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Scarbo Performance SVF1 First Drive Review | A hot-rodder's take on vintage F1

THERMAL, Calif. — Some turn their nose to the sky as soon as they hear the term, "replica." They only care for "originals," cars that are inevitably destined to collect dust in someone's impeccably clean garage, preserved for posterity, and never revved in anger or given the beans in fear of fouling up an "investment." Joe Scarbo thinks this "mere existence" is a boring one, that cars are meant to be driven hard – period. That's the outlook that spurned him to create the SVF1, an ass-kickin' track weapon so good, and so demanding, our body quit well before we wanted to hand back the keys. Once you realize what the Scarbo Performance SVF1 actually is, you'll get it. The open-wheeled, open-cockpit retro-racer is modeled after a 1967 Ferrari F312 Formula One car, and many, justifiably, consider its sultry, minimalist lines to be among the prettiest F1 designs. However, the guts under its beautifully hand-beaten aluminum exterior are more SoCal hot-rodder than devout Tifosi replica. Made even clearer that this track beast resides in the former is what powers it; a Red, White, and Blue-blooded GM-sourced, 430-horsepower LS1 V8. You can't get much more American than that. Our date with the SVF1 occurred at The Thermal Club near Palm Springs, an automotive oasis plopped squarely in the middle of an agricultural hub. The freshly finished facility is just a few hours outside of Los Angeles, but unlike the better-known Willow Springs, the track surface here is absolutely pristine, on top of which there was a fine mist of sand, a condition which kept both us and the SVF1 on our tiptoes. To provide the perfect soundtrack for our track adventure, Scarbo married the LS1's fly-by-wire throttle system with eight velocity stacks, providing an otherworldly induction yowl. This is punctuated by a guttural exhaust featuring an eight-into-one collector with a three-inch exit. Upon startup, the SVF1 is sends shivers through your body, and like chain lightning it propagates through the bodies of anyone within 60 feet. Grunt and stamina are required to shift the transaxle 5-speed manual transmission from a 986-generation Porsche Boxster mated up to the LS1. No flappy paddles or dual-clutches here. You get into the SVF1 by placing your feet onto the softly padded seat and sliding your butt in-between its fuel tank, which straddle your hips and posterior. Clip into the five-point harness and you're eyeball level with the truly massive Avon race-spec slicks.

Ferrari celebrates at Hong Kong's Asia World Expo

More than 600 Ferrari models, representing every era of the famed automaker's production, celebrated 30 years of presence in Hong Kong with a gathering at the Asia World Expo this past weekend. The event marked the largest single gathering of Maranello's sports cars ever organized in China. The weekend culminated with Marc Gene, Scuderia Ferrari's test driver, unveiling the new 458 Speciale.
There are only about 1,700 Ferrari owners in China, and they boast an average age of just 35 years. The young clientele in the Asian market often take advantage of Ferrari's 'Tailor Made' bespoke program and they have a growing interest in racing. The automaker says that many will travel to the Mugello circuit in Italy to participate in the final event of the Asia Pacific series of the Ferrari Challenge in a couple weeks.
"I am pleased to be here to celebrate Ferrari's thirty years in Hong Kong, along with so many owners who share our passion and the search for excellence, exclusivity and innovation," said President Luca di Montezemolo. The video shows hundreds of Ferraris, in popular white, yellow and red, being arranged indoors to form the Bauhinia Blakeana, a five-pedal flower that is the characteristic symbol of Hong Kong. Apparently owners of the more exclusive Blu Scozia, Avio Met and Vinaccia colors were asked to park outside. Scroll down below for a video and press release detailing the event.

The Prancing IPO

Owning a Ferrari is something that a lot of car nuts hope to achieve. If you cringe every time you see some celebrity put massive rims on a 458, or paint an F430 neon purple, then you are the kind of person that appreciates what a Ferrari is. It's not a status symbol that will somehow make everyone love you and think you the most amazing person. Rather it is a medium with which to connect yourself to the history and heritage that exists in Modena. The sights, sounds, and smells of the car are worth more than any "thumbs up" you might get driving down the street. The exclusivity of the brand is one of the mechanisms that helps preserve that absolute care it takes to create a Ferrari. Now I don't own a Ferrari, but I appreciate that the Mr. Enzo Ferrari had a very significant part in molding car culture and motorsports. That tradition was carried on by a lot of people after Enzo himself. During my formative years that person was Luca Di Montezemolo. Every time he stepped in front of the camera in his distinctively Italian suit and shoes, I knew Ferrari was in good hands. Just the attitude he had made me feel safe that this very significant part of car culture was in safe hands. He could be giving an interview in Italian and without understanding a single word (well maybe one word, Ferrari) knew he was going to keep the Ferrari in Ferrari. Enter Sergio Marchionne. Now I am a huge Sergio fan. This guy is not your typical auto exec. His office isn't in the highest part of the tallest tower in Auburn Hills, and he doesn't wear a hand-crafted suit made of million thread count cloth. Not dogging in the man's style (his wardrobe is for sure worth more than mine and most others), but basically he is normal guy that doesn't conform to what might be considered the norm. He is his own man. On top of all that, he is a financial wizard. I was skeptical when he took over the reins at Ferrari only because he seemed to have so much on his plate to begin with. In the end I knew a car-guy, albeit one with a CPA/MBA, was in charge. So now when I heard he wanted to spin off Ferrari, I started trying to guess how long it was going to be before the geniuses of Wall Street started pushing Ferrari to pump volume. I saw a horrible future where there was now some entry-level Ferrari with a turbo-six, and four doors...just so every 30 yr-old analyst could flash their Ferrari key at the bar. Then I started thinking about another thing, the value. What is it worth?