Top Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano 2011

Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano

When it first debuted, the Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano set a new standard in terms of performance that remains a benchmark for new sports car development to this day. Now Ferrari is introducing the new Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano HGTE (Handling Gran Turismo Evoluzione) package for the model to further underscore its sportiness and handling.

The package includes a modified set-up with stiffer springs and rear anti-roll bar as well as new calibration settings for the magnetorheological shock absorbers when the manettino is at its sportier settings. The ride height has also been lowered which in turn lowers the car’s centre of gravity. This combined with the new set-up helps improve body control. The package also includes specifically optimised tyres featuring a compound that offers even better grip.

The car’s electronics have also evolved to ensure even more prompt response to driver commands. The F1 gearbox’s shifts are now even faster in high-performance settings, while a new engine software strategy has improved accelerator response.

Top Ferrari 575 GTZ Zagato 2011

Ferrari 575 GTZ Zagato

Yoshiyuki Hayashi is a famous Japanese car collector, who owns numerous cars of great historical value, including several Ferraris such as the 166MM, the 250 Spider California, two Daytonas – a coupé and a spider – and the Ferrari Enzo.

In the classic tradition of the keen purchaser of exclusive cars who stimulated the creativeness of Italian coachbuilders in the 1950s and 1960s, Yushiyuki Hayashi asked Zagato if it would be possible to create a body for his Ferrari 575M, in the style of the famous 250GTZ berlinetta.

When Zagato received this request, it informed Ferrari of the project, which would be a good opportunity to celebrate the model’s anniversary, and then created a car that harked back to the 250 GTZ, built around the Ferrari 575.

Like its forebear, the Ferrari 575 GTZ Zagato has an all-aluminium body, and, as a tribute to Ferrari and to two-seater Italian sports cars, it has joined the exclusive group of cars that are the fruit of the tradition of custom-built cars.

The Ferrari-Powered 1986 Lancia Thema 8.32

Classic : The Ferrari-Powered 1986 Lancia Thema 8.32

All the talk about the Fiat Group’s plans to re-badge the redesigned 2011 Chrysler 300 (see our high-res gallery here) and re-brand it as the Lancia Thema in Europe, brought to mind the original Thema of the mid-1980s and -1990s, and especially, the Ferrari V8-powered 8.32 model.

Introduced at the 1984 Turin Motor Show, the Thema was Lancia’s flagship sedan, sharing the “Type Four” platform with the Fiat Croma, Alfa Romeo 164 and the Saab 9000.

Shaped by the hands of Giorgetto Giugiaro, the boxy sedan model featured a 0.32 drag coefficient, which was an impressive figure at the time. Being a luxury model, it featured a comprehensive list of standard and optional features, including automatic air conditioning and heated seats wrapped in leather or Alcantara.

It also came with a wide range of engine choices, while in 1986, Lancia enhanced the range with the introduction of the Pininfarina-styled Station Wagon. All in all, Lancia sold a total of 358,000 examples of the Thema between 1984 and 1994.

Two years after the launch of the model, Lancia executives decided to step it up a notch with the presentation of the Thema 8.32, perhaps better known as the “Thema Ferrari”. The Italian Q-car was fitted with a 3.0-liter 32valve V8 engine (hence the 8.32 in the name) sourced from Ferrari. Power was sent to the front wheels through a five-speed manual gearbox.

There were two Thema 8.32 models, the Series 1, which was produced from 1986 to 1988 and featured a 215HP version of the Ferrari V8, and the Series 2, built from 1989 to 1992, which came with catalytic converters and was rated at 205 hp.

The Ferrari-powered Thema completed the 0-100 km/h (62 mph) sprint in 6.8 seconds (Series 2: 7.2 seconds) and achieved a top speed of 240 km/h or 149mph (Series 2: 235 km/h). At the time, some argued that the available 2.0-liter turbocharged model was equally capable in terms of performance, while being lighter and more agile than the 8.32, but that’s another story.

The styling of the Thema 8.32 was rather discreet with exterior upgrades being limited to the different grille, tailpipes, gold/yellow pinstripes on the sides, a retractable rear boot lid spoiler and the alloy wheel designs. Inside, the flagship Thema offered buyers a full leather treatment (or Alcantara) along with a wood trimmed dashboard featuring unique gauges and a three spoke leather steering wheel.

A total of 3,971 Thema 8.32s were built, out of which 32 Series 1 and 32 Series 2 models were offered in a special Ferrari-red finish. You can check out some used examples from Europe in the links below.

Top New ferrari 458 2011

Top New ferrari 458 2011

The 458 Challenge boasts a host of upgrades over its road-legal sibling to make it race worthy when it hits the grid in Ferrari’s one-make race series from 2011. The Ferrari 458 Challenge will make world premiere at the 35th edition of the Bologna Motor Show in Italy, which runs for the public from December 4 to 12.

Ferrari is also displaying a variety of other racing models from the past and present at its Bologna Motor Show stand, including a 430 GTC owned by the AF Corse team Ferrari and an F1 model.
Ferrari’s engineers have made modifications to the gear ratios and calibration of its dual-clutch F1 gearbox to further improve torque at lower revs. While the Challenge keeps the 458 Italia’s direct injection 4.5-liter V8 with an output of 570 hp at 9,000 rpm intact.

he Ferrari 458 Challenge is equipped with the E-Diff electronic differential already employed on the road-going version, a first for Ferrari’s track-only cars. Another first for a Ferrari Challenge model is the adoption of the firm’s F1-Trac traction control system. The race-spec model also gets a specific suspension set-up with steel uniball joints, stiffer springs, single-rate alloy dampers and a ride height lowered by 50mm all round.

Stopping power is provided by the new generation Brembo CCM2 brakes integrated with the latest ABS system which debuted on the 599XX, Ferrari’s experimental laboratory car, while it rides on centre-nut 19-inch forged rims wrapped in larger dimension Pirelli slicks.

Result of combined is the improvement of the car’s lap time at Fiorano by two seconds over that of its predecessor, resulting in a new record of just 1’16.5”. According to the Italian company, the amount of lateral grip the new car generates is 1.6G.