Simbol Design’s Lavazza GTX-R looks like a high-speed Enzo-Zonda mashup

Simbol Design’s Lavazza GTX-R slaps a Lego-ized version of the Ferrari Enzo’s snout on an otherwise Pagani Zonda-like body made of carbon-Kevlar built atop a tubular steel frame. 

And since German powerplants have emerged as the new crate engine of choice for niche manufacturers from Spyker and Wiesmann to Gumpertand Pagani, the Lavazza packs a BMW-sourced 5.4-liter V12, picking up Lamborghini’s tractor-origins mantle with an electro-pneumatic transmission reportedly sourced from a bus. 

Sources differ on the engine’s output – alternately claiming 489 horsepower or 620 – but either way, 0-60 mph times quoted around the four-and-a-half second sound conservative.

Both coupe and roadster bodystyles are apparently in the works, though there’s no word on availability or pricing just yet. Either way, check out the high-resolution images in the gallery below and a video of this supercar mashup after the jump.

Ferrari importer offers limited edition California exclusive to Japan

If you live in Japan and have the means, there are any number of enticing automobiles you can get domestically that aren’t available elsewhere. Most of them are from Japanese automakers, though. But last week, we reported on the BMW Z4 Silver Top edition, and now Ferrari has joined the race with an exclusive offering of its own.

This Ferrari California Limited Edition is being offered exclusively by Cornes & Co, Ferrari’s main importer in Japan for the past 30 years. Their latest limited edition starts with Maranello’s first front-engined V8 convertible and upgrades it with special touches like carbon fiber rocker panels, door handles and fuel cap, and unique diamond-polished forged rims with red hubs and titanium nuts.

Only ten examples will be offered in three pre-determined color schemes: four in white over black, three in red over black and three in black over cream. This exclusivity will cost you though: ￥26,500,000, to be precise – equivalent to about $320,000 U.S., or about ￥3 million ($36k) over the standard model.

2010 Art Center Car Classic celebrates Freedom of Motion

Pasadena, CA can get particularly hot during the summer, so we thought it was an excellent idea when the Art Center College of Design moved its annual car show from July to the middle of October. While the event, which happened last weekend, did escape the heat, it still couldn’t catch a break from Mother Nature. The inaugural autumn edition of the show was hampered by rain throughout the day.

Still, the Art Center managed to put on an excellent event to celebrate this year’s theme, “Freedom of Motion.” The best part of the show has always been the eclectic selection of cars on display, and this year was no disappointment. Everything from the 2010 X-Prize winning Peraves X-Tracer to the new 2011 McLaren MP4-12C could be seen on the grass. The Mullin Museum was gracious enough to bring out the famous1937 Bugatti Type 57SC Atlantic, and the Petersen brought out a few of its cars as well. You can see all of our photos from the event in the high-res gallery below.

1985 288 GTO lays claim to World’s Fastest Ferrari with 275.4 mph run

We’ve seen a lot of special action from the Bonneville Salt Flats this year, but this just about takes the cake. The guys from P4 by Norwood, a Ferrari tuning shop, are laying claim to the title of the World’s Fastest Ferrari with a record run of 275.4 mph averaged over two sprints. 

Using a stock-bodied 1985 288 GTO, owner Steve Trafton managed to snag not only the title of world’s fastest Ferrari, but the world’s fastest sports car (AA/BFMS) at the same time. The Prancing Horse beat out the previous record holder by just over 3 mph.

Interestingly enough, Thrafton skipped using a high-dollar Italian mill for this car’s beating heart. Instead, there’s a 540 cubic-inch big block General Motors V8 wedged down into that slinky body. Two Borg Warner 80-mm turbos help shove a full 17 pounds of boost into the eight-pot. 

Thrafton isn’t saying exactly how much power the car is laying down, but it has to be enough to move a planet on command if need be. Hit the jumpto watch the Ferrari do what it does best on the Utah salt.

Romeo Ferraris leaves Italy, comes back with a 667-hp carbon fiber Corvette

Think of the words Romeo and Ferraris and you’re bound to think of Italian cars, right? Maybe so, but the two together form the name of an Italian tuning house. And while many of their subjects have been Italian themselves, Romeo Ferraris has been scoping out foreign territory as well.

The latest is the Corvette Z06. And why shouldn’t it be? The ‘Vette has a long history of customization at Italian hands. But those have mostly been cosmetic coachbuilding jobs. This is another story altogether.

RF has taken the Z06 and fitted a supercharger to the 7.0-liter LS7 V8. The result? 667 horsepower and 607 lb-ft of twist. The centrifugal compressor, aluminum intercooler, high-flow injectors and custom exhaust help it get to 62 mph in 3.3 seconds and up to 211 mph – assuming you can get all that power down – while 380mm/6-pot brakes up front and 345/4-pot brakes out back help it come back to a stop.

Ferrari World opening date set, ticket prices revealed

The Tifosi are trembling. Ferrari World has announced the opening date, as well as ticket prices, for its Abu Dhabi-based theme park. Get your plane tickets and pack your bags, because gates open October 27th, 2010 at 7PM. 

Standard tickets cost 225 United Arab Emirate Dirhams (about $61 USD) for visitors over five feet tall, and 165 AED (about $45 USD) for shorter folks. Premium tickets, which provide access to an exclusive lounge with refreshments as well as other as-yet unannounced benefits, cost 375 AED (about $102 USD) for the five foot and up crowd or 270 AED ($74 USD) for more diminutive Ferrari aficionados.

Both ticket levels provide unlimited access to all rides and attractions. Note that the October opening is considered a soft launch, and only exterior features will be available to visitors. A full-blown grand opening will follow this December, when the full park will open up to the public.

eBay Find of the Day: 1959 Ferrari 250 California – If you have the means, we highly recommend picking one up

One of our favorite cars on the planet, and perhaps in the known galaxy, is the Ferrari 250 GT California Spyder. This love affair is easily traced back to one Mr. Ferris Bueller and his Most Excellent Day Off. Sure, the car used in that movie was a Ford V8-powered kit car (oh, the delicious irony of that!) but the looks were there and they seared a lasting impression on our retinas and in our hearts. If one were to pop up on eBay, we would surely be ready to buy it – wait, scratch that because one IS on eBay with a current bid of $600,000 and an unmet reserve. This one’s a little rich for our blood but a steal for anyone out there…with the means.

This particular example is not your standard one-of-50-or-so-produced classic Ferrari 250 GT dream machines. This happens to be one of the nine aluminum-bodied competition cars. It also features the Tipo 508 D frame, which was an improvement over the less-stiff Tipo 508 C. The car has an interesting history as well. The son of the second owner was driving it home from a fishing trip in Florida when he was run off the road and landed between two bridge abutments. The body of the car was lightly damaged and some side body panels were fixed using steel instead of the original alloy material.

Ferrari 599 SA APERTA drops its top for Paris

Ferrari has pulled back the covers on its rumored topless 599 GTB Fiorano before the roadster’s unveil at the2010 Paris Motor Show. We’ve got bad news if you were hoping to sink your teeth into this particular convertible, though. The Prancing Horse is only planning to make 80 examples of its newest creation and each one has already been spoken for. The company is calling the drophead the SA Aperta in honor of none other than Sergio and Andrea Pininfarina. Their contribution to Ferrari design needs no introduction.

Ferrari says that the SA Aperta sits closer to the tarmac than just about any other of the company’s products and that the creation is far more than some hacksaw version of the hardtop 599. While a simple cloth top will keep the rain off your back should the weather turn sour, Ferrari says that it has poured substantial effort into developing the chassis to maintain the same level of stiffness that the coupe version of the 599 enjoys. 

Those lucky enough to get their hands on the car will still find the same meaty V12 mounted up front. Hit the jumpfor the press release.

Report: Ferrari Enzo successor will be a hybrid

Sorry, Ferrari purists, but even the mighty Prancing Horse isn’t immune to the need to increase fuel economy. According to Autoweek, Ferrari Chairman Luca Cordero di Montezemolo has confirmed that the successor to the Enzo throne will come equipped with a hybrid drivetrain. According to Montezemolo, the electrified supercar will borrow heavily from the company’s 599 HY-KERS concept that debuted at this year’sGeneva Motor Show. That vehicle used hybrid tech derived from the kinetic energy recovery system that Ferrari experimented with on its F1 vehicles.

Previously, Ferrari has said that the incorporation of a battery pack and an electric motor would allow the company to continue to offer high-cylinder-count engines while offsetting fuel consumption and emissions. The company has also made it clear that it intends to begin moving toward smaller models to further reduce weight.

The news came as Montezemolo announced that he has no intention of moving from his post at Ferrari to greener pastures in the Italian government. The chairman said that he fully intends to stay at the company long enough to help craft the vehicles in the next product cycle, each of which will follow in the footsteps of the Enzo successor.

Ferrari reportedly investigating 458 Italia fire risk [w/video]

That Ferrari 458 Italia… it’s so hot right now. Nobody but the sickest of pyromaniacs wants to see Ferrari’sexquisite new 458 Italia go down in flames (if that’s you, you’ll want to click on past the break…). Sadly, though, the case of Ferraris on flambé is spreading like.. ahem, wildfire. So problematic is the issue that the Italian automaker itself is now investigating the cause of the conflagrations.

According to various reports, there have been at least three separate instances where Ferrari 458 Italias have burst into flames without being involved in an accident. At this time, Ferrari is assuming that these three cases are unrelated, and it’s not willing at this time to rule out driver error.

Interestingly enough, though, at least one of these flame-broiled Ferraris caught ablaze in transport to London in a Heathrow warehouse, meaning it was not being driven at the time of the fire. Here’s hoping that Ferrari’s investigation doesn’t turn up any major design flaws. In the meantime, perhaps 458 owners should keep an extinguisher handy… just in case.

Monterey 2010: Ferrari F40 birthday bash at Concorso

Concorso Italiano threw a party for the legendary Ferrari F40, and the turnout was, well, almost as good as the car itself. Thousands of show attendees were treated to more than a dozen examples of Enzo Ferrari’s final project.

As you probably know, the F40 was named to celebrate Ferrari’s 40th anniversary, and the celebration at Concorso honored the 20th anniversary of the car’s 1990 arrival here in the States. (Let’s not quibble over the fact that Ferrari the company was actually born in 1947, meaning the F40 should have actually arrived in 1987. The show car was first unveiled in 1987 and that’s good enough for us.)

The late arrival of what some still view as the ultimate supercar did nothing to dampen the spirits of the men and boys who fell in love with it at first sight and still carry a torch for it today. The F40 celebration was one great reason to go to Concorso Italiano this year. If you didn’t have the opportunity to attend in person, hit the gallery below to see how the lineup of F40s looked at one of Monterey week’s biggest exhibitions.

How a 60-hour restorative detail brought this Ferrari F40 back to life

Detailing an uber-rare exotic like a Ferrari F40 isn’t exactly like slathering your Corolla with Dawn dish detergent in your driveway. Restoring the paint on a Prancing Horse of that caliber requires equal parts chemistry, experience and patience. Need proof? Look no further than detailing guru Todd Cooperider’s 60-hour job on a 3,500-mile F40. The 43-year-old Cooperider has been obsessed with bringing out the best in paint since he was a kid, but turned to professional detailing just three years ago. 

Since then, he’s become the go-to-guy for owners of exotic metal of various vintage, make, model and flavor. He even had the honor of being named one of AutoWeek’s top 9 detailers in the U.S last year.

For most of us, getting anywhere near one of the world’s most legendary supercars with a power tool is a recipe for the kind of disaster that’s funny later but expensive now. But Cooperider’s extensive experience allowed him to tackle the big-bad Ferrari with all of the weapons in his arsenal without fret. 

Even with so few miles, the paint had suffered the effects of 20 years of occasional enjoyment, and as such, multiple scratches and blemishes were present all over the car. Cooperider worked out which polishing compound, pad and sealant to use with this particular car and set to work.

Ferrari F430 gets Lambo-style SV treatment

Exotic cars may look all the same to most passers-by, but gearheads know a Ferrari from a Lamborghini. Japanese tuning house Auto Veloce has blurred the lines somewhat, however. Its Ferrari F430 package gets a similar visual treatment to those seen on the Lamborghini Gallardo Superleggera and Murcielago SuperVeloce. The result is dubbed the F430 Super Veloce Racing. 

It’s got the front air dam, quarter panel intakes and rear wing like the hardcore Lambos, only they’re applied to the outgoing mid-engined V8 Ferrari. As you can see in the attached image gallery, the Super Veloce Racing package can be applied to either Berlinetta or Spider bodystyles. Call it an unholy mash-up or the best of both worlds; either way, it’s available for order.

Angry Car Designer dreams up a Ferrari 612 GTO

Just about every time Ferrari comes up with a new variant of one of its supercars – be it the Scuderia, Spider, Challenge, XX or what-have-you – someone takes it upon themselves to imagine what another Prancing Horse from the stable would look like with the same treatment. Some come out looking better than others, but push comes to shove, there is no 458XX, no 599 Challenge and no California Scuderia. Once in a while, though, someone comes up with something truly intriguing.

In this case, that someone is Sasha Selipanov of Berlin, Germany, also known as the Angry Car Designer. Sasha’s idea? The Ferrari 612 GTO. Only the thing is, these renderings don’t depict what the Scaglietti would look like given the same treatment as the 599 GTO. No, this is something altogether more intriguing. More like a mix between the Aston Martin One-77 and the Ferrari 458 Italia, with a few elements from the original 250 GTO thrown in there for good measure. (Ferrari, Pininfarina? Are you paying attention for the 599′supcoming replacement?)

It’s a design study, so there’s little more left to discuss other than viewing the renderings for yourself, so check ‘em out in the large gallery below. And if you like this, check out the source site, where Sasha’s got some other intriguing designs on file. Most of them Ferraris, natch.

Pics Aplenty: Ferrari 599 GTO

The 599 GTO being the fastest road-going Ferrari ever to roll out of Maranello, you don’t stand much chance of seeing one sitting still. 

Of course, the limited run of 599 examples doesn’t help. But as if an excuse were needed, that does give us a reason to bring you the latest batch of high-resolution images showing the Prancing Goat in all its glory.

You can check ‘em all out in the gallery below. That is, assuming you haven’t seen enough from theseemingly endless stream of videos that have circulated since the supercar’s debut. Yeah, we didn’t think so.

Casino valets give Ferrari F430 to wrong owner, let him drive away

As if we needed another reason to steer clear of valets everywhere, a report from The Herald Sunclaims that a casino in Australia has handed over an F430 to someone other than the owner. This week, professional poker player Van Marcus stopped into the Crown Casino with some friends for a little recreation. 

Adam Ramsey was there at the same time, though when it came time to leave, Ramsey approached the valet stand claiming that he had lost his ticket. The guy points to the drop-head Ferrari F430 in the parking lot and says it’s his. The valet crew asks the gentleman to fill out a form with his personal information, which he does, and hands him the keys to the Prancing Horse.

When Marcus discovers his car is missing, he’s none too happy, and calls the police. It took the law a mere six hours to lay its hands on the car after Ramsey stopped for fuel. Now, typically, we look down on car theft in the biggest way possible. After all, you just don’t mess with another person’s vehicle. But you’ve got to admire the cajones on good Mr. Ramsey. He’s currently pleading guilty to charges of vehicle theft.

Meanwhile, Marcus claims that the car doesn’t even feel like his anymore. There was no damage to the vehicle. Thanks to everyone for the tips!

Ferrari idling engine plants and laying off workers?

All is not well in Maranello. It would appear that the ripples of the global recession have finally reached mightyFerrari. According to Bloomberg, the Italian supercar manufacturer has decided to cool production and send a healthy handful of workers packing amidst the announcement that production targets have been nearly halved for 2011. The report points the blame directly at Maserati. Ferrari’s sister company has scaled back its orders for Ferrari-built engines, leaving both companies’ coffers light.

Ferrari is contemplating drastic moves in order to maintain its profitability, including nixing 120 office positions and 150 factory jobs. The company also wants to idle its production facility for a full week – effectively laying off nearly 600 workers in the process.

Needless to say, the announcement has led to unrest, and workers walked out in protest for four hours yesterday. But numbers are numbers, and Ferrari has said that it will cut production from 20,000 units this year to 11,100. For what it’s worth, last year, the company built 4,500 engines for Maserati – exactly half of what it built for 2008.

Ferrari ‘forced’ to add hybrid, emissions concerns not ‘real’

By now, you’ve likely seen the various hybrid vehicles shown off by Ferrari, both for racing and for street-legal models in concept form. Purists might be more than a bit put off by the idea of a supposedly eco-friendly vehicle wearing the famed Prancing Horse badge, and it seems that Ferrari head Amadeo Felisa commiserates with them.

Speaking to Autocar at the recent Beijing Motor Show, Felisa had some rather interesting remarks on the future of his company, notably regarding the powerplants needed to meet future emissions and fuel mileage requirements. Says Felisa:

Our customers are looking for the essence of Ferrari – the emotion, the performance, the technology and so on. The way in which we fix emissions is not their problem but ours. If we are not able to fix it, only then will it become a problem for them.

That’s rational, we’d say. But here’s the point where Felisa’s comments seem sure to garner a few raised eyebrows amongst the environmental set:

[Hybrids will come in] 2015, if we are forced to by the [government] regulations. The issue of emissions for Ferrari is more a political one than real one. Lowering emissions of every Ferrari will not save the planet, but it will cost us a lot of money… In the next five to 10 years, hybrid technology will develop and maybe something else will come up. Maybe it’ll be hydrogen, but for our cars only hybrid is ready.

So, hydrogen isn’t ready for Ferrari (or vice versa) and the only reason the sportscar manufacturer is even looking at hybrids is because the various governments of the world are making them. Oh yeah, and nothing with more than two doors. At least that much we can all agree upon.