Motor Authority - blog Tag: Luca di Montezemolo

Less than two weeks after shocking the F1 world with his comeback plan, Michael Schumacher shocked the sport's inhabitants again on Tuesday by calling it off. The 40-year-old German crashed a German Superbike during testing in February, but until now the details of his injury were not known.

"It was the most serious accident in Michael's motorsport career," his manager Willi Weber told the German news agency DPA on Tuesday. Schumacher later revealed on his website that the crash had caused fractures in the area of his head and neck.

But the sceptics also had a voice on Tuesday, one writing in Britain's Guardian newspaper that "only Michael...

Less than two weeks after shocking the F1 world with his comeback plan, Michael Schumacher shocked the sport's inhabitants again on Tuesday by calling it off. The 40-year-old German crashed a German Superbike during testing in February, but until now the details of his injury were not known. "It was the most serious accident in Michael's motorsport career," his manager Willi Weber told the German news agency DPA on Tuesday. Schumacher later revealed on his website that the crash had caused fractures in the area of his head and neck. But the sceptics also had a voice on Tuesday, one writing in Britain's Guardian newspaper that "only Michael Schumacher knows if the biggest hurt during a comeback would have been to his neck or his pride". Schumacher's younger brother Ralf hit back in the pages of Bild newspaper: "Fractures in the vertebrate are not something to be dismissed lightly." The seven time world champion's decision also moved the conversation on to the next replacement for injured Felipe Massa: 38-year-old Italian Luca Badoer, who has been Ferrari's test driver for more than a decade. Carlos Gracia, president of the Spanish motor racing federation, slammed the Maranello team's decision to overlook its other tester, Spaniard Marc Gene. "It's an absurdity by the management of Ferrari," he said in the sports newspaper Marca. "Gene is better prepared and has just won the 24 hours of Le Mans." Eddie Jordan believes the Schumacher news might compel Ferrari chiefs to try to bring forward Fernando Alonso's expected move to the Italian team. "My information is that Alonso is going to Ferrari next year," the former eponymous team owner is quoted as saying by The Sun in Britain. "Why don't they bring it forward? If I was Ferrari that is what I would try to do." Read More

For a lot of people, any car that wears a Prancing Horse badge is good enough. And no one can deny the Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano is one of the best examples of a GT car available. But to have the car owned by the man at the helm of the legendary brand, that's on another level.

But that's exactly what Ferrari Chairman Luca di Montezemolo is offering - an opportunity to bid for and win his personal 599 GTB Fiorano. The car will be offered in an online auction with the proceeds to benefit a charity that funds young researches working on projects of technological innovation.

The car itself is a standard 2006 599 GTB Fiorano, equipped with the F1... For a lot of people, any car that wears a Prancing Horse badge is good enough. And no one can deny the Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano is one of the best examples of a GT car available. But to have the car owned by the man at the helm of the legendary brand, that's on another level. But that's exactly what Ferrari Chairman Luca di Montezemolo is offering - an opportunity to bid for and win his personal 599 GTB Fiorano. The car will be offered in an online auction with the proceeds to benefit a charity that funds young researches working on projects of technological innovation. The car itself is a standard 2006 599 GTB Fiorano, equipped with the F1 gearbox, Rosso Monza exterior paint, charcoal leather interior trim, carbon-ceramic brake discs, carbon fiber interior details and only 5,776km (3,589mi) on the clock. Bidding for the car is open, with a scheduled end date of June 29 at 3:00pm GMT. The current bid sits at €180,000 ($250,000). To find our more or place your own bid, check out the official site.Ferrari 599 GTB FioranoLuca di Montezemolo to auction his personal Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano Read More

Following a record first-quarter profit for Ferrari, the slowing global economy and tightening credit markets slammed into the car industry and ground what had looked like a promising year to a halt. There was talk of tough times at Ferrari. But Ferrari's ledger sheet still looks bright, says the company, with a 17.6% return on sales.

That marks a 1.6% upturn over 2007, a remarkable result considering the industry's turmoil. Ferrari credits its cost-cutting measures as much as its wide range of cars and relatively strong sales with that result. Research and development budgets increased over the year despite the economic downturn, rising to... Following a record first-quarter profit for Ferrari, the slowing global economy and tightening credit markets slammed into the car industry and ground what had looked like a promising year to a halt. There was talk of tough times at Ferrari. But Ferrari's ledger sheet still looks bright, says the company, with a 17.6% return on sales. That marks a 1.6% upturn over 2007, a remarkable result considering the industry's turmoil. Ferrari credits its cost-cutting measures as much as its wide range of cars and relatively strong sales with that result. Research and development budgets increased over the year despite the economic downturn, rising to 18% of revenues. Total revenues for 2008 tallied €1.921 billion ($2.49 billion at current rates), up 15.2% from 2007, largely due to sales of the 430 Scuderia and strong continued performance from the 612 Scaglietti and 599 GTB Fiorano. Total sales volume was 6,587 cars, up by 2% or 122 cars from 2007. North America once again took honors as the largest market for the Prancing Horse, accounting for 1,700 cars of the total. The new One to One personalization program for 12-cylinder models is credited with growing the brand's non-car related activities by 28%, which also contributed to the strong bottom-line figures. E-Commerce saw a veritable banner year with revenues up 65% over 2007. It was also announced at Ferrari’s annual Stockholder Meeting today that current board member and former CEO Jean Todt will be leaving the company. Todt first joined Ferrari in 1993 as the executive director of the company’s Scuderia Ferrari F1 team before being appointed as CEO in 2006. Just two years later he relinquished the position to current CEO Luca di Montezemolo and remained as a member of the board. Todt is credited with turning a then struggling Ferrari F1 team into the powerhouse that it is today. Under his leadership, Ferrari hired Michael Schumacher and together with strategist Ross Brawn and designer Rory Byrne – a combination that produced a nearly-unbeatable team.Ferrari One-to-One Program 612 ScagliettiFerrari F430 Scuderia Spider 16M Read More

Governments around the world are bowing to public pressure to reduce greenhouse gases, and more often than not the first sector they look at is the auto industry. The European Council has proposed a ruling that could see carmaker’s forced to limit their fleet average CO2 levels to 130g/km by as early as 2012, something that could have disastrous effects for niche players like Ferrari, though the cars shown at this week's Geneva Motor Show may reveal how the Prancing Horse will tackle the problem.

The supercar company is working on cutting its vehicles' greenhouse gas emissions by nearly half and has several different strategies... Governments around the world are bowing to public pressure to reduce greenhouse gases, and more often than not the first sector they look at is the auto industry. The European Council has proposed a ruling that could see carmaker’s forced to limit their fleet average CO2 levels to 130g/km by as early as 2012, something that could have disastrous effects for niche players like Ferrari, though the cars shown at this week's Geneva Motor Show may reveal how the Prancing Horse will tackle the problem. The supercar company is working on cutting its vehicles' greenhouse gas emissions by nearly half and has several different strategies including building lighter cars and implementing new hybrid technology. Ferrari president Luca Cordero di Montezemolo has previously told reporters the carmaker is aiming to reduce CO2 emissions by 40% between now and 2012. "We are currently working on the development of a Ferrari that will use alternative energy sources and which will be based on what we are doing at the moment in Formula 1," he revealed, referring to the new Kinetic Energy Recycling System (KERS) that works on the principle of brake-energy-regeneration. The KERS is basically an efficient CVT gearbox joined to a flywheel that rotates when the cars undergo braking. The stored energy can then be used to boost acceleration for overtaking and cornering. The 599XX experimental car on display in Geneva houses the company's "most advanced" technology from Formula 1, and it is purpose-built as a technology showcase and testbed. The latest word from Ferrari CEO Amedeo Felisa indicates that this could be the car used to test production-car applications of the F1 KERS hybrid technology. “We are running a 599 prototype,” said Felisa. “We have to understand how you can benefit from hybrid technology.” The hybrid 599 prototype could by an altogether different car, however. The benefits of a hybrid system, says Felisa, can be in the form of efficiency, performance or both. An all-electric system is out of the question for Ferrari, however, just as diesel won't be making its way among the folks at Maranello either. Montezemolo has said that any future hybrid Ferrari would still be "fundamentally a Ferrari". However, the first models aren't expected to be available for sale until around 2015. In a further effort to reduce emissions, future Ferraris could also come powered by smaller and more fuel-efficient turbocharged V6 engines. A company spokesman revealed last week that Ferrari has ruled out nothing in terms of technology as it works to keep high-performance a priority while accommodating strict emissions rules. For more on the 599XX at the Geneva Motor Show, check out our original coverage here.2009 Ferrari 599XX concept Read More

Two-time F1 world champion Fernando Alonso has reportedly inked a secret deal with Ferrari that will see the Spaniard joining the Scuderia Ferrari team in 2011. According to Reuters, the contract is for a four year stint, however there are several clauses that will allow both Ferrari and Alonso to abandon the deal should they wish.

Reports have been streaming in for the past two weeks about Alonso's ambitions to join the most successful team this decade on the grid. Today, Alonso' manager mentioned that "Fernando has expressed some interest in racing for Ferrari", but emphasized that things were not completely set in concrete yet,... Two-time F1 world champion Fernando Alonso has reportedly inked a secret deal with Ferrari that will see the Spaniard joining the Scuderia Ferrari team in 2011. According to Reuters, the contract is for a four year stint, however there are several clauses that will allow both Ferrari and Alonso to abandon the deal should they wish. Reports have been streaming in for the past two weeks about Alonso's ambitions to join the most successful team this decade on the grid. Today, Alonso' manager mentioned that "Fernando has expressed some interest in racing for Ferrari", but emphasized that things were not completely set in concrete yet, reminding reporters that "2011 is still a long way away". Should the deal go ahead, then Ferrari would have a formidable set of drivers for the 2011 season. Earlier this month, Alonso was crowned the best F1 driver of 2008 by respected Italian sports outlet La Gazzetta dello Sport. The newspaper claimed Alonso's potential was stunted by "the handicap of Renault engine power. Had he driven a Ferrari, the title would certainly have been his." There is also talk that the rumored four-year deal could begin as early as 2010, rather than 2011. Currently, Ferrari's Kimi Raikkonen is under contract until 2010, but his poor race results may see him ousted to be replaced by Alonso. Alonso is currently also signed with Renault for another two seasons, which would make the timing fortuitous for a changing of the guards at Ferrari. Ferrari boss Luca Di Montezemolo also seemed to hint at a possible new face in 2010. Speaking to reporters, he stated that he would like to have a driver "like Alonso", but that he was currently happy with the current Ferrari lineup. Keeping the door open, however, he enigmatically stated that "maybe in two years I will tell you something different". Read More

Ferrari has stated emphatically that it will never build a four-door model. The statement comes on the heels of Lamborghini's revelation of the Estoque four-door supercar at the Paris Motor Show. There has also been a prevalence of late of sports car manufacturers expanding their model ranges with some not-so-sporty models, sparked by Porsche's success with the Cayenne SUV.

But while luxury sports car marques are expanding their segment coverage in order to squeeze as much profit as they can out of the ailing car market, Ferrari remains resolute in its conviction to never build a four-door.

In a roundtable discussion with the head of both ... Ferrari has stated emphatically that it will never build a four-door model. The statement comes on the heels of Lamborghini's revelation of the Estoque four-door supercar at the Paris Motor Show. There has also been a prevalence of late of sports car manufacturers expanding their model ranges with some not-so-sporty models, sparked by Porsche's success with the Cayenne SUV. But while luxury sports car marques are expanding their segment coverage in order to squeeze as much profit as they can out of the ailing car market, Ferrari remains resolute in its conviction to never build a four-door. In a roundtable discussion with the head of both Fiat and Ferrari, Luca di Montezemolo, journalists were told that as long as di Montezemolo remained chairman Ferrari would never produce a four-door model. Many of the Prancing Horse's competitors have turned to four-doors to add a greater variety of models to their range - both Porsche and Aston Martin have been working on four-door sedans for some time, with the Porsche Panamera and the Aston Martin Rapide expected to debut soon. Even archetypal supercar manufacturer Lamborghini revealed a four-door-sedan concept to an astonished crowd at the 2008 Paris Motor Show, meaning that Ferrari may become the last of the supercar manufacturers to be left out of the world of four-doors. When asked what he thought about his competitors producing four-door models, di Montezemolo said rather succinctly "good luck to them", but that Ferrari would still never produce a four-door while he was in charge. Talk of four-door Ferraris aside, di Montezemolo did reveal that the new dual-clutch transmission launched in the California model will eventually make it to other Ferrari models, including the 612 and then later on the F430 and 599 GTB.Ferrari four-door design study 2008 Read More