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Ecclestone wonders if F1's upcoming turbo V6s should get augmented sound [w/videos]

While every team on the Formula One grid is worried about making a good showing in this year's championship at the same time as they develop a brand-new car for next year's championship, Bernie Ecclestone and F1 circuit promoters have a different concern: how next year's cars will sound. The current cars use 2.4-liter, naturally-aspirated V8s that can reach 18,000 revolutions per minute and employ dual exhaust, next year's engine formula calls for 1.4-liter turbocharged V6s that are capped at 15,000 rpm and are constrained to a single exhaust outlet. Ecclestone and promoters like Ron Walker believe the new engines sound like lawnmowers and that the less thrilling audio will keep people from coming to races. If Walker's Australian Grand Prix really is shelling out almost $57 million to hold the race, every ticket counts. As a fix, according to a report in Autoweek, Ecclestone "suggests that the only way to guarantee [a good sound] may be to artificially adjust the tone of the V6s."
However, neither the manufacturers nor the governing body of F1, the FIA, think there will be a problem. Ecclestone fears that if the manufacturers "don't get it right" they'll simply leave the sport, but the only three carmakers and engine builders left next year, Renault (its 2014 "power unit" is pictured), Mercedes-Benz and Ferrari are so embedded that it would stretch belief to think they'd leave the table over an audio hiccup - if said hiccup even occurs. And frankly, these issues always precede changes to engine formulas, as they did when the formula switched from V10 to V8; fans, though, are probably less focused on the engines and more on the mandated standardization of the sport and the spec-series overtones that have come with it.
No one knows yet what next year's engines will sound like, but we've assembled a few videos below to help us all start guessing. The first is an engine check on an Eighties-era John Player Special Renault with a 1.5-liter V6 turbo, after that is Ayrton Senna qualifying in 1986 in the Lotus 98T that also had a 1.5-liter V6 turbo, then you'll find a short with a manufactured range of potential V6 engine notes, and then the sound of turbocharged V6 Indycars testing last year at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Any, or none of them, could be Formula One's future.

Aston Martin may soon follow Ferrari with a London IPO

Aston Martin may soon be following Ferrari's lead, as Automotive News reports that people within the British automaker say it may soon consider an initial public offering. If it happens Aston Martin will likely list in London, not New York like Ferrari. While some in the industry were initially wary of Ferrari's move, the company is doing better than ever, with shares rising 62 percent since its IPO in 2015. An IPO could be a huge plus for Aston Martin. The company is looking to boost both sales and profit. Ferrari and Aston Martin sell similar vehicles at similar price points, but Ferrari has a much wider audience, even if most of those fans will never even sit inside one of its cars. That would likely be a big sticking point in estimating Aston Martin's value. It also moves half as many units as Ferrari per year. Aston Martin does have a new crossover on the horizon. Like Porsche, a crossover has the potential to more than double the automaker's sales. Even without it, fourth quarter profits in 2016 notably increased, fueled by solid sales of the new DB11. The IPO won't happen until sometime next year. The company wants to wait on a full 2017 earnings report. Related Video: News Source: Aston Martin Earnings/Financials Rumormill Aston Martin Ferrari stock

The real Wolf of Wall Street's Ferrari Testarossa is for sale

In 2013, acclaimed filmmaker Martin Scorsese profiled the rise and fall of financial crook Jordan Belfort in the movie The Wolf of Wall Street, with Leonardo Di Caprio in the lead role. Now you can own an automotive piece of that fascinating real-life tale by buying Belfort's 1991 Ferrari Testarossa. According to the seller, Belfort bought the Ferrari in New York in 1991. He must not have driven it very much, though. There have been other owners since him, but the Testarossa still has only covered 8,300 miles. With its white exterior, your friends might think you're trying to emulate Sonny Crockett from Miami Vice, and the interior has beige leather, which still looks to be in great condition. To prove Belfort's ownership, the sale comes with his name and address in the warranty book and on supply invoices. There's even a set of matching luggage, and the seller allegedly found a $50 bill in one of the bags' lining. Even if Belfort didn't drive the Testarossa too much, he might have had some fun with it. According to the listing, "it was involved in a 'Wolf' moment as early as the original test drive." However, the seller will only tell the next buyer what that means. Belfort's Testarossa is currently for sale in Monaco for an undisclosed price, but as a car formerly used in the United States, it might not be too hard to bring back. If you do decide to buy Belfort's Ferrari, remember to treat The Wolf of Wall Street as a cautionary tale. Related Video: