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Ferrari California T gets sharper edge with Handling Speciale package

It's been about two years since Ferrari updated the California to T-spec with a 3.9-liter, flat-plane crank, twin-turbocharged engine, and we found it to be a suitable change – rewarding to drive, and compelling to experience. Now Ferrari has introduced a new handling option, which will debut at the upcoming Geneva Motor Show in March, which should add a sharper edge to the roadster. Like most handling packages, the springs and dampers get the most attention. The magnetorheological dampers fitted to the conventional California T get changes that increase their response time to changing road conditions. As before, damper settings are controlled via the steering wheel manettino, and the most aggressive change is to be found in the Sport setting. The front springs are stiffer – 16 percent up front, 19 percent in the rear – which will aid body control in all axes. Ferrari claims that, overall, the setup only marginally reduces the ride comfort. It'll take driving a Handling Speciale-equipped car to find out. The changes go beyond just handling hardware. Shifts are faster in Sport mode, both in automatic and manual modes, thanks to recalibrated transmission logic. Ferrari's engineers also found some additional corner exit speed by tweaking the F1-Trac stability control system's programming. The company claims this tweak also helps with acceleration on bumpy surfaces. Cosmetically, the California Ts with the Handling Speciale package will feature a matte grille, a rear diffuser with matte-painted fences, and matte black tailpipes. A special-edition plaque, located in the cabin, is also standard, Finally, in a very Italian move, the exhaust note has been recalibrated "to underline the performance gains." That is to say, if you don't happen to have a skidpad handy to do a direct measurement of the increase in cornering capability – which, it should be noted, Ferrari doesn't quantify – the sportier sound will serve as a psychological reminder. There's no claim that the new exhaust system changes the engine's output – cars so equipped make the same 553 hp at 7500 RPM as the model we tested back in 2014. Look for the Handling Speciale package to debut at the Geneva Motor Show.

Ferrari 458 Speciale Aperta frolics topless in the rain with Evo

With nearly 600 horsepower from a sonorous 4.5-liter V8 nestled in an already fantastic platform, Ferrari might have outdone itself with the 458 Speciale. At this year's Paris Motor Show, it took the idea to the next logical step by letting buyers drop the coupe's top with the limited-edition 458 Speciale Aperta. Evo recently got the chance to drive one of the 499 of them; unfortunately, it was pouring rain the whole time. Still, when you get an opportunity to drive such a special Prancing Horse, you don't pass it up, no matter what the weather is doing.
All of the standing water on the road does allow for a chance to see how the Aperta's traction control works in the slippery conditions, and the car handles it with aplomb. In fact, the host has a hard time taking the big grin off of his face for the entire clip. Check out the video to watch this special, new Ferrari and its wonderful V8 go singing in the rain.

Ferrari won't quit F1, says Christian Horner

SAO PAULO (Reuters) - Ferrari and Formula One need each other just as much and the Italian glamor team's latest threat to leave after 2020 sounds like bluster, Red Bull principal Christian Horner said on Friday. Ferrari chairman Sergio Marchionne last week warned that his team could walk away, when current contracts expire, if they disagreed with the direction the sport was taking under new U.S.-based owners Liberty Media. Ferrari have made similar threats in the past under different management and Horner, whose team were champions for four years in a row between 2010-13, was skeptical about the fresh warning. "They'll bluster that they don't need Formula One, but what other form of motor racing is going to give Ferrari the platform that Formula One does?," Horner told Sky Sports F1 after first practice at the Brazilian Grand Prix. "The two go hand-in-hand together and have done since the beginning of the championship (in 1950). Nobody wants to lose Ferrari. And I don't think Ferrari can afford to lose Formula One," added the Briton. "So there'll be a lot of brinkmanship and chest-puffing at the moment. But I think when the music stops, they'll be there." Horner suggested also that Marchionne's response was part of a bigger picture that includes possible changes to the distribution of revenues. Ferrari currently receive a bigger share than any team due to their historic status as the sport's oldest and most successful entrant, and will be resistant to taking any reduction. Former commercial supremo Bernie Ecclestone, who dealt with Ferrari for decades under late founder Enzo and then Luca di Montezemolo, told Reuters this week that Marchionne's words should be heeded however. "The difference is that Sergio wasn't the guy in control before," said the 87-year-old, who was ousted by Liberty in January. "If he decides that's what he's going to do, that's what he'll do." "The world is changing an awful lot. So things that you would say would never happen, may happen." (Reporting by Alan Baldwin in London, editing by William Maclean)Related Video: