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Ferrari 458 Speciale speeds toward Frankfurt

When the doors open at the Frankfurt Motor Show in a few weeks, there'll be loads of new cars and new versions of existing ones. And as far as the latter category goes at least, this will undoubtedly be what show-goers will look forward to most.
What we have here is the Ferrari 458 Speciale - the successor to the 360 Challenge Stradale and 430 Scuderia, and the hard-core version of the 458 Italia. It was expected to carry the name Monte Carlo, but then Ferrari has never been fond of letting the press dictate what it would call its cars. But forget the nameplate: what really matters is what it's got to offer.
For starters, the award-winning, high-revving 4.5-liter V8 has been retuned to deliver 605 cv (596 hp by our standards), up from 562 hp in the standard 458, while torque remains the same at 398 lb-ft. But the other side of the power-to-weight ratio (quoted at 2.13 kg/cv) is the extra mass Ferrari has cut out of the equation: the 458 Speciale's dry weight is quoted at 1,290 kg (2,844 lbs), representing a significant drop from the 458 Italia's 1,485 kg (3,274 lb) curb weight.

Ferrari looks to capitalize on brand name as it promises faster growth

MILAN — Strong sales of Ferrari's Portofino and 812 Superfast models enabled the Italian luxury carmaker to raise its outlook on Monday, with a new brand strategy promising even more growth. Ferrari's Milan-listed shares rose as much as 7.4% to an all-time high of 155.15 euros ($172.65) after it reported "solid" third quarter results and signaled a strong year ahead. The 'Cavallino Rampante,' or 'Prancing Horse,' launched a plan to enhance its brand through new apparel and accessory collections, entertainment offers, and luxury products and services for clients. They include an agreement with Italian fashion house Giorgio Armani and the opening of a restaurant with star chef Massimo Bottura in the group's hometown of Maranello in northern Italy. Ferrari expects the new brand initiative to represent around 10% of the group's profitability in the next seven to 10 years, in what Chief Executive Louis Camilleri described as an "ambitious but realistic target". "It is our intention to increase the size of the cake and our share of the cake," he told analysts in an earnings call, referring to the group's bid to expand revenues outside of selling cars. The new branding strategy builds on the group's aggressive roll-out of new premium models. Ferrari said core earnings would be around 1.27 billion euros ($1.41 billion) for the full year, topping a previous forecast of 1.2-1.25 billion euros ($1.34-1.39 billion). Camilleri said that this year Ferrari would match what it forecast last year for 2020. "I think it's rather premature for us to address 2020 at this time. But clearly, we do anticipate a strong year," he told analysts. The carmaker also increased its outlook on 2019 revenues to about 3.7 billion euros ($4.12 billion), from a previous forecast of more than 3.5 billion euros ($3.89 billion), and industrial free cashflow. "We expect the stock to rise but (the) focus will be on 2020," Morgan Stanley said in a note, adding that Ferrari's results were better than expected across the board. Ferrari will present its latest new model in Rome next week, taking the total to five this year, including the F90 Stradale, its first hybrid car in series-production. To support Ferrari's growth and profitability Camilleri's strategy plan from September last year promised to launch 15 new models between 2019 and 2022.

Ferrari to introduce a V8 hybrid supercar this year

Ferrari is bringing a new mid-engine V8 supercar to the market this year — but with a hybrid drivetrain this time. Last year, then-Ferrari CEO Sergio Marchionne told Auto Express that a hybrid V8 was coming, and Automotive News is now reporting that a hybrid supercar will debut later this year. According to Automotive News, the new Ferrari won't be displayed at the Geneva Motor Show next month, but it will have an unveiling event of its own later on. It will sit above the 488 Pista, as it will have more power. Automotive News quotes Ferrari CEO Louis Camilleri as having confirmed the car on an earnings call in late January, saying that it will be more profitable than for example the 812 Superfast and that deliveries will start a year from now. The hybrid V8 supercar marks a step ahead for Ferrari, as it means hybrid tech will no longer be reserved to limited-edition specialties like the KERS-boosted LaFerrari, but that the technology will feature in a "regular lifecycle" model. Camilleri also stated that 60 percent of the Ferrari lineup will have a hybrid variant by 2022; this means that there will be pure gasoline variants for petrolheads shunning electric assist, but that Ferrari can also move ahead with the times. The electrified technology that Ferrari is developing is also expected to trickle to Maserati's upcoming Alfieri model that replaces its GranTurismo; that car will also be made in Ferrari's hometown of Modena. Related Video: