2010 Ferrari California 2+2 Black/black on 2040-cars

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Ferrari planning six-cylinder Dino revival?

Ferrari swore up and down when it was developing the California that it wouldn't be an "entry-level" model. Whether that ultimately proved to be the case or not is up for debate, but it seems that the Prancing Horse marque is now preparing to launch a properly more accessible model in the near future. According to Motor Trend, Maranello is working on a new six-cylinder sports car to serve as the point of entry for new customers – especially in China. Tax implications there could mean the V6 would displace less than 3.0 liters, but likely pack a pair of turbochargers to ensure that output and performance live up to the Ferrari standard. Tipped to arrive in 2019, the six-cylinder model could materialize as a revival of sorts of the Dino line. Named after Enzo Ferrari's first-born son, the Dino sub-brand used mostly six-cylinder engines to take on the Porsche 911 on and off the track. The Dino 206 GT emerged in 1968, evolved into the larger-displacement 246 the following year and ultimately gave way to the very different, eight-cylinder, four-seat 308 GT4 in 1973, later to be rebadged as a proper Ferrari once the Dino brand was put to rest in '76. It's worth noting that Ferrari developed the 3.0-liter twin-turbo V6 for the Maserati Ghibli and Quattroporte, which would presumably serve as the basis for the new entry-level Ferrari. Though FCA typically endeavors to keep its brands from competing directly with one another, Maserati is due to release a production version of the Alfieri sports car concept within the next couple of years, powered by that same engine, and could share its underpinnings with the Ferrari model in question. The six-cylinder Prancing Horse could carry a price tag of around $180,000 to take on the likes of the Porsche 911 Turbo, Mercedes-AMG GT, Audi R8 and the Sports Series which McLaren just kicked off with its new entry-level 570S. Related Video: News Source: Motor TrendImage Credit: Newspress Ferrari Coupe Performance v6 ferrari dino

Ferrari F12 gunning for GT-R's Nurburgring lap time?

Ferrari may not play the Nürburgring lap time game to the extent that Porsche, Nissan and Radical do, but it has been known to go for some lap times of its own. And now an F12 Berlinetta has been spotted lapping the Nordschleife in an apparent record attempt.
The F12 reportedly had the track all to itself for about an hour and a half, suggesting one of two possibilities: either Ferrari is testing an updated version, or it's going for a lap record with the existing version. While it's impossible to tell what may be going on under the sheetmetal, the communications equipment taped to the roof appear to be the only outward modifications, and would seem to indicate the latter more than the former.
In between warm-up and cool-down laps, the F12 reportedly lapped the circuit in 7 minutes and 48 seconds - which wouldn't be anything spectacular in and of itself, but that lap apparently included 40 seconds of cool-down between T13 and Hatzenbach, suggesting a possible 7:08 lap time. That's the time which Nissan recently recorded in the GT-R Nismo, indicating that Ferrari could be going for Godzilla's top time as the fastest front-engined, street-legal car ever to lap the 'Ring, ahead of the Dodge Viper ACR, Lexus LFA with the Nürburgring Package and Corvette ZR1 (but behind Ferrari's own track-bound 599XX, which clocked a 6:58 lap time four years ago).

Ferrari 458 Speciale A is most powerful Prancing Horse convertible ever

Let all of the speculation finally end because the convertible version of the Ferrari 458 Speciale is here. However, the Prancing Horse isn't calling it a spider; instead it's dubbed the 458 Speciale A, which stands for Aperta or "open" in English. It's also limited to a scant 499 cars, a few more than the 458 first rumored.
Regardless of its name or production numbers, what really matters is Ferrari's claim that this is its the most powerful droptop production model ever. That is thanks to the same 4.5-liter V8 from the hardtop Speciale, with 597 horsepower and 398 pound-feet of torque.
The aluminum-retracting top doesn't change performance much, while letting the wind blow through the owner's hair at ludicrous speeds. Ferrari claims the setup adds about 110 pounds (50 kilograms) to the overall weight and can open or close within 14 seconds. Acceleration to 62 miles per hour is reported at 3.0 seconds, about a tenth slower than the coupe, and the Aperta can hustle to 124 mph in 9.5 seconds.