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Why newly independent Ferrari may be forced into fuel-efficient cars

The repercussions from Ferrari's pending transition into an independent automaker won't be understood for some time, but one of the biggest consequences could be that the iconic Italian marque will be forced into building more fuel-efficient vehicles.
As Wired points out, while Ferrari built fewer than 7,000 cars in 2013, its status as a public company could trigger pressure from shareholders to build more six-figure supercars and grand tourers. In turn, doing so could lead the company afoul of US Corporate Average Fuel Economy standards, which dictate that any company that sells over 10,000 vehicles needs to maintain a certain fuel economy average across its fleet or risk fines.
With arguably its most popular model, the 458 Italia, hitting just 17 miles per gallon on the highway and its most efficient model, the turbocharged California T, stuck at 18 mpg, Ferrari isn't in a great place to hit the government's mandates (which are somewhat convoluted as Wired explains). The gist of the situation is that Ferrari will either need to continue limiting the number of vehicles it sells each year - a move that's certain to upset shareholders and irk its boss, Sergio Marchionne - or radically improve the fuel economy of its cars at the risk of performance. Rock, meet hard place.

Watch the trailer for 'Ferrari 312B: Where the revolution begins' documentary

It's not often that a car gets to star in its own silver screen documentary, but the Ferrari 312B is doing just that, as the 1970-introduced Formula 1 car is being featured in Ferrari 312B: Where the revolution begins. The 312B launched a new era for the Italian marque. The B stood for "boxer," referencing the 180-degree 3.0-liter 12-cylinder engine, which replaced the preceding 312's 60-degree V12. The groundbreaking flat engine enabled the new car to have a lower center of gravity, which among other benefits, allowed more space for unhindered airflow above it. The body designs that graced the 312B were unconventional, earning one particularly nose-heavy-looking car the nickname "snowplow." As a dramatic story arc requires, the newly designed engine proved unreliable in its early guise, taking years of honing for it to be properly nailed. Racing legends Niki Lauda, Jacky Ickx, Jackie Stewart, Gerhard Berger and Damon Hill are among those to analyze the car and the years that turned Ferrari's fortunes around. The 1970 car even returns to the Monaco race track all these years later, having been overhauled by a team led by its original engineer – Mauro Forghieri. The documentary hits American theaters Nov. 17.

Ferrari 488 GTB rocks throwback '80s livery in Paris

We have a soft spot for retro racing liveries – especially when they're applied to road-legal supercars. Like a Porsche 918 Spyder with Martini racing stripes, a Ford GT in Gulf blue and orange, or this latest Ferrari 488 GTB unveiled in Paris. The Tailor Made department in Maranello prepared this one-of-a-kind 488 in tribute to the 308 GTB that Jean Claude Andruet drove to victory twice in the Tour de France Automobile – in 1981 and '82 – only a few years before the event was discontinued. It was one of the most iconic of Ferrari racing liveries (aside from the classic rosso corsa of course) and is beautifully reinterpreted for that car's modern successor. The unique treatment includes a French racing blue and white exterior with Pioneer sponsorship, matte gold wheels, and matte black brake calipers. The interior looks as stripped-out as the 458 Speciale's and features red fabric seats with matte-finish aluminum and carbon-fiber trim. Commissioned by Charles Pozzi, the same Paris dealer that campaigned the original decades ago, the turbocharged retro smurf was unveiled yesterday at the Grand Palais. It marked the start of the Tour Auto Optic 2000, a French rally. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. The GTC4Lusso makes its French premiere at the Grand Palais The 488 GTB Tailor Made Pioneer also unveiled for the first time Paris, 18th April 2016 – What better setting than the Grand Palais in Paris for the GTC4Lusso, Ferrari's latest creation, to make its debut on French soil? The new Prancing horse V12 four-seater, four wheel drive with rear-wheel steering, was a magnet for the over 200 journalists who attended the premiere this afternoon on the opening day of the Tour Auto Optic 2000 rally. The GTC4Lusso will be also the star attraction at a gala cocktail in the evening for over four hundred guests who will have the opportunity to see this superb example of a unique mix of benchmark sports car performance, all-weather versatility and sublime elegance. This very important "rendez-vous" is also the occasion for Ferrari to present a unique version of its 488 GTB. In association with its Parisian dealer Charles Pozzi, the very exclusive Tailor Made program imagined a car which pays homage to the 308 Gr4 Pioneer driven by Jean Claude Andruet and two times winner of the Tour de France Auto in 1981 and 1982.