1997 Ferrari 456 2 Dr on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Shell Ultimate Automotive Enthusiast contest returns to send winner to Barrett-Jackson and Maranello

The first Shell V-Power Ultimate Enthusiast contest was held last year and sent finalists to a VIP experience at the Barrett-Jackson auction in Scottsdale, while the grand prize winner went to Maranello, Italy for some intimate time with Ferrari. The Dutch member of the seven sisters is doing it again this year: from now until September 17 anyone who wants a chance to live the same adventure can submit stories and photos that prove why they're the ultimate enthusiast.
Among the judging panel will be Roger Penske, Craig Jackson of Barrett-Jackson, drag racer Don Prudhomme, Tony Marini of Hot August Nights, Car and Driver chief Eddie Alterman, Road & Track honcho Larry Webster and last year's contest winner Harold Craige (pictured above with his wife at Fiorano).
Anyone in the US is welcome to submit. Three finalists will be flown to Scottsdale for a three-day VIP tour of Barrett-Jackson's January action, and they'll get a year's worth of V-Power premium gasoline. The grand prize winner will be announced in Arizona, and that person will get a week in Italy to explore the Ferrari factory complex and drive one of the company cars on the Fiorano track. Having been to the Maranello factory ourselves, we can attest that it's a bucket-list item for anyone who truly digs cars.

Ferrari configurator lets you play 458 Speciale customer

We all wish we had an extra $300,000 just lying around that we could spend on a supercar. And if we did, we don't doubt that the Ferrari 458 Speciale would be near the top of our list. It's hard, after all, to argue with 600 naturally aspirated horsepower churning away right behind your seat. Unfortunately few of us have that kind of scratch. That's where online configurators come in.
While these web-based customization tools don't exactly let you drive off the lot in a six-figure supercar, they can at least let you pretend that you're the kind of person who would (or more pertinently, could) do just that. And Ferrari's latest is among the cooler ones we've seen.
Like most online configuration tools, Maranello's lets you choose the colors of the bodywork and which wheels you want, but also lets you choose brake calipers, racing stripes and all manner of carbon-fiber aero components. Step inside and the choices are even more extensive, from the size and shape of seats to the color of the tachometer.

Ferrari 488 Special Series V8 named Pista in leaked photos

Ferrari Photo Page leaked Ferrari's presentation of the 488 Special Series last month. Today, the site's Instagram has what appear to be press shots of the coming Ferrari that reveal the coupe's name: 488 Pista. The word "Pista" means "track" in Italian, and it would be the next peak in the lofty range already notable for the 360 Challenge Stradale (Road), 430 Scuderia (Team), and 458 Speciale (Special). We also get a few potential specs, namely a rumored 721 horsepower. If the press photos are accurate — everything in front lines up with the blurry screenshot from the recent teaser vid — we can begin to see how Ferrari increased aerodynamic efficiency by 20 percent over the standard 488 GTB. Autocar says Ferrari's aimed at the 340 kilograms of downforce produced by the Porsche 911 GT2 at 155 miles per hour, 15 kg more than achieved by the 488 GTB. Instead of a hood carved out with two deep scallops as on the 488 GTB, nearly the entire span of the hood on the 488 Pista plunges before reaching the leading edge. In back, a large, heavily dished wing tops a new rear fascia, its center span hovering a few inches above the bodywork. Below, a much more aggressive rear diffuser sits between vertical vents at the flanks. The interior doesn't look much changed, but note the carbon fiber floor instead of floor mats, the leaner center tunnel area, and shift selector buttons on a stalk styled after the one in the LaFerrari. A reveal at the Geneva Motor Show seems likely, where we'll look forward to detailed specs on that engine derived from the 488 Challenge race car but 10 percent lighter. Based on what we've seen so far, a Geneva debut will be thrilling no matter how much of the 488 Pista leaks before then. Related Video: Featured Gallery Leaked Ferrari 488 Pista Images News Source: Ferrari Photo Page Rumormill Geneva Motor Show Ferrari Coupe Luxury Special and Limited Editions Performance Supercars 2018 Geneva Motor Show ferrari 488 ferrari 488 pista