How can you make a Ferrari Scuderia Spider 16M, built in a limited edition of just 499 vehicles, even more exciting and more exclusive? Easy, just take it to NOVITEC ROSSO, the world’s leading refiner of the sports cars from Maranello.

There the open-top lightweight model is fitted with the NOVITEC ROSSO RACE Bi-Compressor engine with 696 hp / 512 kW. It propels the Ferrari to a new top speed of more than 330 km/h. Numerous uncompromising sporty options such as 20-inch wheels, sport springs, a lift system for the front axle and exterior and interior accessories round out the product lineup.

NOVITEC ROSSO compressor technology has been the proven recipe for added driving fun for many years. For the eight-cylinder four-valve engine of the Scuderia Spider 16M NOVITEC ROSSO has now developed a custom version of its RACE Bi-Compressor engine.

The 4.3-liter V8 is supercharged by two cogged-belt-driven high-performance compressors with a maximum boost pressure of 0.48 bar. Each cylinder bank is fitted with a generously dimensioned water-to-air intercooler.

A specially manufactured heat-insulated intake manifold with larger cross-sections provides the engine with pre-compressed air. High-performance air filters and larger injectors round out the engine conversion on the intake side.

For a perfect symbiosis of maximum power yield, exemplary running smoothness and durability beyond reproach, the NOVITEC ROSSO engine specialists precision-match the new components with a newly programmed electronic engine management system.

Just as important are the larger cooling circuits for water and oil as well as dedicated cooling circuits for both compressors and the intercoolers.

The extensive NOVITEC ROSSO RACE Bi-Compressor conversion, available for 47,000 Euros for this and all other F430 Spider models, offers unique performance. With a power output of 696 hp / 512 kW at 8,400 rpm the NOVITEC ROSSO conversion surpasses the production engine by 186 hp / 136.9 kW. Peak torque grows from standard 470 Nm to 682 Nm at 6,300 rpm.

Driving performance improves just as impressively: The tuned Scuderia Spider 16M sprints from rest to 100 km/h in just 3.5 seconds, and reaches 200 km/h after just 9.7 seconds. The 300-km/h barrier is shattered after just 23.8 seconds. Top speed for the open-top mid-engine sports car increases from 315 to more than 330 km/h.

For further optimized handling of the lightweight sports car NOVITEC ROSSO offers an update from the standard 19-inch tires to three-piece 20-inch wheels. The NOVITEC ROSSO NF3 double-spoke wheels in size 8.5Jx20 in front and in size 12Jx20 in back widen the track and thus allow even higher cornering speeds. The custom-tailored high-performance tires in size 235/30 ZR 20 in front and in size 325/25 ZR 20 on the rear axle are provided by technology partner PIRELLI.

NOVITEC ROSSO sport springs lower the center of gravity and further improve agile handling. For added daily utility of the Scuderia Spider 16M NOVITEC ROSSO offers a hydraulic lift system for the front axle. At the push of a button the front is raised by 40 millimeters and makes navigating obstacles such as curbs, speed bumps and garage entries easier. The front axle reverts to normal position at a second push of the button or automatically once the car reaches a speed of 80 km/h.

To give the Spider exterior an even more striking appearance NOVITEC ROSSO offers blacks taillights, side markers and reflectors.

The lightweight-construction interior can be refined with exclusive NOVITEC ROSSO options as well. The ergonomically shaped leather/carbon-fiber NOVITEC ROSSO sport steering wheel features a flattened lower rim for easier entering and exiting. The NOVITEC ROSSO carbon-fiber shift paddles are longer than their production counterparts and make manual gearshifts of the F1-SuperFast2 transmission even easier.

Special interior color requests can be fulfilled by NOVITEC ROSSO in any imaginable color combination.

Although speed demons can’t do much for their higher auto insurance rates, that doesn’t stop them from marveling at the fastest cars in the world. But what makes one car faster than another? It essentially comes down to maximizing horsepower.

Engine
Horsepower refers to an engine’s strength. This is how drivers can accelerate to high speeds in a matter of seconds, carry loads of various weights, and stop in mere moments. The fastest cars accelerate to a given speed in the smallest amount of time and are able to stop immediately. A typical car usually has a 120-horsepower engine, while the fastest cars can have up to an 800 or more horsepower engine. There are a number of features that engines can have to maximize its horsepower.

The more cylinders an engine contains, the greater performance it will exhibit. When an engine has more cylinders, it has more pistons to pump and turn the crankshaft, leading to combustion and powering the engine.

When air is allowed to enter the engine more freely, the pistons of the engine are able to work more efficiently. So a car with a large air filter or smaller intake piping will be faster than an engine with a smaller air filter because more air is being filtered in the same amount of time. Also, cars with polished or smoothed intake manifolds decrease air resistance, allowing air to flow in much easier. More intake and exhaust valves also mean greater airflow.

Cars with an intercooler radiator are able to decrease the temperature of the incoming air, therefore contracting it and allowing more of it to run through the cylinders and in turn, increasing horsepower the cylinders can churn out. Turbo chargers also pressurize incoming air and allow more air to enter so that the pistons can go to work more efficiently.

A high-performance exhaust system makes a car faster because it allows the exhaust to exit freely, instead of backing up, which makes an engine lose power. High-end systems have a header, free-flowing mufflers, and large tail pipes. These help exhaust move out from the engine and reduce air resistance.

Weight and Design
But the engine’s power isn’t the only thing that makes one car faster than another. Lighter cars with a lower weight to haul around help engines perform better. Therefore, if two cars are identical in every way, the weight of the driver can be a factor in determining which one will be faster. Lightweight parts take less energy to function and enable the engine to rev up faster.

The sleek and stylish designs of the fastest cars in the world aren’t all just for looks and admirable glances. The design of the body does serve a significant purpose when it comes to speed. The sleeker the car is, the less air resistance it faces. Faster cars have streamlined, rounded bodies that cut through the air like a warm knife through cold butter. Therefore if two cars with identical engines were to race, the one with the sleeker design might win out.

The Ferrari 599, 612 and 430 have had offspring. The open two-seater, dubbed the California Spider, with its retractable aluminum hard top is the new entry level model among the sports car offerings from Maranello. Having been introduced to the world at the Paris Motor Show last October, the California Spider can now be admired on our roads, too.

For those who wish to further personalize the appearance and performance of this exceptional sports car, edo competition is now offering very special accessories.

Newly-developed wheel/tire sets in 20 and 21 inches are guaranteed to draw amazed looks from passers- by. The wheels are available in several attractive designs. Customers can also opt for a lowered ride height or the addition of a sport suspension system. The sport suspension is adjustable in both compression and rebound damping, allowing for a custom tailored ride for cruising, spirited driving, or competition.

To make sure the performance of a vehicle as special as the California is up to par in all aspects, edo competition also offers custom ECU recalibration. After reprogramming the production ECU, the 8-cylinder engine now generates 367 kW (500HP) and 369 ft-lb of torque at 5,200 rpm. In addition to the recalibrated electronics edo competition can install a newly-developed high performance exhaust system featuring adjustable butterfly valves and custom designed high flow catalytic converters with a 200 cell per square inch metal core.

This well-matched combination enables the engine to develop its new-found power in an impressive manner. The treatment also provides a torque increase that is particularly noticeable in everyday driving. As a result, the performance figures of the edo California Spider are improved as well: It can accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h (62 mph) in a phenomenal 3.9 seconds and the top speed is an impressive 315 km/h (196 mph).

As with all edo competition models, we set no limit to our customers’ imaginations. Special interiors or lavish leather upholstery, individual requests are accommodated and executed with quality.

Michael Schumacher covered around 20 laps of Fiorano today at the wheel of the 599 GTB equipped with the Handling GT Evoluzione package that was recently introduced at the Geneva Show.

The seven-times World F1 Champion took to the track to try out the improved handling offered by the new set-up which emphasises the performance of this, Ferrari’s most powerful berlinetta.

The Handling GT Evoluzione package includes a lower, stiffer ride, a new tyre compound offering even better levels of grip, modified magnetorheological damper settings that improve body control and an even more sporty exhaust sound. The HGTE package also includes a number of styling touches that distinguish it from the standard production car, including a more aggressive front grille, specific 20″ rims and abundant use of carbon-fibre trim in the cockpit.

Schumacher took the 599 GTB HGTE to its very limits at the Fiorano track during one of the factory’s Pilota Ferrari driving courses. These are organised exclusively for Ferrari owners and four levels of courses are available - Basic, Advanced, Evolution and Challenge, along with a special On Ice course and a dedicated one for those wishing to race in the traditional one-make racing series, the Ferrari Challenge. The courses have been run in Italy for over 15 years and, more recently, courses have also been set up in the USA, China and, from 2009, in Japan.

With its Pilota Ferrari driving courses, Ferrari offers owners a comprehensive range of expert tuition designed to progressively instruct drivers in the art of performance driving, enabling them to appreciate even more the handling characteristics of their cars, and help them use their full potential in absolute safety, both on the track and on the road.

The latest set of spy shots shows us a new diffuser. With wider wheel cases, it is certain that the F450 will have a wider track.

F450 will use the F430’s modified chassis and body. Code named F142, a 4.5-liter V8 engine that produces around 585 horsepower is mounted behind the driver. Power is transferred to rear wheels through a double-clutch gearbox used in the California.

Kinetic Energy Recovery System from Formula 1 pit garage could sneak into the F450, which is still unconfirmed. This system recovers kinetic energy from the decelerating wheels while braking.

The Ferrari California shares similarities with the F450, but is made for the customer who calls for a hooligan. The stiff suspension setup will make this a track monster, and should prove a hot performance Ferrari.

The European patent office has leaked another tidbit about Ferrari’s future plans. The image above is part of a patent application by Ferrari for a new type of twin-turbo engine. The design can be used with v6, v8, v10, or v12 engines. It utilizes two turbos, one for low engine speeds and a second that kicks in for maximum power.

All Ferrari fans will be aware that Ferrari has stopped production of its F430 model. The last of these cars is going to have a special place in a special auction - Leggenda e Passione auction will be auctioning this car being the last one to roll out the factory lines. This particular car will come with a certificate from Ferrari chairman Luca di Montezemolo, so it will be a collector’s piece indeed.

Apart from this model, the auction will also feature a 1967 330 P4 (one of just three built), a 1957 250 Testa Rossa and a 1990 641/2 F1 car, vintage cars expected to fetch a good price.

Other models will be include the first of only two 1959 Ferrari 250GT (SWB) Berlinetta Speciale Bertones ever built, one of just 37 1962 Ferrari 250 GT California Spyders, a 1956 Maserati 250F Grand Prix car and a 2008 Maserati MC12 with only factory mileage on it. Every car has been certified by Ferrari Classiche. This year’s Ferrari Leggenda e Passione will take place May 17 at Ferrari’s headquarters in Maranello, Italy.

The money from the auction will go towards the rebuilding of Abruzzo in Central Italy, the site of a devastating earthquake last month.

7th of May 2009 ‘The fastest, the furthest, and everything in between’
This film demonstrates how Shell pushes the boundaries of both performance and efficiency in an epic journey across Europe. It highlights Shell’s technical partnership with Ferrari, as well as its hosting of the annual Eco-Marathon, whose record holders covered over 3300 km on the equivalent of 1 litre of fuel.
The Shell Eco-marathon challenges the world’s greatest young engineering minds to design, build, and test vehicles that travel further using less energy.
Watch the video of the epic journey across Europe, showing Shell’s involvement with the fastest, furthest and everything in between.

While based on the 599 GTB Fiorano with the same transaxle layout and engine type, this prototype is an extreme track car. Ferrari’s engineers have carried out extensive work on the engine’s combustion chambers and inlet and exhaust tracts. These modifications, combined with the fact that internal attrition has been reduced and the maximum revs have been boosted to 9,000 rpm, helped achieve the target power output of 700 hp at 9,000 rpm. Particular attention was also paid to cutting the weight of the engine unit components. This was achieved both by optimising forms - as in the new crankshaft - and adopting exclusive materials, as in the carbon-fibre used for the intake plenums. A new gearbox shift strategy cuts overall gearchange times to 60 ms.

The 599XX is characterised by an innovative electronic concept called the “High Performance Dynamic Concept” which has been designed to get the maximum performance from the car by managing the combination of the car’s mechanical limits with the potential of its electronic controls. The mechanical and electronic systems work together to get the maximum performance from the car under extreme high performance driving, for consistent lap times. The sporty handling has been improved thanks to the adoption of second generation SCM suspension system. Track usage is also made easier thanks to the new “virtual car engineer”, a screen in the car that provides a real-time indication of the vehicle’s efficiency.

The 599XX’s aerodynamics were honed in numerous wind tunnel test sessions with the result that the car now boasts 280 kg of downforce at 200 km/h (630 kg at 300 km/h). The front underside of the body is completely faired-in and the vents that channel hot air from the engine bay have been moved to the bonnet.

The “ActiflowT” system increases downforce and/or cuts drag depending on the car’s trim cornering conditions, courtesy of the use of a porous material in the diffuser and two fans in the boot which channel the air flow from under the car out through two grilles next to the tail-lights. Winglets have been added to the rear buttresses to increase downforce. while synthetic jets have also been incorporated into the rear of the car to control and smooth the air flow and to reduce drag.

Ferrari’s engineers have also used F1-derived “doughnuts” which partly cover the brake discs and wheel rim. These have the dual function of improving both aerodynamics and brake cooling.

In terms of the bodywork, composites and carbon-fibre have been widely used and the engineers drew on their experience in working with aluminium to reach the weight target. The development of increasingly high-performance materials has also benefited the carbon-ceramic material braking system. The brake pads are now made from carbon-fibre which means that the calipers are smaller whilst guaranteeing the same efficiency. The new racing carbon ceramic braking system also delivers shorter braking distances and is generally more efficient due to the weight saving.

The 599XX comes with slick tyres (29/67 R19 Front and 31/71 R19 Rear) specifically developed to maximise stability in cornering and increase lateral acceleration. They are fitted to 19 x 11J wheel rims at the front and 19 x 12J at the rear.

The ceremony was attended by Ferrari CEO Amedeo Felisa, Ferrari Asia Pacific Region manager Marco Mattiacci, driver Kimi Räikkönen and several other members of the Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro.

Amedeo Felisa reminded those present of the importance to Ferrari of the APAC market which delivered record results in 2008 with over 1,000 cars sold. Ferrari is, in fact, market leader in its segment with a 46% market share. China, where Ferrari has been present since 2004 through its joint venture with China Poly Technology Co., is the Company’s second largest APAC market with 212 cars sold, double-figure annual growth and the 500-owner ceiling reached in 2008. The Chinese dealership network also spans 10 cities: Shanghai, Beijing, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Dalian, Qingdao, Hangzhou, Chengdu, Chongqing and Nanjing.

The Company has focused particular attention on customer care in China resulting in the founding of the first Ferrari China Owners’ Club, a meeting and exchange platform for Ferrari clients, and the introduction of Pilota, the first Ferrari driving course to be staged in the country. A second driving course is already planned for Tokyo in Japan in the coming months. Other client services offered are: the Concierge Service, which allows clients communicate directly with Ferrari to enjoy a selection of exclusive services, and the Road Assistance Program, which provides fast, direct road-side assistance.

The Ferrari California has attracted huge interest in Asia. The car, which is the latest addition to our high performance 8-cylinder range, sets a new standard in terms of technological innovation and design. Thanks to its track-derived DNA and leading-edge innovation, the Ferrari California will more than fulfil the expectations of even our most discerning clients, offering exceptional driving pleasure and fun behind the wheel as well as extreme versatility of use and in-car comfort. The first Ferrari Californias were delivered in Europe in the early weeks of 2009 while deliveries to countries outside of Europe will commence in June.