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Weekly Recap: Ferrari plans to gradually increase production by 2019

Ferrari has long been known for the exclusivity of its performance machines. It's on a different level than Porsche, BMW, and Mercedes. But as it transitions to a new era of independence from Fiat Chrysler, Ferrari is going to get a little less exclusive. It's by design, and it means a subtle, slow ramp-up of production – a move Ferrari believes will ensure its future by meeting growing demand in new markets. The strategy was detailed in SEC documents filed this month as part of the company's pending stock offering. The files reveal Ferrari will gradually increase shipments to about 9,000 units per year by 2019. This is a reversal of Ferrari's 2013 plans to cap production at 7,000 cars annually, which it hit on the nose that year. Ferrari shipments inched up to 7,255 in 2014, though that's down from 2012's record tally of 7,405. Ferrari is a vastly different operation than it was in 2013. Longtime chairman Luca di Montezemolo stepped down last fall, and FCA chief executive Sergio Marchionne has been overseeing the company since then. Its IPO has attracted high levels of attention from enthusiasts and investors. As expected, demand has reportedly outstripped the availability of the stock, which has an estimated offering price of $48 to $52 a share. Speaking of more Ferraris, the company revealed a limited-edition model this week called the F12tdf (shown above). Based on the F12 Berlinetta, the car is a salute to the Tour de France endurance auto race that Ferrari dominated in the 1950s and '60s. The V12 engine's output increases to 769 horsepower, while weight is cut by 243 pounds – allowing for a sprint to 60 mph in 2.9 seconds. Dramatic carbon-fiber elements and a radical redesign of the body panels give the F12 a more dramatic look. It will be limited to 799 units over the life of the car. If this is how Ferrari is increasing production, we're more than okay with the company's new strategy. OTHER NEWS & NOTES Tesla software unlocks Autopilot features Tesla released the latest version of its software for the Model S this week, which allows the all-electric sedan to drive in a semi-autonomous state called Autopilot. Tesla Version 7.0 enables the Model S to maintain lane position, change lanes by touching the turn signal, and manage the car's speed using an advanced, traffic-sensing cruise control. It also has a parallel parking feature, which searches for open spots and then parks your Tesla.

Tesla stock drops on fear that comes with low gas prices [w/video]

Tesla's stock price was down to around $206 earlier today, but it's back up to over $216 now. Friday, it closed at over $223. Some stock blogs are saying the price could go as low as $165 in the not-too-distant future. What's behind these wild swings that CNBC's Phil LeBeau calls, "the worst seven-day trading period ever for shares of Tesla"? One potential culprit is today's low gas prices. Those prices – currently hovering at around $2.65 a gallon in the US, the lowest in about four years – are affecting the cars people buy (sorry, hybrids), so it's not a huge leap to think they'll affect high-end electric cars, as well. A $50 drop in share price is pretty dramatic, and Bloomberg and others point the finger at gas prices. Ben Kallo, an analyst with Robert W. Baird & Co., wrote that, "We believe the recent decline in TSLA shares is largely driven by the concern low gasoline prices could impact demand if sustained for the long term." But there are other ideas, too. Since we don't always comprehend analyst-ese, we're not sure if Zev Spiro at Orips Research thinks gas prices are to blame, but it doesn't sound like it: A negative signal developed yesterday as a high volume break occurred below the slightly upward slanted neckline of the topping pattern, in the $219.20 area. The break below the neckline signaled a trigger of the bearish pattern and indicated a downtrend with a minimum expected price objective in the $165 area. In addition, yesterday's bearish trigger may result in downward momentum in the near term. Indicators are generally negative, adding to the overall bearish tone. Kallo remains positive, though, saying that, "We believe demand for TSLA's vehicles will remain strong." This makes sense to us, since TSLA has weathered drops before, only to climb to record highs afterwards. Watch a CNBC video report on all of this below. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.

Tesla only 8th greenest automaker, BMW is best, says Newsweek

We imagine some readers will be surprised by this. Newsweek has just put out its rankings for the top "green" companies in the world, and while Tesla Motors chief Elon Musk can crow about how green his electric vehicles are, the company as a whole apparently falls behind some traditional automakers. Quite a few of them, actually. In Newsweek's Global 500 list of the greenest 500 largest publicly-traded companies in the world, BMW ranked best among automakers at Number 26. Not surprisingly, Toyota was close behind at 35, while Nissan came in at 152. What's a little more puzzling is that Tesla fell behind Ford (178), and General Motors (289). That's a lot of pickups versus a few Model S EVs. Go figure. Then came Hyundai (306) and Honda (316), which are a little more palatable. Tesla? It came in at 431. Newsweek's measurement standards include eight categories that include a lot of verbiage and involve things like energy productivity (which is defined as revenue in US dollars divided by total energy consumption), greenhouse-gas emissions productivity (revenue divided by GHG emissions), water usage, waste levels and something called "green revenue" (revenue derived from products that "contribute positively" to the environment). Newsweek says that its results are reproducable by a third party. Take a look at the list here and find the details on how the numbers are compiled here. Featured Gallery 2014 BMW i3: First Drive View 33 Photos News Source: Newsweek via Torque News Green BMW Tesla