FERRARI

With the exception of a few very isolated cases, a Ferrari already has a very suggestive line which suggests that few cars will be able to hold their own on the road or on the racetrack. But when the magicians at Maranello turned their attention to the 360 Modena and transformed it into a racing beast, the result lived up to expectations. The body was lowered even further and fitted with larger wheels, additional air intakes were added and numerous elements were made of carbon. The exterior mirrors and the rear apron housing the round lights are made from this noble material, which offers the advantage of greater rigidity and lighter weight. Transverse fins have been added to the rear diffuser to increase the offset by 50%. For once, the Cavallino Rampante on the flanks has not been added by its owner and is standard, proving the sporty vocation of this Challenge Stradale. And last but not least, the white stripe running the length of the body with the three colours of Italy in the centre is a real eye-catcher.

Ferrari is about to repeat the trick of the Ferrari with the convertible V12 engine. But with the Ferrari 575 M, it’s a prestigious label that will be resurrected from the past: ‘Superamerica’. The highlight of the Ferrari 575 Superamerica is, of course, its removable roof, which is not retractable like on coupé-cabriolets. Hinged just behind the rear seats at the level of the headrests, the carbon fibre and electrochromic glass panel opens electrically by turning over. The driver needs just 10 seconds to let the first rays of sunshine caress his face. Once the roof has been pivoted and turned upside down, it rests on the rear luggage compartment. But this removable roof has another interesting feature. The roof is fully glazed, so it not only provides plenty of light inside the cabin, but also offers five different shades of darkness. Quite an innovation…

When it comes to Grand Touring, Ferrari has always been at the very top of international production. Not that the models from Modena are the best built, or the most reliable, but in terms of feel and character, they have always benefited from exceptional mechanicals and lines. The 612 Scaglietti pays tribute to the famous Italian coachbuilder who worked for Ferrari on several occasions, and is thus a worthy heir to a prestigious line of 2+2 coupés that began in 1948 with the 166 Inter.

This has been the case for several generations now, with the famous ‘berlinetta’ cars from Maranello undergoing major changes mid-life, halfway between a new car and a restyling. 308, then 328, 348 then F355, Modena then F430. The latter has been extensively revised, setting the record straight in terms of performance. At first glance, the work accomplished did not seem so obvious. The styling changes were certainly visible, but at first glance looked like a simple restyling, as many manufacturers know how to do when relaunching a model mid-life. The Ferrari F430 is longer and has a new front and rear end. All of this has been made more aerodynamic by the increased power. At the front, the bumper features large air intakes, with a subtly integrated aerodynamic blade in the middle, increasing downforce on the front axle. The F430 makes full use of the ground effect, as evidenced by the imposing rear extractor, which rises well above the bumper, with two highly sophisticated twin tailpipes on either side. The four small round lights and the spoiler integrated into the bonnet above a small cooling grille are the Enzo’s most inspired features.

At Ferrari , the tradition of roadsters on its saloon cars is not so recent. Until the Ferrari 348 , the convertible variant was of the targa type (Ferrari Dino 206 and 246 GT, Ferrari 308 GTS and Ferrari 328 GTS ). But with the arrival of the Ferrari 348, and its design inspired by the Ferrari Testarossa, a 2-seater roadster with very elegant lines was marketed. This was followed by the Ferrari F355 Spider and the Ferrari 360 Modena Spider. The great advantage of the Ferrari Spider is that it allows you to take full advantage of forgotten sensations, with your hair blowing in the wind, and to play with the sounds of Ferrari’s engines. At the 2005 Geneva Motor Show, 6 months after the official presentation of the Ferrari F430 at the 2004 Paris Motor Show, Ferrari unveiled the Ferrari F430 Spider.

The 30th Anniversary Edition of the Scaglietti is being produced to mark the 30th anniversary of Cornes & Co, Ferrari’s importer in Japan. Only twenty models were produced and sold exclusively to Japanese customers. The Ferrari 612 Scaglietti Cornes will feature an exclusive paintwork called Blu Cornes and a carbon-fibre refuelling hatch. As for the interior, the tachometer is the same colour as the exterior paintwork and the interior colour is two-tone, with deep blue and bronze. The entire interior is covered in leather, carbon fibre and alcantara. The starting price is 33,980,000 yen, or US$304,000.

This new model from the Ferrari workshops takes up the concept of the Maranello. A strict two-seater coupé with a long bonnet and a mid-mounted front engine. Fitted with a latest-generation semi-automatic gearbox with steering wheel-mounted gearshift, it allows you to change gear in just 150 milliseconds. The Fiorano is also equipped with the Manineto made famous by the F430. Aesthetically, its lines have been dictated by the quest for performance. For example, as well as being sublime, the roof pillars’ side wings generate 50 kg of downforce at high speed! On the road, the Fiorano has a dual personality. In ‘normal’ driving conditions, it proves to be well behaved and relatively protective of your lumbar vertebrae. As soon as you pick up the pace, it becomes a demon. Its lively handling and ultra-precise steering are ideal for exploiting the full potential of its engine. Powerful braking and a stable rear axle give you the confidence to attack!

The Ferrari 612 Sessanta – ‘Sessanta’ meaning ‘sixty’ in Italian – is a special edition of the Scaglietti designed for Ferrari’s 60th anniversary. Its interior features an electrochromic glass roof, which made its debut on the Superamerica, allowing the opacity of the glass roof to be changed5. It also has a Frau leather interior and a Bose audio-video system. Exterior features include 19-inch aluminium wheels and a two-tone colour scheme with two possible combinations, either ‘grigio scuro/nero’ or ‘rubino micallizato/nero’. The Sessanta is fitted with an F1 gearbox and only 60 examples are produced.

A real treat for wealthy aesthetes, the Ferrari F430 Scuderia finally has some good news about driving aids: they don’t hinder you, they accelerate your performance! Quite simply, even seasoned drivers can’t do any better with the aids deactivated. This is hardly surprising when you consider that Michael Schumacher was responsible for developing the chassis of this Ferrari, which is light in weight but not in performance, not to mention the lessons learned from F1 and the FXX programme. With this Scuderia Ferrari is hitting hard and hitting the mark, even if, let’s not be fooled, very few buyers will be able to exploit the difference between an F430 and a Scuderia. A delicacy, we told you! The Italian GT3…

After the astonishing F430 Scuderia, Ferrari is taking advantage of its 16th Formula 1 manufacturer’s title to extend the concept to the Spider. The magic formula of boosting the engine and reducing the weight has been repeated for this limited edition of 499 cars. It’s hard to imagine a better way to combine the pleasure of the V8’s wind-in-your-hair vocals with the performance claims of a supercar. Versatile and relatively easy to handle compared to the brand’s former glories, it allows anyone to put one foot in Ferrari’s prestige without putting the other in the grave. A genuine dream car…