FERRARI CALIFORNIA TRUNK IRONY

Ferrari has released a photo of a trunk-filled California, the Italian company's new four-seat hardtop convertible. The Good Car Guy just showed pictures of the apparently useable rear seat but in this case, Ferrari appears to have been making somebody else's case.

Hardtop convertibles are known for lacking a useful trunk. By the time the top is squeezed into the rear of the car, space for luggage and groceries is typically limited because the top ate into that space. This is why on a bright summer's day when you most expect convertible owners to be enjoying the open air, they're cruising down the interstate with the top up. If they don't do that, they don't take their luggage.

Well, Ferrari proves the point in a picture where the luggage isn't fully inside the trunk. It's as if they're saying, "Oops, guess we can't fit all this stuff in there, can we? Take the picture anyway, Giacomo." As you can see in the image, the Ferrari California's top is not in place but instead, is resting on top of the trunk. The luggage is covered in the same leather as the golf bag and suitcases that Ferrari previously placed in the rear seat; quite clearly fitted Ferrari kit. With that being obvious, the irony is even more humourous. Ferrari can't even fit California-specific bags in the trunk of the California? 

Ach, I know it was just for the sake of display in the same way pictures of women in the front seat usually show them with one leg out of the car. But it's still funny, and still ironic.

FERRARI CALIFORNIA BACK SEAT - 5 PICTURES

Considering the likelihood that future Ferrari California buyers are more like us than the buyers of Ferrari's other cars, it's very possible that these California owners will use their cars for normal purposes. 

With a rear seat and the ease of flipping back the roof, genuine trips will/could become something regular for these people who chose not to take the Scuderia Spider 16M. And if part of their reasoning for purchasing the California was its rear seating perches, they better be useable. 

Choosing a California over a regular 430 Spider won't necessarily save you a whole lot of coin, but no Ferrari lacks in the power department and large chunks of the masses won't know that this is - in the minds of many enthusiasts - a softer, compromised Italian supercar. Supercar? Meh.

Are they? These pictures (click to see'em larger) show the Ferrari California rear passenger area with a child seat, golf clubs, set up as a load shelf, used as a load shelf, and as a traditional rear seat. Decide for yourself. Check out Ferrari's California trunk irony, too.

CAR DESIGN PART II

In Car Design Part I (recommended reading), The Good Car guy asked the following questions: Where has design evolved the most? Where has modernity struck heaviest? Who designs with cookie cutters? Which design group resides 'in the box'? Does anybody?

INEXPENSIVE FAMILY VEHICLES

MID-ENGINED SPORTS CARS

From the top: Chevrolet Malibu, Volvo S40, Mazda 5, Audi R8, Ferrari 430 Scuderia, Lotus Europa, Porsche Cayman

evo SUMMARIES 2 - ACP

For part 1 of this special evo edition of Across The Pond, follow this link. British car mag evo, whose thrust is 'The Thrill of Driving', recently wrote the following regarding the following:

Mitsubishi Evo X: "After a low-speed recce alongside one of Mitsubishi's testers, it's our turn to drive the 1.9-mile circuit. I opt for the full-on High-Performance car with TC SST, and on the tester's advice select the Super Sport shift mode. It's immediately impressive, each pull of the right-hand [addle (made from magnesium, incidentally) delivering a smooth and almost instantaneous upshift, with just enough of a push in the back to let you know the gear's been engaged." - Richard Meaden


Porsche 911 GT2: "As you'd hope, the GT2 also has the GT3's satisfying feeling of quality, not just in terms of tight build and underlying structural integrity but in the precision and feel of its controls...... Brake pedal feel is superb too, and with no hint of lost motion at the top of the pedal yet a progression that allows you to measure light and heavy stops effortlessly. The ride is notable calm too..... The kick in the back is sensational..... It's a supercar in concentrated form and from this perspective £130,000 doesn't seem expensive." - John Barker


Ferrari 430 Scuderia: "It all pivots around 3500rpm, the engine speed at which the exhaust valves open (you're going to notice this, everyone within a radius of three miles is going to notice it; think of F430 re-mixed through Motorhead's PA system) and the transmission shift program switches from the easy-does-it to let-'em-have-it. When this happens, you instinctively grip the wheel a little tighter because, for a few moments at least, it seems impossible to pull back. You want to hear more of that astonishing engine note, and your brain scrabbles to sync with the sudden shift to an F1 metabolism. The intoxication is nerve-gas scary." - David Vivian

External links:
Evo
911 GT2
Scuderia

FERRARI BRINGS SCUDERIA SPIRIT TO 430 SPIDER

Back when Ferrari strode back to the firm, indisputable top of the pack, the F355 was a 380-horsepower supercar. 380 horsepower? You mean five more horsepower than Hyundai's V8 luxury sedan? Quaint.

One received the impression since the F355's time that Ferrari didn't want to play in horsepower wars - Lamborghini and Mercedes-Benz AMG both outpunched Maranello in that department - but managed the acceleration of horsepower increases quite capably. For instance, take the car you see here: Ferrari's new Scuderia Spider 16M. In the Ferrari of the past, a convertible would never be treated to the most outrageous of Ferrari's performance equipment. Now, the 430 Scuderia has joined with the 430 Spider in fitting the Scuderia Spider 16M with a 510 horsepower 4.3L V8. In the F355's era, even the hyper-expensive 456M GT, a V12 supercoupe, only had 442 horses.

Better yet, the Scuderia Spider has shed 176 pounds. Worse yet, the Scuderia Spider will likely feature a base price of close to or over $300,000 USD.

Yes, Ferrari's manufacturing of a new hardtop convertible, the California, spoke volumes about the Italians' willingness to work with open-top cars. Now cometh the Scuderia Spider 16M. Only 499 will be assembled. (2700 F355's were built by Ferrari, by the way.) 

Not only was the 430 Spider's predecessor never built with the most powerful Ferrari V8 of its time; the 360 Spider was never available with the Scuderia Spider 16M's sound option either. A special 16GB Ferrari iPod Touch will rest prominently in a central dock in front of the dashboard. 

SCHUMACHER TALKS ABOUT THE FERRARI CALIFORNIA

It'd be too easy to suggest that their numbers are equally impressive. Alas, the Ferrari California's impressive weight and power and technology can't equal that of Formula 1's most successful driver. Michael Schumacher is still an employee of Ferrari, and he's seen in the video below making the case for Ferrari's new hardtop convertible.

Schumi captured seven championships in Formula 1. Alongside his 154 podium finishes came 91 race wins. In 68 races, Schumacher qualified fastest and took pole position. The car in the video, Ferrari's next "high-volume" car, makes more than 100 horsepower per litre and will send all 453 horsepower to the rear wheels by way of a 7-speed dual clutch transmission. 

FERRARI F1'S OF MANY ERAS

It becomes clear that this advertisement isn't a spot for Ferrari. It's actually Shell's attempt to connect their V-Power to Ferrari's F1 racers. Anyway, it's worth turning up the volume for this one. It is a choir made up of many cylinders of many different ages keeping time to Enzo's beat. Enjoy.

YOUR CAR WAS DEVELOPED HERE

It is becoming increasingly likely that your next car is being developed at one of the most famous racetracks known to man. The Nurburgring (more frequently called just 'The Ring') lies in the Eifel mountains south of Cologne, Germany. A portion known as the Nordschleife, at 13 miles long (20.8km) is still used for relatively major races, but Formula 1 was deemed to fast for this track decades ago.



What interests motor enthusiasts is this: Manufacturer's days. Not only is this where you see those spy shots of camoflauged Audi's tailgating camoflauged BMW's around the terrifying Karussell. In contrast to these days are the Public days, when anybody on wheels can pay 19 Euros for a ride around The Ring in their own car, motorcycle, motorhome, or tour bus. The Ring Taxi, a frequently re-tired BMW M5, offers a seriously fast passenger ride for those who want a truer experience.

Some automakers use the Nurburgring enough to make a permanent on-site garage necessary. Although once a BMW/Mercedes/Porsche/Audi bastion, The Ring is now used by every maker with a brain, which included at first the Japanese and now even General Motors. GM makes great claims on behalf of the Cadillac CTS' and Chevrolet Corvette's handling, and much of the credit, they say, comes down to the Nurburgring. It simulates all the road surfaces, turns, radii, and wear and tear a car will see in the run of its motoring life.

Critics say that Ring testing is partially to blame for today's rough-riding cars, especially those cars which stem from traditionally smooth-riding manufacturers. These rough-rides are part of the compromise when you seek enhanced handling, but the cause may be better traced to run-flat tires on heavier cars with the big wheels consumers demand.

Here's a few Google Earth images of facilities where automakers perform a huge chunk of their secret development and testing. GoodCarBadCar skipped the images of snow-covered frozen lakes in Finland and arrow-straight roads through the United Arab Emirates where much of the cold and hot weather testing is done.




Fiorano is not just the surname of the Ferrari 599 GTB, it is also the host track to Ferrari's F1 and road-car testing. Maserati would be a frequent visitor as well. Found in Maranello, Italy up against Ferrari's facilities, Fiorano is 35 years old. Enzo Ferrari's house/office is nearby, just one factor leading to an aura unlike any other track you see here.



That crop circle you see in the middle of the image is the Nardo high-speed bowl. Found in the heel of Italy's boot, Nardo's bowl is almost 8 miles around. When speeds rise significantly, a car will eventually be free of any lateral forces. This provides hands-free driving. Mind the bumps, however. High-speed testing for multiple manufacturers is completed here in addition to record breaking top-speed attempts by automakers like Koenigsegg and Bugatti.

As difficult as it is to realize that the Nardo bowl is 12.5 km long, so it is with this Volkswagen-owned facility known as Ehra-Lessien. What is actually just the name of a municipality in Lower Saxony has become a name synonymous with really crazy fast top-speed runs of cars like the Bugatti Veyron and McLaren F1. Although there are almost 100km of track available to Volkswagen, Audi, Bugatti, SEAT, Bentley, Skoda, Lamborghini.... and Porsche, the real tasty bit is the 9km straight.


MIRA is a massive testing facility in Warwickshire, England. Click to see the larger image and you'll see the massive network of roadways including a handling and stability circuit, steering pad, high-speed circuit, wet handling and cornering facility, corrosion test facility, resonance road, twin straights, cross-country/4x4 area, and test hills. Vauxhall is not the only user, by any stretch.

The Milford Proving Grounds outside of Detroit, Michigan is home to, guess who? General Motors. Milford opened in 1924 but the operation has grown significantly, with 4820 salaried employees making use of and working directly at MPG. This GM facility was a precursor of all the massive, heavy-duty at home testing facilities to which automakers have become accustomed. You can imagine the debate in the corporate headquarters not long after WWI, not long before the Great Depression, over the cost of building and operating an area like this.


Ford Motor Company's Dearborn home is also home to their major proving grounds now known as the Dearborn Development Center. This is but one of Ford's many like-minded facilities. Ford also has complexes in Naples, Florida; Yucca, Arizona; Bemidji, Minnesota. International proving grounds for Ford are located in Sao Paulo, Brazil; Cuautitlan, Mexico; You Yangs, Australia; Essex, England; Lommel, Belgium and Thompson, Manitoba.



Finally, you have my personal proving grounds. What these grounds proved, I can't say for sure. But I am an accident-free, low insurance risk and I do perform a mean mid-winter-storm parking lot drift. If you can guess where this group of nasty turns is located, email goodcarbadcar@gmail.com for congratulations in your superior map-reading ability.

GOOD CAR CRAVINGS

The technology that allows you to read The Good Car Guy's view on every piece of automobilia that comes through his mind is the same piece of tech that sits at the computer repair shop. Anybody understands the reinstalling of TCP/IP protocols - please email.

For those of you who care not one whit about such things but care very much about the most beautiful, expensive, and powerful cars in the world, GCBC is supplying a taste. The Good Car Mother offered up a spiffy laptop to satisfy the yearnings of The Good Car Nation. Thanks be unto her.

Volkswagen owns the somewhat infamous, always famous Bugatti. Bugatti, after years of showing outrageous supercars with outrageous cylinder counts, actually produced an outrageous automobile. Four turbos aid an already immense 16-cylinder engine (configured in a W formation, if you care), which then feeds the power through a a 7-speed Direct Shift Gearbox and on to all four wheels. A car - if you can call it that - like this Bugatti will forever be considered an immense waste of time and energy, but it will also continue to pose as an engineering feat unlike any other. 1000 horsepower, a hefty $1million+, and as much luxury as performance.



On the other hand, drop horsepower by a few... hundred, and shed a few pounds, and the still amazing driving experience can come to you by way of Porsche, Ferrari, and Pagani.

The Pagani Zonda, in all its permutations, is an ultra-exclusive supercar for the artistically-inclined rich. Horacio Pagani may equip his car with a simple Mercedes-Benz engine (ha!) but creates an interior which warrants as much attention as the wild exterior. A truly feelsome supercar.

Something that perhaps can't be said of Ferrari's Enzo. A paragon of performance; an aerodynamic tour-de-force, but perfect to the extent that the driver isn't as deeply entrenched in the experience as s/he would be with the Porsche or Pagani. The Enzo, named for the founder of the company, can hardly be considered a stylized option. Everything on this car contributes to ultimate lap-times. Strictly speaking, its ugliness has never hindered commercial success. Of the 399 or so Ferrari Enzo's which were sold, many of those which haven't been crashed are trading substantially above list price.

Porsche's entry into this class, the Carrera GT, is such a beauty. Just look at her, especially with the top off. Proportions... perfect. Engine noise... sublime. Interior simplicity and ergonomics... untouched by criticism. Clutch takeup? Horrible. However, once the Carrera GT gets moving, who cares about the clutch? Not I, my friend, not I. Over 600 horsepower out of the Porsche and Ferrari. And Pagani's slightly lower figured matter little, considering its light weight.



Videos via Youtube from evo, the best car magazines you can buy.

FIORINO vs FIORANO

Differences quickly manifest themselves in a comparison of these corporate cousins. Perhaps "cousin" is terminology that Ferrari, the world's most famous and capable supercar maker, would prefer we drop. However, for cutesy; pointless; but fun comparisons, the Fiat Fiorino Qubo and Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano pair up wonderfully.

Where the Turin-based Fiat makes do with an 'I', the Modena-based Ferrari names its car with an 'A' in the midst; after the test track that Ferrari's Formula 1 racers and road cars have been using for 36 years.

Check the Numbers below to learn about more of the astounding differences between two similarly named vehicles; two vehicles that filter money back to many of the same coffers.

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4 - total passenger doors (two rear-hinged) built into the Fiat, double the total of the Ferrari

620 - horsepower available to the Fiorano driver, 545 more than the Fiorino's 1.3L  generates

13 - number of Fiat Fiorinos you could have for the price of 1 Ferrari Fiorano

39 - extra miles the Fiat Fiorino Qubo 1.3L MultiJet will travel on a U.S. gallon of fuel above and beyond the Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano

490 - grams per kilometre of C02 emissions exiting the tailpipe of the Fiorano, while Fiat offers a Fiorino that's already very close (if not past) to meeting the frightening Euro emissions target of 120g/km

10 - turning circle, measured in metres, of the Fiat Fiorino, some 2.5 metres tighter than that of the Ferrari Fiorano

AUDI WINS 24 HOURS OF LE MANS

Despite qualifying 1-2-3, Peugeot was unable to claim victory in Le Mans, France this weekend. Audi took the title for the fifth straight time and the eighth time since year 2000. Peugeot managed to snab the next two spots on the podium, but Audi also drove to 4th and 6th positions.

In the GTI class, Aston Martin's DB9 racer took the crown; the more experienced Corvette team driving to 2nd and 3rd. A Ferrari F430 drove to 1st place in the GT2 class.

FERRARI 612 SCAGLIETTI F1 RECALL

Ferrari's least charismatic and most unappealing current car, the 612 Scaglietti is being recalled. Just 366 such vehicles, built from '05-'07 with the F1 gearbox only, will be headed back to their Ferrari dealership for a new sensor as well as a new cable holder and magnet, according to NHTSA. F1 transmissions are historically a bit questionable, only improving very recently in quality terms. Nevertheless, most 612s would be of the F1-paddleshift variety.

Says the official recall: "A NONCONFORMING CLUTCH SENSOR IN THE TRANSMISSION COULD MALFUNCTION UNDER NORMAL OPERATING CONDITIONS DUE TO THE HEAT PRODUCED BY THE VEHICLE."

NEW FERRARI CALIFORNIA PHOTOS

The nearness of autumn is established by context. Getting married around Hallowe'en? October is forever and a day away. Readying yourself for your seventh tour of duty in Iraq? October is soon and getting sooner faster. 

Not to draw parallels between marriage and cars (I would never do such a thing), or to even attempt to further distance the possible the dangers in Iraq with the advent of high-priced Italian transportation; but the formal real live introduction of the Ferrari California seems to appear somewhere over the horizon in the distant future.

And Ferrari will do whatever it takes to tease, prod, inspire, provoke, and generate conversation in the meantime. The second batch of official Ferrari pictures of their "entry-level" - GCBC quotes, not their's - have been released. Ferrari faithful would surely disagree, but to The Good Car Guy's eyes, this light blue car looks better on the California than the typical Ferrari red debut car.

Not only that, but the top-up styling is highly impressive, creating a far more dramatic and supercarish look than the early front end images mustered. Critics will see TVR Tamora at the rear, Pontiac Solstice Coupe at the roofline intersection with the tail, and a little too much generic Ferrari 599 in the overall profile. For previous California-related posts, click here. To read more about Ferrari stuff, follow this link.

FERRARI CALIFORNIA

OK, we could get wordy and wax eloquent and feign disappointment or overstate our awe, but let's just get down to business. 

Surprises: Ferrari released their pictures way ahead of the expected release date that they posted on their own website, ferrariGTcountdown.com. Secondly, Ferrari is going to sell a hardtop convertible, likely the most difficult structural design the most sporting manufacturer on the planet will ever have to deal with. Thirdly, the transmission design is in the Audi/VW/Nissan GT-R vein, meaning a 7-speed direct shifter. Dual-clutch gearboxes are the future, so it's not a complete surprise to see Ferrari join in. They say it " boosts the car's performance while enhancing the driving pleasure." 

Predictables: Ferrari won't skimp on performance. They never do. The press release predicts 0-60mph in under four seconds, and the front-engine configuration is a bit misleading. Like many newer high-performance front-engined cars, the V8 will reside slightly behind the front axle. That V8 would be the second very predictable item. It features displacement similar to the F430 (4.3 litres) but develops about 23 fewer horses. Finally, the California looks classically Ferrari. Those who expected Ferrari to capture another segment of the truly rich and wealthy with an audacious design that wasn't easily recognizable should've figured otherwise. Yes, more drama and uniqueness would've been awesome - the styling is very Panoz Esperante - but the suggestion that it doesn't look like a Ferrari or would fit better as the next-gen Mazda MX-5 is ridiculous. It's a handsome, curvaceous car that'll likely show better in upcoming photographs. 

ferrariGTcoundtown.com

Clearer than ever, Ferrari's fourth model line is almost ready to be revealed. After years, yes.... years, of rumour and rumour put-down by Ferrari brass, the Italian supercar maker now has a website devoted to a gradual reveal. For now, it is mainly noise. Ah, but what sound. 

The site alerts you to the time you have until the next piece of info dribbles out. Firmly expect this smaller Ferrari to be far and away the biggest story coming out of the Paris auto show.

Time to awaken the soul, release the spirit, feel the rush, and embrace the thrill.

CNN LOOKS AT FERRARI REPLICARS

Alessio Vinci, CNN's bureau chief in Rome, zoomed in a story that isn't news to most automotive enthusiasts but strikes much of the world as disturbing. Not all Ferraris are created equally.... apparently. Allegedly. 

Vinci headed straight to the top; speaking to Ferrari personnel and the polizia. Here's the link to the CNN video of Ponterraris. Or is it Ferroyotas? 

DETROIT DEBUTS - Part II

Ferrari's Millechili sounded the alarm. Even the exoticar makers must go green. Detroit is the venue for a more realistic near-future possibility, the F430 Spider BioFuel.

Think crazy-fast, corn-powered, Italian convertible beauty. You get the picture. If not, view it in AutoBlog's gallery.

Ferrari BioFuel debut factoid: the badges suck.