Ferrari-blessed one-off motorcycle goes on the block

Up for auction by Bonhams at the Staffordshire County Showground in England at the end of the month is a 1995 Ferrari 900-cc motorcycle by David Kay Engineering. Along with the prancing horse, the one-of-a-kind bike comes with quite a story.

When MV Agusta engineer David Kay requested permission to build a one-off motorcycle complete with Ferrari logo in 1990 in honour of his late father, he got a letter back from Piero Ferrari containing “approval to place the Ferrari badge on your motorbike.”

Powered by a 900-cc DOHC 4-cylinder scratch-built engine and featuring Terry Hall-built aluminum bodywork, the bike reportedly sounds like “a Messerschmitt chasing a Spitfire.” It was never tested to its full capacity, but has an estimated top speed of 265 km/h, produces 105 bhp and weighs only 172 kg.

Kay’s inspired came from Enzo Ferrari’s having started his motorcycle racing days on a Scott two-stroke; the project took more than 3,000 hours to complete. It has spent most of its life in Kay’s drawing room. Bonhams estimates it will go for between $120,000 and $160,000.

Source: Bonhams

June 15, 2013

by Guillaume Rivard

May 09, 2013

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April 29, 2013

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Crashed Ferrari makes unique living room ornament

Car aficionados are a special breed with special tastes, even when it comes to interior decor. If you think you've seen it all from bucket seats turned into living room chairs and a home entertainment system built out of a classic Mini, guess again.

Charly Molinelli, of Molinelli Designs, recently pushed the furniture envelope by squeezing a heavily wrecked Ferrari inside a glass-top coffee table. The French artist wanted to show the world how a crashed automobile can become a part of your lifestyle at home.

Why on earth would someone feel the need to invest in something like that? Ah, but think outside the box (or inside the box in this case): That's the beauty of art! Maybe an exotic car owner who suffered a collision will look to give his or her precious ride a new lease on life through this most unusual expression.

June 15, 2013

by Guillaume Rivard

May 09, 2013

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April 29, 2013

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Ferrari to give select few a taste of Enzo replacement

Ferrari chairman Luca di Montezemolo says the company will show its Enzo replacement to a hand-picked group of current and potential customers by the end of the year. The new limited-edition model will most likely make its public debut in Detroit in January 2013, or next March in Geneva.

The new model will not carry the name of company founder Enzo Ferrari, as the Enzo was also a limited-edition model. Its replacement promises to be the company’s fastest, most powerful road car ever, surpassing the 740 hp in the F12 Berlinetta revealed in Geneva, which goes from zero to 100 km/h in 3.1 seconds.

The Enzo replacement will have a carbon fibre body and a new, normally aspirated V12. Ferrari produced 399 Enzos from 2002 to 2011 and 349 F50s from 1995 to 2001; they aren’t saying how many of the new car will be produced.

di Montezemolo says Ferrari expects to sell more than 7,000 supercars this year.

Source: Automotive News

June 15, 2013

by Guillaume Rivard

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Italian policemen multi-tasking

From now on, speed limit offenders driving luxury cars will not only face a fine for breaching the highway code, but also be investigated to make sure they paid their taxes.

Italy being literally submerged in debts – 2,500 billion dollars –, authorities have decided to take action against the many Italians who find ways to go around their fiscal responsibilities.

Since many of the said offenders are driving luxury cars, the moment they are pulled over by policemen for speeding is perfect to pin them down for their other offences.

The initiative is part of a plan put in place by the new Italian Prime Minister Mario Monti, and seems to be paying dividends. Since the start of the year, 12 billion of unpaid tax dollars have flowed back into the state's pockets. 2,000 luxury car owners who had "forgotten" to pay their due were caught.

On the downside, the prime minister has had to reinforce security at the national revenue agency offices to protect the employees from threats – 250 letter bombs, Molotov cocktails and other forms of aggressions – coming from unhappy Italians who were forced to pay up.

Source: ABC News

June 15, 2013

by Guillaume Rivard

May 09, 2013

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Ferrari unveils, well, LaFerrari in Geneva

The supercar formerly known as the F70, and later the F150, will finally bear the explicit name of “LaFerrari”. It made its world debut today at the 2013 Geneva Motor Show.

“We chose to call this model 'LaFerrari' because it is the maximum expression of what defines our company – excellence. Excellence in terms of technological innovation, performance, styling and the sheer thrill of driving. Aimed at our collectors, this is a truly extraordinary car which encompasses advanced solutions that, in the future, will find their way onto the rest of the range,” declared Ferrari President Luca di Montezemolo.

An 800-horsepower V12 engine combines with two electric motors and floor-mounted batteries to propel the LaFerrari from 0-100 km/h in less than three seconds. Top speed is rated at 350 km/h.

Said batteries can be charged through regenerative braking, as well as every time the engine produces more torque than necessary. The extra torque is indeed converted into electricity to extend the range.

Only 499 copies of the LaFerrari will be built. Stay tuned for pricing and availability.

June 15, 2013

by Guillaume Rivard

May 09, 2013

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Sergio Pininfarina, creator of the Ferrari Testarossa, passes away

After Carroll Shelby on May 10th, the automotive world lost another legend in designer Sergio Pininfarina. The man responsible for many of Ferrari's most successful and iconic nameplates passed away early Tuesday morning at his home in Turin. He was 85.

Born on September 8th, 1926, Pininfarina took over his father's sports car design firm in 1961. He penned dozens of models for various automakers including Alfa Romeo, Maserati and Peugeot. However, his greatest and most significant work was for Ferrari, starting with the 1952 Ferrari 212 Inter Cabriolet.

Pininfarina went on to create the mythic Ferrari Testarossa, Daytona, 250 GT Coupé and others. Overall, his résumé includes no fewer than 1,000 car designs of which 250 became a reality. All of them combined for more than 30 million units sold worldwide.

Sergio Pininfarina, Luca di Montezemolo (Photo: Ferrari)

June 15, 2013

by Guillaume Rivard

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