Whether it be a Fiat or a Ferrari, there is just something sinister about a car that shoots flames out of its exhaust. It denotes a feeling a power and speed and gives all those around it the sensation that there is something very serious going on underneath that hood. For the most part those flames are the simple result of unburnt fuel being ignited inside the exhaust pipes and then getting blown out the back, but there are those who use the old spark plug trick to accomplish the same result. This Ferrari F40 you are about to see though is not one of those cars and accomplishes this light show all on its own. I swear it’s like watching a big red fiery porno blow past you…

Source: Youtube.com

“Made in China”. That’s a sentence that is unfortunately seen on most of the goods we have over here in the United States. As Americans, we see that, sigh, and then drop our heads wishing that we produced all of our own goods and services. Apparently though that phrase is paying off big time for the Chinese as they’ve got a car club over there that rivals just about anything I’ve ever seen stateside. Pagani, Ferrari, Bugatti, Koenissegg, Lamborghini, Aston Martin, Porsche and Mercedes-Benz are all present and accounted for and hot damn if these guys don’t drive the piss out of them as well. Stored in a warehouse somewhere in China, the value of these automobiles together rivals the yearly economy of some small countries. So, next time you see a label that reads “Made in China”, don’t worry because it’s helping keep our favorite super car companies in business.

Ugh…

There is just something about hearing the name “Ferrari” that sets the imagination ablaze. Maybe it has something to do with their 60 + years of racing heritage. Or perhaps it’s their grand combination of style and performance. Whatever the case though, Ferrari’s have a special place in everyone’s heart that causes them to create, fantasize and strive to obtain the best there is in the automotive world. The following video was done by artist Marco Brambilla and was commissioned by Ferrari to celebrate the release of the new 458 Italia Spider. Now, if you’re expecting power-sliding, full-on hooning action, then I suggest you look elsewhere, however if you want to have your mind blown by a visceral, cubist representation of a Formula One driver’s state of mind, then I suggest you click through and watch the video.

Source: TheSmokingTire via Nowness.com

Anyone who’s ever owned a Ferrari knows that they’re Italian built super car is like bait to other would-be sports cars. The sound of the exhaust and the race bred pedigree brings other drivers to stop lights like moths to a flame. Corvette’s, Porsche’s, Lamborghini’s and imports galore all love taking pot-shots at any member of the prancing horse family. But Volvo’s? That’s a new one even for me. There are however some crazy Swede’s out there who have the ability to take their “boxy, but good” family cars to the next level, and when this happens… by God you’d better look out. The following video shows what happens when Ferrari’s new 458 goes up against a relatively stout Volvo Wagon.

Source: Youtube.com

For some reason I’m drawn to cars with a mechanical look and feel. They are, for all intents and purposes, easier to understand and offer a better driving experience in my opinion. Take the now 24 year old Ferrari F40 for example. When released it had a fully exposed carbon fiber interior, no power steering, sound deadening materials and or car stereo. It was raw and built for one purpose only… to go fast. Now look at the 2011 Ferrari 599. It has every modern accoutrement one could ask for. From satellite navigation, to traction control, to a fully customizable interior, the new 599 is like riding in the Taj Mahal as compared to the F40′s Comfort Inn digs. So why is it then that if you ask just about any real Ferrari enthusiast, they’ll tell you that the F40 is a better car then the 599. My guess is simple… it has soul. Click through for the video and decide for yourself.

Source: Ferrari.com

The Targa Newfoundland is one of a select group of events that is on my automotive bucket list. A cross between off-road rally racing and open road racing, the Targa is a true test of not only your machine, but your wits and skill as a driver. Sure the car matters, but quite honestly, it’s the drivers nerve behind the wheel that matters more. The following video shows what happens when the owner of a Ferrari Enzo FXX replica looses control of the car on an uneven section of road and pitches the car into the drink. It’s not pretty, but does show you how fast things can go wrong, even when you think you’re doing everything right.

Source: Youtube.com

The Ferrari 458 Italia may be both the best looking and most drivable sports car in the world. Its new sibling, the 458 Italia, ups the ante by going topless but retaining a folding had top for chassis rigidity. Unlike some cars that simply look wrong in ragtop form (like the 370Z, for example), the 458 Italia is even better looking in its Spider variant. It’s the first Ferrari since the 288 GTO that’s made my hormones sit up and beg, and I suspect that Ferrari will sell all the 458 Italia Spiders they can build.

The video below won’t cure cancer and it won’t save the spotted owl from extinction. On the other hand, if you’re a car person, it’s guaranteed to improve your day and it won’t leave you with a hangover or an unpronounceable social disease. Enjoy three minutes of pure hardcore Ferrari solo porn, below.

Source: You Tube

I have to say that while I like convertibles, I don’t think that I’d ever actually go out and buy one. You see for me drop-tops are always a compromise. With the top down they’re wonderful and will provide you with some great open-air fun. Once that top goes up however it seems that everything changes. On some cars you loose structural integrity, on others you’re blown out of the cabin by interior wind noise, but perhaps my biggest complaint is the sacrifice you make in the styling department. Some manufacturers are better then others but most simply make a hash of it – that is, until now. This is the Ferrari 458 Spider and my God, if it isn’t the best looking drop-top I’ve ever seen. How they did it I simply don’t know, but Ferrari has managed to keep the lines of the 458 Italia intact by incorporating a seemingly perfect retractable hardtop. Ladies and gentlemen, the Italians should be patting themselves on the back because they hit this one right out of the Coliseum. Click through for the video.

Image: FlyingPete

The problem with absolutes is that they’re, well, absolute. I’m quite certain at some point in Ferrari’s history, perhaps Enzo Ferrari himself was asked about Ferrari building cars with automatic gearboxes. I’m quite certain his reply would have been along the lines of “Ferraris are cars for the driver, and you’ll never see a Ferrari with an automatic gearbox.”

Times change, technologies evolve, and the only Ferrari still available with a manual transmission today is the California. That’s why I have to chuckle at Ferrari’s president, Luca di Montezemolo when he says, “you will never see a Ferrari electric because I don’t believe in electric cars.” Never is a long time, and technology changes in a heartbeat. We’d be the first to admit that electric cars lack practicality today, but their performance potential keeps us intrigued. At some point in the future, assuming technologies like smart roadways and inductive charging progress, electric cars will be lighter and more powerful than their gasoline counterparts. That’s why you never say, “never.”

More intriguing are di Montezemolo’s comments on hybrids, which he views as “the future” for Ferrari. Hybrids, by nature, are heavier and more complex than either gasoline vehicles or pure electric vehicles, and weight is the enemy of the performance car. It’s likely necessary for Ferrari to embrace hybrids in order to meet fuel-economy and emission standards worldwide, but it seems odd to back a technology that goes counter to what Ferrari was once about.

These days, it’s not about pushing the limits of performance. It’s about selling cars that make you look fast.

Source: Engadget via Autoblog

Ferrari's all-weater FF. Image: Ferrari

The words “Ferrari,” “driving” and “winter” had probably never been uttered in the same sentence, at least before the launch of Ferrari’s Grand Tourer station wagon, the all-new FF. The FF is unique in a several ways: it’s the first “shooting brake“ (station wagon) body style that Maranello has ever built, and it’s the first prancing horse to feature all-wheel-drive. Ferrari even launched the car atop a glacier, just to prove you really could drive it on surfaces other than asphalt.

We’re not sure how many FFs will be purchased as year-round grocery-getters, but Ferrari wants to make sure their American buyers are covered just in case. For a limited time, Ferrari is offering a winter driving school to all American FF owners, on a space-available basis. The school will be patterned after Ferrari’s “Pilota on Ice” program, originated in the Italian Alps.

If you guessed that Ferrari wasn’t holding clinics in Cleveland or Buffalo, you’d be correct. The schools, which begin in January and run for six or seven weeks, will be held in Aspen, Colorado. Ferrari’s concierge service will even work with buyers to coordinate their FF winter driver training around an Aspen ski vacation, because all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.

Source: Autoblog