Ferrari is doing its bit to help children in need, by auctioning one of its very special cars. The car in question is a LaFerrari Aperta with a unique metallic Rosso Fuoco body colour and metallic Bianco Italia double racing stripe.
Proceeds from this auction, which will take place on September 9th during the “Leggenda e Passione” sale, will be donated to Save the Children Charity for an international program focusing on education.
The event will take place at Ferrari’s Fiorano track and is said to be the most important single marque collector’s car auction in history. It’s a limited edition vehicle that was introduced to commemorate the Italian automaker’s 70th anniversary.
The LaFerrari Aperta is the roadster version of the LaFerrari hybrid supercar. Designed for Ferrari’s most passionate clients, the Aperta is an open-top supercar that offers similar performance to its hard roof brethren.
Its interior features black Alcantara and shiny black carbon fiber with red leather inserts on the seats that are complemented by red stitching. This allows the car to stand out in a unique way that will help bring in a significant sum of money for a very good cause.
Like most high level auctions of this nature, its an invitation only event that is part of a three day program of festivities in Maranello.
Maserati has given its Ghibli GranLusso a midlife facelift by making a few tweaks to the vehicle’s overall styling. Slated for a global debut at the Chengdu Motorshow, in China, on August 25th, the latest car will feature an improved design as well as advanced technological features.
Compared to its predecessor, which was launched 4 years ago, the new one come with a unique front bumper with dedicated chrome inserts and new front grille with chrome bars. The overall look of the front fascia is inline with the Italian automaker’s current design language.
the GranLusso badge at the base of the front fenders and body coloured side skirts are indications that this is the facelift model. Other telltale signs include the addition of Adaptive full LED Headlights with glare free Matrix High-Beam and active ADAS functionalities (autonomous driving).
According to the automaker, the restyling of the bodywork has improved aerodynamic efficiency by a noticeable amount, which should help stability at higher speeds. Then there’s the edition of autonomous driving tech, which allow the car to be more intelligent than its predecessor.
The new Ghibli GranLusso is a marked improvement over the car it replaces and despite the changes being mostly visual, Maserati has managed to add enough to allow the car to remain fresh and up to date. That said, it will still be going up against some seriously stiff competition from the likes of BMW and Mercedes-Benz.
Based on a recent report by Automotive News, Great Wall, a Chinese automaker has expressed interest in buying the American SUV maker, Jeep. Parent company Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA), has so far denied the claims stating that it has not been contacted by said party.
Great Wall plans on becoming a global player in the SUV market and by snapping up Jeep, an establishment of 4×4 vehicles, will be able to realize that goal a lot sooner than expected. The Jeep has a wealth of knowledge and technology that have kept the company competitive in major markets in the US and abroad.
Reports say that Jeep is worth more on its own than FCA as a company who’s portfolio includes Fiat, Dodge, Chrysler, Alfa Romeo and Maserati. This is understandable considering the brand’s value and heritage that traces back to World War II.
Great Wall has already set up R&D centres in Detroit and Los Angeles to study trends in the US to help it plan its strategy on penetrating that market. Unlike most other countries, the demand for SUVs and pick-trucks in the US are significantly higher than that for regular econoboxes. This then is a prime area for the Chinese automaker to secure a beachhead.
This is purely speculative, but, if FCA chooses to sell Jeep to Great Wall, that would cause serious consequences for the brand as a whole. Granted, FCA has mulled over the idea of spinning Jeep off as a separate entity before, but that was to allow for better stability.
Whatever the case maybe, if FCA does cave and hands over the keys to its kingdom to Great Wall, that would weaken the American company further. And this will put homegrown automakers like Ford and General Motors on notice that the days of complacency are over.
Tesla’s resilience when faced with almost insurmountable challenges of making a practical electric car, has had an impact on the industry. It wasn’t too long ago when many mainstream automakers suggested that producing a practical electric car was still some ways off, and that the internal combustion engine was here to stay.
Now however, many have changed their tune and are willing to step into relatively uncharted waters and begin mass producing electrified powertrains. Not long ago, Volvo announced that it will only be building hybrid or fully electric vehicles from 2019 onward. Hyundai too are planning on a similar strategy sometime in the near future.
And if an article published by Autocar UK is to be believed, it would appear that Maserati, a well known Italian sports car company has decided to take the electrified route as well. It’s parent company FCA (Fiat Chrysler Autombiles) who also owns Fiat, Alfa Romeo and Dodge, want Maserati to take the lead and produce electrified vehicles and technology.
This same technology can then be adapted by the rest of the brands under the FCA umbrella and ensure that about half of the company’s model range comprises of either hybrid or EVs by 2022.
That said, the first electrified Maserati, which will probably be a hybrid, is predicted to be unveiled by 2020 at the earliest and may be based on the Alfieri concept that debuted at the 2014 Geneva Motor Show.
The article goes on to speculate that Prior to the launch of that vehicle, Maserati might hybridize other current generation vehicles like the Levante SUV. Nothing is set in stone at the moment, but we won’t be surprised if the Italian automaker chooses to go fully electric in the not so distant future.
Many car buyers around the world are beginning to embrace hybrid and electric vehicles as the future of personal mobility. And as soon as there is sufficient infrastructure to sustain their practicality as daily drivers, that will be the final nail in the coffin of the internal combustion engine.
Jeep’s new Wrangler 4×4 family, which was launched at the recent Geneva Motor Show, has grown larger with the introduction of the Rubicon Recon, which is said to offer better capabilities and is able to take on much tougher off-road terrain.
What sets it apart from other varaints is the addtion of a stronger front axle, heavy-duty cast rear differential covers, ‘off-road’ stylying, 18-inch low gloss Granite Crystal painted aluminium wheels, dual-vented power dome hood with a black-silhouette “Rubicon” decal featuring red accent lettering on both sides. There’s also a trail rated logo with red accents, a black fuel filler door, and a black hard spare tyre cover.
As for the inside, there’s a black and red themed upholstery, which is rather unique for a Jeep. Red accent stitching contrasts the standard black leather heated seats with a “Rubicon” embroidered logo.
Other subtle hints that tell the Rubion Recon apart from the rest of the line-up include, Black vinyl-wrapped front door armrest and console lid with black stitching, red accent netting on front door pockets and the centre console, unique leather-wrapped steering wheel and red accent colored seat belts.
Under the hood of the Rubicon Recon is a 3.6-litre V6 engine that produces 284bhp and is mated to a 5-speed automatic gearbox. Buyers will be able to choose between having a two or four-door body configuration as well as three different exterior colours, which are Gobi, Bright White, and Granite Crystal.
This particular Jeep is on sale in the UK right now but we do hope the options trickle down into what we are currently being offered. The aesthetics and off-road capabilities will definitely be appealing to the more adventurous Malaysian car buyers.
For all the Ferrari fans around the world, this article will be of interest to you. The Design Museum in London has announced that will be showcasing a major exhibition called Ferrari:Under the Skin. It’s purpose is to portray the legacy and history of one of the most respected names in motoring.
The show is a collaboration with Ferrari as the automaker celebrates its 70 year anniversary. According to the organisers, it will provide unique insights into the world of Ferrari and on it’s rarely seen material.
There will also be early design models, drawings, letters, memorabilia as well as some of the most famous racing and road-going Ferraris ever made. The exhibition will also present Ferrari’s racing heritage, the ongoing quest for innovation as well as the glamour of its well-known clientele.
There will also be some rarely seen personal memorabilia and other material of Enzo Ferrari, the founder of the Italian automaker. Also on display will be his early cars, wind tunnel models as well as those hand-sculpted from both clay and wood.
Andrew Nahum, curator of Ferrari: Under the Skin, said, “Ferrari’s story has been one of the great adventures of the industrial age. Ferrari uses the subtle and often unseen techniques of automobile design but with the utmost care and precision and the exhibition provides an insight into the history and practice of the whole private world of automotive design.”
A forerunner to the exhibition is currently on show at the Museo Ferrari in Maranello. But if you are only interested in the real thing, then you will be happy to know that the Ferrari: Under the Skin exhibition will run from 15 November 2017 to 15 April 2018.
Till then, check out this extensive image collection to know what exactly will be on display.
Dodge’s Durango SRT is set to be one of the most powerful 3-row SUV in existence. Based on the standard Durango, this SRT version gets a whole host of upgrades most notable of which is the 6.2-litre (392 cubic-inch) HEMI V8. It produces 475bhp and is able to launched the car from 0-100km/h in just 4.4 seconds, mind-blowing numbers considering what is supposed to be a people carrier.
New exterior tweaks include a widebody design that include aggressive new bumpers, fenders and skirting that give the entire vehicle a sporty appearance. The SRT hood scoop on the bonnet, is fully functional with an air inlet duct flanked by head extractors.
Inside, there’s (in Dodge’s words) Demonic Red Laguna Leahter upholstery a new carbon fibre trim with Durango SRT branding, paddle shifters, as well as heated and ventilated front and heated second-row captain’s chairs with embroidered SRT logos .
As icing on the cake, owners of this vehicle will be given a one full-day session at the Bob Bondurant School of High Performance Driving, to help them hone their skills of taming this beast of an SUV.
“The new 2018 Dodge Durango SRT is America’s fastest, most powerful and most capable three-row SUV,” said Tim Kuniskis, Head of Passenger Cars Brands, Dodge, SRT, Chrysler and FIAT – FCA North America. “This is what you get, when you take everything great about the Durango and combine it with the performance of the Charger SRT: a 12-second quarter mile, 8,700-pound-toy hauling, three-row muscle car.”
Changes that were made that set it apart from the base vehicle include the following:
New performance-tuned AWD system
Standard TorqueFlite eight-speed automatic transmission specifically calibrated for the Dodge Durango SRT
New Brembo high-performance six-piston (front) and four-piston (rear) calipers and vented rotors
New SRT seven-mode drive system
New Track Mode delivers maximum performance track driving with 160-millisecond shifts and up to 70 percent of engine torque to the rear wheels
Sophisticated Active Damping System opens and closes the Durango SRT’s suspension’s damper valves
Stiffer front springs (3 percent), stiffer rear springs (16 percent) and stiffer rear sway bar (18 percent)
Dodge is offering the vehicle with seven different exterior colours, which include B5 Blue, Billet Clear Coat, Bruiser Grey Clear Coat, DB Black Clear Coat, Granite Clear Coat, Octane Red Pearl Coat and White Knuckle Clear Coat.
Customers of the Dodge Durango SRT can expect to see this vehicle in showrooms by the end of 2017 with prices near to that of the automaker’s high performance muscle cars.
The Dodge Challenger SRT Demon is probably the most powerful drag focused muscle car you can buy. It has a monstrous 6.2-litre HEMI V8 that delivers 840bhp and 1044Nm of torque but shares only 38% of its parts with the less powerful Hellcat V8. It has a new crankshaft, pistons, connecting rods and supercharger.
Built at the Saltillo Engine Plant in Mexico, the Demon’s engine cylinder heads are machined on dedicated CNC machines to ensure perfect production. The engine block is deck plate honed to minimise bore distortions. And once completely assembled, the powerplant is dyno tested for 42 minutes under load up to 5,200rpm before it is approved for use.
Here are some facts about the engine:
– Forged alloy steel crankshaft with 90.9-millimeter stroke and revised balancing
– Powder forged connecting rods; upgraded shank and big end; revised ultra-high tensile fasteners
– Flow doubled on piston cooling oil jets
– Revised design valve springs
– 33 percent increase in oiling for valve springs and rocker tips – lubrication and cooling
– Single-groove collects on valve stems for improved stability
– Fuel injector pressure increased 27 percent
– Oil pan and windage tray optimized for high acceleration – tested up to 1.8g
The car is fitted with a TorqueFlite 8HP90 Eight-speed automatic transmission that is able to change gears in just 400 miliseconds. And the Demon’s drivertrain consists of a limited slip differential that that has a 20% thicker prop shaft than the Hellcat’s, made of high strength, low alloy steel tube and high strength steel stub shafts. The strengthened internals are able to cope with the mind blowing acceleration launch forces of up to 1.8 g.
Unlike some muscle cars, the hood scoop on the demon is functional and is the largest of its kind for a production car at 292 square centimeters. It is part of a high flow, low restriction intake system that helps deliver cool air into the supercharger – the air-flow is rated at 33 cubic meters per minute. A another feature worthy of mention is the SRT Power Chiller. It redirects air conditioning refrigerant from cabin to chiller unit, which reduces charge air temperature by -8 degrees Celsius.
During a 1/4 mile drag run, a Demon’s engine sucks in 4.9 cubic meters of air, which is the equivalent to the lung capacity of 816 humans combined. Putting that into perspective, in just 244 meters, the car sucks in as much volume of air as that found in its cabin – that’s a lot.
In order to keep the high performance engine cool, the Demon has a very efficient cooling system that is able to remove as much as 258kW of heat from the engine when running at the limit. That same amount of heat can boil nearly 950 ml of water in just 1.2 seconds.
A remarkable car by any standards, the Dodge SRT Demon is only available to purchase in North America for now. It’s an amazing technological achievement for drag racing, but for anything else, it falls well short of the mark.
FCA or Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, has announced that it has formally filed an application for diesel emission certification with the US’s Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and California Air Resources Board (CARB) for its emission software calibrations. Vehicles like the Jeep Grand Cherokee and Ram 1500 will feature such a system, which will govern emissions of the various diesel engines. This is an attempt by FCA to clarify issues related to the company’s emissions control technology that are incorporated in its software.
FCA is trying to avoid the diesel gate scandal that has plagued Volkswagen these past few years by coming clean regarding it’s software’s inner workings and the resultant emissions from the diesel engines that use it. The company says that by doing this, it should put to rest the EPA’s concerns regarding the hotly discussed topic of emissions software.
Besides the new vehicles, FCA plans on installing said software in 2014-2016 model year Jeep Grand Cherokee and Ram 1500 diesel variants, provided that it receives the green light from the EPA and CARB. Owners of said vehicles will be able to have the software updated at their nearest FCA dealerships. Once done, owners could expect better emissions performance that should not impact performance or fuel efficiency in any way.
