Ferrari 70 Years Anniversary
1957 Ferrari 250 Testa Rossa sells for record $39.8 million
This might not come as a shock, but ultra-rare vintage cars are only
going to get more expensive as time rolls on, particularly if there's a
prancing horse on the car's nose. For example, in 2011, a Ferrari 250 Testa Rossa sold for $16.39 million. In February 2012, a 1964 250 GTO sold for nearly $32 million. Later that year, a 1962 250 GTO sold for $35 million. It was the most expensive car ever sold, making last year's 275 GTB/4 NART Spider and its $27.5-million auction price seem like a drop in the platinum-lined bucket. Now, there's been another high-dollar Ferrari sale.
An unrestored, 1957 250 Testa Rossa was reportedly sold for over $39 million, making it the most expensive car ever sold in the United Kingdom. Just for perspective, $39 million is about 28 LaFerraris or roughly 128 F12 Berlinettas. It's not the most expensive car ever sold, but it still represents a huge sum of money for a classic car. Part of the reason for chassis number 0704 - the car pictured above is 0714, which sold for a mere $12.2 million in 2009 - being sold for so much is down to its excellent provenance.
It made its race debut at the 1957 24 Hours of Le Mans, although it failed to finish. Phil Hill and Peter Collins racked up wins with this exact car in Buenos Aires and Sebring, according to the folks at Hemmings. Combining race wins by a former Formula One World Champion with an unrestored example of an extremely rare car (one of just 34 250 Testa Rossas ever built) makes its monumental sale price almost seem reasonable.
Following its racing life, the 0704 was donated to The Henry Ford Museum, outside of Detroit. It spent 30 years there, before being sold in 1997. According to Hemmings,
the care by The Henry Ford team, which has a voluminous collection of
rare and classic cars, is part of the reason this unrestored car remains
in such good condition.
As this was a private sale, rather than through an auction house, it's unlikely we'll ever know the complete details behind the sale. The pricing information comes from The Daily Mail,
which claims well-placed sources confirmed the price of 24 million
pounds (that converts to $39.2 million as of this writing). The car was
owned by Tom Hartley, Jr., a UK-based car dealer. Hartley admitted to selling the car, although it's unclear who the new owner is, according to Hemmings.
______________________________
Ferrari 330 P4 / 350 Can-Am Offered For Sale – RM Auctions
Fresh on the heels of the successful Ferrari 250 GTO (4675 GT) offering,
RM Auctions announced that it is representing the 1967 Ferrari 330 P4 /
350 Can-Am (chassis number 0858) for private treaty sale.This 1967 Ferrari 330 P4, later named 350 Can-Am, has a significant provenance with a well-documented international racing career spanning a number of different continents from Australia to South Africa and Europe. For nearly 40 years it has been under the care of its current owner, during which it has only be shown at very few exclusive events in the United States, including an appearance at the Rolex Monterey Historic automobile races in 1995 and again in 2003.
“With only three original P4s ever built, cars like this exceptional, race-winning example only come to market on the rarest of occasions. RM is delighted to have been chosen to offer this extremely rare and highly desirable example for private treaty sale,” says Peter Wallman, Car Specialist, RM Auctions.
“Having been under the care of its current owner for nearly 40 years, its offering presents a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to acquire one of the most iconic and achingly beautiful Ferrari sports racing prototypes of all time – truly an important piece of Scuderia Ferrari racing history,” Wallman adds.
Only three 330 P4s were built, chassis numbers 0856, 0858 and 0860. In addition, Ferrari 330 P3 0846 was updated to P4 specifications. These four cars made up the factory team in 1967.
After the 1967 season the international regulations were changed and there was no longer a place for the large displacement sports prototypes. Ferrari brought two of the 330 P4s (chassis 0858, the car offered, and chassis 0860) back to the factory and converted them for use in the North American Can-Am series – an event long awaited by Ferrari’s loyal and passionate US customer base. The formula for a Can-Am car was straightforward: ultra-light body shell and lots of power. The P4s were modified as such in Maranello with notable features including a smooth front-end devoid of any lights, a more stylised rear spoiler and two air intakes curving outward to the fuel injection trumpets.
The heart of the car, however, remained pure P4. 0858’s engine was enlarged to a slightly more muscular 4.2-litres by increasing its bore to 79 mm. Greater compression resulted in an increase in power as well. Both Ferraris were designated as 350 Can-Ams. Entered by William Harrah’s Modern Classic Motors and liveried with longitudinal red and white racing stripes, 0858 ran in three races late in the 1967 season – the Monterey Grand Prix at Laguna Seca, the Riverside Grand Prix and the Stardust Grand Prix in Las Vegas, driven twice by Amon and finally by the young factory driver Jonathan Williams of Britain.
In 1968 chassis 0858 was sold to David McKay’s Scuderia Veloce in Australia and was immediately entered in its only Australian race at Surfers Paradise. Paul Hawkins secured its purchase from Australia and had it shipped immediately to South Africa for the Springbok Series. The 1968 season in South Africa proved to be extremely rewarding for 0858 with five outright victories and two second-place and one third-place finish.
In early 1969 chassis 0858 then made a brief reappearance in Europe where twice it finished first overall but did not finish at Dijon in May because of a flat tyre. 0858 was then sold through David Piper to Alistair Walker who sent it back to South Africa where it was entered in such prestigious events as the 9 Hours of Kyalami, Cape Town 3 Hours and the Laurenço Marques 3 Hours in Mozambique. Piper then bought the car back from Walker in 1971 before its current owner acquired 0858 from Piper. Since its purchase, the owner has treasured this important works Ferrari for nearly 40 years, having only shown it at very few exclusive events in the United States.
The 1967 Ferrari 330 P4 / 350 Can-Am (chassis 0858) was last publicly seen at RM’s Ferrari Leggenda e Passione Auction on May 17th, 2010, where it failed to sell at a high bid of $9,968,750.
For further information on this car, contact an RM specialist at +1 519 352 4575 or +44 (0) 20 7851 7070.
1967 Ferrari 330 P4 / 350 Can-Am chassis 0858 – Photo Gallery
Above the 1967 Ferrari 330 P4 / 350 Can-Am Chassis 0858
1967 Ferrari 330 P4 / 350 Can-Am Chassis 0858 Right Rear
1967 Ferrari 330 P4 / 350 Can-Am Side View
1967 Ferrari 330 P4 / 350 Can-Am Chassis 0858
1967 Ferrari 330 P4 / 350 Can-Am Chassis 0858 Interior
1967 Ferrari 330 P4 / 350 Can-Am Chassis 0858 Engine Trumpets
1967 Ferrari 330 P4 / 350 Can-Am Chassis 0858 Engine
Rear view of 1967 Ferrari 330 P4 / 350 Can-Am Chassis 0858
1967 Ferrari 350 Can-Am
RM Auctions has sold its fair share of Ferraris. The prestigious auction
house is a magnet for fine cars, and vehicles wearing the prancing
horse frequently pass through RM to their new owners. On May 17, 2009,
RM will be offering yet another of Enzo's creations. But while no
Ferrari is ordinary, this particular vehicle happens to be one of the
most highly esteemed cars to ever cross the block at RM.
The story starts like this. In the early 1960's, Ferrari was the most potent player in endurance racing. Competing in GT and prototype classes, Ferrari was building some of the most devastatingly fast cars of the period. The company hovered out of reach above the rest of the racing world. No one could touch Ferrari.
Maranello's miracle workers were so successful that Ford showed great interest in buying the company. The notoriously headstrong Enzo Ferrari was unwilling to see through any agreements with Ford, though, and after the talks went sour Ford decided to devote a portion of its vast resources to developing a strong racing team. Out of a personal grudge against the cavallino rampante, Ford's legendary GT40 was created.
The first time Ford met Ferrari on the track was in 1964 for the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Reliability problems meant no Fords finished, while Ferrari placed a 4-liter 330 P in first, second, and third. Ford's empire had plenty of change to spare, though. Undeterred, the American behemoth continued dumping funds into its racing efforts.
A rematch saw the 7-liter Ford GT40 pitted against the revised Ferrari 330 P2, but neither car fared well in 1965. For 1966, both manufacturers geared up for an all-out battle. Ferrari revised the 330 further, creating the 330 P3. It featured such innovations as a 5-speed ZF gearbox, lightweight fiberglass doors, and a new Lucas fuel injection system. The cars were marvels of engineering on paper, but not enough development time was afforded between racing seasons. Ferrari struggled to engineer and produce the cars with its relatively limited resources, and reliability problems resulted from the truncated development. On the track, Ford came through with a podium-filling finish while no Ferraris completed the race. The reversal of fortunes was an embarrassing moment for the Italian sports car maker. It spelled war.
Ford's unbelievable budget didn't faze Enzo and his team. Ferrari spared nothing in its development of the 330 P4. The new car was still powered by a 4-liter V12 mounted amidships, but the updated engine was a redeveloped version of the 3-liter F1 motor. A new 36-valve head with one intake and two exhaust valves per cylinder was used. Power reached an incredible 450bhp at 8,200rpm. At the 24 Hours of Daytona race in 1967, Ferrari earned back its pride. They destroyed the Ford home team, with P4's crossing the finish line in first and second, followed closely by a remaining P3. Ferrari was back and even though Ford won at Le Mans that year, two P4's filled out the remaining spots on the podium.
The car that RM will be offering come Sunday is a 350 Can-Am. There were two 350 Can-Ams produced, both revisions of the excellent 330 P4. Chassis number 0858 was one of the cars brought to Can-Am specs, and it is the vehicle that will be available through RM. It was converted to an open car for the BOAC International 500 race, where the removal of its roof shed 40kg. A low, sharp nose with no lights was added to the car as one of the Can-Am revisions. Complementing the body's absence of a roof, the clean face adds to the car's sleek shape.
Chassis 0858 was successful in private hands, racing in renowned events at Kyalami, Cape Town, and the like before being retired from racing. Its current owner purchased the car 38 years ago, and has maintained it impeccably.
With racing successes in both 330 P4 and 350 Can-Am guises, chassis 0858 is an incredible car. Its rich history involves being a factory racer for Ferrari during some of the company's most intense battles. Mechanically and aesthetically, few vehicles can impress more highly than can this Ferrari. What price can be placed on such perfect pedigree? That seems to be a question that automotive journalists the world over are asking right now. Never before has a 330 P4 or 350 Can-Am been offered on the market, and estimates for chassis 0858 have climbed well into the 8-figures. We'll have to wait until Saturday to know just what will happen. The world is watching.
Ferrari Enzo
2008 Ferrari FXX Evoluzione street legal
Ferrari FXX Evoluzione is a supercar, capable of extreme performance. Ferrari FXX Evoluzione is also one of the most exclusive supercars from Maranello. To give you an example, it can reach a top speed of nearly 400 kilometers per hour. They were intended exclusively for racetrack driving, and therefore not possible to register for use in everyday traffic.
The production number of Ferrari FXX Evoluzione ended at number 38,
and only one of these can be registered for driving in everyday traffic.
And exactly this one, the only street legal nine-year-old 2008 Ferrari
FXX Evoluzione is now for sale. And this kind of exclusivity, of course,
has its price. The seller wants no less than 10 million pounds for it
(approx. 11.7 million EUR or 12 million USD).
Built in 2008, and modified for the road in 2015, it has traveled
only 1,300 miles (2,092 kilometers) so far. Undoubtedly it is in
excellent condition, with all the supporting maintenance papers by
Ferrari, as well as all the original parts if the buyer would want to
rebuild it back to the track version.
While the LaFerrari hybrid is the Ferrari hypercar of the moment, it's just the latest in a long line of insane prancing horses.
Turn back the clock to the mid 2000s, and the FXX Evolution was the most extreme Ferrari you could buy. So extreme, in fact, that it wasn't road legal. That hasn't stopped Ferrari of Ft. Lauderdale from asking close to $2.2 million for a used example.
For the record, that's slightly more than the $2.1 million paid for an FXX Evolution at the 2011 Gooding & Company auction in Scottsdale, Arizona, which was a record for that particular auction. Michael Schumacher's personal FXX was put up for sale last year with a $2.67 million sticker.
Still, if there's any supercar from the past decade that can act as a money vacuum, it's the FXX. Only 30 cars were built, and all were maintained by Ferrari as part of its Corse Clienti program.
That meant owners never actually took delivery of their cars. Ferrari maintained possession of each car, but would ship it to a track of the owner's choosing along with a support team for the full racing fantasy experience.
It also means that while it may technically be a "used" car, the Rosso Scuderia (red) 2005 FXX Evolution similar to the one above was probably maintained to a higher standard than even the most pampered collector car.
The Enzo-based car features a 6.3-liter V-12, coupled to the most advanced version of Ferrari's F1 gearbox that was available at the time. Forward motion is scrubbed off by silicon-carbide ceramic composite brakes.
According to the dealer, this car was upgraded to an Evolution model in 2007. That included an increase in engine output from 789 horsepower to 860 hp, a 25-percent improvement in downforce, and faster shift times from the F1 gearbox.
That all sounds very impressive, even with the LaFerrari waiting in the wings.
Ferrari F50
Ferrari Limousine
Michael schumacher's F1 Car For Sale Ferrari 2001 Championship Car Auction
The body, in the compact sports coupe style known to the Italians as “berlinetta,” sheds pounds via a rear spoiler fashioned from carbon fiber, plus polycarbonate bumpers. A fairly extreme step, sometimes seen on race cars, is a rear window (with functional louvers, a nod to the F40) made not of glass but of the polycarbonate resin thermoplastic Lexan, losing 11 pounds. And it isn’t all about losing weight. The slippery looking F8 Tributo is also 10% more aerodynamically efficient than the 488 GTB. The Tributo is Ferrari’s most powerful V8 ever, with a 49 horsepower increase over the 488. The new car will reach 62 miles per hour in 2.9 seconds, and 125 mph in 7.8, with a top speed of 211 mph. At the drag strip, should it ever go there, the F8 Tributo would be turning in 10-second quarter-mile times. There’s no on-the-ground date or price for the new car yet, but the bottom line is likely to be over US$300,000. The current 488 GTB starts at US$256,550, but prices zoom much higher, especially for the retractable-hardtop Spider or the super-performance Pista model. The latter is priced at US$350,050, and has the same 710 horsepower as the incoming F8 Tributo.
Ferrari has been on a tear recently, and is planning to introduce four more new models by the end of the year. That doesn’t even include the P80/C, a one-of-one concept car with the track in mind. Of course, there’s also the risk of introducing too many new models. According to Mike Ramsey, senior research director for automotive and smart mobility at Gartner, “There has always been tension about limiting production [at Ferrari] in order to create scarcity and value. The demand has always been there to sell more—but it comes at a risk of diminishing the brand value and residual values of the vehicles.” But in the meantime, the higher numbers have to be delivering smiles in Maranello. Ferrari’s sales are sparkling in a down market, up 23% in the first quarter of 2019 compared to the same period in 2018.
Core earnings are up 14%in the first quarter, with the Portofino convertible (also V8 powered) leading the charge. Net earnings were up 22%, to 180 million euros
(US$201.6 million).
Part of Ferrari’s uptick is success in the Chinese market. According to Caldwell, “Unlike some of the other automakers, Ferrari has been successful in China thanks to a robust population of millionaires.”
On a recent visit to Shanghai, I saw a plethora of high-end European cars on the road from Porsche, Lamborghini, Mercedes-Benz, and Ferrari. While affluent Chinese buyers tend to favor chauffeured sedans with long wheelbases (and both Rolls-Royce and Bentley are popular), Italian sports cars are doing very well.
Also in the first quarter, Ferrari sales in Taiwan, China, and Hong Kong combined were up 79%, to 328. Other strong markets were North and South America (up 27% to 720); Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA, up 10%to 1,209); and Asia Pacific (up 29%to 353).
If Ferrari continues to introduce innovative new models—without saturating the market—its future is secure. And that’s true even as the overall auto sales picture suffers globally.
LLC 501C- 4 UCC 1-308.ALL RIGHTS RESERVED WITHOUT PREJUDICE
The story starts like this. In the early 1960's, Ferrari was the most potent player in endurance racing. Competing in GT and prototype classes, Ferrari was building some of the most devastatingly fast cars of the period. The company hovered out of reach above the rest of the racing world. No one could touch Ferrari.
Maranello's miracle workers were so successful that Ford showed great interest in buying the company. The notoriously headstrong Enzo Ferrari was unwilling to see through any agreements with Ford, though, and after the talks went sour Ford decided to devote a portion of its vast resources to developing a strong racing team. Out of a personal grudge against the cavallino rampante, Ford's legendary GT40 was created.
The first time Ford met Ferrari on the track was in 1964 for the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Reliability problems meant no Fords finished, while Ferrari placed a 4-liter 330 P in first, second, and third. Ford's empire had plenty of change to spare, though. Undeterred, the American behemoth continued dumping funds into its racing efforts.
A rematch saw the 7-liter Ford GT40 pitted against the revised Ferrari 330 P2, but neither car fared well in 1965. For 1966, both manufacturers geared up for an all-out battle. Ferrari revised the 330 further, creating the 330 P3. It featured such innovations as a 5-speed ZF gearbox, lightweight fiberglass doors, and a new Lucas fuel injection system. The cars were marvels of engineering on paper, but not enough development time was afforded between racing seasons. Ferrari struggled to engineer and produce the cars with its relatively limited resources, and reliability problems resulted from the truncated development. On the track, Ford came through with a podium-filling finish while no Ferraris completed the race. The reversal of fortunes was an embarrassing moment for the Italian sports car maker. It spelled war.
Ford's unbelievable budget didn't faze Enzo and his team. Ferrari spared nothing in its development of the 330 P4. The new car was still powered by a 4-liter V12 mounted amidships, but the updated engine was a redeveloped version of the 3-liter F1 motor. A new 36-valve head with one intake and two exhaust valves per cylinder was used. Power reached an incredible 450bhp at 8,200rpm. At the 24 Hours of Daytona race in 1967, Ferrari earned back its pride. They destroyed the Ford home team, with P4's crossing the finish line in first and second, followed closely by a remaining P3. Ferrari was back and even though Ford won at Le Mans that year, two P4's filled out the remaining spots on the podium.
The car that RM will be offering come Sunday is a 350 Can-Am. There were two 350 Can-Ams produced, both revisions of the excellent 330 P4. Chassis number 0858 was one of the cars brought to Can-Am specs, and it is the vehicle that will be available through RM. It was converted to an open car for the BOAC International 500 race, where the removal of its roof shed 40kg. A low, sharp nose with no lights was added to the car as one of the Can-Am revisions. Complementing the body's absence of a roof, the clean face adds to the car's sleek shape.
Chassis 0858 was successful in private hands, racing in renowned events at Kyalami, Cape Town, and the like before being retired from racing. Its current owner purchased the car 38 years ago, and has maintained it impeccably.
With racing successes in both 330 P4 and 350 Can-Am guises, chassis 0858 is an incredible car. Its rich history involves being a factory racer for Ferrari during some of the company's most intense battles. Mechanically and aesthetically, few vehicles can impress more highly than can this Ferrari. What price can be placed on such perfect pedigree? That seems to be a question that automotive journalists the world over are asking right now. Never before has a 330 P4 or 350 Can-Am been offered on the market, and estimates for chassis 0858 have climbed well into the 8-figures. We'll have to wait until Saturday to know just what will happen. The world is watching.
Ferrari Enzo
The only street legal Ferrari FXX Evoluzione for sale, for 2 million American Dollars
2008 Ferrari FXX Evoluzione street legal
Ferrari FXX Evoluzione is a supercar, capable of extreme performance. Ferrari FXX Evoluzione is also one of the most exclusive supercars from Maranello. To give you an example, it can reach a top speed of nearly 400 kilometers per hour. They were intended exclusively for racetrack driving, and therefore not possible to register for use in everyday traffic.
Only 38 Ferrari FXX Evoluzione produced, and only one is street legal
2008 Ferrari FXX Evoluzione in Rosso Corsa paint job.
Is Ferrari FXX Evoluzione an F1 car with a windscreen wiper?
Undoubtedly, auctioned Ferrari FXX is a remarkable specimen that will surely find a suitable buyer or collector. The car is dressed in Rosso Corsa paint job and has a black interior. Under the bonnet, there is a 6.3-liter naturally aspirated V12 engine with a total power of 850 horsepower (633 kilowatts) at 9500 rpm, a 6-speed sequential gearbox and rear wheel drive.
2008 Ferrari FXX Evoluzione for sale. Price? 2 million Dollars. This engine can push the FXX Evoluzione all the way to its top speed
of almost 400 kilometers per hour (247 mph) and is able to reach 100
kilometers per hour from standstill in 2.5 seconds
2008 Ferrari FXX Evoluzione rear view.
Interesting fact: in 2009, the black Ferrari FXX, owned by former F1 driver Michael Schumacher, appeared in a Top Gear show, beating the Top Gear’s circuit record lap time by 7 seconds. The record time was removed shortly after because, during the race, the car was equipped with slick racing tires and therefore not street legal, which is one of the requirements for being on their board.
Ferrari FXX specification
Engine
- Engine: 6.3 L V12 Longitudinal, rear-mid-mounted, 65-degree, naturally aspirated aluminum V12
- Valvetrain: DOHC, 4 valves per cylinder with continuously variable timing
- Fuel system: Bosch Motronic ME7 Sequential Electronic Injection
- Max power: 588 kW (799 PS; 789 hp) at 8500 rpm
- Max torque: 686 N·m (506 lb·ft) at 5750 rpm
- Specific Output: 128 PS (94 kW; 126 hp) per litre
Dimensions
- Length: 4,832 mm (190.2 in)
- Width: 2,040 mm (80.3 in)
- Height: 1,127 mm (44.4 in)
- Curb weight: 1,165 kg (2,568 lb)
- Wheelbase: 2,650 mm (104 in)
- Front track: 1,660 mm (65 in)
- Rear track: 1,650 mm (65 in)
- Front wheels: 483 mm (19.0 in) x 229 mm (9.0 in)
- Rear wheels: 483 mm (19.0 in) x 330 mm (13 in)
Performance
- Drive system: RWD w/TCS
- 0-100 kilometers per hour acceleration: 2.5 seconds
- Top speed: 345 kilometers per hour (214 mph)
- Front brakes: Brembo CCM (carbon-ceramic) discs w/6-piston calipers, power assist ABS
- Rear brakes: Brembo CCM (carbon-ceramic) discs w/4-piston calipers, power assist ABS
Ferrari FXX Evolution For Sale In Florida With $2.2 Million Price Tag
While the LaFerrari hybrid is the Ferrari hypercar of the moment, it's just the latest in a long line of insane prancing horses.
Turn back the clock to the mid 2000s, and the FXX Evolution was the most extreme Ferrari you could buy. So extreme, in fact, that it wasn't road legal. That hasn't stopped Ferrari of Ft. Lauderdale from asking close to $2.2 million for a used example.
For the record, that's slightly more than the $2.1 million paid for an FXX Evolution at the 2011 Gooding & Company auction in Scottsdale, Arizona, which was a record for that particular auction. Michael Schumacher's personal FXX was put up for sale last year with a $2.67 million sticker.
Still, if there's any supercar from the past decade that can act as a money vacuum, it's the FXX. Only 30 cars were built, and all were maintained by Ferrari as part of its Corse Clienti program.
That meant owners never actually took delivery of their cars. Ferrari maintained possession of each car, but would ship it to a track of the owner's choosing along with a support team for the full racing fantasy experience.
It also means that while it may technically be a "used" car, the Rosso Scuderia (red) 2005 FXX Evolution similar to the one above was probably maintained to a higher standard than even the most pampered collector car.
The Enzo-based car features a 6.3-liter V-12, coupled to the most advanced version of Ferrari's F1 gearbox that was available at the time. Forward motion is scrubbed off by silicon-carbide ceramic composite brakes.
According to the dealer, this car was upgraded to an Evolution model in 2007. That included an increase in engine output from 789 horsepower to 860 hp, a 25-percent improvement in downforce, and faster shift times from the F1 gearbox.
That all sounds very impressive, even with the LaFerrari waiting in the wings.
Ferrari F50
Ferrari Limousine
Michael schumacher's F1 Car For Sale Ferrari 2001 Championship Car Auction
Ferrari’s F8 Tributo: A V8 Rocket to Replace the 488 GTB
The Ferrari F8 Tributo, seen here at its recent debut in Oman. The Middle East is a strong market for Ferrari.
Ferrari photo
“All Ferraris are red,” the saying goes, but they’re not all
powered by 12-cylinder engines. The Italian automaker also likes V8s,
and that’s exactly what powers its replacement for the 488 GTB, the F8
Tributo. Revealed at the Geneva Motor Show this year, the two-seat
F8 Tributo is a mid-engine rocket that borrows (but improves upon) the
3.9-liter twin-turbo V-8 used in the 488 Pisa. In the F8 it produces 710
horsepower and 568 pound feet of torque, all in a lightweight body that
weighs 88 pounds less than the 488 GTB. Nearly half that weight came
off the engine, which dropped almost 40 pounds through the use of
lighter exhaust headers and flywheel, as well as titanium connecting
rods.The body, in the compact sports coupe style known to the Italians as “berlinetta,” sheds pounds via a rear spoiler fashioned from carbon fiber, plus polycarbonate bumpers. A fairly extreme step, sometimes seen on race cars, is a rear window (with functional louvers, a nod to the F40) made not of glass but of the polycarbonate resin thermoplastic Lexan, losing 11 pounds. And it isn’t all about losing weight. The slippery looking F8 Tributo is also 10% more aerodynamically efficient than the 488 GTB. The Tributo is Ferrari’s most powerful V8 ever, with a 49 horsepower increase over the 488. The new car will reach 62 miles per hour in 2.9 seconds, and 125 mph in 7.8, with a top speed of 211 mph. At the drag strip, should it ever go there, the F8 Tributo would be turning in 10-second quarter-mile times. There’s no on-the-ground date or price for the new car yet, but the bottom line is likely to be over US$300,000. The current 488 GTB starts at US$256,550, but prices zoom much higher, especially for the retractable-hardtop Spider or the super-performance Pista model. The latter is priced at US$350,050, and has the same 710 horsepower as the incoming F8 Tributo.
The Ferrari F8 Tributo was unveiled at this year's Geneva Motor Show.
Ferrari photo
The mid-engine V8 has been in Ferrari’s stable since 1975, when the
308 GTB was introduced. The 308, made famous as piloted (in three
different variants) by Tom Selleck on Magnum P.I. (and also featured in Cannonball Run and National Lampoon’s Vacation),
was long regarded as the poor man’s Ferrari. But values have been
rising sharply in recent years. At a 2017 Gooding auction in Scottsdale,
Arizona, a 1980 308 GTB sold for US$148,500.Ferrari has been on a tear recently, and is planning to introduce four more new models by the end of the year. That doesn’t even include the P80/C, a one-of-one concept car with the track in mind. Of course, there’s also the risk of introducing too many new models. According to Mike Ramsey, senior research director for automotive and smart mobility at Gartner, “There has always been tension about limiting production [at Ferrari] in order to create scarcity and value. The demand has always been there to sell more—but it comes at a risk of diminishing the brand value and residual values of the vehicles.” But in the meantime, the higher numbers have to be delivering smiles in Maranello. Ferrari’s sales are sparkling in a down market, up 23% in the first quarter of 2019 compared to the same period in 2018.
Core earnings are up 14%in the first quarter, with the Portofino convertible (also V8 powered) leading the charge. Net earnings were up 22%, to 180 million euros
(US$201.6 million).
The cockpit of the F8 Tributo, which replaces the 488 in Ferrari's lineup.
Ferrari photo
“Ferrari isn’t held to the same rules as the rest of the automotive
industry,” Jessica Caldwell, executive director for data strategy at
Edmunds, told Penta. “The small fraction of individuals who can
afford a Ferrari aren’t your average consumer: They’re not affected by
factors like rising interest rates or even an economic downturn.
Product, image and performance are everything to them; practicality and
affordability aren’t even really considerations.”Part of Ferrari’s uptick is success in the Chinese market. According to Caldwell, “Unlike some of the other automakers, Ferrari has been successful in China thanks to a robust population of millionaires.”
On a recent visit to Shanghai, I saw a plethora of high-end European cars on the road from Porsche, Lamborghini, Mercedes-Benz, and Ferrari. While affluent Chinese buyers tend to favor chauffeured sedans with long wheelbases (and both Rolls-Royce and Bentley are popular), Italian sports cars are doing very well.
Also in the first quarter, Ferrari sales in Taiwan, China, and Hong Kong combined were up 79%, to 328. Other strong markets were North and South America (up 27% to 720); Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA, up 10%to 1,209); and Asia Pacific (up 29%to 353).
If Ferrari continues to introduce innovative new models—without saturating the market—its future is secure. And that’s true even as the overall auto sales picture suffers globally.
LLC 501C- 4 UCC 1-308.ALL RIGHTS RESERVED WITHOUT PREJUDICE
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