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Ferrari patents a fancy and fascinating electric turbocharger

While turbocharging has improved vastly over the years, and it has enabled cars to become both more powerful and more efficient, there's always room for improvement. Turbochargers scavenge exhaust gas pressure and use it to turn a compressor that forces intake air into the cylinders. However, as the patent points out, this means the intake compressor and the exhaust turbine are physically coupled, and have to spin at the same rate. Ferrari's design divorces the two, and it's a happy breakup. The key is hooking up the two components of the turbo to their own individual electric motors, with an energy storage device in between. It's different than the electric supercharger systems you have seen on certain Audi products, for example. Those systems recover energy like a hybrid, store it, and then use it to drive an intake compressor. It supplements conventional turbochargers that harvest energy from the exhaust. In systems like Audi's, the electric supercharger is supplementing the sequential conventional turbochargers when they're not operating efficiently, at very low RPM in particular. It works well, but it's complicated, and it is a workaround for the limitations of a conventional turbocharger. See below for an animation of the Audi system. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. Usually, optimizing a turbo is a compromise between figuring out what RPM is ideal for each side to spin at to generate power. A smaller compressor generates boost more quickly, but loses efficiency at higher RPM. But there's way more energy in high-RPM exhaust gasses. By hooking up the turbine to an electric motor instead, you can harvest energy from the exhaust throughout the rev range, and particularly when the engine is pushing lots of gasses through. And you can store that energy in a battery if it's not needed at that moment. The intake-side compressor also has a reversible electric motor attached. It is not physically connected to the turbine, so it can operate at any time the computers decide it's beneficial. As engine RPM increases, the compressor doesn't have to increase its speed beyond its optimal range, so there's less energy wasted. And at low RPM situations, when a conventional turbocharger wouldn't have enough exhaust gas passing through its turbine side to generate useful boost in the compressor side, the electric motor can spin up Ferrari's divorced compressor to provide some boost.

LaFerrari trading at double its list price

If you've been looking at the seven-figure price tags (plus or minus) on the latest batch of hypercars, and wondering how their manufacturers could possibly charge that much, consider that their predecessors typically traded at well above their list price as it is. The Ferrari Enzo, for example, listed for "only" $650k, but with production limited to 349 units, demand far outstripped supply, driving the mark-up into seven-figures. In fact Enzos are still selling for a million or more at auction. Surely Ferrari deserves a piece of that action itself, at least as much as the speculators... hence the $1.7 million sticker price on its successor LaFerrari.
Here's the thing, though: according to the latest reports, buyers are paying that much again just for the privilege of getting their hands on a LaFerrari. In other words, they're paying double the already sky-high asking price: as much as $3.4 million to put it in the same ballpark as the Lamborghini Veneno (whose production was even more limited) and the latest Legend edition of the Bugatti Veyron Vitesse roadster.
The story gets a bit more sane with its rivals, though: according to the analysis reported by Oracle Finance, the McLaren P1 is commanding "only" a $500k premium over list, and the Porsche 918 Spyder "just" $335k extra. However even less expensive new models from high-end automakers like the Lamborghini Huracán and Porsche Macan are reportedly commanding $50k and $10k premiums, respectively.

Ferrari Classiche gives 250 GT a new lease on life [w/video]

There are plenty of workshops filled with skilled craftsman who'd be glad to restore a classic Ferrari. But many are opting to sending their vintage Prancing Horses back to the factory in Maranello to be worked over by the company's own Classiche department. Like this Ferrari 250 GT SWB Berlinetta Competizione, for example. The car was delivered new to Scuderia driver Dorino Serefani, who rarely drove it and sold it in 1964 to a Frenchman who crashed it. He in turn sold it to a Belgian who brought it back to life, repainted it dark blue and gave it a black interior. Another former F1 driver Jacques Pollet bought it next and repainted it in gray, before another Belgian owner bought it in 1984 and had it resprayed yellow in 1992. That's a lot of color changes over the years, but its next owner had yet another livery in mind. He took to Ferrari Classiche in March of last year and had it brought up to spec, this time selecting a Pininfarina gray with a brown interior. The restoration process took 14 months and involved restoring the engine, bodywork, suspension, and rolling stock. Now after more than a year of work, the process is complete and the owner has retaken delivery of the classic Cavallino just the way he wanted it This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. A new lease of life for a 250 GT SWB An extensive 14-month restoration Maranello, 2 December – 14 months of meticulous work – that's how long it took the Ferrari Classiche Department to restore the engine, bodywork, suspensions and running gear of a 250 GT SWB Berlinetta Competizione to pristine condition. The car arrived in Maranello in March 2014 and work began in the summer of the same year, only finishing last week when it was returned to its delighted owner. Famous names. According to the few documents available, the 250 GT SWB Berlinetta Competizione's first owner was Dorino Serafini, a GT and Formula 1 driver who also delivered a podium position in the 1950 Italian Grand Prix for the Scuderia Ferrari. However, he rarely used this particular car, except in fairly low profile races. In 1964, the 250 GT SWB was purchased by Frenchman Rene Richard. Unfortunately, he crashed it and then sold it on to the Belgian driver Lucien Bianchi who was a brilliant mechanic. After it was repaired, the car was given a dark blue livery with a black interior.