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Marchionne: all-electric Ferrari 'an obscene concept'

At the 2016 Geneva Motor Show, Ferrari Chairman Sergio Marchionne told reporters that Ferrari is not interested in building an all-electric car. "With Ferrari, it's almost an obscene concept," were his exact words. He added, "You'd have to shoot me first." This brings to mind another quote, this from Enzo Ferrari himself: "Aerodynamics are for people who can't build engines." Ferrari is, in its heart of hearts, an engine company. As Enzo Ferrari also said, "I build engines and attach wheels to them." Ferrari engines are beautiful things, as are the cars they power. There's a reason the Italian automaker displays its powerplants in its cars under glass like precious works of art. Of course, Ferrari did end up focusing on aerodynamics despite Enzo's remark. In racing as in business, you adapt or you get left behind. If you visit Ferrari's website, you can find a section on innovation. It's clear that the automaker prides itself on its technological advances (including aerodynamics, of course). It also values being a leader. "Each new model brims with technological innovation," it says, "solutions that pave the way for the rest of the industry and which are often picked up by other manufacturers at a later date." Ferrari follows nobody. The Italian marque may pride itself on being a holdout. As an automaker, it does things in the spirit of Ferrari, which is to say in the spirit of Enzo Ferrari. Former Ferrari Chairman Luca di Montezemelo said in 2011, "You will never see a Ferrari electric because I don't believe in electric cars, because I don't think they represent an important step forward for pollution or CO2 or the environment." Sports car manufacturers — Ferrari included — turn to electrification not just for efficiency, however, but also for performance. An electric motor can do certain things that an internal combustion engine simply can't. Who doesn't like being able to summon up loads of torque the very instant they first put a little pressure on the gas pedal? EVs can be spectacular to drive. Take the Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG Electric Drive and the Tesla Model S as proof of that. Marchionne's argument comes down to sound. He was not thrilled by the aural experience of driving a Tesla. Anyone with ears loves the sound of a Ferrari engine. Enzo said, "Race cars are neither beautiful nor ugly. They become beautiful when they win." While he was speaking about a car's visual aesthetic, it certainly applies to a car's sound profile as well.

Ferrari to debut new twin-turbo California in the spring

Ferrari hadn't made a turbocharged engine since the F40 ended its production cycle in 1992. But that all changed when it helped Maserati develop its new 3.8-liter twin-turbo V8. That turbo engine has so far been shoehorned into the Quattroporte, along with its 3.0-liter V6 cousin that also powers the smaller Ghibli. But soon it'll wear the Prancing Horse badge as further details emerge on the next-generation California.
Set to arrive in time for the spring (likely to be unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show in March), the new California will reportedly ditch its naturally-aspirated V8 in favor of a reworked version of the Quattroporte's twin-turbo unit, which at 523 horsepower and 479 pound-feet of torque is already considerably more muscular than the current California's 483 hp and 372 lb-ft.
The new California will likely be closely based on the outgoing model, but benefit from revised aluminum sheetmetal and an updated cabin with a new infotainment system - two areas in which the current model has scored low marks.

Sebastian Vettel's 13-race losing streak reflects Ferrari's struggles

MONACO — Sebastian Vettel's barren spell with Ferrari stretches to a dismal 13 Formula One races without a win, dating back to the Belgian Grand Prix last August. The veteran driver still holds No. 1 status at Ferrari mainly because of his experience. At times this season he has been slower than Charles Leclerc, his young and highly-motivated colleague keen to make an impression in his first season with the team. When asked if Vettel's performances had fallen below expectations for a four-time world champion, team boss Mattia Binotto defended him and said the problems were not down to the 31-year-old German. "First we need a good car ... which is performing sufficiently well to win," Binotto said. "It may be frustrating for him, no doubt. But first it's our duty to give him (one) that he can perform well (in)." The car is apparently not an issue Ferrari had anticipated. After strong performances in pre-season testing, it was touted as the team to beat, and even five-time champion Lewis Hamilton — winner of the past two championships — said so. But Hamilton and Mercedes teammate Valtteri Bottas have won all five races this season while Ferrari has a measly three podium places. The team's last win was by Kimi Raikkonen at the United States GP last October, two months after Vettel's victory in Spa. While Mercedes is all about smooth running, Ferrari's car is blighted by a front suspension issue, a deficit in cornering speed and such basic trouble as getting enough heat into the tires quickly enough. Ferrari's passionate tifosi fans, who are waiting for a first drivers' title since Raikkonen in 2007, are not happy with the current standings. Vettel is fourth, nearly 50 points behind championship leader Hamilton, while Leclerc is fifth. "After winter testing our confidence in the performance was higher than today," Binotto said with an air of resignation. "There are a lot of points to recover." Binotto has been with Ferrari a long time and was promoted from chief technical officer to team principal in January. He took over the role from Maurizio Arrivabene after two frustrating years in which Ferrari blew the title race, due to a bizarre combination of panicky errors from Vettel and a string of baffling strategical and technical mistakes within the team. Now there are worrying echoes of 2016 — when Ferrari failed to win a single race and Mercedes crushed its rivals.