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Ferrari IPO could come any day now

According to Bloomberg, Fiat Chrysler Automotive Sergio Marchionne told reporters at the Toronto Global Forum that the Ferrari IPO could come any day now. "We are days away from filing the prospectus," said Marchionne, who declined to confirm whether rumors of involvement from UBS Group AG, JPMorgan Chase & Co and Goldman Sachs Group were accurate. In addition to an expected filing in New York, Marchionne hinted that a secondary filing could take place in Milan, Italy. Although the FCA Chief Executive didn't offer any expected sum for Ferrari, he had previously suggested that an IPO for the iconic Italian brand could be worth $1 billion, ringing the registers to the tune of 10 percent of the company's $11 billion valuation. According to Bloomberg, that potential sum is significantly higher than its own internal figures indicate after taking a poll of analysts who we assume must know a heck of a lot more about such things than we do. Considering how close we apparently are to the actual filing, though, we probably won't have to wait long to find out. Another hot topic any time Sergio is the subject of reporter questioning is a potential merger with General Motors or another large, full-line automaker. It seems there aren't any new revelations to reveal on the consolidation front, though Marchionne told reporters there were no plans to mount a hostile takeover of GM or any "other, less optimal" partners. Related Video: News Source: BloombergImage Credit: STR/AFP/Getty Earnings/Financials Chrysler Ferrari Fiat Sergio Marchionne FCA

Marchionne's FCA-GM merger might come after Ferrari spinoff

Sergio Marchionne is continuing to rumble about working out a merger with General Motors, but don't expect anything big to happen before at least early next year. That's because Marchionne would likely wait for the Ferrari spin-off to be complete before beginning his next big deal, according to Automotive News. While the Ferrari IPO on the New York Stock Exchange is expected in the coming weeks, that only concerns 10 percent of the shares. The remaining 80 percent of stock is being distributed among shareholders in 2016. Piero Ferrari holds the final 10 percent with no intention to sell. This strategy allows FCA to claim 80 percent of the Prancing Horse's profits in the automaker's 2015 financial results. According to Automotive News, the tactic has other advantages, as well. FCA would be flush with cash by waiting for the spin-off to be complete, and it would keep Ferrari separate if a GM merger actually happens. Marchionne thinks Ferrari could be valued at over $11 billion in the IPO, and it could make FCA $3.3 billion richer when complete. Marchionne believes a combined FCA/GM could sell 17 million vehicles a year globally and rake in $30 billion in earnings. In the CEO's opinion, the two automakers are wasting money by developing components to do the same things on their vehicles. Although, so far the General's top execs are rebuffing all of his advances.

Ferrari F60 America is a powerful, exclusive US special

Ferrari is observing its 60th anniversary in North America this year, and to celebrate, it's given us this: the F60 America, an incredibly exclusive supercar based on the already outrageous F12 Berlinetta. Want one? Too bad. Production has been limited to just 10 examples, and according to Ferrari, "the wonderfully elegant and unique F60 America has entranced US collectors and all 10 examples are already spoken for."
Entranced, indeed. It's a slick-looking machine, with clear revisions over the F12's already svelte bodywork. The F60 America takes the form of a roadster, with carbon fiber-trimmed flying buttresses that stretch from behind the cabin to the rear of the car. There's no power soft- or hardtop available - instead, Ferrari says the car can be closed off with a light fabric top that's usable at speeds of up to about 75 miles per hour.
The F60 is painted in the classic North American Racing Team livery, with a unique 60th anniversary Prancing Horse on the wheel arches and transmission tunnel inside the cabin. That NART tribute explains the car's seriously limited production run, as well. The 1967 Ferrari 275 GTS4 NART Spider - a car importer Luigi Chinetti specifically requested from Enzo Ferrari for US customers - was also capped at just 10 units.