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Luca doesn't believe in electric cars, but Ferrari will build more hybrids

Confirming what we'd long suspected, the hybrid powertrain in the Ferrari LaFerrari was not a one-time thing. "I don't believe in the electric cars, but I strongly believe in hybrids," Ferrari boss Luca Cordero di Montezemolo tells Bloomberg. It's unclear when we'll see another hybrid Ferrari, though, as the automaker's current lineup is quite fresh - the oldest model is the California, which was updated for the 2013 model year - but make no mistake, there are more electrified cars coming from Maranello. "The answer is yes," Montezemolo told Bloomberg when asked about hybrids, although he was quick to add "without exceeding." It's that last part that is key for enthusiasts of the gas engine.
Ferrari's move towards hybrid powertrains reflects a pair of trends in both the political and motorsports spheres. Politically, automakers, even exotics, are being pushed to produce cars with cleaner emissions, or in many cases, no emissions at all. Look no further than the Range Rover Hybrid, which was just announced. Formula One's push towards hybridization and smaller engines is also informing decisions at Ferrari, with the LaFerrari already using hybrid tech already inspired by the sport.
Still, it's reassuring to know that while Ferrari is pushing forward with future technologies, that the gas engine won't go the way of the manual transmission in Maranello - at least in the near term.

RM Sotheby's 2015 Monterey auction sets records

RM Sotheby's wrapped up three days of beautiful cars crossing the block during Monterey Car Week with a company record of $172.7 million in vehicles sold. The first day's Pinnacle Portfolio collection alone brought in $75.4 million, a new high for a one-day, single-vendor auction. While nothing ever topped the $17.6 million 1964 Ferrari 250 LM, the hammer continued to fall on some very expensive vehicles each day. Expected to clear over $11 million, the sale of a 1956 Ferrari 250 GT Berlinetta Competizione 'Tour de France' easily managed that with a final price of $13.2 million. Multiple bidders on the phone and in the room desperately wanted this famous racer, and it drove the price up. To make this thoroughbred worth the lavish amount, the coupe won the 1956 Tour de France series of events and was among seven with this body by Scaglietti. Many of the top sellers came from the first night's Pinnacle Portfolio, but records continued to be broken over the weekend. Notably, a 1953 Jaguar C-Type Works Lightweight brought $13.2 million to make it the most expensive Jag ever at auction. Also among RM Sotheby's top sellers were a 1950 Ferrari 275S/340 America Barchetta at $7.975 million and a 1952 Jaguar XK120 Supersonic for $2,062,500. Take a look at a few of these special vehicles in the gallery above. HISTORIC FERRARI 250 GT 'TOUR DE FRANCE' LEADS THIRD NIGHT OF RECORD SALES AT RM SOTHEBY'S MONTEREY World's largest collector car auction house concludes three day event with more than $172.7 million in auction and post-auction sales MONTEREY, CALIFORNIA (August 15, 2015) - A historic 1956 Ferrari 250 GT Berlinetta Competizione 'Tour de France' set a new auction record for the model tonight, selling for an outstanding $13.2 million before another packed house at RM Sotheby's Monterey event. Spurring a lively bidding contest between multiple collectors in the room and on the telephones, the influential Ferrari is the actual car that instituted the 'Tour de France' nomenclature following its overall victory at that legendary race in 1956. The fifth of only seven Scaglietti-bodied first-series competition berlinettas, it was sold new to the Marquis Alfonso de Portago, the flamboyant and daring Spanish driver, who, joined by his close friend Ed Nelson, piloted to car to first place overall at the 1956 Tour de France Auto.

Ferrari dips into its parts bin to test a Dino, or something

"It's a when not an if. We know that it [Dino] is an under-used resource, but that's why we need to get it right." – Sergio Marchionne We know Ferrari is thinking about bringing back the Dino. This might be it. Or not. Spy shooters snapped this prototype during winter testing in Sweden, sparking speculation the long-hoped for Dino could return. Witnesses said the mule didn't sound like it had a V8, suggesting the 2.9-liter V6 turbo developed by Ferrari for the Alfa Romeo Giulia was instead providing power. Fiat Chrysler chief Sergio Marchionne said back in 2015: "It's a when not an if. We know that it [Dino] is an under-used resource, but that's why we need to get it right." He also suggested a 500-hp V6 would be the right fit for a new Dino. That Alfa engine makes 505 ponies in the Giulia's Quadrifoglio trim But those comments are nearly two years old, when Ferrari was owned by Fiat Chrysler. Ferrari was spun off in the fall of 2015, though Marchionne remains head of the supercar maker in addition to leading FCA. But what are we actually looking at here? There's bits of both the 488 GTB and its predecessor, the 458 Italia, Frankensteined together onto the prototype. There are huge tailgun exhausts in back. The car is testing on a snowy road. Could in fact Ferrari be shaking down an all-wheel-drive 488 variant? A high performance version? On the other hand, the Dino was a mid-engine car, and the similar layout of the 458/488 line makes for a fitting testbed. Perhaps Ferrari is using that body style to conceal the identity of an all-new project like the Dino. Or perhaps... Related Video: