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Ferrari set to hit new sales goal early to boost profits

As much as some of us would like to believe otherwise, building cars is a business. Most automakers are out to sell as many cars as they can build, chasing ever growing sales and profits. Ferrari is playing a different sort of game. For years, the Italian automaker has artificially limited the number of cars it produces. But the company does have plans to ramp up production to 9,000 units a year. According to Automotive News, Ferrari will hit that goal in 2018, a full year earlier than expected. A report says that in 2018, Ferrari will double the number of shifts at its plants. Sometime next year, Ferrari CEO Sergio Marchionne is expected to announce the automaker's first SUV, a vehicle that's sure to push that 9,000-unit limit to the max. SUV sales are up across the board. The number-one selling models at companies like Porsche, Jaguar and Lexus are all SUVs. The goal is to double profits to $2.35 billion by 2022. Limiting total output has a two-fold benefit. First, it maintains a level of exclusivity and prestige, making the cars more desirable. Secondly, it allows Ferrari to operate under different fuel economy and emissions standards than larger, mainstream automakers. It's difficult to hit some goals like that when your "entry-level" model is powered by a 591-horsepower twin-turbocharged V8. Related Video:

Ferrari plans 15 new models, shares name of its SUV

MARANELLO, Italy — Ferrari plans to launch 15 new models, including hybrid cars, a utility vehicle and more special editions as part of its new chief executive's efforts to double core earnings by 2022. The supercar maker shifted to a guidance range for adjusted core earnings of 1.8-2.0 billion euros ($2.1-2.3 billion) by 2022, rather than the 2 billion figure set by late Ferrari boss Sergio Marchionne. But his successor sought to reassure investors that the company can maintain recent strong growth. "This is an ambitious plan, but a doable one based on a concrete, detailed framework," Louis Camilleri said on Tuesday at the company's Maranello headquarters in Italy. Ferrari shares gained 0.6 percent by 1330 GMT, recovering from earlier losses. The stock slid more than 8 percent on Aug. 1 when Camilleri described Marchionne's targets as "aspirational." Marchionne's sudden death in July jolted investors who had expected the auto industry grandee to remain at the wheel until 2021, having more than doubled Ferrari's market value since taking it public in 2015. Camilleri and his team outlined a plan to show how a brand known for its racing pedigree and roaring combustion engines will shift to making a utility vehicle and hybrid cars and boost margins to over 38 percent without sacrificing exclusivity. The company increased its dividend payout ratio and announced a 1.5 billion-euro share buyback plan. Its marketing chief also promised a "significant increase in average retail price." Following Marchionne's roadmap With margins at 30 percent now, strong pricing power and an enviable customer waiting list, Camilleri inherits a business firing on all cylinders and is not expected to stray far from his predecessor's script. Marchionne had orchestrated Ferrari's spinoff from parent Fiat Chrysler, positioned it as a luxury brand rather than a carmaker, and managed to do what few thought possible: sail through a self-imposed production cap of 7,000 cars a year without sacrificing pricing power or its exclusive appeal. Ferrari has clocked up years of record earnings, helped by special editions and a customization program. But it could prove tough to maintain the company's high valuation as emissions rules tighten, capital spending increases and the diverging interests of investors, racing fans, owners and collectors become harder to balance.

You've seen the Ferrari Monza SP1 and SP2, now hear them in action

The moment the Ferrari Monza SP1 and SP2 debuted in 2018, they became instant classics. They're exclusive, they're powerful, they're stunningly gorgeous, and they incorporate hints of past Prancing Horses. It's a rare blend that guarantees collector status. But until now, only still photos have been released. A new video shows the speedsters in action and plays a tune that will make gearheads weep. The SP1 and SP2 are the first vehicles of a new class of Ferraris called "Icona." These icon cars bring the past into the present in the form of limited-edition specialty craftworks made for high-status clients and collectors. The SP1, a single-seater, and the SP2, a two-seater, evoke the spirit and design of Ferrari's barchettas of the '40s and 50s. The battle cry heard throughout the video comes from the Monzas' massive heart, the most powerful naturally aspirated V12 engine Ferrari has ever created. Using technology taken from Formula 1 engines, it makes 799 horsepower at a hair-raising 8,500 rpm and 530 lb-ft of torque at 7,000 rpm. Based on the 812 Superfast, the Monzas use extensive carbon fiber bodywork to create a sultry shape that will look good in any era, past, present, or future. Watch these timeless beings in motion in the full video above. Related Video: