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Touring's rebodied Ferrari F12 Berlinetta Lusso leaks ahead of Geneva debut

The F12 Berlinetta is, in this writer's estimation, one of the best-looking Ferraris and among the most striking automobiles on the road. But its aggressive lines, even the most die-hard fan would have to admit, may not be to everyone's taste. Like that of the customer who likely commissioned Carrozzeria Touring Superleggera to rebody this particular example. Called the Berlinetta Lusso, this coachbuilt F12 recalls a time when the 250 GT – ostensibly the F12's progenitor – was offered in performance-focused SWB guise and as the more elegant Lusso model. It bears certain obvious links to the stock version – particularly the headlights and front air vents – but takes a decidedly more graceful approach that starts to remind us more of a two-seat version of the 612 Scaglietti, especially in that shade of blue and with those wheels. As these images just surfaced, we'll have to hold on for its official debut at the Geneva Motor Show this week to delve into the full details. But chances are that Touring didn't find it necessary to tinker much with the F12's 6.3-liter V12 and its 730 horsepower, much as it has apparently left the interior largely in tact.

F1 teams to test titanium skid plates to reignite spark in series

The 2014 Formula One season opened with one overwhelming complaint - the cars didn't sound right. It sapped the excitement, despite the fact that this season has seen a number of truly thrilling races (Bahrain, Spain and Montreal all come to mind). Attempts have been made to restore some of the audible thrill of the cars, although efforts have remained unsuccessful.
If F1 can't fix the sound of the cars, then other methods need to be considered to restore its self-perceived lack of excitement. One of those involves fitting titanium skid plates to the cars in a bid to reintroduce the sparks that were so prevalent in the sport's past.
Mercedes-AMG and Ferrari conducted initial experiments with the new skid plates during early practice sessions for the 2014 Austrian Grand Prix. Kimi Raikkonen and Nico Rosberg had the plates fitted to different locations of their cars, in a bid to see which created the most dramatic sparks. Considering the photos the tests, though, neither Mercedes' nor Ferrari's setup really seemed successful, which is why you're seeing Johnny Herbert and his 1989 Benneton B188 up top.

Ferrari testing 458 successor in the snow?

It may not seem so long ago that Ferrari introduced the 458 Italia. But it's been on the market a solid 5 years since its launch in 2009, which makes it not only the oldest model in the company's lineup, but one of the oldest in its segment, the Lamborghini Huracan and McLaren 650S just having been launched in the past couple of months. So while a solitary Ferrari playing in the snow might otherwise seem like little more than an unlikely place for it to be, its chronology suggests the crew from Maranello could be up to something more.
The white 458 captured by our spy photographers in Northern Sweden appears to have something going on around its wheel arches. Aside from the panel gap that's taped up between the quarter panel and rear fender in front of the rear wheel arch, there appear to be some modifications around the front wheel arch. Just what they're for, we don't know, but their presence suggests something's up.
The test mule pictured here could be simply testing some new components, for whatever application, but if this is indeed a prototype for the 458's replacement, we'll probably start seeing more of these from here on in before the finished product comes around within the next couple of years - by which time the 458 will be a good seven years old, longer than the F430 or 360 Modena before it were on the market.