2017 Ferrari 488 on 2040-cars

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2015 Brazilian Grand Prix is the same as it ever was

At this point, we hope Nico Rosberg is planning to carry his current qualifying form into the 2016 season and back it up with the same kind of race-day cojones he showed winning the race in Mexico City two weeks ago. The Mercedes-AMG Petronas driver got it right enough again on Saturday afternoon to take his fifth consecutive pole position ahead of teammate Lewis Hamilton by almost a tenth of a second. It's the same one-two from Brazil last year. The bad news for the rest of the field is that the winner in Brazil the last seven years has been one of the two drivers on the front row. Last year it was the Williams duo that lined up behind Mercedes, this year it's Ferrari. Sebastian Vettel plays the stalking horse, securing third in his Ferrari ahead of teammate Kimi Raikkonen in fourth. Williams driver Valtteri Bottas actually qualified in fourth, but he had to serve a three-spot grid penalty for passing under red flags in Free Practice 2, so he started sixth. That promoted Sahara Force India driver Nico Hulkenberg up to fifth. Daniil Kvyat was the quickest representative from Infiniti Red Bull Racing, getting into seventh even with a Renault power unit that's weak on some of the key stretches at the Interlagos track. Felipe Massa had the second Williams in eighth, in front of the second Red Bull driven by Daniel Ricciardo in ninth. Toro Rosso hasn't confirmed its drivers for next year but Max Verstappen keeps making it hard to look elsewhere, taking 10th. Rosberg is working nearly the same trick he pulled last year: drive like a second driver for most of the year, drive like a world champion for the last quarter of a season. He pulled away at the start and covered Hamilton just enough on the run to the first corner to keep Hamilton on the outside. By the end of Turn 1 the German had the lead and didn't give it up for the rest of the race outside of pit stops. Without overwhelming pace to pass and unable to follow closely, Hamilton could do nothing except ask his team for a different strategy to go for the win. When Mercedes told him "No," trying to protect Rosberg's second place in the championship ahead of Vettel, that was the race. Just like last year, Rosberg and Hamilton finished one-two. Vettel, Raikkonen, Bottas, Hulkenberg, and Kvyat drove lonely races to finish in positions three through seven.

2017 Ferrari Model Year Preview and Updates

Despite the stereotypes surrounding Ferrari and its owners, at least a few of these automotive thoroughbreds are still bought for driving. And in 2017 the driving has never been better. A V8-equipped GTC4Lusso T is a welcome addition, while the entry-level California T remains relatively accessible. FERRARI 488 GTB/GTS: Some forty years after introducing the now-iconic 308 GTB, Ferrari continues the 'Berlinetta' format with power supplied by a 3.9-liter twin-turbo V8. The GTS (Spider) shares the same drivetrain and architecture, but offers a power retractable hardtop that folds in 14 seconds. Both are unchanged for the 2017 model year. CALIFORNIA T: Ferrari's most accessible GT now offers a Handling Speciale package, which makes the California's handling more 'special', with stiffer springs and magnetic dampers reprogrammed for a more athletic dynamic. This mod also ups the decibels by three. It, too, is powered by a 3.9-liter V8, albeit in a lower state of tune than the 488. F12 BERLINETTA: You may have missed the F12tdf, as fewer than 800 examples were produced. The Tour de France commemorative offered an upgraded V12 in combination with a faster acting twin-clutch gearbox. The V12 remains naturally aspirated, and delivers – in either standard or tdf versions – over 700 horsepower. GTC4LUSSO: The family-friendly Ferrari boasts generous 2+2 seating. For 2017 there's a massaged V12 and new touchscreen. With all-wheel drive this is the all-season, all-climate Ferrari. GTC4LUSSO T: Take the GTC4LUSSO, pull out the V12/AWD drivetrain and substitute the same V8 as the California T, in combination with rear-wheel drive. The combo is lighter, tighter, less expensive, and brand new for 2017.

Totaled Ferrari Dino sculpture sold for $250k

How much would you pay for a Dino? Although this sub-brand was supposed to offer lower-cost alternatives to more expensive Ferraris, a 246 GTS model with "chairs and flares" can fetch big bucks. The later, more angular 308 GT4 is less desirable, but the one above just sold for $250,000. Oh, and it's a complete wreck - an absolute write-off, as you can see. So how did it fetch a quarter million when it wouldn't be worth that much in pristine condition? Because this is art.
"Objet trouvé", to be specific, the French term for a common object elevated to a work of art. That's the way it ended up displayed by celebrated French artist Bertrand Lavier and the Galerie Yvon Lambert at the Foire Internationale d'Art Contemporain (FIAC) art fair at the Grand Palais in Paris last week, where an unnamed Turkish collector paid the landmark price. Let's hope he's not planning on restoring it, because it's apparently worth more totaled.