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'No pink': Why there are some colors Ferrari won't do

Off the top of your head, how many colors do you think Ferraris come in? There's the famous rosso corsa, of course. Then there's yellow, which is objectively the best Ferrari color. I know a guy with a pristine early-90s 348ts in coke-dealer white, and there are definitely black and silver Ferraris out there. But if you've ever wondered why you can't get a Ferrari in any garish color you want, a Ferrari exec recently discussed which of the company's colors are most popular and why you'll never see a pink Ferrari. "It just doesn't fit into our whole ethos to be honest," Ferrari's Australasia CEO Herbert Appleroth told news.com.au. "It's a brand rule. No pink. No Pokemon Ferraris!" When asked about other colors, Appleroth suggested that while they might be OK for other, more plebeian cars, they were not right for Ferrari. "There are other colors that aren't in our DNA as well, and they are wonderful colors too, but some are perhaps more suited to other brands." Appleworth went on to say that Ferrari strives to provide a highly customizable car-buying experience. "Enzo Ferrari used to say a different Ferrari for every Ferrari-ista, as globally we don't want two cars to be the same," he told News.com. "There are many different levels of personalization from sitting in the dealership and working through all of your options to the tailor-made program where you fly to Italy to the factory in Maranello and sit in the atelier and work out your specifications." So, while big-bucks supercar buyers have near infinite interior and drivetrain options when ordering a new Ferrari, they'll have to settle for after market sprays or custom wraps to get that perfect shade of pink on their Lusso.Related Video: News Source: News.com.au Auto News Ferrari paint colors customize

Topiary Joe sculpts the ultimate in green cars

Efficient cars are all the rage these days, but Joe Kyte has made a business of crafting some of the coolest green cars around – literally. Kyte is better known by his nickname Topiary Joe, and in addition to being a talented artist, he is also a real gearhead. Kyte has been creating topiaries for the last 20 years. It began when he was marketing greenhouse products to Walt Disney World and saw their plant sculptures. He realized that he could do that and since then, has done around 3,400 pieces. His most intriguing creations are the rolling sculptures that move and turn. Prices for those start at about $18,000 and can be as high as $30,000. While, the wheels are machine-bent, Kyte said all the other parts are done with a table vice and a Lincoln Electric arc welder. Topiary Joe is taking the Porsche (pictured above) to Palm Beach later this year to sell or says he may donate it to Porsche North America. If you really want it, the sculpture is currently on Craigslist for sale for $24,000. Topiary Joe has also had a life-long love of cars. "I was driving my first MG Midget before I was 14," he told Autoblog. He grew up in Oak Ridge, TN, where the Manhattan Project was partially developed. He says the town was full of recent college grads driving Mercedes, and he caught the bug. His automotive mentor was a nuclear physicist who taught him to repair and restore the Mercs. Kyte has completed commissions for Sandals Resort, Dreamworks, Absolut, and many more. Among his favorite creations is the Ferrari that he created at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix that is now exhibited at the airport each year before the race. Check out his website for a wider look at his work.

Ferrari driver Sebastian Vettel crashes in F1 preseason testing

MONTMELO, Spain — Sebastian Vettel crashed into a tire barrier in Formula One preseason testing on Wednesday, damaging his Ferrari but not sustaining any injuries. Vettel lost control on Turn 3 at the Barcelona-Catalunya Circuit, going through the gravel and hitting the wall. Ferrari said Vettel was "off due to a mechanical problem." It said the car was sent back to the garage "for all the needed checks." The Italian team did not specify what problem led to Vettel's crash in the morning session of the second of four days of testing. The crash prompted a red flag, and Vettel's Ferrari had to be towed back to the garage. McLaren driver Carlos Sainz was leading Wednesday's session with a time of 1 minute, 17.144 seconds, the fastest so far after six days of testing. Vettel had the second fastest time of the day, followed by Red Bull driver Max Verstappen and Mercedes rival Valtteri Bottas. Also Wednesday, McLaren said two-time world champion Fernando Alonso will be the team's ambassador and continue to advise its drivers and engineers, as well as "drive at selected tests to support the development" of the team's cars for 2020. Alonso, who was at the Barcelona track on Tuesday, will drive for McLaren in this year's Indy 500. Renault said Russian driver Sergey Sirotkin, who raced for Williams last season, will be the team's reserve driver in 2019. Testing will continue through Friday at the Barcelona-Catalunya Circuit, home to the Spanish Grand Prix. The season-opening Australian Grand Prix is on March 17. More AP racing Motorsports Ferrari Racing Vehicles F1 Sebastian Vettel