Enzo Ferrari’s 119th Birthday: 5 of his greatest achievements!

The same year we are celebrating the 70th anniversary of Ferrari we also celebrate the 119th birthday of Enzo Ferrari. We thank his stubborn mind to not listen to his father who wanted him to be an engineer rather than a racing driver. Here are five of the greatest achievements of one of the biggest names in automotive history!

His relation with Alfa Romeo
Enzo caught the eye of the Italian automaker Alfa Romeo in 1920 when he was a successful racing driver at CMN. He not only became a racing driver for Alfa but also an important source for upgrades of the cars. In the 1920s, Enzo Ferrari won a total of 12 races with Alfa Romeo. This isn’t an awful lot but he was mainly busy with engineering. He left Alfa Romeo in 1929 to fulfil his dream: forming his own company Scuderia Ferrari. In the beginning Scuderia Ferrari was still a part of Alfa Romeo. He still drove in Alfa’s and supplied the company with technical information. In the 1930s the Scuderia Ferrari team was so talented they easily defeated Bugatti, Maserati, Auto Union and Mercedes and in 1939 Ferrari and Alfa Romeo ended their relationship.

His first car
The Ferrari 125 S was the very first car produced by Ferrari. It made its debut on the 11th of May in 1947. The 125 S was powered by a 1.5L V12 producing 118 bhp at 6.800 rpm and it used a five-speed gearbox rather than the traditional four-speed. Enzo Ferrari wasn’t really sentimental and used parts of older cars for his new cars, so both 125 S’s were dismantled and were used to produce the 159 and 166 series.

His first successful racing car
Alberto Ascari, son of Ferrari’s friend and racing driver Antonio Ascari, won his and Enzo’s first ever Grand Prix in the Ferrari 500 in 1952. The 500 was the first car to win 14 races in a row. In 1953, Alfa Romeo was basically forgotten and Ferrari was the new standard. Ascari won seven consecutive Grand Prix’s in the Ferrari 500. This record stood until 2013 when Sebastian Vettel broke it.

His own racing track
In 1972 Enzo Ferrari build their own test track which can be used for developing new cars. It has a wide range of corner types to simulate as many Grand Prix’s track as possible. Niki Lauda once said in an interview: ‘’The track is incredible, it has a lot of technical features around the track including a timer which measures the time of every part of the track. If I drive fast enough on the straight but not in the corner, I can exactly see where I have to improve the speed. This way it’s very easy to test cars there.’’ Check out the recently added top 10 of Pista di Fiorano lap time records here!

His last car
The F40 was the last car personally approved by Enzo Ferrari in 1987 and its design was mainly derived from the 288 GTO Evoluzione. This hardcore 288 GTO was meant to be racing in the FIA Group B but the organisation brought an end to the championship in 1986. Enzo was left with all the 288 Evo’s and didn’t knew what to do with them. In a meeting with his engineers and designers they came to a conclusion: the Evoluzione came in very handy to develop their next creation, the F40. The F40 got its power from a turbocharged V8 producing over 480 bhp and was one of the first Ferraris with carbon fiber.

~ Grazie il Commendatore!

Ferrari 812 Superfast will have 800 bhp!

Ferrari revealed their latest creation which will be presented on the Geneva Autoshow in March: the 812 Superfast.

First thing first; it’s not a completely new car in the V12 series. It rather is a facelift of the current F12berlinetta. Most remarkable changes are the historical double rear lights, the bigger front grille and the new headlights.

Ferrari claims it’s the most powerful and fastest Ferrari they ever made. Enzo Ferrari started his company 70 years ago so this is the perfect homage to all V12 cars from the past. Under the hood, we have the all-new 6,5-litre V12 pushing out 789 bhp at 8500 rpm. Torque is from the same insanity level; 526 lb ft. at 7000 rpm, with already 80% available from around 3500 rpm. It’s the first Ferrari using Electric Power Steering which will be supported by all kind of other electronic systems like the Side Slip Control. This will help the driver not to crash while drifting.

The Ferrari Styling Centre designed the car and they used some historical design tweaks, the silhouette of the 812 reminds of the 365 GTB/4. Another cool thing about the launch car is the name of the paint: Rosso Settante. And guess what, settante is Italian for seventy!

Visiting Rétromobile in Paris 2017!

Rétromobile Paris, held in the Paris expo Porte de Versailles, is the first big international classic car show of the year. With 2017 being the 70th anniversary for Ferrari, lots of Italian horses were showed to all the visitors of the show.

The Cars
There were lots of Ferraris at the fair but the exclusive models from Maranello were the real eye catchers. There was a Ferrari (€13,4 million) on display and there were three Ferrari 275 GTB/4 (€3,7 million). Lots of cars were for sale, but some of them were just showed to the visitors. There also were some less exclusive Ferrari’s on display, like the Ferrari 348 TB. The fair is also internationally known for their documentation. It is the first big documentation fair of this year so there were a lot of people from all over the world attending the show.

The Show
I really liked the fair and I think the organisation did an amazing job by getting all the great cars to Paris. I hope I will be there next year!

Ferrari 488 Challenge hits London!

HR Owen Ferrari London, Global Ferrari Dealer of 2015, has been chosen to display the 488 Challenge in their showroom this weekend.

Lukas from @LukasBaras, Jacob from @JMESupercars and Cameron from @CG.Automotive were kind enough to send their photos. Check them out on Instagram!

The 488 Challenge is the newest chapter of the successful Ferrari Challenge Series introduced in 1993. It all started 25 years ago when the Dutch Ferrari Owners Club mentioned the idea to Ferrari. Ferrari liked it and they immediately introduced the Series on several racetracks. The first Challenge car was a standard 348 Berlinetta with a couple of changes such as slick-tyres, better brakes and a roll-bar. The 348 Challenge was used till 1995 when Ferrari launched the F355 Challenge.

Ferrari revealed the 488 Challenge back in December at the annual Finali Mondiali in Daytona. It features the same turbocharged V8 with 661 bhp, as in the road-going 488. This makes it the first car in the series using a turbocharger. Compared to its predecessor – the 458 Challenge – the engine is 43 pounds (19,5 kg) lighter and the exhaust almost 19 pounds (8.5 kg). Both bumpers and the hood have been redesigned and the rear wing is a bit larger than the one on its predecessor. Ferrari claims the 488 is a full second faster than the 458 Challenge (1:15,5) on the Pista di Fiorano.

HR Owen is the biggest luxury car dealer in the UK and they sell 11 different car brands in their dealers mostly based in London.

Attending 70 years of Ferrari at InterClassics

One of the many stunning car on display at the Interclassics Maastricht event.

InterClassics & TopMobiel, held in the MECC Maastricht (The Netherlands), is the first classic car show of the year, celebrating different themes for almost 25 years. This year’s theme was 70 years Ferrari, so let’s take a look at all the amazing cars that were on display.

How was Ferrari founded?

Enzo Ferrari started his career at Alfa Romeo in 1924 as a racing driver. He continued racing until 1932 when he left Alfa Romeo to start his own racing team named Scuderia Ferrari. Alfa agreed to support him by donating money but they were forced to stop in 1933 because of financial problems. Luckily, Enzo was able to keep the team going which, among other things, resulted in a notorious victory in 1935; Tazio Nuvolari defeated Rudolf Caracciola and Bernd Rosemeyer at the Nürburgring. In 1937 he decided to start his own business (Auto Avio Costruzioni) when a disagreement between Alfa and Enzo took place.

Alfa Romeo wanted to get full control of their racing department and by doing so Enzo was retained as Sporting Director. Enzo, a man who wanted to develop his knowledge and skills wasn’t happy about the decision at all, so he founded Auto Avio Costruzioni; a company which supplied car parts to racing teams. Despite the fact he wasn’t allowed to build any cars, Enzo managed to produce two Auto Avio Costruzioni 815’s for the Mille Miglia in 1940. When the Modena factory was attacked during the Second World War, Enzo was forced to relocate his company. He settled down in Maranello to start producing his own cars under the name of Ferrari S.p.A. The main reason to begin with building street cars was to finance his racing addiction. The first car wearing the utterly famous Ferrari badge was the 125 S in 1947… the rest is history!

What was on display?

Although regular Ferraris were parked everywhere in the halls, one big space included a collection of 20 significant prancing horses from the Enzo Ferrari era (1947-1988). One of them being the Ferrari 250 GT SWB Berlinetta Competition with an estimated value of €10.000.000 to €15.000.000. In 1953 Ferrari started the successful 250 series including this gorgeous 250 GT SWB from 1959. It used a shorter wheel base (SWB) for better handling and had a crazy top speed of 270 km/h (168 mph).

Within 3 years Ferrari made around 75 examples of the SWB making it one of the most rare prancing horses ever. The #1849GT SWB which attended InterClassics is owned by a Dutch collector who bought it in England where it was restored. The 250 series were represented by a couple of others like the Ferrari 250 GT Berlinetta Competitione (Tour de France). The one displayed is a 1 off 9 version with a redesigned roof consisting of 14 roof pillars. Shortly after the car was revealed Alfonso de Portago won the Tour de France Auto hence the name. The first Ferrari produced at a bigger scale was the Ferrari 250 GT Coupé Pinin Farina Serie 1 and InterClassics had managed to get number 500 (chassis #1001) to join the homage. Another special one is the green Ferrari 500 Superfast formerly owned by Dutch Prince Bernhard of Lippe-Biesterfeld.

The Louwman Museum (The Hague) made it possible for InterClassics to display it next to an F40. Prince Bernhard had a predilection for green so all his Ferraris were painted in the same colour as the Superfast. Although a 500 Superfast is pretty rare, this Verde Pinto one is as unique as it can get. Instead of the standard 5.0-litre engine the Prince asked Enzo to install a 4.0-litre V12, making it more pleasant to drive. Last one that really caught my eye was the one-off Ferrari 166 Mille Miglia Berlinetta Competition. Kurt Zellers, a wealthy client, asked Ferrari to build a competition car based on the 166 Inter and this beauty was the outcome. A few others cars worth mentioning were the 365 GTB/4 Daytona Spider, a 275 GTB/4 Aluminium and the 250 Lusso.

InterClassics Maastricht

It was my first time visiting InterClassics and I was blown away by the cars. I’d love to attend more in the future and I’m sure I’ll go to next year’s event. They will celebrate their 25th anniversary in 2018 with highlights of the past events. Huge congrats to the organization for yet another successful event!

Is Ferrari building another one-off?

Some mysterious pictures were posted by @gregb.23 on Instagram lately…

Check out the posts here, here and… here!

Rumour has it that there’s quite a special car under the red cover. According to the pictures and captions Greg wrote, it’s a 458ish car with a naturally aspirated V12 placed behind the passengers. Last time Ferrari built a road-going-car like this was back in 1994 when they produced the last version of the Testarossa, the F512M. Ferrari might be interested in building more naturally aspirated engines after all!

It’s not clear if the car is a one-off, a concept car or a testing mule. Since Greg is quite a Ferrari collector himself, it might be a Special Project he’s been working on.

Ferrari revealed nine cars last year!

2016 has almost come to an end so it’s time to celebrate the cars Ferrari revealed this year. From the LaFerrari Aperta to the J50, this article has got you covered! Enjoy!

GTC4Lusso (Geneva Motor Show)
Ferrari revealed the next generation four-seater at the Geneva Motor Show back in March. It features a 6.2-liter V12 which produces 690 bhp and 697 Nm of torque. Acceleration is a lot better compared to the FF, it does the 0-100 km/h (60 mph) in just above 3 seconds. Like the F12tdf, the GTC4Lusso uses a four-wheel steering system which makes the handling a lot better. There are a couple of redesigned components on the outside including a reworked front bumper, air vents, the traditional dual rear lights on each side and a rear roof spoiler which adds 6% more downforce. A bigger infotainment screen got installed into the center console and the car comes standard with the Dual Cockpit screen which makes the ride as a passenger more fun. One of the biggest upgrades might be the name. The combination of GTC, 4 and Lusso is a bit weird so here follows a little explanation: GTC (Gran Turismo Competizione) dates back to the stylish 330 GTC which was built from 1966 to 1968. The number 4 stands for the amount of seats and Lusso is Italian for luxury. It refers to the beautiful 250 GT Berlinetta Lusso produced from 1963 to 1964.

458 MM Speciale (2016 Goodwood Festival of Speed)
The last official naturally aspirated V8 from Ferrari is this 458 MM Speciale. While it was testing at the Fiorano track, some pictures of the car showed up on the internet. Everyone thought it was the hardcore version of the 488 GTB. Nothing could be further from the truth, as it was a Special Project car based on the 458 Speciale. The MM uses the same 605 bhp n/a 4.5-litre V8 which brings the car a top speed of 325 km/h (202 mph). The British buyer gave instructions to how he wanted the car: a more aggressive and sportier look, a front window which connected to the side windows, and the black painted A-pillars which dates back to the 288 GTO (1984 – 1987). Both bumpers are sportier and bigger, SP has added an air scoop and a little ducktail on the back. Two air intakes have been placed at the same spot as the 488 GTB. The Bianco Italia (white) in combination with the tricolore stripe makes it a simple, but beautiful spec!

LaFerrari Aperta (Paris Motor Show)
The LaFerrari Aperta, the most extreme way of enjoying an open-top car, got revealed at the Paris Motor Show back in October. When Ferrari announced the LaFerrari in 2013, it was no surprise a targa-variant was in the making. The car features the same V12 and electric engine with KERS producing a total of 963 bhp and more than 900 Nm of torque. Buyers were able to choose from two roof designs: a removable soft top or removable carbon hardtop. Aerodynamics haven’t been changed dramatically but the radiators are placed on a different angle to send the hot air underneath the car. Normally, hot air would be sent over the roof towards the back but when driving topless you don’t want that in the cabin. A new door mechanism had to be designed so they are now attached to the chassis rather than the roof. When press pictures were released back in July, all 209 examples were sold to trusted Ferrari clients. These buyers were able to choose from five different colours: Rosso Corsa, Nero Daytona, Grigio Ferro Metallic, Biano Italia and Giallo Triplo Strato. Additionally and at no extra cost, customers could order pinstripes that underscores the car’s lines. These pinstripes were available in a choice of 5 colours combined with the exterior bodywork colour.

GTC4Lusso T (Paris Motor Show)
Last October Ferrari revealed the GTC4Lusso T in Paris. With a turbocharged V8 it’s a different side of the mental V12 version. Visually, nothing got changed so the original Lusso design is still there to enjoy. Every change that has been made is mechanically. As said before, the car features a turbocharged V8 with a maximum power of 610 bhp which is 80 bhp less compared to its V12 brother. The car got a RWD powertrain instead of the AWD which makes it 50 kg lighter. The GTC4Lusso is the first Ferrari ever where buyers can choice between two engines, which is good for a couple of reasons. It’s better for the environment and new potential buyers will be reached. A sad thing is that this might be the start for Ferrari to stop producing n/a (V12) engines. There’s a big chance the F12 successor will come with the same engine option.

70 Style Icons (Paris Motor Show)
One of the coolest things a car brand can do is to celebrate their history and so did Ferrari. Not only the LaFerrari Aperta will be used to celebrate the 70th anniversary of Ferrari next year. At the Paris Motor Show the 70 Style Icons were introduced for the first time. The idea was to put a modern twist to 70 legendary Ferraris from the past. Each livery will be produced 5 times, one for every car in the current range: California T, 488 GTB, 488 Spider, F12berlinetta and the GTC4Lusso. In total 350 special editions will be sold each with a unique ID plate with the name of the model that inspired the design. All the cars are wearing a special logo of the 70th anniversary which is placed just in front of the rear wheels. Instagram account @70StyleIcons showcases all the available liveries!

SP 275 RW Competizione (Finali Mondiali Daytona)
Once every while a wealthy customer decides a regular Ferrari isn’t special enough, so they get in touch with Ferrari. Together with the Special Projects department and Pininfarina they start building the car to the wishes of the client. This one, the SP 275 RW Competizione, is based on the F12berlinetta in homage of the 275 GTB/C Speciale which got produced between 1964 and 1968. In 1965 this 275 GTB won the GT class at Le Mans. It’s no surprise the SP is a perfect reincarnation of the legendary V12-powered racer! Pictures will tell a lot more, but the most obvious changes are the air vents placed behind the side windows, the front wheels and the rear wheels. The car wears a Giallo triplo strato (yellow triple layer) paintjob combined with blue carbon accents. Stolen from the F12tdf, an aluminium fuel cap has been placed. To complete the car, both front and rear were completely redesigned. Other features include the unique headlights and the 20’’ aluminium wheels. Power comes from the F12tdf 6.3-liter V12 which produces 780 bhp.

LaFerrari for the Italian people (Finali Mondiali Daytona)
Not a new car, but worth to mention. Back in August CEO Sergio Marchionne announced Ferrari was going to build a 500th LaFerrari to help the Italian people in rebuilding their villages after the horrible earthquakes last summer. The auction was held at the RM Sotheby’s in collaboration with the National Italian American Foundation’s Earthquake Relief Fund. The final bidder offered an insane $7 million which makes it one of the most valuable cars build in the 21st century! It’s beautiful how companies like Ferrari can use their power to help people in need!

488 Challenge (Finali Mondiali Daytona)
Loads of followers reached out to me asking what all the hype around the 488 Challenge is about. Yes, it’s the third 488 race car but this one isn’t for a regular championship; it’s for the Ferrari Challenge Series. This event started in 1993 with the 348 Challenge which was requested by the Dutch Ferrari Club. Almost 25 years later, Ferrari announced the sixth Challenge car in Daytona. Although it features the same turbocharged 661 bhp V8 as in the 488 GTB, it’s a lot quicker due weight reduction and the enormous wing.

J50 (National Art Center Tokyo)
The J50 is an early Christmas gift to the obsessed Japanese Ferrari collectors. On the 13th of December, Ferrari unveiled their latest special edition. 2016 marks the 50th anniversary of Ferrari in Japan, so several Ferrari events were held throughout the year to celebrate this milestone. The J50 is a 488 Spider based car with 690 bhp instead of the standard 661 bhp. The Special Projects Department and the Ferrari Styling Centre made sure the car got an outstanding design. It includes some real throwbacks to historical models such as the 288 GTO and F50. The first Ferrari to set foot in Japan was a red 275 GTB which was bought by a man after he discovered Ferrari.

2016 was an amazing year, from travelling to the Paris Motor Show for the LaFerrari Aperta to visiting Maranello last summer. 2017 will be an even more insane year with events already in the pipeline!

Comment your favourite Ferrari of 2016 below!

Happy New Year everyone!

Celebrating 50 years Ferrari in Japan: The Ferrari J50!

errari shocked the world by unveiling another special project this afternoon. The J50 is a 10 car-limited ode to loads of legendary Ferrari models from the past.

J50 simply stands for Japan 50 and it celebrates the 50 year anniversary of Ferrari in Japan. Only Japanese clients were able to purchase the beautiful car. The Special Projects Department and the Ferrari Styling Centre made sure the car got an outstanding design. It includes some real throwbacks to historical models such as the 288 GTO and F50. As you can see, the car rocks a beautiful targa body inspired by the 348 TS. Carbon-fibre roof panels can be placed behind the seats.

Tuned up to 690 bhp, the car features the same 3.9-litre V8 as the 488 Spider!

At first it was hard to tell which model it’s based on, because there’s simply nothing left of the original body. Standard headlight have been replaced by really sharp light units and the redesigned bonnet got its inspiration from the LaFerrari. A black line has been added on the side of the car, which reminds of the 288 GTO, F40 and F50. It disappears into the fully redesigned side air vents. Another interesting design feature are the four tail lights. This hasn’t been seen on a V8 model since the F430. The added ‘’wing’’ provides more downforce while speeding.

To put that 690 bhp to good use, Ferrari added loads of aerodynamic parts on the car. Radiators have been placed a lot closer to each other compared to the standard Spider and the front bumper is completely restyled. The car sits lower than the 488 Spider which results in even more downforce. All these aerodynamic parts are fun and all, but the car is a real collector’s item which in most cases won’t be used a lot..

Read the article about the recently launched one-off SP 275 RW Competizione here!

All cars have already been sold, but the good news is that owners will be able to fully customize the car to their own wishes, so we’ll be seeing a lot of different specs!

What do you think of the Special Project J50?

Here’s why the Finali Mondiali is the best thing ever!

Finali Mondiali perfectly describes what Ferrari stands for as a company and carmaker.

Their passion
The previous world record of most-Ferraris-on-a-track-at-the-same-time dates back to 2012. Silverstone was then filled with 964 Ferraris moving at the same time. Now, 4 years later, the American Ferrari community gave it a shot and they succeeded. The exact number hasn’t been confirmed yet, but multiply owners told there were around 1200 Ferraris. Not only the usual Ferraris like the California T and 458 Italia joined the huge parade. Pure legends like the Enzo and 250 Testa were also present.

Making history
This Finali Mondiali was filled with special moment and world records. It was the first time a North America race track had been picked to organize it. It was also the first time you could see F1 cars on the 31 –degree NASCAR banks. Only in games like GranTurismo 6 is where you can drive an F1 car on the oval-track. Until now. Ferrari made this weird thought reality by giving the most loyal customers a go on the 2.5 mile (4 km) track.

The generosity
To help Italian citizens rebuild their villages after the horrible earthquakes last summer, Ferrari decided to build an extra LaFerrari. It has been auctioned off yesterday for an astonishing $7 million. The money will be used to help the victims. Not only their cars are amazing, Ferraris loyalty to the Italian people is something no other company has ever done. It’s amazing to see how many lives will change because of the generosity of Ferrari.

You’re not special when driving a special Ferrari
Some spectators told there were over 20 LaFerraris. There were five F60 Americas, an insane amount of F12tdf’s, XX-cars and the casual 488s, California T’s and F12s. It’s starting to become a big dream to once visit the Finali Mondiali.

What was your favourite moment of the 2016 Finali Mondiali?

488 Challenge and SP 275 RW Competizione at Finali Mondiali!

In case you didn’t know, Finali Mondiali is the happiest place a Ferrarist can be at the moment. There’s a lot to discuss but for now we’ll only focus on two cars.

Two very special cars to be precise. One being the 488 Challenge. The other being a one-off version of the mental Ferrari F12tdf. Ferrari often picks the Finali Mondiali events to reveal new cars. For instance, last year the F12tdf was shown to the public for the first time. This year’s Finali Mondiali is no difference.

First we have the all-new 488 Challenge. It’s not the first 488 GTB racing variant though. Ferrari revealed the 488 GTE and 488 GT3 already a while ago. Why the hype, you ask? Because this one only competes in the Ferrari Challenge Series. This championship was founded in 1993. Unfortunately there’s almost no information about the specifications of the car. Obviously it’s going to be lighter, faster, meaner and stiffer than the road going turbocharged 488.

The second car which caught my eye is the one-off SP 275 RW Competizione. It’s the latest creation done by the Special Projects department of Ferrari. Many car enthusiast didn’t knew what they saw. On top of that there are no official Ferrari pictures, there’s no VIN and no information about it at all. The car seems to be based on the 780 HP F12tdf, according to the recognizable fuel cap.

They parked the SP-275 RW Competizione next to a one-off P540 Superfast Aperta (done by the Special Projects department) which sits very nicely in almost the same shade of gold and yellow a 1/10 F60 America.

There’s going to be a huge article about the event tomorrow, so stay tuned!

Update: Here’s Why The Finali Mondiali Is The Best Thing Ever!