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Ferrari 488 GTB turbocharges its way towards Geneva debut

Automakers left, right and center are embracing turbochargers as the best way to get more power out of a smaller package, and that includes performance automakers like Ferrari. In line with the latest FIA regulations, the Prancing Horse marque turbocharges its Formula One single-seater, and followed the same route with the California T. And now it's done the same with the replacement for the 458 Italia. Dubbed the 488 GTB, Maranello's latest mid-engined V8 supercar arrives forty years after the debut of the 308 GTB that launched Ferrari into the segment. It packs a 3.9-liter turbocharged V8 offering up 661 horsepower and 560 pound-feet of torque. That represents a 64-horse increase over even the extreme 458 Speciale, and an even more impressive torque boost of 162 lb-ft, despite a decrease in displacement by approximately 600cc. (Ferrari isn't saying exactly how many turbochargers its new forced-induction engine carries, but we're likely looking at a pair of twin-scroll turbos.) The new engine is said to be enough to propel the new 488 GTB to 62 miles per hour in three seconds flat, to 124 mph in 8.3 seconds and on to a top speed in excess of 205 mph. And at 1 minute 23 seconds, the 488's lap time at Fiorano is also a good half second faster than the naturally aspirated Speciale and two seconds faster than the Italia. Ferrari says it dedicated significant efforts to keep the engine responsive and the exhaust note enthralling despite the introduction of forced induction – the first time a turbo has been used in mid-engined, eight-cylinder Prancing Horse, since the F40. Of course there's more to the 488 GTB than the turbocharged engine. It also features a revised Side Slip Control 2 (SSC2) system, working in tandem with the F1-Trac and E-Diff systems to keep the supercar on the razor's edge without sliding off of it. The revised bodywork also generates 50 percent more downforce – thanks in no small part to the active diffuser that necessitated moving the exhaust pipes upwards – and a more slippery shape than any production Ferrari yet. The interior has likewise been revised with new control clusters, air vents, instrument panel and infotainment system for optimized ease of use. The new Ferrari 488 GTB – shorthand for Gran Turismo Berlinetta – is set to debut at the Geneva Motor Show next month, but you can scope it out now in the high-res image gallery above and the full details in the press release below.

Ferrari to list stock on Italian exchange

Ferrari announced Monday it will list its stock on the Mercato Telematico Azionario – the main section of the Borsa Italia stock exchange in Milan. The news comes a little over a month after the exotic automaker launched its initial public offering on the New York Stock Exchange. The company's stock listings are the culmination of a long process that dates to the merger of Fiat and Chrysler, if not earlier. Once the two auto giants came together, they merged their brand portfolio under one umbrella, incorporating the Dodge, Ram, Jeep, Alfa Romeo, and Maserati brands, as well as Mopar, Lancia, Fiat Professional, and the Fiat and Chrysler brands themselves. Ferrari, however, was deemed a separate entity, even after FCA chief Sergio Marchionne wrested control of the Maranello-based outfit from longtime chairman Luca di Montezemolo. Almost exactly one year after FCA launched its IPO on the NYSE, Ferrari did the same. Nine percent of its common shares were listed under the symbol RACE. Another one percent was offered to the listing's underwriters. Ten percent remains in the hands of Enzo Ferrari's family, led by his son and company vice-chairman Piero Ferrari. And the remaining 80 percent will be distributed among FCA's shareholders. FERRARI APPLIES TO LIST SHARES ON MTA Ferrari N.V. (NYSE: RACE) and FE New N.V.1 announced today the filing of the application for the listing, in connection with the planned separation of Ferrari N.V. from Fiat Chrysler Automobiles N.V., of the common shares of Ferrari on the Mercato Telematico Azionario organized and managed by Borsa Italiana S.p.A. Maranello, 23 November 2015 1As part of the separation, Ferrari N.V. will be merged into FE New N.V. which immediately before the merger will hold the shares in Ferrari N.V. now held by Fiat Chrysler Automobiles N.V. FE New N.V. will then be renamed Ferrari N.V., and its common shares will be listed on the MTA and the New York Stock Exchange.

Race Recap: 2013 Korean F1 Grand Prix crazy enough for Psy [spoilers]

The end of qualifying for the 2013 Korean Formula One Grand Prix left us with five pairs: two chassis each from Infiniti Red Bull Racing, Mercedes-AMG Petronas, Lotus, Ferrari and Sauber. Yes, Sauber. The last time the Swiss team had two drivers in the top ten was Japan last year, when Kamui Kobayashi converted the grid spot into a podium.
But let's start at the front of the top ten, where Sebastian Vettel put his Red Bull on pole for the 42nd time in his career. He was followed by Lewis Hamilton in second place by two-tenths of a second, Mark Webber in the second Infiniti Red Bull, and Romain Grosjean in the Lotus in fourth. Out-qualifying teammate Kimi Räikkönen again, the Finn would line up in tenth. Nico Rosberg put the second Mercedes in fifth, Fernando Alonso got the first Ferrari into sixth ahead of teammate Felipe Massa, while Nico Hülkenberg led with the first Sauber in eighth, teammate Esteban Gutiérrez showing the promise he was hired for (okay, and his money) in ninth. Except they'd all move up a place because Webber had to serve his ten-place grid penalty after getting his third reprimand of the season in Singapore. That would get Sergio Perez in his McLaren into tenth. Yes, McLaren needed a grid demotion ahead to make it into the top ten.
It was an entertaining top ten that no one would have expected. When the red lights went out, we were treated to one of the most entertaining races of the year - it was Gangnam Style at 300 kilometers per hour.