This is what happens when…

Don’t you wish this kinda thing happened in your life? Showering regularly and splashing on some Brut could get you pretty far in the 50’s, but that doesn’t cut it anymore.  In the third millennium, you’re going to have to do better; getting some fresh threads, a stylish haircut and reading Neil Strauss’s The Game is a great start.  But what if you don’t have enough time for those things… well, if you have a boat load of cash laying around, then consider this.

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360 Forged Makes a Carbon Fiber Wheel, Ferrari Owners Rejoice

We’ve seen carbon fiber wheels before, but never on a car that looks as stunning as the Ferrari F430.  The classic 5-spoke design has been reworked and modernized in this hand-made edition from Forged 360.  Here’s the quick specs on the Straight 5ive:

• Carbon fiber center disc mated to a forged aluminum 3-piece wheel
• Securely fastened with Reverse Titanium Bolts
• Available in sizes ranging from 19-22″
• Width’s from 7.5″ up to 14.5″
• Lips as small as 1.5″, but up to 7″ tall!
• Clear coated 4 times for that ultra high gloss shine
• Balance tolerance down to .001
• Handmade to order and machined to be hubcentric
• Wide variety of custom finishes available
• No word yet on weight or pricing.

In the pictures below you’re looking at a set of 20″ Straight 5ive’s.  This set is 8.5″ wide in the front and 13″ in rear and the lip has been painted red to accent the rim and match the rear lights.

Carbon fiber has never looked so good.

Manufacturer Site: 360Forged.com

The Ferrari California: Pure Sex

I’m poor, so I couldn’t make it to the Paris Auto Show this year, but Edmund’s reporters were able to make the trip. As shown in the video below, they got a close up look at the new Ferrari California. The CA costs as much as the F430 and they even share the same 4.3-liter engine, but that’s where the similarities end.

Where the F430 is a mid-engined pure-bred sports car, the California is a front-engined convertible hardtop with a pretty big trunk. This makes the Cali much more of a daily driver car. Tuned down from 490 horsepower to 460 for better emissions ratings and fuel economy, the California is not as blistering fast as the F430, but I’m sure it’s still a heck of a lot of fun to drive.

Worlds Fastest Car’s Duke it Out in a Drag Race

Well, maybe they aren’t the worlds fastest cars, but they sure are quick!  Chevy ZR1 vs. Ferrari 599 GTB vs. Porsche 911 GT2 vs. Godzilla.  I’m not sure how long of a runway these guys had, but I think it was close to the mile mark. Check it out as these drivers smash the pedal to the floor and take these four super cars up to top speed. 

Ferrari 599 GTB: Top Speed Run

Ferrari’s 599 is a fast car. With nearly 600 horsepower on tap, it can rocket to 60 miles per hour in just 3.2 seconds. That’s fast enough to spin anyone’s head. But where does the madness stop? I’ll give you a hint: it’s faster than the GT-R…

Novitec Tweaks the Ferrari 599, Adds 188 HP & 159 TQ

Novitec Rosso is an exclusive Ferrari tuner. They take the extraordinary and try to make it even more incredible. Case in point is their latest work on the Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano. The 599 already had a 6-liter V12 outputting 611 horsepower and 448 ft-lbs of torque. Ferrari stated it could leap to 60 mph in 3.7 seconds, but independent tests showed times as low as 3.2 seconds. Sprinting to 200kmh (124 mph) is done in 11 seconds flat.

So how could Novitec Rosso improve upon something that Ferrari already spent so much time perfecting.
Their first thought was to boost it with a supercharger. Their second thought was to boost it again with another supercharger. The effect was astonishing: 808 horsepower and 607 ft-lbs of torque!

Performance improvements seem to be nominal with a quoted 0-60 time of 3.5 seconds, but since independent tests have already proven the 599 to be faster than Ferrari had quoted, I have no doubt that the Novitec 599 will also be a sleeper.

Cost for Novitec to build a 599’s engine is 47,000 euros, or about $61,300. The tuner also has brake, wheel and aero upgrades available, hit the jump to read the complete press release.

Source: Novitec via AutoBlog

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Ferrari Might Drop F1 if FIA’s Standard Engine Rule Passes

FIA, the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile, is trying to push through standards for Formula One teams that will constrict competitive advantages, cut costs and make F1 a pure race for the best driver. Although many manufacturers and race teams are not opposed to measures that help reduce costs, most feel that cost reductions should not come at the expense of technological advancement. Ferrari, who has competed in Formula One racing since 1950, will seriously consider leaving the sport if standardized engines become a new regulation.

The Formula One Teams Association called a meeting Geneva a few days ago to discuss alternative options for cost reductions. Toyota agrees with Ferrari and firmly believes that “Formula One must remain a technological challenge” and that other means of cost reduction must be considered. If Max Mosley, President of the FIA, is able to pass this standardized engine measure it will go into effect no later than 2010. Hopefully FIA will come to their senses and not push away auto manufacturers that support the F1 sport.

Hit the jump to read Ferrari’s full statement.

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Ferrari California Wallpapers

The California is Ferrari’s latest and greatest. Featuring a 4.3-liter V8 producing 460 horsepower, it will prove to be no slouch in the acceleration department. The California is sold out through 2010, so it’ll cost you more than the $240,000 asking price to get one in your garage. Don’t have that kind of cash laying around?  Then enjoy these wallpapers free of charge.

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Ferrari Doesn’t Want a Piece of the Sedan Market

If you’re interested in a 4-door sports car made by one of the worlds premiere super car builders, you’ve got a couple of options.  From Porsche comes the Panamera, Aston Martin has their Rapide, and now Lamborghini has its Estoque.  But not Ferrari.  Ferrari isn’t interested because Ferrari hasn’t forgotten its roots.  Ferrari hasn’t forgotten that it is a racing team first and that the only reason it has a small production line on the side is to help fund its R&D.  A brave statement when the car industry is in it’s biggest slump in decades, but I applaud them for maintaining their focus and not diluting their brand.  Bravo Ferrari.

Source: Motor Authority

Real or Not: Ferrari Leaks a Letter Detailing the FX150

We’ve known for a while that Ferrari has been developing a successor to the Enzo. Details have been near non-existent and speculation has run wild with photos surfacing for test mules dressed up as the F430. To add fuel to the fire, an “official letter” has surfaced on the net that details the configuration of Ferrari’s next super car.

According to the letter, the FX150 will have a longitudinally mid-mounted twin-turbo V8 engine strapped to a carbon fiber monocoque chassis. The body will also be made of carbon fiber, which should keep the curb weight near a targeted 1,300 kilograms (2,860 lbs). The letter estimates power output will be just shy of 800HP and 570 ft-lbs of torque, propelling the FX150 from 0-60 in 2.7 seconds with a top speed of 242mph. It’ll put that power to the ground through the 7-speed dual clutch gear box that can shift in as fast as 50 milliseconds.

Although it’s easy to forge an official document these days and the letter refers to the Enzo successor as the FX150 (not the F70/FX70 as Ferrari’s naming convention would suggest), what else seems fishy about this letter? Let me know what you think in the comments!

UPDATE: I received an email from someone saying that he and some friends had created this letter as a prank to have some fun with their buddies, so disregard the info and file this letter in the recycle bin.

Buy this House and You Can Keep the Ferrari

A home owner in Thousand Oaks, California has dropped the asking price on his house by $400,000 in an attempt to sell it in a dismal housing market. He must be getting hard pressed because he is now throwing in his ‘04 Ferrari 360 Modena to any buyer who offers him a fair price.

So what is a fair price, you ask? Well, the original asking price was $1,589,000 for this 4,000 square foot, 4-bedroom 4-bath house which is located in a nice part of town. He’s dropped the price to $1,125,000 in an attempt to sell it quickly, but he’s asking $1.36 million if you want that Ferrari too. It’s not a bad proposition, save over $300,000 on a house and get a Ferrari to rock the streets with.

The only problem is that unless his Ferrari is something special, that 360 Modena isn’t worth the $235,000 dollar price difference. The smart thing to do would be to negotiate him down a little more if you want his used Ferrari, or buy the house at the lower price and put the extra loot towards something else. Below are a few pics of a 360 Modena, note that it’s not the same one that is for sale with this guys house.

Source: LA Times

Photos: Commons.Wikimedia.org