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A Ferrari SUV? First you'll have to shoot Marchionne

Almost every car company has its own SUV in the range. Porsche added this kind of vehicle almost 15 years ago and it may have saved the company, Bentley decided to join this growing segment launching the Bentayga, and Jaguar is doing the same with the F-Pace. Everyone is trying to get the most from the growing Asian market (China especially) launching models very appreciated over there. But not Ferrari. This is what came out from an earnings call with the Ferrari CEO where analysts asked how he was thinking to reach the goal of selling 7,000 units/year, balancing the slump of 22% of the Chinese market: "I don't think it's going to recover this year," said Marchionne, "but we won't make an SUV. You have to shoot me first." Since the spin off from Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, Ferrari's share price has fallen and this news is not good for investors that expected high profit for 2016. Ferrari has a racing history, and SUVs are not to be part of this history any time soon; the image of the Prancing Horse would come out damaged from this choice and Marchionne seems to know it very well. Related Video: Image Credit: Ferrari Ferrari Crossover SUV Sergio Marchionne open road

Ferrari, Fiat, McLaren, Nissan join coronavirus ventilator efforts

Siare Engineering, Italy's largest manufacturer of hospital ventilators, has turned to Italian automakers Ferrari and Fiat to investigate the possibility that the automakers might help produce more of the live-saving machines that are urgently needed to fight the coronavirus pandemic. The Italian government has asked Siare to increase ventilator production from 160 per month to 500 as the country's death toll has surpassed 3,400 and is climbing rapidly.  "We're talking to Fiat Chrysler, Ferrari and Marelli to try to understand if they can lend us a hand in this process for the electronics part," Gianluca Preziosa, Siare's chief executive said in an interview quoted by Reuters, adding that the car companies' expertise in electronics and pneumatics could make them ideal partners. Preziosa said that another advantage of partnering with carmakers was their purchasing power, making them more likely to obtain parts that his small firm was struggling to secure amid coronavirus-related disruption to global supply chains. A spokesman for Exor, parent of both FCA and Ferrari, said that meetings with Siare had taken place on Thursday to study the feasibility of the idea and that a decision was expected in the coming hours. Two main options were being considered: either to help Siare engineer a capacity increase at its plant, with the support of technicians provided by FCA and Ferrari, or outsource production of ventilator parts to the carmakers' facilities. A source familiar with the matter told Reuters that Ferrari would be ready to start manufacturing ventilator parts in its famous Maranello headquarters, which lies close to the Siare factory, but that the luxury carmaker had yet to make a final decision. Automakers worldwide are being drafted for ventilator duty. In addition to Ford and GM making plans with the U.S. government; British Prime Minister Boris Johnson reaching out to Ford, Honda and Rolls-Royce; and an Elon Musk tweeted offer to build ventilators "if there is a shortage," other automakers and aerospace companies are joining in. In Europe, three groups have formed. Meggitt, which builds components including oxygen systems for civil aerospace and military fighter programs, is leading one consortium alongside engineers GKN, Thales and Renishaw. The other two teams are being led by carmakers McLaren, which is looking at how to design a simple version of a ventilator, and Nissan, which is working with others to support existing ventilator producers.

If you need a carbon-fiber-bodied Ferrari F12, meet the Caballeria

Customizing a Ferrari, or any exotic for that matter, is a tricky process. Extreme looks and performance mean tuners and designers can't push the envelope much further without getting into tacky territory. But Spanish designers Bengala have toed the line with the new F12 Caballeria. Based on the F12berlinetta, obviously, Bengala claims the Caballeria draws inspiration from Ferrari's GT3 racers. We don't see it, but sure. The all-carbon-fiber body includes numerous smaller tweaks – check out the vents behind the doors and the new hood, for example – on top of much more drastic changes. The restyled fascia, larger intake, carbon-fiber splitter, and massive rear diffuser are the most obvious callbacks to Ferrari's road-going racers, while it looks like Bengala plucked certain new elements, like the three louver-style vents on top of the front fenders, from other Ferrari production cars. Those are the rear fender vents of the F12 TdF, for example. Bengala also swapped out the wheels for an Alpina-like fan-blade design. If you have money burning a hole in your pocket and dig the Caballeria's style, it might not look like a bad purchase. But be warned, unlike some other noted Ferrari modifiers, it doesn't sound like Bengala made any changes to the F12's 6.3-liter V12 engine. The company's press release didn't call out any mechanical changes, although that means there's still 730 ponies on tap – it's probably not a deal breaker. Like most of its projects, Bengala will only build 10 F12 Caballerias. It expects to wrap up production by the end of summer 2017. Related Video: