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Chris Harris wrings out Ferrari F40 and F50 on track

Chris Harris one of the most beloved of British automotive journalists, and yet Ferrari doesn't seem inclined to take him off its black list. Something about having shined the light on the way Maranello sets up its cars for press evaluations, years ago... So the only time the auto scribe and video host we know as Monkey gets his hands on a Prancing Horse-emblazoned steering wheel is when a private owner offers Harris a drive. Fortunately, that seems to happen all the time, but rarely in such a fashion as it has for this latest video.
Here the owner of not only an F40 but also its successor the F50 has lent Harris both of his anniversary-edition Ferrari supercars and insisted that he drive them aggressively. So off they went to the Anglesey circuit in Wales to see how these precursors to the Enzo and LaFerrari fare alongside one another decades after they first hit the road.

Ferrari California T has a turbo V8 lurking under new nose [w/video]

The Ferrari California might technically be the Prancing Horse's entry-level model, but there is nothing basic about the latest upgrade for the California T. Showing its face to the public for the first time at the Geneva Motor Show, it is now propelled by a 3.9-liter, turbocharged V8 with 560 horsepower and 557 pound-feet of torque, which equates to an extra 70 hp and a 49 percent increase in torque over the previous engine.
The forced induction mill is enough to accelerate it to 62 miles per hour in 3.6 seconds. Also not that many Ferrari buyers are going to care, but the switch also means a 15 percent improvement in fuel economy. Oh, and based on the video preview below, it sounds pretty good, too.
While the new engine is certainly the headline grabber, there are other upgrades as well: a top that closes in 14 seconds, new steering box, improved magnetic dampers and an upgraded traction control system. Pininfarina also reshaped the nose to make it more look like Ferraris of the 1960s. This is seems to be the best looking and performing California yet.

Fiat Chrysler begins Magneti Marelli spinoff

MILAN — Fiat Chrysler has kicked off its planned spinoff of parts maker Magneti Marelli, which will be registered in the Netherlands and listed on the Milan stock exchange, a document outlining initial plans and seen by Reuters showed. The spinoff is part of a plan by FCA Chief Executive Sergio Marchionne to "purify" the Italian-American carmaker's portfolio and to unlock value at Magneti Marelli similar to his earlier spinoff of Ferrari. Analysts say Magneti Marelli could be worth between 3.6 billion and 5 billion euros ($4.2 billion to $5.8 billion). It sits within FCA's components unit alongside robotics specialist Comau and castings firm Teksid. FCA has created a separate entity called MM Srl, the document showed, into which it will fold Magneti Marelli's electronics and electro-mechanical operations related to racing motorbikes and racing cars, as well as 14 other holdings in various companies around the world, including Germany, Slovakia, Mexico and South Africa. MM will be incorporated into a Dutch holding company via a cross-border merger, it added. FCA declined to comment. The move follows a similar procedure adopted by FCA for the spinoff and listing of Ferrari as well as of trucks and tractor maker CNH Industrial, both registered in the Netherlands and listed in Milan. The Dutch holding company would allow Marchionne, known for his success in extracting shareholder value through this strategy, to introduce a loyalty share scheme to reward long-term investors through multiple voting rights, as was the case with CNH and Ferrari. That would tighten the grip of FCA's controlling shareholder Exor, the Agnelli family's investment holding company, on the parts maker. Magneti Marelli, which employs around 43,000 people and operates in 19 countries, is a diversified components supplier specialized in lighting, powertrain and electronics. The Magneti Marelli separation is expected to be completed by the end of this year or early 2019, FCA has said. FCA's advisers initially looked at a possible initial public offering for the business to raise cash to cut FCA's debt, but the Agnelli family — FCA's main shareholder — was put off by low industry valuations and did not want its stake in Magneti Marelli to be diluted, three sources close to the matter told Reuters in March. Magneti Marelli has often been touted as a takeover target, and FCA has fielded interest from various rivals and private equity firms over the years.