Maserati Service and Repair Bay Area - Maserati Wants to Develop a Mid-Engine Supercar

Italian company Maserati is already branching out into the world of fast SUVs, and also wants to try its hand at another type of car: mid-engine supercars. Maserati CEO Harald Wester wants build a mid-engine, carbon-fiber supercar with a V-8 engine, according to Evo.
Wester apparently was inspired to build a Maserati supercar after seeing the strong response to the sultry Alfa Romeo 4C concept car (pictured) — he’s also CEO of Alfa. The Maserati version would be larger and offer far more performance, with a carbon-fiber monocoque and a mid-engine layout. The car would serve as the brand’s “halo” car and could be called GranSport. That name was last used for a limited-run, high-performance version of the Maserati Coupé and Spyder.
Beneath the skin, Evo reports that the Maserati GranSport would use the 4.7-liter V-8 engine from the 2013 GranTurismo Sport, which was shown at the Geneva Motor Show. That mill is rated for 460 hp and 383 lb-ft of torque. The car is likely to use the seven-speed dual-clutch transmission from the Ferrari 458 Italia. Speaking of the 458, Maserati’s supercar is expected to be more than 600 pounds lighter at about 2640 pounds, but overall a similar size to the Ferrari.
As we reported last month, Maserati sees the hypothetical supercar as a contender to the Porsche 911 and Audi R8. It would have two seats and only 2000 copies would be built annually, and could go on sale by 2015.
It’s no secret that Maserati wants to expand its lineup in order to reach its ambitious goal of 50,000 global sales annually by 2015 — last year the company delivered 6159 cars worldwide. The company announced in April that it would soon introduce three new models. One of those is the Kubang SUV, which was introduced as a concept at the 2011 Frankfurt Motor Show. Another is this mid-engine supercar. And after that, Maserati may launch a smaller sedan that’s been termed a “baby Quattroporte.”
Source: Evo

Source: http://rumors.automobilemag.com/
evo
Written by: Jake Holmes

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Ferrari Service and Repair San Rafael - Goodwood Festival of Speed 2012 - San Francisco Motorsports

The Goodwood Festival of Speed 2012 will spring into life 28 June to 1 July with over 110 top drivers, riders and famous faces in action on the 1.16-mile Goodwood hillclimb in West Sussex, England.

The Festival of Speed remains unique in its ability to attract the majority of the current season’s Formula 1 teams and drivers, with at least six of the 2012 F1 teams confirmed for Goodwood. These GP teams will include Red Bull Racing, Scuderia Ferrari, Vodafone McLaren Racing, Lotus, Mercedes GP and Caterham. Current F1 drivers and leading characters in action at the Festival will include current double World Champion Sebastian Vettel, plus the two previous World Champions, Jenson Button and Lewis Hamilton. Mark Webber, Nico Rosberg, Heikki Kovalainen, Christian Horner and Adrian Newey will also be in action up the 1.16-mile Goodwood hillclimb.

Past Grand Prix masters present at the 2012 Goodwood Festival of Speed will include Alain Prost, Sir Stirling Moss, Sir Jackie Stewart, John Surtees, Nick Heidfeld, Jochen Mass, Emerson Fittipaldi and Martin Donnelly, all joining a roll-call of other motor sport stars at Goodwood that reads like a Who’s Who of motor racing.

One of the great Festival of Speed’s moments will be relived at the this year’s event, when Nick Heidfeld is reunited with the very McLaren MP4/13 that he so famously launched up the Goodwood Hill in a record time of 41.6 seconds in 1999. His record remains. The screaming V10 machine will be running for the first time since its glory at the 1999 Festival, and Heidfeld – now a hugely experienced F1 star – is sure not to disappoint.

From the world of rallying, drivers Juho Hanninen, Thierry Neuville, Jan Kopecky and Skoda UK Motorsport’s 2011 IRC Champion, Andreas Mikkelsen will be on the Forest Rally Stage, along with many other rallying greats who will be reacquainted with the cars that made them famous, including Juha Kankkunen, Björn Waldegård, Rauno Aaltonen, Jimmy McRae, Hannu Mikkola andRussell Brookes. TV stars James Martin and Jesse James will also be in action on the Forest Rally Stage.

Motorcycling heroes will include big name riders such as three-time 500cc World Champion Kenny Roberts, 1987 World Champion Wayne Gardner, present British MotoGP hero Cal Crutchlow, 13-time World Superbike race winner Aaron Slight, seven-time GP victor Henk van Kessel,plus legends Troy Corser, James Toseland, Neil Hodgson, James Ellison, Steve Parrish, Guy Martin, Stuart Graham, Shane ‘Shakey’ Byrne, Stuart Easton, and Sammy Miller, among many others. Joining them from the exciting world of sidecar racing will be the winner of a staggering 10 world titles, Steve Webster, partnered by three-time World Champion Paul Woodhead.

All of the drivers and riders participating in this summer’s Festival of Speed will appear on the walkway leading into the exclusive BlackRock Drivers’ Club throughout the event, giving Festival goers and fans the rare opportunity to see their heroes up close, and possibly even have a word or two with them too.

source by Sports Car Digest

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San Francisco Motorsports San Rafael - How the Ferrari F2012 Formula One car has Changed Since the Start of the Season

Nikolas Tombazis, the Scuderia Ferrari’s Chief Designer, illustrates how the F2012 has changed since the start of the season and what the upcoming modifications are. To understand what happens to a single-seater between one Grand Prix and the next, we examined a lever of the F2012’s front suspension. And then there’s the Formula 1 alphabet with explanations from the Scuderia Ferrari’s technicians.

source: http://www.ferrari.com/english/formula1/news/racing_news/Pages/120615-scuderia-ferrari-racing-news-n-9.aspx

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Ferrari Service and Repair San Rafael - Ferrari planning largest parade ever - San Francisco Motorsports San Rafael

How would you describe a heavenly scene? Over 600 Ferraris parading along a race track at the same time perhaps?

Well this is about to become a reality at the Silverstone Circuit in the UK on 15 September as Ferrari plans to shatter the Guinness World Record for the largest parade of Ferrari cars.

The previous record was set with just 490 cars but over 600 cars have already registered for this event and Ferrari is hoping that as many as 1000 cars pitch up on the day.

This record will form part of Ferrari Racing Days, to be held at the circuit on 15 and 16 September, and which is the only racing event in the UK where Ferrari fans will see the ultra-exclusive FXX and 599XX development cars on track, or a wide range of historic Ferrari F1 cars from the F1 Clienti department, together with a packed schedule of races from the Ferrari Challenge Trofeo Pirelli and the Ferrari Club Challenge.

source:  by IOL Motoring Staff

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Ferrari Repair and Service San Rafael - Race car flips from driver's view - San Francisco Motorsports San Rafael

Doug Peterson brought a new race car to the SCCA Chicago Region's June Sprints at Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wis., June 15-17. But the car's status moved from new to trashed in a few blinks of an eye.

Video from a camera mounted on the car shows Peterson making a move to the right as the field moves toward the start/finish line. A car two ahead of Peterson's slows suddenly and is hit from behind. That pushes the slowed car to the right and Peterson's left front collides with the car's right front--after that, Peterson begins collecting frequent flyer points.

Peterson was not injured. The video is fascinating to watch.

source Autoweek

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Ferrari Service and Repair San Rafael - Ferrari F12 Berlinetta DRIFT and Accelerations!San Francisco Motor Sports

We’ve been waiting for a clip like this to show up ever since Ferrari launched the F12 Berlinetta and fortunately, we didn’t have to wait long enough to talk to Santa about it - ladies and gentlemen racers, we are giving you a Ferrari F12 Berlinetta Hooning and Drifting session!

The vehicle was caught on camera while being put through its paces on the Fiorano track, a place it is certainly familiar with. The video, which comes from Youtube user Marchetinno, allows us to enjoy a series of pedal-to-the-metal accelerations, fast fly-bys, as well as a tire-shredding drift.

We’ll remind you that the driver is playing with a 6.2-liter V12 unit that produces 740 hp and is enjoying the benefits of natural aspiration while doing so. Enjoy the ride!

source: Autoevolution

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San Francisco Motorsports San Rafael - Turbocharged Ferrari California Prototype Spied

This camouflaged Ferrari California is the testbed for a new turbocharged powertrain Ferrari is working on. The footage shows the car flexing muscle around the test track, and there’s some unmistakable turbo whistle in there that reveals Ferrari’s secret. They haven’t made a turbocharged car since the F40, so is this the comeback of turbo Fezzas?

With the consumption and emissions standards getting tougher and tougher, there’s not doubt Ferrari will eventually have to use turbos to make its engines more efficient. But this particular one here could be the new powertrain Ferrari has agreed to develop for its Fiat-owned sister companies, Alfa Romeo and Maserati.

In spite of the the turbos, the engine sounds pretty good to our ears. Check it out:

source: www.motorward.com
By Aman Barari

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San Francisco Motorsports San Rafael - Ferrari Enzo Replacement Design Finalized

The powers that be at Ferrari have finalized designs for the successor to the Enzo, which will make its debut by the end of the year. Although there have been a number of mules—we’ve managed to get our hands on spy photos of one—undergoing testing for some time now, the hypercar’s final design was still in question.

As to the styling itself, we understand that traditional Ferrari collaborator Pininfarina had nothing to do with it. The result comes entirely from within the confines of Ferrari own studio in Maranello, led by renowned designer Flavio Manzoni. Could this be the beginning of the end of a long relationship with Pininfarina? We hope not, but we don’t run Maranello.

Think of the Millechili concept from 2010 and collector Jim Glickenhaus’s Enzo–based P4/5 and  subsequent P4/5 Competizione and you get an idea of what to expect from the F70 (the car’s internal code). The new design of the mega-exotic, the body and chassis of which are all carbon fiber, is based on what is being called a “three arc” philosophy. That is, as seen in profile, the front arc is the tightest in diameter; the middle arc, with its greenhouse, is the largest; and the rear arc is somewhat larger than that in the front and extends rearward until it ends abruptly—a bit like the Pagani Zonda tail, if you will. This will place its two occupants within a forward-mounted, glass-intensive cabin resting on carbon-fiber pillars, providing a nearly 360-degree view. We do know for sure that, like the Zonda, that abrupt rear fascia will be left open or covered by merely a screen.

Pininfarina Ferrari P4/5

Aerodynamics are, of course, a rather large deal for the F70; the car will benefit from both active and passive body features. The centerpiece in active aero for the F70 is a large, integrated rear wing. As to the abundant passive aero, designers have emphasized the three arcs as decisive forms, featuring precisely cut recessed-intakes and airflow passages. The manner in which air is guided over and through the large and forward-mounted greenhouse is getting rave reviews inside Maranello; “revolutionary” is the word we’re hearing. Another clever aerodynamic detail involves the headlight surrounds, which are shaped in such a manner that they guide air past and through the normally obstructing front fascia.

The most important information on the new car—besides the all-carbon-fiber construction—is the estimated 920 hp from an all-new V-12 engine with “significant” cylinder capacity, and that the car will feature hybrid componentry. Our informants tell us Ferrari very nearly decided on a turbocharged V-12, but then reverted to the original plan of a mild-hybrid layout. The hybrid part of the powertrain involves an aspect very similar to the KERS system used in Formula 1 to aid acceleration when needed. The commitment to such a system was ordered by technical guru Amedeo Felisa, principally because such an approach will deliver a surprisingly green Ferrari supercar.

source: Car and Drive
by Marco Marelli

San Francisco Motorsports San Rafael - This Is $10.6 Million Of Bugatti Veyrons In One Photo

This Is $10.6 Million Of Bugatti Veyrons In One Photo

Five Bugatti Veyron owners were seen puttin' on the Ritz in Montreal this weekend, forming the perfect public road-bourne foil to the F1 madness that descended upon the French Canadian city. We can only imagine what it sounded like to hear all five of them fire up at the same time.

In the lineup were GrandSport Nos. 041 and 052 (blue and red, respectively), Sang-Noir No. 143, and Coupé No. 132.

Looking at this photo, I have to wonder if you have to take out extra insurance when you're going to be driving near so many other ridiculously fast cars. Although you would hope everyone keeps it mellow, there's something about getting behind the wheel of a speedy ride that makes many of us transform, Mr. Hyde-like, into the untrained F1 emulating wannabes
We didn't hear about any crashes this weekend, though.

By Benjamin Preston
Photo credit: Fast-Auto.fr


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San Francisco Motorsports San Rafael - Nissan DeltaWing flies around Le Mans successfully

The Nissan-powered DeltaWing took its first laps at speed last weekend on the roads of Le Mans in preparation for this weekend's race. To the surprise of a few, nothing dramatic happened; in fact, the DeltaWing was close to the target pace set by Le Mans organizers of lapping the circuit in 3 minutes, 47.98 seconds -- making it faster than all GT cars and on pace with the second-level prototypes. It's a real race car.

The physics behind the DeltaWing move against many trends in racing. By maximizing lightness and aerodynamics, the DeltaWing needs a much smaller engine -- just 300 hp -- and less fuel and tires to move quickly. Even though its front Michelin tires are just four inches wide apiece, the DeltaWing completed nearly all its laps on one set. Any worries that those wheels couldn't handle the necessary cornering forces also went to rest with the test.

The DeltaWing will run but not compete at Le Mans, being so radically different from the rest of the field. Backers hope to prove the concept can be used somewhere else in racing, and while IndyCar rejected the idea last year, a quick 24 hours at Le Mans should revive some interest.

by Justin Hyde | Motoramic

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San Francisco Motorsports San Rafael - Ferrari claims unofficial lap record at Laguna Seca

Setting the fastest lap on any race track is worth its share of bragging rights, but some are worth more than others. Like the Nürburgring Nordschleife, for example. Or the Top Gear test track. Or, on this side of the pond, Laguna Seca.

The Mazda Raceway near Monterey, California, is one of the most challenging circuits in the world. It's got a double-apex hairpin at the start, an off-camber sweep to the left and of course the dreaded Corkscrew that drops five and a half stories with tight turns at top and bottom. Little wonder, then, that its lap record is a subject of such contention.

The record was set at 1:07.722 by Helio Castroneves in 2000 behind the wheel of a Penske Champ Car. And that remains the fastest official time since the ones that followed were not set during an officially-sanctioned race weekend. But, in 2006, Ricardo Zonta drove the Toyota TF106 there to an unofficial new record of 1:06.039. Sebastian Bourdais took it back for the Champ Car series the following year at 1:05.880. But nowFerrari has taken the unofficial crown at 1:05.786.

The record lap was set during the Ferrari Racing Days event by veteran scuderia test driver and Le Mans winner Marc Gené, behind the wheel of the Ferrari F2003-GA, the car named for the late Fiat chairman Gianni Agnelli with which Michael Schumacher and Rubens Barrichello took seven grand prix wins and both titles in the 2003 Formula One World Championship. And now it can go down in history with another accolade to its history.

 

by Noah Joseph

source: Autoblog

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San Francisco Motorsports San Rafael - Ferrari GTO Sold for $35 Million

Ferrari GTO Becomes Most Expensive Car At $35 Million

Talacrest Purchase

Matsuda acquired the ex-Moss racer in 1999 from Talacrest, who bought the car for $3.5 million in 1996.

“I kept on looking at it in my showroom, thinking I paid too much,” said Collins.

The 250 GTO, created in 1962 to compete at the Le Mans 24- Hour and other Grand-Touring car races, is regarded by collectors as the most desirable of all classic Ferraris. Motor Trend Classic magazine placed the 250 GTO first on a list of the “Greatest Ferraris of all time” in 2010.

Heerema’s example, with a chassis numbered 3505, was made by the Ferrari factory in 1962 for the U.K. racer Moss, whose name is scrawled on the back of the right-hand driver’s seat.

The car was painted in the pale-green livery of Moss’s UDT- Laystall race team. Moss suffered a career-ending crash at the Goodwood circuit in Sussex on April 23, 1962, in a race just prior to taking the wheel of his new Ferrari.

Le Mans

The car was raced by his fellow U.K. driver Innes Ireland at the 1962 Le Mans, where it retired.

The record had been held by a 1936 Type 57SC Bugatti Atlantic, bought by the California-based collector Peter Mullin in another private transaction in 2010 for an undisclosed price between $30 million and $34 million.

Mullin, when interviewed by Bloomberg News in February, wouldn’t divulge the precise sum he paid for the Bugatti.

In January, a 1963 Ferrari 250 GTO numbered 5095 was sold by the U.K.-based businessman Jon Hunt, former chief executive of the Foxtons real-estate group, for about $32 million, dealers with knowledge of the matter said.

A 1962 Ferrari 250 GTO made for race driver Stirling Moss has become the world’s most expensive car, selling in a private transaction last month for $35 million.

The distinctive apple-green Ferrari, one of 39 GTOs produced from 1962 to 1964, is listed among May’s high-end sales at anamera.com, a website for classic car dealers. Two specialist traders last night independently confirmed the transaction and price to Bloomberg News.

 The car was sold with the last two weeks by the Dutch-born businessman Eric Heerema, owner of the Nyetimber vineyard in Sussex, southern England. The buyer is U.S.-based classic car collector Craig McCaw, the dealers said. Heerema was not available for comment when Nyetimber was contacted by Bloomberg News. McCaw was also unavailable for comment when his company Eagle River Investments was telephoned.

“The market is very active at the moment,” said James Cottingham, acquisition consultant for Ferrari dealer DK Engineering, based in Hertfordshire, U.K. “A lot of new buyers are expanding their collections and the baby-boomer generation of collectors has reached an age when they’re not using their cars as much as they used to. They want to sell.”

McCaw, who is based in the Seattle area, was the co-founder of McCaw Cellular, which was acquired by AT&T for $11.5 billion in 1993.

There has been a flurry of big-ticket Ferrari sales through private transactions during the last two months. The Ferrari 250 Testa Rossa in which the U.S. driver Phil Hill won the 1958 Le Mans 24-Hour race was sold by the French collector Pierre Bardinon for about $25 million, according to anamera.com.

A Ferrari 250 GTO bought by U.K. television and radio hostChris Evans for about $18 million in 2010 has been sold for a million-dollar price “in the high 20s,” dealers said.

“I’ve heard of eight Ferraris selling for a total of $135 million during the last eight weeks,” John Collins of the U.K., Ascot-based dealership Talacrest Ltd. said in an interview.

“It’s difficult to find cars at the moment,” said Collins, who was directly involved in five of these high-end sales. “The Arabs have started buying because of Formula One and the Chinese have now entered the market.”

The green GTO had been acquired by Heerema a decade ago for about $8.5 million from the Japanese collector Yoshiho Matsuda, who was also the previous owner of Evans’s Ferrari, dealers said.

 

Talacrest Purchase

Matsuda acquired the ex-Moss racer in 1999 from Talacrest, who bought the car for $3.5 million in 1996.

“I kept on looking at it in my showroom, thinking I paid too much,” said Collins.

The 250 GTO, created in 1962 to compete at the Le Mans 24- Hour and other Grand-Touring car races, is regarded by collectors as the most desirable of all classic Ferraris. Motor Trend Classic magazine placed the 250 GTO first on a list of the “Greatest Ferraris of all time” in 2010.

Heerema’s example, with a chassis numbered 3505, was made by the Ferrari factory in 1962 for the U.K. racer Moss, whose name is scrawled on the back of the right-hand driver’s seat.

The car was painted in the pale-green livery of Moss’s UDT- Laystall race team. Moss suffered a career-ending crash at the Goodwood circuit in Sussex on April 23, 1962, in a race just prior to taking the wheel of his new Ferrari.

Le Mans

The car was raced by his fellow U.K. driver Innes Ireland at the 1962 Le Mans, where it retired.

The record had been held by a 1936 Type 57SC Bugatti Atlantic, bought by the California-based collector Peter Mullin in another private transaction in 2010 for an undisclosed price between $30 million and $34 million.

Mullin, when interviewed by Bloomberg News in February, wouldn’t divulge the precise sum he paid for the Bugatti.

In January, a 1963 Ferrari 250 GTO numbered 5095 was sold by the U.K.-based businessman Jon Hunt, former chief executive of the Foxtons real-estate group, for about $32 million, dealers with knowledge of the matter said.

source: www.bloomberg.com
by Scott Reyburn

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