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2015 Ferrari 458 Italia to go turbo?

Forced induction has definitely hit trend status when it comes to performance cars. Whether it's the supercharged Hellcat V8 in the Dodge Challenger SRT, the latest twin-turbocharged M3/M4 or even the entry-level speed of the Ford Fiesta ST, if you want the fastest car in any given segment, in all likelihood it has a turbo or supercharger. Even Ferrari hasn't avoided the bandwagon with the latest iteration of the California that replaces the original 4.3-liter V8 with a 3.9-liter turbo V8 offering 552 horsepower for more power and better fuel economy. If recent rumors prove true, it might not be the only Prancing Horse to use this engine for long.
According to Car in the UK, Ferrari is planning to boost the 3.9-liter V8 up to around 670 hp and place it in a refreshed 458 Italia in 2015. If true, that is an astounding increase over the version from the latest California and a roughly 70-hp improvement over the current 458 Speciale.
The extra power would come with a serious challenge of how to maintain the 458's delicious exhaust note. Turbocharged engines are often quieter than their naturally aspirated counterparts, modern Formula One cars serving as a prime example. The California may get a pass because it's more of a GT, but the 458 is the brand's bread-and-butter sports car. It needs to sound like a proper Ferrari V8. However, Car claims Maranello is a step ahead and has a complicated exhaust layout - as is the case with the California T, we might add - ready to keep much of the characteristic yelp in tact.

BMW, Ferrari, VW cars use tungsten mined by terrorists

Bloomberg Markets is reporting that BMW, Volkswagen and Ferrari have been using tungsten ore sourced from Columbia's FARC rebel terrorists. The extensive story focuses on Columbia's illegal mining trade and calls into question the provenance of the rare ore that is used not only in crankshaft parts production, but is also found in the world's computing and telecommunications industry for use in screens.
The ore is mined by the FARC (Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia, or Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia - People's Army), and exported to Pennsylvania, where it is refined. The refined ore is then sent over to Austria, where a company called Plansee turns it into a finished product. Now, it's important to note that we aren't talking about the world's supply of tungsten here. In 2012, Plansee's American refinery purchased 93.2 metric tons of tungsten, valued at $1.8 million. That's peanuts, with the entire Colombian tungsten mining industry producing just one percent of the world's supplies.
That doesn't make indirectly supporting FARC any more acceptable, though. BMW, VW and Ferrari are all committed to not accepting mineral supplies from the Democratic Republic of Congo, which is also in the grips of a guerrilla insurrection funded, in part, by illegal mining. The same commitment would figure to extend to Colombian mining, but as BMW points out, it's difficult for a multi-national manufacturer to know where every item in its supply chain comes from. A company spokesperson says as much, telling Bloomberg, "These few grams out of the billions of tons of raw materials passing through the BMW supply chain are of no practical relevance."

Jay Leno's first time behind the wheel of the F40 is a magical moment

Jay Leno has a vast collection of cars and thanks to his connections gets to drive other incredible machines. But Leno has never experienced the raw, visceral feel of a Ferrari F40, until now. It doesn't take long for him to call it the best Ferrari he's ever driven and to claim that it's one of the most exciting cars to drive. The 1990 F40 belongs to Ferrari collector and jeweler David Lee. The vehicle, like the rest of Lee's collection, is immaculate. Lee isn't a stranger to Jay Leno's Garage and has let Leno experience his other Ferraris in the past. But the F40, in all of its turbocharged fury, is Leno's favorite Prancing Horse. As Leno claims, the F40 is a visceral, raw machine that caters to those that enjoy driving. There are no driver aids to help put down the 2.9-liter twin-turbocharged V8's power and nothing in the way to dilute the driving experience. Leno even goes as far as claiming the F40 is Italy's version of the AC Cobra, which is high praise from a person that isn't a huge fan of the brand. Leno clearly caught the Ferrari bug. All it took was a drive in the iconic F40. Related Video: Image Credit: Jay Leno's Garage / YouTube Celebrities Ferrari Coupe Lightweight Vehicles Performance Supercars Classics Videos Jay Lenos Garage ferrari f40