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Scuderia Ferrari dreams up the F1 car of the future

Formula One is in for a big shakeup, at least if all the parties can agree on a way forward at a meeting of the F1 commission today in Geneva. And this is the way Ferrari apparently hopes things will go. Dreamt up by the design department in Maranello, this concept represents Ferrari's vision for the F1 car of the future. Its got far more streamlined aerodynamics, a two-tier front wing, a much larger rear wing, and wheels that are still "open" but far more enveloped than anything we've seen to date, wrapped in low-profile tires like those proposed by Pirelli. The cockpit is still open as well, contrary to proposals to enclose them, with a conceptual helmet design that seems to meld into the bodywork – though we're not quite sure how that would be implemented, practically speaking. It's a pretty striking design, especially compared to the oddball shapes to which modern grand prix racers have evolved over recent years, with all their fragile appendages. Actually putting this into practice, though, is another matter entirely. Both McLaren and Red Bull were said to have shown their own evolutionary designs to the F1 strategy group, though they didn't release theirs to the public. This pie-in-the-sky proposal from Ferrari looks a bit closer to some of the radical, futuristic designs penned by Red Bull for Gran Turismo. Featured Gallery Ferrari Design Formula 1 Concept News Source: Ferrari Motorsports Ferrari Concept Cars Racing Vehicles F1 scuderia ferrari

Petrolicious goes running up that Hill in a Ferrari 250 GTO

We might not ordinarily run a seven-minute clip of in-car footage. But this is no ordinary car, it's not being driven by any ordinary driver, and it wasn't put up by just any YouTube user. This is video of a Ferrari 250 GTO once raced by Phil Hill, being driven by his son, Derek Hill, in a hillclimb for Petrolicious. The footage was captured during the making of a previous clip, entitled The Ferrari 250 GTO Speaks for Itself and released over a year ago. Since it was left over after production, the Petrolicious uploaded it here for our enjoyment. Of course the GTO should require no introduction, being one of the most sought-after classics the world has ever known. And neither should Derek Hill. While the former's clout goes without saying, Hill's skills warrant repeating. The late legend Phil Hill was one of the few Americans to succeed in European racing in the 1960s, with a Formula One World Championship title and three Le Mans wins to his name. Derek may never have reached his father's level of success, but he's won races and titles in both formula and sports-car racing, and was among the last to professionally race a Bugatti when he campaigned an EB110 at Daytona back in 1996. The point is, the guy can drive, and you can see that much for yourself from the video above. Related Video:

Scarbo Performance SVF1 First Drive Review | A hot-rodder's take on vintage F1

THERMAL, Calif. — Some turn their nose to the sky as soon as they hear the term, "replica." They only care for "originals," cars that are inevitably destined to collect dust in someone's impeccably clean garage, preserved for posterity, and never revved in anger or given the beans in fear of fouling up an "investment." Joe Scarbo thinks this "mere existence" is a boring one, that cars are meant to be driven hard – period. That's the outlook that spurned him to create the SVF1, an ass-kickin' track weapon so good, and so demanding, our body quit well before we wanted to hand back the keys. Once you realize what the Scarbo Performance SVF1 actually is, you'll get it. The open-wheeled, open-cockpit retro-racer is modeled after a 1967 Ferrari F312 Formula One car, and many, justifiably, consider its sultry, minimalist lines to be among the prettiest F1 designs. However, the guts under its beautifully hand-beaten aluminum exterior are more SoCal hot-rodder than devout Tifosi replica. Made even clearer that this track beast resides in the former is what powers it; a Red, White, and Blue-blooded GM-sourced, 430-horsepower LS1 V8. You can't get much more American than that. Our date with the SVF1 occurred at The Thermal Club near Palm Springs, an automotive oasis plopped squarely in the middle of an agricultural hub. The freshly finished facility is just a few hours outside of Los Angeles, but unlike the better-known Willow Springs, the track surface here is absolutely pristine, on top of which there was a fine mist of sand, a condition which kept both us and the SVF1 on our tiptoes. To provide the perfect soundtrack for our track adventure, Scarbo married the LS1's fly-by-wire throttle system with eight velocity stacks, providing an otherworldly induction yowl. This is punctuated by a guttural exhaust featuring an eight-into-one collector with a three-inch exit. Upon startup, the SVF1 is sends shivers through your body, and like chain lightning it propagates through the bodies of anyone within 60 feet. Grunt and stamina are required to shift the transaxle 5-speed manual transmission from a 986-generation Porsche Boxster mated up to the LS1. No flappy paddles or dual-clutches here. You get into the SVF1 by placing your feet onto the softly padded seat and sliding your butt in-between its fuel tank, which straddle your hips and posterior. Clip into the five-point harness and you're eyeball level with the truly massive Avon race-spec slicks.