Ferrari has announced the publication of a English language only print magazine that will feature a variety of cars, racing culture, fashion and design seen from the point of view of the Ferrari world.

An interview in the first issue, puts Ferrari President and Fiat Group Chairman Luca di Montezemolo being interviewed by Michael Schumacher. Known for his outbursts when a GP doesn’t go well, Schumacher asks Montezemolo, “President, how many TVs have you smashed on my account after watching F1?” to which Montezemolo replies “I’d say four” with Schumacher joking “It’s a good thing you didn’t send me the bill then…”

It will be published quarterly with each edition focusing on a particular theme such as language, colours and design. The fourth issue each year, published in December, will be extended to 280 pages and will replace the traditional Ferrari Yearbook for its friends and partners. The yearbook portion will look back on the past year: Formula 1 season, new models and, in the 2008 edition, Ferrari’s Magic India Discovery tour.

To be published quarterly, the first 30,000 copies will be sent to Ferrari owners around the world, however, Ferrari has decided to make an additional batch of subscriptions available to enthusiasts for the price of 250 Euros per year. See press release below for contact info.

While Ferrari had us glued on their dedicated California website waiting for the countdown to end in order to see more pictures of their hardtop convertible, at the same time the Italian sports carmaker gave German car magazine “Autobild” full access to the newest member of the Prancing Horse family. Not very “internety” of them, to say the least.

The new images give us our first view of the California’s interior which looks very similar in design to the one found in the more upscale Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano. Kinda toyish and far from the elegant cabins featured in the Ferraris of the past if you want our opinion.

Ferrari surprised many last year when it rolled out the FXX Millechili, a concept vehicle constructed from plastic and cardboard representing the supercar company’s strategy for improving its image in the eyes of environmentalists. With talk of biofuel capable models and even hybrid-electric technology making its way into future Ferraris, few would have thought there were any production plans for the distinctive concept car.

Latest reports suggest the Millechili will be the basis of Ferrari’s next supercar, a cut-downed two-seater weighing less than 2,200 pounds (1,000kg) and packing a 600hp (450kW) V10 engine. The latest claim comes from Car and Driver, which also reports that a modified version of the F430’s aluminum space frame will underpin the new car.

With a lengthened wheelbase of 104.3in and a raft of active aerodynamics on-board, the new car is expected to look very different to the Millechili. An estimated 300 cars will enter production in early 2010 with pricing expected to start at $500,000.

This new model isn’t expected to be the successor to the Enzo, however. The replacement for the aging supercar is expected to be based on the FXX experimental model, which Ferrari is continuously updating and is now in its latest ‘Evolution’ stage. While the specs for the FXX are always changing, the most recent update had its 6.2L V12 engine pumping out a peak 860hp (640kW) at 9,500rpm.

The introduction of the new dual-clutch transmission in the recently revealed California will also likely appear in more models as the advanced gearbox is both more fuel efficient and faster than the current F1-Superfast gearbox.

At 7.30am on Saturday 14th June, the morning of the Le Mans 24 Hours, some 60 Ferraris took to the circuit for the Heritage Parade, organised by Motor Racing Legends. This gives Le Mans-goers the unique opportunity to drive three high-speed parade laps of the full, 8.5-mile race circuit in their own cars, just a few hours before the start of the world’s greatest endurance race.

This year, the Parade was specifically for Ferrari owners and the early morning spectators looked on in amazement as F40s and 355 Spiders, F430s and Challenge Stradales, 328 GTBs and 550 Maranellos – a vast range of models from the Prancing Horse – swept by at full chat.

“There are very few people who get to drive the full circuit, with all the public roads closed, unless they’re actually racing there,” said Peter Everingham of the Ferrari Owners’ Club. “It’s a fantastic experience and a great privilege.”

Among the Parade participants was none other than the great racing driver Jack Sears, at the wheel of his own Ferrari 328 GTS, which he bought new in 1989. “We had a wonderful few laps,” said Sears after the Parade, “a really flowing journey round the circuit.”

Speaking to the Ferrari drivers at their post-Parade breakfast in the heart of the Le Mans circuit, it was clear that – for many – hurtling down the Mulsanne Straight was the highlight of the whole experience. Everyone seemed to know exactly what speed they’d reached: “We topped 250km/h,” said Peter Everingham, who’d been sharing David Edwards’ 550 Maranello. David himself, who had driven his Ferrari all the way from Australia – a trip of some 8000 miles – described his laps of Le Mans as “mind-boggling”.

Next year, Motor Racing Legends will be throwing open the Heritage Parade to a much wider range of marques – giving more people than ever the chance to drive the full Le Mans circuit on the morning of the 24 Hours. Applications will be accepted from drivers of both classic and modern cars, wherever the marque has a traditional link to Le Mans: Ferrari, Lagonda, Jaguar, Bentley, Austin-Healey, Riley, Morgan, Aston Martin and so on.

High-speed car chases on public roads often end in grief than joy. That is what one owner of a Bugatti Veyron supercar discovered after he was pulled over for speeding. The driver of the left hand-drive Bugatti Veyron was fined for racing a Ferrari 599 on Britain’s M27 motorway. The Bugatti as photographs suggest, lead the race for the majority of the ten minutes duration before being pulled over by a BMW Police car. The police car had to reach speeds close to 140 mph to catch up with the Supercar.
The driver of 599 got away with it as he used all of the V12’s 600-odd horsepower and his superior driving abilities to avoid punishment. Furthermore, the car had no number plates, so the cops found it impossible to track the car or the driver. The driver of the Bugatti was given three penalty points and a fixed fine of £60. He was clocked doing 97 mph on a 50 mph zone.

Ferrari 599

Aluminum Alloy V12
aspiration: Natural
valvetrain: DOHC, 4 Valves per Cyl
fuel feed: Multi-Point Fuel Injection
displacement: 5999 cc
power: 611 bhp
bhp/weight: 361.97 bhp per tonne
torque: 607.41 nm
redline: 8400 rpm
top speed: 330 kph

Bugatti Veyron

Aluminium, W16
aspiration: Quad Turbocharged
valvetrain: DOHC 4 Valves / Cyl w/VVT
fuel feed: Direct Sequential Injection
displacement: 7993 cc
power: 1001 bhp
bhp/weight: 490.45 bhp per tonne
torque: 1250 nm
redline: 6500 rpm
topspeed: 407 kph

As the creator of this image, CGI Automotive, already clearly states, this car may just be highly unlikely but don’t rule it out. Ferrari might just build a sportier and more exclusive Ferrari California for the collectors if the new GT convertible is a big enough hit.

So far Ferrari has been very reluctant to build a more affordable 2+2 sports car and has finally decided to move into a higher turnover market rather than stay exclusively in the limited production super car segment. It only stands to reason that the extremely rich and demanding Ferrari clientele will be appeased with a Limited Edition version.

Don’t expect much of a horsepower boost from the prancing pony for this limited edition but mainly expect to see weight-reductions and aerodynamic enhancements. The power boosts are sure to follow from tuners like Edo, Hamann and Novitec.

Italian sports carmaker Ferrari announced today that it will recall MY 2005 – 2007 612 Scaglietti vehicles equipped with F1 transmissions. The reason behind the recall is a faulty clutch sensor in the transmission that could malfunction under normal operating conditions due to the heat produced by the vehicle, resulting to improper function of the clutch assembly and making gear shifting very difficult. If you happen to be one of the 366 owners affected by the recall in the U.S., you may contact Ferrari at 1-201-816-2600.