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'Sensual but also logical': Ferrari's Flavio Manzoni opines on design at London exhibit

Ferrari design boss Flavio Manzoni was in London this week for the opening of a five-month exhibition on the famous Italian brand, part of its 70th-anniversary celebrations, at the world-famous Design Museum. So Autoblog jumped at the chance to ask the man behind the La Ferrari, FXX, 488 GTB and more about his design approach and inspirations, and also what he thinks about designing a Ferrari SUV, or even an EV. Manzoni, 52, is pleasingly Italian in manner and accented English. Passionate and forthright, he has strong views on what makes good design in general and for Ferrari in particular. Having increased the importance of the brand's Styling Centre considerably since becoming head of design in 2010, the now 80-strong team increasingly creates new vehicles in-house (as opposed to using former independent design company Pininfarina). The first project Manzoni fully oversaw within Ferrari was the La Ferrari. He's a firm believer in form following function, "but not in a German way," he says with a smile, citing the side of the 488 GTB, which is shaped by the need to divert air in a certain way around the car and also to look fantastic. As he declares: "You'd never find lines on a Ferrari just for decoration. The scoop on the 488 GTB is sensual but also logical." As another example, he says that his "latest baby," the track-focused FXX K Evo, took a different path from the very engineering-focused Enzo of 2002, designed well before he joined the company. "We worked for eight months with the engineers on the FXX, to keep the functionality and make it beautiful." In Manzoni's job, it would be impossible not to respect Ferrari's incredible back catalog — he owns a Gandini-designed Ferrari 208 GT4, "still very beautiful, but iconic as well" — but he's no slave to the past. "Deja vu is something we don't like," he says with a slightly scolding look. "We don't agree with nostalgia or the need to create a family feeling throughout our range. But a Ferrari must be recognizable without the badge. There are different ways to do this — not just in details like the headlamps, but sometimes in how you treat the surfaces. It's tricky to explain, but it's a feeling." View 12 Photos He's also not keen on following industry trends and has historically spoken out against luxury SUVs. "Every time we work on a new Ferrari, we try to improve on every aspect — including the center of gravity — so an SUV is not a Ferrari," he stated as recently as 2015.

Ferrari reveals extra 'speciale' 458

Ferrari revealed this creamy white riff on the 458 on Tuesday. But don't get too excited: It's a one-off creation built specifically for a British owner. Called the 458 MM Speciale, the supercar debuted at Fiorano, where Ferrari chief test driver Dario Benuzzi and the unnamed owner turned laps. The 458 MM Speciale is based on the 458 Speciale and uses its natural aspirated V8 paired with a seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox. This one-off is painted a shade of white called Bianco Italia. The Italian flag colors are used for stripes that run down the center of the car. Designed by the Ferrari Styling Center, the car has blacked-out A-pillars that create a visor look, updates to the aluminum bodywork, and carbon-fiber composite bumpers. There is also a new side air scoop, new air intakes, and the radiators are mounted at different angles to aid cooling. There's a tasteful spoiler in back, and the speedster rolls on eye-catching wheels with a custom cluster pattern. Inside, the owner chose an upgraded audio system and Cioccolato leather with white stitching. The controls are accented with satin white rings. Related Video: Featured Gallery Ferrari 458 MM Speciale Design/Style Ferrari Coupe Supercars

Rebuilt Ferrari Enzo sells for $1.75 million at auction

See this Ferrari Enzo? See how it's in one piece? Well it wasn't always. It was involved in a horrendous crash a decade ago that split it clear in half. But it's long-since been rebuilt and sold for $1.75 million at the RM Sotheby's sale in Paris on Wednesday. The supercar in question belonged to Silicon Valley tech exec Stefan Eriksson, who crashed it into a pole along the Pacific Coast Highway in 2006. The Enzo was split in half, with the cockpit and nose on one side of the highway and the engine with its subframe on the other. If it were any less valuable a car, it might have been a complete write-off. But as yesterday's sale attested, the Enzo was worth fixing. So it was sent back to the factory where it was repaired, refurbished to as-new condition, repainted from red over black to black over red, and certified by the manufacturer. It was one of the top lots at RM Sotheby's autction, but even at that price, it wasn't the top earner of the day. That honor went to a rare 1962 Ferrari 400 Superamerica Aerodinamico, which sold for $3.3 million. Next up was a 1955 Porsche 550 Spyder that went for $3.07 million, followed by a '57 BMW 507 Roadster for $2.25 million. The Enzo came in fifth. Oh, and that Delta Integrale we were pining after? It went for $150 grand. Shame we weren't there with cash in hand. Related Video: