2011 458 Italia on 2040-cars

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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.

1990 Riva 32 speedboat is a 780 hp seagoing Ferrari

This is a 1990 Riva Ferrari 32, and it's going up for auction later this month in Monaco. The vessel resulted from a collaboration between the automaker and Italian shipyard Riva – which has also provided the basis for classic wooden speedboats for the founder of Lamborghini and the designer of McLarens. The Ferrari-influenced craft measures 32 feet in length with a pair of V8 engines under the aft deck capable of propelling it up to 60 miles per hour. Rather than make a marine version of one of its road-going engines, as Lamborghini has, the Riva Ferrari was powered by Vulcano 400 marine engines each displacing 8.0 liters and good for 390 horsepower. Only 40 examples were ever made, of which this is the 28th. RM Sotheby's anticipates it will fetch upwards of $200,000 when the gavel drops at Le Sporting in Monte Carlo, which is about what you'd pay for a California T these days. Matching red Wayfarers and gold Rolex not included. Related Video: Featured Gallery 1990 Riva Ferrari 32 View 20 Photos News Source: RM Sotheby'sImage Credit: Cymon Taylor / RM Sotheby's Ferrari Auctions boat RM Sotheby's

Ferrari to offer 458 examples of new Speciale Spider

Talk about first-world, one-percenter problems: you want to get a new Ferrari, you've even settled on the 458, but you can't decide between the Spider and the Speciale. It's a tough call, we know. But your pain will be over soon, if the latest rumors are to be believed.
Those rumors have it that, at an exclusive preview event for select customers at Pebble Beach this past weekend, Ferrari showed off a new 458 variant that combines the best attributes of the 458 Spider (namely its folding hardtop) with those of the 458 Speciale (those being its 600-horsepower engine and other go-fast bits).
Succeeding the similarly exclusive, best-of-both-worlds, F430-based 16M Scuderia Spider, the new 458 Speciale Spider (or whatever it's ultimately called) is said to be limited to 458 examples worldwide, and is expected to be unveiled to the public at the Paris Motor Show this coming October.