, "That'll be one hundred million dollars." Thanks for the tip, Muhammed!


[Source: Flickr]

Click above to climb into the Spideria's open cockpit

If you didn't waste enough time already with Ferrari's online configurator don't worry, that's not the only roadster the Prancing Horse people have unveiled recently. And since most of us won't get within spitting distance of any of the 499 examples of the Scuderia Spider 16M which will be rumbling out the gates of Maranello, Ferrari has given us this dizzying turntable simulator of the Spider's interior.

Unfortunately, like the studio shots, Ferrari's fastest roadster yet is bathed in rather unappetizing florescent light. But with all that carbon fiber, Alcantara and exclusivity, that's not enough to make us want one any less. Follow the jump to check out the 3D view, unless you suffer from vertigo, in which case we'd recommend you take your meds and sit down... then follow the jump to check it out. Thanks for the tip, Demond!

[Source: Ferrari]

Click above to jump to the Califigurator

Imagine stepping out of your hotel to see a driveway packed with Ferraris splayed out in different colors for you to choose from and you'll begin to understand three things. First of all, what a peacock would look like if God had met Enzo Ferrari before Creation. Secondly, the stupid grin on our faces when we popped in for the California test drive in Sicily. And lastly, the vast array of choices available to Ferrari customers upon ordering their new supercar. Unfortunately that's not a sight oft beheld by the common man (unless you work at Maranello), so Ferrari has given us an online configurator to let us toy around with the different color, trim and wheel combinations available on its latest offering.

With 27 exterior colors, 12 different leather hues, three wheel options and five brake caliper choices, no fewer than 4860 distinct combos can be had. You'll likely find that the California looks best in dark colors. Fortunately, there is no shortage in the catalog, especially since Ferrari revived some of its long-lost classic hues. What you see above (Grigio Scuro over Bordeaux leather with the 20" diamond rims and dark red calipers) is this scribe's combination of choice. Or maybe Vinaccia over Beige, or Scozia blue over Cuoio...this could take a while. Of course actual customers, upon visiting one of Ferrari's customization ateliers, can select from far more options, but this online gizmo should be enough to have you burning through minutes like a Ferrari does miles.

[Source: Ferrari]

Photos of topless super-models parading around sun-drenched southern Europe -- the paparazzi never tire of snapping them, we never tire of seeing them, and like so many celebrity gossip magazines, here at Autoblog we never tire of running them. Take, for example, this particular Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano spotted now for the second time sashaying around Italy with its top half off. Not only is the regular car a rare treat to behold, but this one lets slip the promise of something more.

Although it hasn't appeared completely topless, this test vehicle is wearing an ill-fitting roof that suggests it may show the way for an upcoming convertible 599. That could mean a soft-top like the F430 Spider, a folding hard-top like the California or a rotating flip-top like that featured on the 575M-based Superamerica. Meanwhile, it could also mean a "regular production" model or a rare special edition for the Italian automaker. With the California just making its debut, the 16M Scuderia Spider just around the corner and the initial batch of spy shots just hitting the web, we asked the people at Ferrari what they were working on. Their response was that they're testing a lot of different ideas and that nothing had been given the green light (yet), so we'll just have to hold on and hope the higher-ups get out their stamps of approval.

[Source: Autogespot]

Click above for a high-res image gallery of the Ferrari California

The Ferrari California delves into new territory for Ferrari, both in theme and design. Many faithful to the marque may be against its styling, but the true test will be sales numbers. As Porsche has proved over the last few years, the addition of successful new models can be a valuable asset to a company's finances, and we're all in favor of Ferrari's increased capability to improve the breed. The LA Auto Show is the first time we've seen the car in its namesake state, and we took the chance to give it another close inspection after our recent first encounter with the Ferrari California in Sicily. The style is definitely growing on us, and we dearly loved the car in Azzurro Blue. Still on the fence? Check out the gallery below and see if you can make up your mind.

Live photos copyright ©2008 Drew Phillips / Weblogs, Inc.

Click above for a high-res gallery of the edo competition Ferrari FXX

It seems that edo competition is determined that no supercar be left untouched. They've developed upgrades for the Porsche Carrera GT, Maserati MC12 Corsa, Ferrari Enzo, and now they've got their hands on a Ferrari FXX racecar. They claim to have made the car road legal by installing a new windshield, hand brake and all necessary lighting. A new suspension system with adjustable compression and damping and a modified exhaust system have also been fitted. We thought more would have been required to make the switch from race car to road car, but judging from the photos they obviously have no qualms about driving this car on the street.

[Source: edo competition]

The global economic downturn is affecting other things than the availability of credit, the unemployment rate and the fate of the world's largest automaker. We had already heard that Suzuki was planning on skipping this year's 2009 Detroit Auto Show in January (Porsche passed on the 2008 show), but the small Japanese brand has now been joined by a few heavyweights that compete at the very high end of the automotive spectrum. It turns out that Ferrari, Rolls-Royce and Land Rover are all three not attending this year's Detroit show, presumably because they don't have anything exciting to announce and the money could be better spent elsewhere.

What's surprising about this trio of top shelf brands missing out on Detroit is that we always thought luxury goods were least vulnerable to a crappy economy. Sure the middle class and poor get poorer, but the super wealthy usually have a few million stuffed under their mattresses to see them through. Thus, if not less expensive Land Rovers, at least Ferraris and Rollers would still be bought in decent numbers. Apparently that's not the case, as even the most expensive of autos are seeing sales slow and if they don't have a new production vehicle or concept car to show, then a trip to Detroit is the vacation nobody wants to take.

[Source: LA Times, Photo by STAN HONDA/AFP/Getty]

It can be argued that Ferrari is known for living out on the styling edge and for staying too true to its own designs. Witness the wild Enzo supercar and compare that to the new California. The former is an F1 car with an enclosed body and the latter has been called a sell-out Ferrari for the masses. As such, we're always interested in new takes on the Ferrari design ethos, and we particularly like this concept called the Zobin by Iranian engineer Siamak Ruhi Dehkordi. The rear end looks cribbed from the one-off P4/5 produced by Pininfarina, but the front end places the Enzo's F1-inspired nose amidst the contortions of a metal band that swoops around to create both the front spoiler and front fenders, while still maintaining an open-wheel F1 look. The headlights are suspended from the metal band and seem to float beside center fuselage. This is a single-seater concept that's powered by a fictional engine of unknown cylinder count and displacement located amidship, but we're more interested in the design itself that we think is both edgy and honors those Ferraris that have come before it.


[Source: CarBodyDesign via CarScoop]