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Marchionne: all-electric Ferrari 'an obscene concept'

At the 2016 Geneva Motor Show, Ferrari Chairman Sergio Marchionne told reporters that Ferrari is not interested in building an all-electric car. "With Ferrari, it's almost an obscene concept," were his exact words. He added, "You'd have to shoot me first." This brings to mind another quote, this from Enzo Ferrari himself: "Aerodynamics are for people who can't build engines." Ferrari is, in its heart of hearts, an engine company. As Enzo Ferrari also said, "I build engines and attach wheels to them." Ferrari engines are beautiful things, as are the cars they power. There's a reason the Italian automaker displays its powerplants in its cars under glass like precious works of art. Of course, Ferrari did end up focusing on aerodynamics despite Enzo's remark. In racing as in business, you adapt or you get left behind. If you visit Ferrari's website, you can find a section on innovation. It's clear that the automaker prides itself on its technological advances (including aerodynamics, of course). It also values being a leader. "Each new model brims with technological innovation," it says, "solutions that pave the way for the rest of the industry and which are often picked up by other manufacturers at a later date." Ferrari follows nobody. The Italian marque may pride itself on being a holdout. As an automaker, it does things in the spirit of Ferrari, which is to say in the spirit of Enzo Ferrari. Former Ferrari Chairman Luca di Montezemelo said in 2011, "You will never see a Ferrari electric because I don't believe in electric cars, because I don't think they represent an important step forward for pollution or CO2 or the environment." Sports car manufacturers — Ferrari included — turn to electrification not just for efficiency, however, but also for performance. An electric motor can do certain things that an internal combustion engine simply can't. Who doesn't like being able to summon up loads of torque the very instant they first put a little pressure on the gas pedal? EVs can be spectacular to drive. Take the Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG Electric Drive and the Tesla Model S as proof of that. Marchionne's argument comes down to sound. He was not thrilled by the aural experience of driving a Tesla. Anyone with ears loves the sound of a Ferrari engine. Enzo said, "Race cars are neither beautiful nor ugly. They become beautiful when they win." While he was speaking about a car's visual aesthetic, it certainly applies to a car's sound profile as well.

1995 Ferrari F50 Berlinetta Prototipo heads to auction

We've seen our fair share of classic and exotic cars head to auction, but it's rare to see something as special as this 1995 Ferrari F50 Berlinetta Prototipo on offer to the general public.  Prototipo, of course, is Italian for "prototype," indicating this example's status as the very first example of the F40 successor ever built. It saw duty as a development vehicle, auto show star, and media evaluation tool. That's right: if you ever read a "first drive" review of the 1995 Ferrari F50, chances are this is the car your favorite auto scribe was driving.  Per the listing, it was also the model for Shin Yoshikawa's cut-away illustration and several scale models (including those sold by Burago, Maisto and Tamiya) and its likeness was even depicted on postage stamps.  After this world tour, the Prototipo returned to the Ferrari factory for a complete rebuild, after which it was sold (as promised ahead of time) to Jacques Swaters, a personal friend of Enzo Ferrari. It remained in the Swaters collection until 2007, when it was sold to a Ferrari collector in Burbank, California. It has since changed hands several times. While it may have lacked the raw, angular aggression of its F40 predecessor, the F50 was no less stunning (or less special) as a result. Its ferocious 4.7L V12 made more than 510 horsepower and 345 lb-ft of torque, which is still plenty respectable even today, especially considering it weighed just a little over 2,700 pounds. That combination was good for a 0-60 run of just 3.7 seconds on the way to a 202-mph top speed.  As CassicCars.com points out, fewer than 350 examples of the F50 Berlinetta were ever produced.  The F50 Berlinetta Prototipo will cross the block Wednesday, Jan. 15th, 2020, at the Worldwide Auctioneers event in Scottsdale, Ariz.

Ferrari threatens to quit F1 over new engine regulations

This past week, the FIA and Liberty Media, the group that currently owns F1, announced a plan to shake up the sport's engine regulations in 2021. The new rules are intended to make things a bit more exciting, though not everyone seems to be on board. Ferrari and FCA CEO Sergio Marchionne fired back, saying that the Italian automaker isn't interested in staying if the regulations stray too far from their current course. According to Bloomberg, Marchionne said that Ferrari will only stay if there is "a set of circumstances, the results of which are beneficial for the maintenance of the brand in the marketplace and for strengthening the unique position of Ferrari." Ferrari occupies a special and unique place in the sport. It's the only team to have competed in the sport since it officially became Formula 1 back in 1950. The team even has certain veto powers not granted to any other team. No other team has more wins or more championships. It could be argued that F1 needs Ferrari more than Ferrari needs F1. If this all sounds familiar, that's because it is. It seems that every time the rules get changed, Ferrari throws up its hands and threatens to walk if things don't go its way. It may sound like whining, but Ferrari has a point. Part of what makes F1 special and different from sports like IndyCar and NASCAR is that each team builds its own cars from the ground up. Ferrari actually agrees with the cost-cutting measures but is opposed to any changes that take away from "powertrain uniqueness." Basically, Ferrari want each engine and hybrid unit to be unique. In the end, Ferrari is more likely than not to stay in F1. The team's bosses will use their weight to sway things in a direction that benefits them because they believe what's good for Ferrari is good for the sport. Related Video: News Source: BloombergImage Credit: Getty Motorsports Ferrari F1 scuderia ferrari