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Ferrari's modular next-gen platform is under construction

Ferrari and Altair ProductDesign are teaming up to create a next-generation platform for the automaker's future vehicles, reports Automotive News. The platform will provide Ferrari with a base for several new flagship models, claims Altair in a press release that is no longer available, noting that the engineering and design company has worked with Ferrari for more than 10 years. According to the report, vehicles on the next-gen platform are expected to be lighter and better performing, and the platform will reduce vibration, noise, and harshness. Altair's designers and engineers worked alongside the automaker's manufacturing, design, and engineering teams in Italy to create the platform. Altair currently works with an extensive list of automakers on various design and engineering aspects for vehicle chassis. We reached out to Ferrari to get a better idea of what Altair is bringing to the table, but the automaker declined to comment about its relationship with suppliers or on future products. As previously reported, a modular platform would help Ferrari cut development time and share more parts within its lineup. The next generation of the Ferrari California is the first model expected to utilize the new platform and is predicted to be unveiled sometime next year.Related Video: News Source: Automotive News-sub.req., Altair ProductDesignImage Credit: GIUSEPPE CACACE/AFP/Getty Plants/Manufacturing Ferrari Coupe Lightweight Vehicles Performance Supercars

Rebuilt Ferrari Enzo sells for $1.75 million at auction

See this Ferrari Enzo? See how it's in one piece? Well it wasn't always. It was involved in a horrendous crash a decade ago that split it clear in half. But it's long-since been rebuilt and sold for $1.75 million at the RM Sotheby's sale in Paris on Wednesday. The supercar in question belonged to Silicon Valley tech exec Stefan Eriksson, who crashed it into a pole along the Pacific Coast Highway in 2006. The Enzo was split in half, with the cockpit and nose on one side of the highway and the engine with its subframe on the other. If it were any less valuable a car, it might have been a complete write-off. But as yesterday's sale attested, the Enzo was worth fixing. So it was sent back to the factory where it was repaired, refurbished to as-new condition, repainted from red over black to black over red, and certified by the manufacturer. It was one of the top lots at RM Sotheby's autction, but even at that price, it wasn't the top earner of the day. That honor went to a rare 1962 Ferrari 400 Superamerica Aerodinamico, which sold for $3.3 million. Next up was a 1955 Porsche 550 Spyder that went for $3.07 million, followed by a '57 BMW 507 Roadster for $2.25 million. The Enzo came in fifth. Oh, and that Delta Integrale we were pining after? It went for $150 grand. Shame we weren't there with cash in hand. Related Video:

Ferrari presents new F1 car to challenge Mercedes

MARANELLO, Italy — Ferrari unveiled its new Formula One car on Friday, one that it hopes can finally end its title drought. Team principal Mattia Binotto and drivers Sebastian Vettel and Charles Leclerc were on stage for the presentation of the car, which has been named SF90 to commemorate the Italian manufacturer's 90th anniversary in 2019. They were joined by Ferrari chairman John Elkann and CEO Louis Camilleri. "The car embodies the latest state-of-the-art technology, reflects the new regulations for the coming season and is the fruit of the combined enormous work and talent of everyone in the Scuderia," Camilleri said. The new matte livery radiates the classic Ferrari red, with splashes of black and hardly any white. "I'm really excited, and I can't wait to get in," Vettel said. "I'm looking forward to this year. I think the team is on the right path, and hopefully we can continue improving." Vettel won the opening two races of the 2018 season and took pole position in three of the first four but Ferrari's performance waned as the year went on, enabling Mercedes to win a fifth straight drivers' title with Lewis Hamilton. Ferrari hasn't won a title since taking the 2008 constructors' championship, while Kimi Raikkonen claimed the team's last driver's title back in 2007. "Last season was our best in the last 10 years, yet we fell short of our objectives," Camilleri said. "Such a setback is never easy to swallow, but I assure you we look ahead with strong commitment and determination." It is Vettel's fifth season with Ferrari but Leclerc's first after replacing Raikkonen. "I'm extremely excited to start this new adventure," Leclerc said. "It's a dream since I was a child. It's a very emotional day for me." Binotto has also been promoted from chief technical officer, taking over from Maurizio Arrivabene. The season opens on March 17 at the Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne. Related Video: Featured Gallery Ferrari SF90 2019 Formula One car Motorsports Ferrari Racing Vehicles F1 Sebastian Vettel John Elkann