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Ferrari Classiche gives 250 GT a new lease on life [w/video]

There are plenty of workshops filled with skilled craftsman who'd be glad to restore a classic Ferrari. But many are opting to sending their vintage Prancing Horses back to the factory in Maranello to be worked over by the company's own Classiche department. Like this Ferrari 250 GT SWB Berlinetta Competizione, for example. The car was delivered new to Scuderia driver Dorino Serefani, who rarely drove it and sold it in 1964 to a Frenchman who crashed it. He in turn sold it to a Belgian who brought it back to life, repainted it dark blue and gave it a black interior. Another former F1 driver Jacques Pollet bought it next and repainted it in gray, before another Belgian owner bought it in 1984 and had it resprayed yellow in 1992. That's a lot of color changes over the years, but its next owner had yet another livery in mind. He took to Ferrari Classiche in March of last year and had it brought up to spec, this time selecting a Pininfarina gray with a brown interior. The restoration process took 14 months and involved restoring the engine, bodywork, suspension, and rolling stock. Now after more than a year of work, the process is complete and the owner has retaken delivery of the classic Cavallino just the way he wanted it This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. A new lease of life for a 250 GT SWB An extensive 14-month restoration Maranello, 2 December – 14 months of meticulous work – that's how long it took the Ferrari Classiche Department to restore the engine, bodywork, suspensions and running gear of a 250 GT SWB Berlinetta Competizione to pristine condition. The car arrived in Maranello in March 2014 and work began in the summer of the same year, only finishing last week when it was returned to its delighted owner. Famous names. According to the few documents available, the 250 GT SWB Berlinetta Competizione's first owner was Dorino Serafini, a GT and Formula 1 driver who also delivered a podium position in the 1950 Italian Grand Prix for the Scuderia Ferrari. However, he rarely used this particular car, except in fairly low profile races. In 1964, the 250 GT SWB was purchased by Frenchman Rene Richard. Unfortunately, he crashed it and then sold it on to the Belgian driver Lucien Bianchi who was a brilliant mechanic. After it was repaired, the car was given a dark blue livery with a black interior.

Twin LaFerraris roar around Fiorano

What could possibly be better than a Ferrari LaFerrari running at full clip on the Italian brand's Fiorano test track? The answer is obviously two LaFerraris, both doing hot laps. So far as we know, this is the first time we've had an unadulterated listen - outside of the car, that is - to the latest Ferrari hypercar when it's being ran hard. There's no voiceover or music, just that righteous, hybridized V12.
We're told that the first LaFerrari, without camo, is a production model, while the other car is said to be testing a different exhaust setup. It sounds slightly different, and according to the videographer, it was noticeably louder than the production car. Take a look below for the full 2:48 of Italian V12 noise.

Romania's Forza Rossa to join 2016 F1 grid

Bazac's Maranello ties have prompted speculation that Forza Rossa could be as closely affiliated with Ferrari as Hass. Formula One may be in a bit of a crisis at the moment, with two of its smaller teams collapsing into bankruptcy, but there may yet be light at the end of the proverbial tunnel as two new teams are gearing up to take their place. One of those teams is Forza Rossa, and while we haven't much anything about the Romanian entry in in recent months, a new report from Pitpass indicates that plans are well under way – if not without their complications. Forza Rossa is being backed by a number of Romanian parties, including veteran race strategist Colin Kolles (who was most recently involved in the Caterham buyout) and Ion Bazac, former government minister and Ferrari's Romanian importer (pictured above next to Giancarlo Fisichella). Interestingly, the latter's ties to Maranello have prompted speculation that the team could be at least as closely affiliated with Ferrari as Haas (the American team being started by industrial machinery magnate and NASCAR team owner Gene Haas). A third Romanian individual – former soccer player Constantin Cojocar – turns out to have been the one who bought Caterham Sports Ltd, the company which designed and built the cars for the Caterham F1 Team until its recent collapse. The plan was to supply chassis and components to both Caterham and Forza Rossa, but Cojocar evidently had trouble paying the bills and keeping the lights on. Caterham's bankruptcy, however, could present a golden opportunity for Forza Rossa to scoop up the assets of both the team and the manufacturer at a good price, building the new team on the burnt foundations of the old one – even if it has already been granted the go-ahead by the FIA to form its own entry. That, however, won't happen until 2016 at the earliest, whittling down the grid in the meantime from 22 cars to 18. According to the arrangement between the FIA, Formula One Management and the teams, that threshold would oblige at least the leading teams to make up the lost places on the grid by fielding a third car each – something they couldn't prepare in time for US Grand Prix this past weekend, but which could be put into action for next season.