The CCA Edition

When the Ferrari California rolled out back in 2008, it got a lot of criticisms from automotive purists but they were proven wrong by the excellent sales numbers of the California. The roadster did not only added to the sales figures but also brought in converts who are only considering Bentleys, Aston Marins, and Porsches prior to its release.

According to reports, the front-engined Ferrari California is getting a midlife facelift and an overhaul by next year. The production of the refreshed Ferrari California is set to start by January at the earliers.

The aluminum body of the Ferrari California will not be changed except for some detail upgrades like an optional front grille but under the beautiful bodywork, the 2012 version of the California will be a lot different.

The 4.3L V8 direct injection engine that gives out 460 horsepower is getting optimized with engineers promising to give it better internals plus a new mapping for its ECU that will definitely boost its output. The number is expected to jump to 490 horsepower with the torque to jump from 485 Nm to 505.7 Nm.

Ferrari will also be using lighter materials for some components of the chassis which will trim 30 kilograms from the weight of the current California. The new ride will still be using the F1 7-speed twin-clutch gearbox. The new Ferrari California is expected to get from 0 to 100 km/h in just 3.85 seconds or a fraction faster than the 4.0 seconds of its older sibling.

The Italian car manufacturer will also throw in a package to improve its handling which will include upgrades to its suspension control system to make the ECU respond 50 % faster. Its dampers can also be adjusted from the softest to the hardest in just 8 ms. All this completes the equation for better agility and quicker response.

Ferrari also upgrades the infotainment system’s HDD from 30 gig to 40 GB. This can be synced with Apple and Android.

No hints with regard to the sticker price but we can expect this to be more pricey compared to the current model.

The new Ferrari FF is a pretty big risk for the company; it is their first family car. Make no mistake it is a very high end family car but that is what it is being marketed as. If it works out for them this can greatly expand the market for their cars by allowing them to sell in categories they normally don’t produce cars in.  This is why the FF is so important to the company’s future.

The main reason that the FF is so important for Ferrari’s future is that it allows the company to enter into a new market. In the past Ferrari has focused exclusively on two seat cars, this does tend to limit the market for their product. By producing a car that most people will find to be more practical than the other offerings that the company has it is hoping that it can attract buyers who want to a Ferrari but need a car that has a little bit more room, particularly for passengers.

The other reason that the Ferrari FF is so important for the company is that there is definite limit to the number of cars that they can sell in one class. Certainly there is a demand for Ferraris and the company could easily sell more of them but this would kind of defeat the purpose. Part of the reason that a Ferrari is so desirable is that the number that are available is limited allowing for a level exclusivity. By expanding the line into a new class they can sell more cars without diluting the brand.

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The battle between makers of super cars has resulted in some pretty amazing cars hitting the road over the last few years. One of these cars is the Lamborghini Gallardo Stradale. When it was first released the Gallardo was one of the finest super cars on the road, however over the years other cars have surpassed it. The Stradale is the company’s attempt to retake the top spot for the best super car.

The obvious reason that Stradale is the best Gallardo ever built is that it was designed to be. The company saw its competitors bringing out super cars that had an extreme level of performance and they decided to do the same. The result is a car that now sits right at the top of the Gallardo line up and can significantly outperform any of the others. The Stradale will be produced in extremely limited numbers with just one hundred and fifty of them being produced in order to maintain exclusivity.

The first thing that you will notice if you happen to get your hands on the Gallardo Stradale is the engine.  It is the engine that Lamborghini uses in their race cars, completely unchanged. Companies that build top end super cars frequently take the engine out of their race cars but usually they are detuned for road use. Not in this case, the engine is exactly the one that you would find in a Lamborghini race car. Needless to say this gives the car plenty of power, allowing it to reach a top speed of two hundred miles per hour.

It is not just the engine that comes out of the Lamborghini race car that you will find on the Stradale, the transmission does as well. This was pretty much a requirement of course since they needed a transmission that was designed to work with the engine that they had taken out of the same car. The result is a car that can accelerate at a very rapid rate going from zero to sixty in 3.4 seconds. This acceleration is helped by the fact that weight of the car is considerably lighter than other versions of the Gallardo.

The Lamborghini Gallardo Stradale is for all intents and purposes a race car that you can drive on the street. Not only are the engine and transmission the same ones that are used in the company’s race cars but the body styling is similar as well. The only real changes are on the interior which is designed for a little bit more comfort than you would find in a race car. That being said you don’t buy a car like this for comfort, it is all about performance. In that respect the Stradale excels and is definitely worthy of being the top of the line model.

I’m a huge fan of the Audi R8, I’m a huge fan of tech stuff, and I love people spending their time on making awesome animations like this one…

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When people think of luxury cars there are certain names that just come to mind. One of those is Maybach, they have been producing top of the line luxury cars for more than a hundred years. Currently their top offering is the Landaulet which takes the concept of luxury cars to a whole new level. Of course with a price tag of well over a million dollars this is to be expected.

The Maybach Landaulet is clearly the ultimate luxury vehicle; it would be hard to imagine anybody building one that could exceed it in this regard. The interior is of course filled with the finest leather used to make seats that are incredibly comfortable. The rear seats have a refrigerator, folding tables and even champagne flutes. Perhaps the most remarkable par t is that the rear of the car has its own retractable roof. This allows the rear seats to get the benefits of being a convertible while the front seats remain covered.

In some respects the Maybach Landaulet may take things too far, like the doors that close automatically. The company says right in its advertising that true luxury shouldn’t include any physical effort.  Therefore the doors will close themselves. There is also a park assist to relieve you of that issue as well, not that we think that many Maybach owners drive themselves. This is clearly a car that is intended to be used as a limousine as the most luxurious features are located in the rear seats. That being said you may well want to get up front and drive it yourself.

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Over the last few years there has been a huge increase in the number of car makers that are producing top of the line super cars. Mercedes are one of those companies that have entered the market with their SLS AMG. This is the companies top of the line offering and while not a true super car it is very impressive compared to the other cars in its class.

Like any super car the first thing that most people are interested in when they look at the SLS AMG is the engine. In this case it is a 6.3 liter V8 that produces 571 horsepower. Compared to some other super cars this is not a huge amount but it is certainly enough to get the car up to speed. With a top speed of two hundred miles per hour and a zero to sixty time of 3.8 seconds the car can move. Part of the reason for this is the electrically governed engine. This also results in a remarkable fuel efficiency of eighteen miles per gallon which no other car in its class can come close to.

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If you have ever driven a BMW (like the 335d, which is pretty awesome!), you know they are good. But here in the US – we seem to think Diesel cars are slow… Well, BMW’s Diesels aren’t – and they have years and years of experience in making great diesel engines in Europe.

Finally, we get ‘m here as well.

Enjoy this great commercial.

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God knows I love Gran Turismo, and God Knows I like me a Ferrari 458 every once in a while…

Pretty amazing game, pretty amazing car. It really is a good life.

Autocar’s Chris Harris tests the brutally-powered Audi RS6 Estate. The numbers are pretty ridiculous, but I honestly think this is a BEAST.

A HEAVY beast.