1991 Ferrari Testarossa Coupe on 2040-cars

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One more LaFerrari will be built to benefit Italian earthquake victims

Today, Ferrari Chairman and CEO Sergio Marchionne announced that the company was planning to build one more Ferrari LaFerrari coupe in order to raise money for victims of the earthquake that struck central Italy last week, killing nearly 300 people. Production of the car officially ended in 2015, with 499 examples produced, though preparations for the LaFerrari Spider are in the works. The 500th LaFerrari will be auctioned off, though no word on when the car will go on sale. The lucky owner will take home the most powerful and expensive road-car the Italian automaker has ever produced. The LaFerrari, which sold for $1.3 million, makes 949 horsepower from its V12 hybrid system. It remains, and mostly likely will remain for quite some time, one of the quickest vehicles on the planet. Related Video: Featured Gallery 2015 Ferrari LaFerrari: First Drive View 56 Photos News Source: Ferrari Ferrari Auctions Supercars ferrari laferrari laferrari

The Prancing IPO

Owning a Ferrari is something that a lot of car nuts hope to achieve. If you cringe every time you see some celebrity put massive rims on a 458, or paint an F430 neon purple, then you are the kind of person that appreciates what a Ferrari is. It's not a status symbol that will somehow make everyone love you and think you the most amazing person. Rather it is a medium with which to connect yourself to the history and heritage that exists in Modena. The sights, sounds, and smells of the car are worth more than any "thumbs up" you might get driving down the street. The exclusivity of the brand is one of the mechanisms that helps preserve that absolute care it takes to create a Ferrari. Now I don't own a Ferrari, but I appreciate that the Mr. Enzo Ferrari had a very significant part in molding car culture and motorsports. That tradition was carried on by a lot of people after Enzo himself. During my formative years that person was Luca Di Montezemolo. Every time he stepped in front of the camera in his distinctively Italian suit and shoes, I knew Ferrari was in good hands. Just the attitude he had made me feel safe that this very significant part of car culture was in safe hands. He could be giving an interview in Italian and without understanding a single word (well maybe one word, Ferrari) knew he was going to keep the Ferrari in Ferrari. Enter Sergio Marchionne. Now I am a huge Sergio fan. This guy is not your typical auto exec. His office isn't in the highest part of the tallest tower in Auburn Hills, and he doesn't wear a hand-crafted suit made of million thread count cloth. Not dogging in the man's style (his wardrobe is for sure worth more than mine and most others), but basically he is normal guy that doesn't conform to what might be considered the norm. He is his own man. On top of all that, he is a financial wizard. I was skeptical when he took over the reins at Ferrari only because he seemed to have so much on his plate to begin with. In the end I knew a car-guy, albeit one with a CPA/MBA, was in charge. So now when I heard he wanted to spin off Ferrari, I started trying to guess how long it was going to be before the geniuses of Wall Street started pushing Ferrari to pump volume. I saw a horrible future where there was now some entry-level Ferrari with a turbo-six, and four doors...just so every 30 yr-old analyst could flash their Ferrari key at the bar. Then I started thinking about another thing, the value. What is it worth?

Ferrari 458 Speciale buyers told to spec options to secure orders

Want to get your hands on a Ferrari 458 Speciale? You're in good company, because demand for what could be the last naturally aspirated V8 supercar from Maranello is apparently soaring. As a result, some buyers who've already placed their orders are reportedly being "advised" to add on extra options or risk losing their place on the waiting list to someone who will. The news comes from UK-based Magnitude Finance, whose director Tim Marlow said, "One client ordered the car many months ago but he was subsequently advised to increase the options he selected to guarantee delivery simply because others are prepared to go pay over the odds to get one new." Another Magnitude client was asked by the dealer "on five occasions to say others wanted to buy it if he changed his mind." Reached for comment, Ferrari spokesperson Krista Florin told Autoblog: "As with any Ferrari, customization is offered as a service to make each car unique. However, there are no requirements in order to secure an order." The options list on the 458 Speciale can add up fast. Active headlights add over $2,500 to the price, fitted luggage nearly $11k, leather interior and front lift system a solid $6k each and those NART stripes another $11k. Ordering items like the engine cover ($7.8k), rear diffuser ($9.6k) and outer sill cover ($10k) in carbon fiber can add to the $288k base price as quick as the Speciale can gather pace. That's how our recent tester ended up topping $336k – and that's if we could actually get one. Part of the demand is surely coming from moneyed enthusiasts keen to take possession of one of the finest mid-engined supercars Ferrari has ever made, but the demand and values are surely being driven up as well by speculators. "Everyone we speak to sees this as the next appreciating model over the long-term like the 360 Challenge Stradale and 430 Scuderia 16M before it," added Marlow, "so demand is really high." We can only imagine that demand has been even higher for the convertible version, as Ferrari will only make 499 examples of the 458 Speciale A, putting the roadster in an even more rarified class. Ferrari 458 Speciale demand (Leeds: UK. November 2014). Customers are going to extraordinary lengths to buy the Ferrari 458 Speciale, luxury car finance specialist, Magnitude Finance, reveals. Earmarked as a potential collector's item, some prospective buyers have been told a GBP20,000 deposit would only put them on a list of 'possible clients' but not guarantee an order.