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Chris Harris enjoys the song of a Ferrari 212

We often see Chris Harris sliding around in the modern elite of supercars, but he eschews every bit of the cutting edge in his latest clip for the opportunity to get behind the wheel of an absolute classic. Harris drives a 1952 Ferrari 212 Barchetta with a body by Touring, and the Italian hills come alive with the sound of this little car's beautiful music. The V12 engine that's nestled under the Barchetta's hood might be short on displacement, but this thing can absolutely roar. It thunders down the road under hard acceleration and then makes a symphony of pops and snaps as the driver downshifts into a corner. You can own this Ferrari, too. RM Auctions is selling it, but the reserve is somewhere between 5 million and 7 million euros ($5.6 million - $7.9 million). Given Harris' proclivity to slide just about anything he drives, do you think he drifts this Barchetta? Watch the video to find out, and it's probably worth turning up the speakers, too.

Ferrari patents new electronic steering assist

Automobiles keep getting more and more advanced, with computers playing an ever-increasingly vital role in their operation. But some things remain the same. Despite more advanced (if not necessarily better) technologies available, we still burn fossils to fuel our engines, we still check what's behind us in actual mirrors and (with few exceptions) we still turn a steering wheel mechanically connected to the front wheels to change directions. But that doesn't mean automakers aren't working at new solutions.
We've sampled electric steering systems developed by Japanese automakers like Honda and Infiniti that disconnect the front wheels from the steering column, but while those systems may be the way of the future, they leave the driver feeling physically disconnected from the road. Ferrari, however, has a different idea.
Instead of either relying completely on a traditional system or replacing it with an entirely digital one, Ferrari appears to have found a sweet spot in the middle. According to a patent filing obtained by Evo, Ferrari is developing a system that still uses a direct mechanical steering linkage, but enhances it through the use of software that corrects for certain inconsistencies.

Michael Schumacher's 2001 F1 car sells for $7.5m, nearly twice its estimate

Sotheby's auctioned one of Michael Schumacher's Formula 1 race cars this week, and it went for an impressive $7.5 million. When the auction house announced the car would be offered, it was estimating that it would go for around $4 million, making this a major success. The company also claims it's the most expensive modern era F1 car sold, though Sotheby's doesn't say what constitutes as "modern." It did sell for about twice what the last Schumacher F1 car sold through Sotheby's went for. That car was from the 2004 season and sold for just under $3.2 million. This particular car, an F2001 that, not surprisingly, was used during the 2001 F1 championship. It won two of the three races it participated in, and helped Schumacher win one of his 7 championships. It's in racing condition, and Ferrari will help with storage and transport for the car. The car's sale isn't just about a rich person getting a fancy collectable or toy though. Sotheby's notes that an undetermined portion of the proceeds will go to Michael Schumacher's charity, Keep Fighting. Among the charity's causes are road safety and head safety. The latter isn't surprising considering Schumacher's unfortunate skiing accident in 2013 that left him with a traumatic brain injury. Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. Featured Gallery 2001 Ferrari F2001 Image Credit: Sotheby's Celebrities Motorsports Ferrari Auctions Car Buying Racing Vehicles Performance michael schumacher RM Sotheby's sothebys