I've moved!

To my Ferrari fans. I have moved to Wordpress.org to have my own domain and hosting so that I can provide my information without being shut down. There is also the better feature of the comments being displayed so that you can carry on a dialog and know what others as well as I are saying. The blog has a different name. It is: http://www.ferraridreams.biz/ . This is my last post for my Blogger.com blog. I hope to see you at my new blog. BLOGGING TO THE FUTURE!!!

Ferrari's London Store to open on Regent Street

The high-end United Kingdom Ferrari Store is expected to open in November. It will be based in London's Regent St. and the two floor 5,920 sq. ft. store will feature flexible aluminum panelling around the perimeter and moving gondolas, allowing layouts to be changed rapidly.
The shop will have two areas-one that alludes to the brand's racing history and the other for the sale of luxury branded merchandise.
The windows and displays in the luxury zone will be more classic, featuring high-gloss coatings and leather surfaces. The interior is to be reminiscent of the form and internal treatment of Ferrari cars.
The London store opening is part of a global plan by the brand to open more than 40 retail outlets across Europe, North America, Asia, and the Middle East.
The company already has 22 stores worldwide and this would be their 23rd.

Source: http://www.prweek.com and http://www.retail-week.com

Ferrari Personalization Program for 599 GTB Fiorano

Ferrari increases its One to One Personalization Program to extend from the 612 Scaglietti to the 599 GTB Fiorano.
Customers of this vehicle will now be able to visit the dedicated Atelier in Maranello to create and reserve their own car.
Not only will they have a vast range of color and trim to choose from, but will also be assisted by specially trained Ferrari consultants.
Clients attending the Paris Auto Show can go to Ferrari's stand to work out every last detail of their 599 GTB Fiorano according to their own personal needs and tastes.
Dedicated Ferrari staff will be on hand to work with clients at each step of the way.

Source: http://www.evo.co.uk and http://www.totallymotor.co.uk

The Debut of the Ferrari California in Paris

Ferrari president Luca di Montezemolo with the new California at the 2008 Paris auto show.

The all-new Pininfarina-designed California was unveiled at the October 2nd, 2008 Paris Motor Show. It is a GT model with a front-mounted eight-cylinder. The car's most notable feature is a retractable hardtop, besides other innovative features. Its V-8 uses direct fuel injection and is connected to a new seven speed double-clutch transmission. Cabin technology includes Bluetooth cell phone integration, an iPod connector, and a hard drive-based navigation.
According to Ferrari CEO Amedeo Felisa it combines the purring, powerful performance of a Ferrari with features for people who want more fun from their sports cars and he's predicting record sales.
About 6,000 people-including more than 100 in South Africa-have expressed interest in buying a California, which will retail for approximately $250,000, before Ferrari has even opened its order book.
Felisa said Ferrari expected 2008 to be another record breaking year, with "more or less constant" sales in US and Europe boosted by growth in countries such as Russia, China and the United Arab Emirates.
Ferrari president Luca di Montezemolo said in a press conference he hoped the financial would remove some of the distortions in the market, with people paying to move up the waiting list for a Ferrari or selling their Ferrari contract.
He said the waiting list was an important tool in maintaining an exclusiveness that people were willing to pay for, as Ferrari always supplied less than the market demanded.
Ferrari delivered 6,465 cars in 2008, an increase of 14% from 2006 to meet demand in new markets, "without losing one inch of exclusivity" in its established markets, Montezemolo said.

Source: http://www.motoring.co.za/ and http://reviews.cnet.com/

2009 Ferrari 430 Scuderia

To increase performance of the regular F430, Ferrari started by adding lightness-about 220 lbs. of lightness.
'Minimalist' would be the word to describe the cockpit of the Ferrari. Minimalist to the point of there being no carpets and the lightest possible door trims. But the real weight savings are far more technical. Hollow anti-roll bars, titanium springs and wheel nuts, lighter shock-absorbers, and a lighter steering box. Carbon fiber is widely used here and there, along with lightweight materials for various parts of the external trim. In pursuit of lightness, Ferrari has not gone as far as eliminating the radio or satellite navigation.
With the horsepower-per-liter output raised, you'll discover that the 4.3-liter Scuderia develops 510 horsepower and this car is just weighing 2,827 pounds.
At the same time, a higher compression ratio delivers an increase in torque, and a greater flexibility. Some 80% of the rated peak torque of 470 Nm (Newton meters) occurs from just 3,000 rpm, which makes the Ferrari much more easier to control than you might imagine of a car designed primarily for track use. As a result, the Ferrari will burble along in heavy traffic, without the engine getting lumpy or sounding over-riched.
To some extent, the engine owes its smoothness to Formula 1 technology, and provides yet another example of how Ferrari's racing experience has been allowed to trickle down to its production cars. As with the company's F1 engines, each cylinder of the 430 Scuderia has its own ignition coil. In addition, some clever new software detects the ionization current within each cylinder during combustion. Ionization current is a sort of chemical soup from which suitable sensors can extract specific information about the efficiency of the burn. The Ferrari system uses these measurements to fine-tune the advance feed in order to get the biggest bang from the leanest burn. In effect, the engine is constantly being tuned as you drive along.
You can reach the legal limit from a standstill in about four seconds, but the greatest pleasure is gotten from the stab 'n' go mid-range punch. Under heavy acceleration, the thrust is interrupted by mere milliseconds as the paddle-controlled F1 box changes gear in an instant. New 'parallelization' technology means that as gear changes occur, a number of things happen almost simultaneously; torque is reduced, the clutch is disengaged, cogs are swapped, the clutch is released, and torque re-applied. All those things happen in about 60 milliseconds. There is a very good reason why Ferrari calls its new transmission F1-Superfast2.
Integrated with the gearshift is something called E-Diff. On a twisting road or circuit, the engine torque migrates from one side of the driven axle to the other as the throttle opening, steering angle, suspension loadings, and relative wheel speeds change according to the car's motion and velocity (as distinct from speed). In short, the wheel with the most grip gets the most torque. But, unlike most systems, which wait for a wheel to lose grip before reacting, the E-Diff uses an array of sensors to anticipate the onset of traction loss to prevent it happening in the first place.
E-Diff works in conjunction with the car's standard traction and stability controls to enable, in Ferrari's words, "...a less expert driver to take the vehicle to its limits." But for those who think they've got what it takes, there is the racing manettino.
There is then Michael Schumacher, 7-time F1 World Champion, who enters the story. It was he, in conjunction with Ferrari engineers, who helped develop the racing manettino used on the 430 Scuderia. Taking the form of a small rotary switch located near the steering wheel boss, the manettino enables a driver to switch between a number of traction settings: Wet or low-grip, Sport, and Race. In turn, each provides slightly more aggressive engine mapping and a quicker gear-change.
And for experienced drivers there are two more settings. The first switches off just the traction control, and the second, both traction and stability control. From that point, you're on your own, with only the E-Diff for company.
In the setting 'Race', it brings into play another button that enables a softer setting for the telescopic dampers. Using that combination, you get the best of both worlds: optimum performance and a reasonable ride.
The 430 Scuderia is as meticulously engineered as a spacecraft, and as finely tuned as a Formula One car. And thanks to Mr. Schumacher, you can drive it like an expert.

Source: http://www.newcarnet.co.uk

2009 Ferrari 612 Scaglietti

The oldest current model, the 612 Scaglietti, is also its least desirable, if the marketplace is any indication. While the F430 and the 599 GTB Fiorano enjoy long waiting lists, Ferrari's flagship can sometimes be bought right off of the showroom floor. Does it make the car bad? Not at all-it's still a Ferrari.
The problem is that the 612 has an elegant, reserved demeanor compared to the entry-level F430 with which its behavior is juvenile in respect to the polished Scaglietti that feels best when it's cruising gently around town. Its V-12 is quiet inside the cabin, the ride is plush, and the steering is light, offering far less feedback than you'd expect. The interior is flawlessly finished, with beautiful leather on every surface.
When you turn the manettino to Sport mode, the 612's automated-manual transmission starts off a neck-snapping, 100-millisecond, full-throttle shift. That may explain the Ferrari key fob, which seems totally out of place in this understated coupe, remains arrest-me red.
Ferrari has made some subtle changes to the Scaglietti for its fifth year, and one not-so-subtle change to the price. The cheapest 612 you can now buy retails for an almost incomprehensible $318,538. Last year, you could drive out of a dealership in a 612 for roughly $55,000 less. What do you get for the extra money?
First of all, an updated SuperFast version of Ferrari's F1 automated-manual gearbox is now standard, complete with the aforementioned manettino. A manual transmission is no longer available. If you force it to, the updated 612 will haul its 4100-pounds self to 62 mph in 0.2 sec.
faster than before, in four seconds flat. The coupe keeps accelerating to 199 mph, and it's them numbers that is likely will impress potential 612 customers.
The updated Scaglietti also receives a Bose infotainment and navigation system and a glass panoramic roof. A center-console-mounted, three position switch commands electrochromatic elements in the glass to help block the sun's rays and keep the interior cooler on warm days.
If the sticker price still isn't steep enough, you can make use of Ferrari's new One-to-One program, which allows you to customize your car to your own tastes.

Source: http://www.automobilemag.com/