The latest Ferrari California photos and details have just been released by the Prancing Horse. It’s the first time we've seen the California with its folding hard-top erected, and extra snippets of information - like the size of the 2+2 - have now been announced.

Its 4560mm length puts the California midway between an Aston Martin V8 Vantage and DB9, while the Ferrari’s 1900mm width means it is wider than both Brits. Compared to its Ferrari brethren, the California is 48mm longer than an F430 but 23mm narrower.

The folding metal roof is a two-piece unit that folds away in just 14 seconds. When the roof is up, the boot has a 360-litre capacity, shrinking to 260 when the hard-top is folded away.

The overhead shots of the California also give us the first glimpse of the 2+2’s four seats. Let's not beat about the bush - rear legroom looks a little tight. The wheelbase of the California is 2700mm, a mere 50mm shorter than a 599’s.

And if you’re thinking you don’t want your California in typical Ferrari blood red, then this car’s Azzurro California paint job could be just the ticket.

Number junkies will enjoy the California's 4.3-litre V8, 454bhp at 7500rpm and a 0-62mph time of less than 4.0sec - thanks to a new launch control system.

Emissions figures still haven’t been finalised, but Ferrari claims the California will release ‘around’ 310g/km of CO2. The combined mpg figure is 21.4, better than any other current Ferrari and not bad for a supercar with some towering performance potential.

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This is the Ferrari California – the new 2+2 GT unveiled today. There’s a seven-speed twin-clutch transmission, a 454bhp 4.3-litre V8 with direct injection, a folding metal roof and space for four.

The engine is a 4300cc V8, using the existing block from the F430 but with a new head to accommodate direct injection. It’s the first time Ferrari has used DI and helps the California produce 454bhp at a heady 7500rpm. Ferrari currently hasn’t released any torque figures but claims the California has ‘a torque curve that enhances the vehicle dynamics and driving pleasure to the utmost’.

The exhaust gases exit through some very Lexus IS-F looking, stacked pipes – a first on a Ferrari.

Very quick indeed. The California premieres Ferrari’s new seven-speed twin-clutch transmission and the car blasts to 62mph in under four seconds. A manual Porsche 911 Turbo open-top takes four seconds exactly. And because the Nissan GT-R has only a six-speeder, the Ferrari California has the world’s first seven-speed transaxle 'box. Nerds take note.

Ferrari has switched to the twin-clutch ‘box because it can’t get the current semi-auto system to switch cogs any faster, and because the more relaxed GT nature of the California demands a more relaxed and seamless change. The new ‘box is also claimed to reduce fuel consumption and help give the Ferrari California CO2 emissions of around 310g/km.

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Buying a Ferrari – if you have the money not exactly a method of torture in the first place – has just improved. Second-hand models sold through Ferrari UK’s 15-strong dealer network are set to be backed up by Ferrari Approved, a scheme adding some piece of mind to anyone buying a car up to nine years old.

Aiming to sidestep the stereotype of unreliable Italian cars, it means the average 900 pre-owned supercars Ferrari UK dealers sells each year are intended to be as good as new. The company says each car will go through a similar preparation to a car that is factory fresh, while Ferrari Approved is also designed the combat the rapidly increasing number of used Ferrari sold outside of official Ferrari channels.

A 190-point inspection and a mileage and identity check make sure the car does as it promises, with only genuine Ferrari parts used on any defects that are found. You also get a years warranty and breakdown cover to cover any unforeseen eventualities. A check on any outstanding finance also makes sure you aren’t buying the car because the previous owner couldn’t.

Having passed their inspections, cars eligible to be sold as Ferrari Approved are those that are less than nine years old and with mileage below 56,000. They must also be free from third party modification. But even if the dream Ferrari you buy is nine years old on the day of purchase, it’ll have cover through until its tenth birthday.

Cars covered range from early 360 Modenas to the current 599 GTB, with rarities like the 550 Barchetta convertible also included in the scheme. Happy shopping.

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Everyone was going green at Detroit - even Ferrari. It unveiled its new, hitherto rarely seen green side in an attempt to woo the increasingly environment-conscious America.

The F430 Spider Biofuel runs on E85 fuel, meaning 85 percent of the mix is renewable ethanol. But while other companies already produce E85 cars (from Saab to Koenigsegg), Ferrari has no immediate plans to put a biofuel car into production.

But the supercar maker is deadly serious about reducing its emissions: Ferrari wants a 40 percent reduction by 2012. It’s a bold claim and the F430 concept points to a possible role of biofuels in future Maranello products.

Ferrari has already used E10 biofuel in the F430-based GT2 racer last year, and found the upshot was an increase in power. Hence the E85 Spider has an extra 10bhp and a 4 percent torque increase, despite the engine mechanicals being unchanged. The CO2 emissions drop by 5 percent, some way short of the company's four-year target but good nonetheless. Fuel consumption is actually slightly up, but the fuel is mostly renewable.
But instead of biofuel cars Ferrari plans to cuts it emissions by cutting weight. From the start of 2008, the company's cars all come with carbon brakes as standard, cutting at least 15kg per vehicle. It's a start, but expect more drastic weight reduction, and possibly downsized and turbocharged engines, all in the style of the Mille Chili concept.

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That’s right; Ferrari is considering an Italian Stallion SUV. According to a report by AutoExpress, Ferrari is considering an SUV to rival the success of the Porsche Cayenne which will open up the Ferrari brand to a huge new customer base.

Codenamed ‘Project G151,’ the Ferrari SUV is still in its early stages and has yet to be passed by the big guys at the Italian automaker who are nervous of opening up the brand to the masses. The Ferrari SUV probably won’t be a true off-roader but a crossover that will have a choice of V8 and V12 engines.

Ferrari’s main obstacle is to come up with a four-wheel-drive transmission, which it is expected to develop in partnership with Mercedes.

AutoExpress says that bosses have scratched the idea of building an SUV with sister company Maserati and have decided to go with a true Ferrari 4×4 with higher price tag. Pricing is expected to be above £100,000. If the project receives the green light we may see a concept some time in 2010.

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Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi’s son’s Ferrari has been impounded for being too loud. Seif al-Arab, a 25 year old student in Munich, watched his £170,000 Ferrari 430 being towed after being pulled over by local police. German police said that they seized the Ferrari because its exhaust was too noisy.

The police said that they recorded 110.5 decibels from the 430’s exhaust system, higher than the permitted 98 decibels. The vehicle will be returned only if Gaddafi’s son agrees to change the exhaust system and pay a £100 fine.

Police said that Seif was pulled over previously and had been giving a warning. His international license is also suspected to be invalid.

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FIAT’s CEO, Sergio Marchione, was involved in an accident on the Swiss A1 Highway, somewhere near Basel, on last Friday. According to local swiss newspapers, Marchione was traveling at about 60 mph (100 km/h) when a Renault, which was in front of him, suddenly slowed down. However, the crash was not that hard, but when the Ferrari hit the Renault, the airbags went off, so Marchione couldn’t see anything and he drove right into the protective barriers. Both Marchione and the Renault driver were escaped unhurt from the accident. We can’t say the same thing about the Ferrari, which ended pretty messed up and is probably heading straight to the scrapyard. Sergio Marchione probably isn't upset about 189.000 EUR worth wreck!

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When Ferrari launched the FXX back in summer 2005, it claimed it would use client feedback and ex-works driver Michael Schumacher to develop the 'ultimate' Ferrari. Well, two years on, it's done just that. The result? The FXX Evoluzione, unveiled at the weekend.

The real-world test program is being extended until 2009, and all FXX models now get a series of handling and performance tweaks that change the car from being merely warp-speed fast to reaching full men-in-white-coats levels of mentality. That Schumacher has obviously got a lot of time on his hands nowadays.

Don't forget, this is no road car and never will be. It's based on the Enzo and every FXX edition is part of Ferrari's ongoing R&D programme - there are only 20 uber-clients who pay a small fortune to be part of it. So far, there have been just 28 track sessions in the FXX.

So how is the FXX quicker? Well the 6.3-litre V12 can now rev 1000rpm higher to liberate more power, presumably sending the dyno into spasms with its 848bhp at a heady 9500rpm. Meanwhile gear changes benefit from the tech on the 430 Scuderia, now taking a scant 60ms - a quarter faster than before.
The car's electronic safety nets are being worked harder than ever, and the traction control system now has a mind-boggling nine different settings. Ferrari says it's so drivers can set the car up perfectly for each corner. But nine settings? We're glad we don't have to grapple with that much choice as we hurtle around Becketts.

The rear diffuser is different and there are new flaps at the back to increase aero efficiency by 25 percent; up front, there is a tweaked active spoiler. You get the impression the work on the latest FXX is closely related to the Mille Chili project, as that car also had myriad aero aids to boost efficiency. It is only a matter of time before developments on these research testbeds transfer to Ferrari's latest road cars.

Little else is new. The 19-inch Bridgestones are designed to last longer, the composite brakes are new and the more pompous owners can specify two extra video cameras in the cabin to record their track play time.

For fans of lap times and stopwatch anorakdom, the new FXX Evoluzione is two seconds quicker around Ferrari's test track at Fiorano. That's 1min 15sec. Not that you'll be able to test that for yourself - only selected, special clients are invited to partake in the FXX program. And if you have to ask the price, no, you can't afford it.

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Vandenbrink Design BV of The Netherlands is an automotive design company unveils their special coachbuilt GTO. The company was founded in 2006 by Michiel van den Brink and Robert Koumans which focus on special design and coachbuilding for highly exclusive sportscars.

The hand-made supercar will be crafted by Dutchman Alwin Hietbrink, who is known in restoration and rebuilding projects of classic Italian iconic sportscars such as the genuine Ferrari 250 GTO.

Meanwhile the interior/upholstery design is by the Dutch craftsman Henk van Lith, who is specilalist in the making of high quality Italian interiors.

The GTO is technically based on the Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano platform and there are two versions available. The first version is the 599 GTO, 6-liter V12 engine that produces 650 hp and maximum torque of 630 Nm. The second version is the 6.3-liter V12 which produces 750 hp and maximum torque of 680 Nm.

There will be 5 GTO’s to be built for customers. The production will start in 2008 and the first delivery will only be on 2009.

The price of a full-options 630 GTO is €993,000 (excluding the base 599 GTB Fiorano and taxes).

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Ferrari wants to point out that the third V8 in its family – the F1-inspired new 430 Scuderia – 'is not just a stripped-out version of the F430'. So it has dropped the ‘F’ to stress the 430 Scuderia’s more separate nature. Even though it clearly is a souped-up special...

It's some special, though - and important enough to warrant hauling grand prix legend Michael Schumacher out of retirement to unveil the car.

Ferrari F430 Scuderia has lost around 100kg, bringing it down to a dry weight of 1250kg through ripping out carpets, the radio and more besides. But there’s loads of F1 technology on it, including a seriously quick gearbox that reduces gearshift times to 60 milliseconds. That’s only 20ms slower than the kit in the current F1 car and 40ms quicker than the 599 (at 100ms).

The Scuderia will sprint to 62mph in under 3.6 seconds and top out at 198mph.

Ferrari name it ‘Scuderia Ferrari’, because that was the name of Enzo’s racing team when he was working with Alfa Romeo and according to a Ferrari the word itself translates to ‘stables’ – a place where you keep many horses. It’s the first time the name has been used for a Ferrari production car.
To buy the road and track car that Schumacher himself helped develop, you’re looking at about £175,000 or a 20-30 percent increase on the F430 price. It’s not a limited edition like the Challenge Stradale and customers placing orders now should see delivery spring 2008.

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Ferrari F430 has V-8 motor that releases 490 horsepowers. That kind of power accelerate Ferrari F430 from 0 to 100 kilometers per hour in 4 second and to develop a terminal velocity of 315 kilometers per hour. Only people with special license can drive that car. Ferrari won't sell you the car if you don't pass their license test in Modena.

On this pictures you can see what can happen if you don't contain the car. Some guy actually hit the fence on the highway and rear part of Ferrari F430 burned completely. What a shame!

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The differential of electronic control or E-Diff and the commandos type Formula 1 in the steering wheel, is two of the innovations that the new Ferrari F430 incorporates, that made debut in the Hall the Automobile of Paris.

With the characteristic red color in the body, with the F430 the new generation of the Ferrari motors of 8 cylinders makes debut, that benefits from the ample experience of the house of Maranello in the matter of aluminum technology, that began with its applications in the Ferrari 360 Modena, and that now has reached new levels with the originating innovations of the single-seaters with which Ferrari competes in Formula 1.
The new Ferrari presented/displayed in Paris is a sport one in which for the first time, in a production vehicle, all the electronic commandos developed to control of integral way all the management and performance of the vehicle, with practically all the commandos trims in the steering wheel or had ergonomic way get up themselves so that the conductor has all the controls by hand. The call system E-Diff or Marinetto allows that the conductive one fits the suspension according to the conditions of handling with no need for separating the hands of the steering wheel.
Compact and light, the impeller of the F430 is a V-8 motor mounted to 90º, that it contributes with his characteristic part of the name of this sport one. With a displacement of 4300 cm3, this motor releases 490 horsepowers, is to say that it has 114 horses by liter, which guarantees an excellent relation peso/potencia of 2,8 kilos by each HP. These characteristics demand of new "berlinetta" of Ferrari an efficient system of brakes, to which it has discs in carbon-ceramic material of optimal performance, which guarantees a great one eficaciaen the braking, one long duration and a prolonged use of the brakes without it undergoes greater wearing downs.

The transmission is derived from the same one that it mounts in Formula 1, its time of gear of the change is reduced to 150 the thousandth of second, allowing to the conductor maximum benefit of the benefits of the F430, that is able to accelerate of 0 to 100 kilometers per hour in 4 second and to develop a terminal velocity of 315 kilometers per hour. In the profit of this performance also its aerodynamic design plays a decisive role, in whose lines the recent experiences in the field of the competitions are adopted, with a flat body and a back diffusing length that the adhesion force increases.
The F430 indicates the arrival of a new generation of equipped Ferrari models with motors of 8 cylinders.

In the cockpit of the Ferrari F430 they reign, as he is traditional, finished in leather and the own details of the mark like the board with round measurers with bottom yellow, and single two positions: the one of the conductor and his copilot.

Left the design studies of Pininfarina, the new F430, that replaces the Modena 360, will leave on sale in this side of the world in the middle of the year that comes, to a price that is considered in 160 thousand dollars.

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