1991 Ferrari Testarossa on 2040-cars

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Coming Ferrari hybrid loaded with twin-turbo V8, three e-motors, 986 hp

One week from now, Ferrari and its best clients will gather in Maranello for a three-day event to introduce a mid-engined hybrid supercar slotting in above the 812 Superfast. A report in Auto, Motor und Sport purports to fill in some of the engine details and power output we've been wondering about. The German magazine says there'll be a twin-turbo V8 amidships, the same 3.9-liter unit from the F8 Tributo, aided by three electric motors. Total output will be 1,000 PS (metric horsepower) — or 986 U.S. horsepower, 197 more horses than found in the 812. One of the electric motors will sit inside the gearbox, the other two will reside at the front axles, powering the front wheels. That means we can expect all-wheel drive and finessed torque vectoring up front. With 36 more horsepower than the system output on the LaFerrari, and AWD, it's claimed that the electrified scarlet star will get from zero to 62 miles per hour in 2 seconds. The FerrariChat forum, which has a 77-page thread on this car, settled on these same specs well before the AMS report. Wrote one poster, "I'm in Geneva and my dealer told me the BB will have 1000hp, V8 with KERS." Another chimed in, "Ferr9000 on a Spanish forum ... said the BB front axle will be electrified, so we can assume there will be two electrics motors on front axle." In FerrariChat parlance, the "BB" stands for "Big Brother" to the 812. Another forum member said he expects the coupe to have a respectable all-electric range, which accords with video of a hybrid 488 mule driving silently at Fiorano. The big question seems to be whether this will be a regular production model or a limited edition, with consensus settling on a proper series production car. AMS puts the price at 600,000 euros, or about $670,000. Yet another FC forum member says there'll be a public debut at Le Mans, the French race taking place June 15-16. Could that provide a clue to the name? And remember, there's plenty more to come from Ferrari this year, with a V6 hybrid sports car slated for debut, and two further cars. One of those additional vehicles is expected to be an 812 Spider.

Race Recap: 2013 Malaysian Grand Prix is a fool in the rain

Humidity, hunger and heartbreak were the takeaways from the Malaysian Formula One Grand Prix. A proper track with a wider variety of straights and corners than the street circuit in Australia, the second race of the season was expected to be a better test of the performance of the 11 teams on the grid. It was also supposed to be a more accurate test of the Pirelli tires, the bits of rubber at the four corners of the car still at the top of the performance agenda for all the top teams except for McLaren, which even larger issues with its new car to deal with.
Then it rained. Then it rained some more. Then it rained so hard just before the race that numerous drivers slid off the track on the parade lap. Then came the race, and then came the figurative tears and ones of the crocodile variety as well.

2016 British Grand Prix kept mostly calm and carried on

Three bursts of chaos decided the course of the British Grand Prix. The first was a literal cloudburst a dozen minutes before the race, which poured water on the Silverstone Circuit while drivers sat on the grid. Six minutes before the lights-out, the race director decided to start the race behind the Safety Car. The field loped around the wet track for five laps. When the Safety Car pulled off, the three leaders – Mercedes-AMG Petronas' Lewis Hamilton, followed by teammate Nico Rosberg and Red Bull's Max Verstappen – stayed out. Behind them, the second chaotic moment occurred: a big group of drivers made pit stops for intermediate tires. When Manor's Pascal Wehrlein spun at Turn 1 on Lap 7, officials issued a Virtual Safety Car. With the rest of the field slowed down, the three leaders ducked into the pits on Lap 8 for intermediates. The fortuitous timing meant all three drivers rejoined the track in their original positions. By Lap 9, with racing resumed, Hamilton had a 4.9-second lead on Rosberg. From that point, even as the track dried, no one bothered Hamilton during what one commentator called "a measured drive." The Brit won his home grand prix, taking the checkered flag seven seconds ahead of Rosberg. Rosberg had to earn second place on track. The German's car didn't respond well to the intermediate tires, so Verstappen excecuted an outstanding pass on Rosberg on the outside through Chapel on Lap 16. After everyone switched to slicks, Rosberg's Mercedes reclaimed its mojo and the German hunted Verstappen down, passing the Dutchman on Lap 38. The final touch of chaos happened when Rosberg's gearbox threw a tantrum on Lap 47 of the 52-lap race. Rosberg radioed his engineer, "Gearbox problem!" His engineer replied, "Affirm. Chassis default zero one. Avoid seventh gear, Nico." The race stewards allowed the engineer's first two statements, but stewards said the instruction about seventh gear contravened the rule that "the driver must drive the car alone and unaided." After the race, officials added ten seconds to Rosberg's time, demoting him to third behind Verstappen. Rosberg's is the first penalty arising from radio communication restrictions. Unsurprisingly, Mercedes will appeal. At this year's Baku race the radio controversy stemmed from engineers refusing to tell drivers what to do. Now we know what happens when the pit wall gets loose lips.