1977 Ferrari 308 Gtb on 2040-cars

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EV cost burden pushing automakers to their limits, says Stellantis' CEO Tavares

DETROIT — Stellantis CEO Carlos Tavares said external pressure on automakers to quickly shift to electric vehicles potentially threatens jobs and vehicle quality as producers struggle with EVs' higher costs. Governments and investors want car manufacturers to speed up the transition to electric vehicles, but the costs are "beyond the limits" of what the auto industry can sustain, Tavares said in an interview at the Reuters Next conference released Wednesday. "What has been decided is to impose on the automotive industry electrification that brings 50% additional costs against a conventional vehicle," he said. "There is no way we can transfer 50% of additional costs to the final consumer because most parts of the middle class will not be able to pay." Automakers could charge higher prices and sell fewer cars, or accept lower profit margins, Tavares said. Those paths both lead to cutbacks. Union leaders in Europe and North America have warned tens of thousands of jobs could be lost. Automakers need time for testing and ensuring that new technology will work, Tavares said. Pushing to speed that process up "is just going to be counter productive. It will lead to quality problems. It will lead to all sorts of problems," he said. Tavares said Stellantis is aiming to avoid cuts by boosting productivity at a pace far faster than industry norm. "Over the next five years we have to digest 10% productivity a year ... in an industry which is used to delivering 2 to 3% productivity" improvement, he said. "The future will tell us who is going to be able to digest this, and who will fail," Tavares said. "We are putting the industry on the limits." Electric vehicle costs are expected to fall, and analysts project that battery electric vehicles and combustion vehicles could reach cost parity during the second half of this decade. Like other automakers that earn profits from combustion vehicles, Stellantis is under pressure from both establishment automakers such as GM, Ford, VW and Hyundai, as well as start-ups such as Tesla and Rivian. The latter electric vehicle companies are far smaller in terms of vehicle sales and employment. But investors have given Tesla and Rivian higher market valuations than the owner of the highly profitable Jeep and Ram brands. That investor pressure is compounded by government policies aimed at cutting greenhouse gas emissions. The European Union, California and other jurisdictions have set goals to end sales of combustion vehicles by 2035.

Mike Tyson's 1995 Ferrari F50 packs one helluva punch

Despite a reputation as a bit of a letdown following the now legendary Ferrari F40, the Ferrari F50 is still one of the most raw and unfettered sports cars to ever grace public roads. RM Sotheby's auctions is now selling a pristine 5,694-mile example that was once owned by former professional boxer Mike Tyson. Like Tyson, the F50 and its Formula One derived V12 is sure to leave a lasting impact on anyone that crosses its path. Though the celebrity tax varies from car to car, Hagerty's valuation tool says even a heavily used F50 is still a million-plus dollar car. RM Sotheby's expects the car to sell for between $2.2 and $2.4 million, slightly more than the $2.25 million estimate for a nearly flawless example, which this car appears to be. According to the listing, the car has never been driven hard and has been well maintained throughout its life. The 1990s weren't Ferrari's best years for design with soft edges and questionable fascias. Likewise, the F50 is a love it or hate it sort of design. The paint appears to be in good condition and free of any damage. The bare carbon fiber and leather interior shows little to no wear. The gated manual shifter connected to a 4.7-liter naturally-aspirated 520 horsepower V12 is a combo that's gone out of vogue. The engine is derived from the one that powered the Alain Prost's 1990 Ferrari 641 Formula One car. This car is number 73 out of 349 and one of only 50 built to US spec. Tyson sold the car with roughly 4,900 miles, with the rest accumulating since about 2005. The car's service records are incomplete, though it has had an a couple of engine-out services along a full electronic updates, a new rear seal, rebuilt oil and water pumps, the dashboard pod removed, serviced, and reinstalled, the lighting system upgraded, the ride height actuator replaced, new tires, new fuel bladders, a full brake system service, and new main seals. In addition, the car comes with two sets of tools in the front deck, owner's manuals and warranty booklet in their leather folio, wheel socket, car cover in bag, both the removable hardtop and emergency soft top with bag, utility light, its window sticker, and the "circus trunk" containing roll bars, and a carbon rear tonneau cover. Look for the car to head across the auction block on Saturday March 11. No Internet bidding, but if you have the cash to pony up the you probably can afford to be there in person. Related Video:

2014 Ferrari FF

Ferrari announced a panoramic roof option for its all-wheel drive FF at the 2012 Paris Motor Show, promising the new full-length glass panel would offer its well-heeled clientele "a genuine open-air driving feeling, while providing thermal and acoustic insulation." That statement was intriguing, as my experience with glass roofs usually ends abruptly after I close the opaque shade - as a Southern Californian, I always find tinted glass panels too hot during the day and too cold at night.
While the FF I reviewed in August was fitted with a solid aluminum roof, I was fortunate to catch up with a brand-new silver Ferrari FF (it only had about 160 miles on the odometer) with the optional panoramic roof at the Formula One race at Circuit of the Americas just last month. It was my lucky day, as I was about to spend about six hours with the four-place Italian, blissfully enjoying it during the warm day until long after the sun had set on the Texas horizon.
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