1997 - Ferrari 550 Maranello on 2040-cars

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Haas pens partnership with Ferrari

Gene Haas is undertaking quite the initiative by starting his own Formula One team instead of simply buying an existing one. And he's making it even harder on himself by laudably insisting on quartering the operation at his home base in North Carolina. But to get onto the grid by 2016, he's going to need some help.
Fortunately that appears to be just what he's getting thanks to a new partnership with no less accomplished an outfit than Ferrari - which, despite not having won a championship since 2008, remains far and away the most successful team in the history of grand prix racing, with sixteen constructors' championships, fifteen drivers' titles and 221 grand prix victories to its name.
Haas Automation, the CNC machine manufacturer over which Gene Haas presides and which funds his various racing activities, has just signed a sponsorship deal with Scuderia Ferrari that has already seen the Haas logo appear on the F14 T that Fernando Alonso and Kimi Raikkonen drove in the British Grand Prix this past weekend. More than a sponsor, Haas Automation has become an official supplier to the Maranello squad, but is expected to lead to even closer cooperation that will help get the American F1 team up and running in time for the 2016 world championship.

Ferrari pays tribute to Niki Lauda with one-off 458

Though Niki Lauda may today be chairman of the Mercedes F1 team, anyone who's seen Rush will know that he's inexorably tied to Ferrari. And it's that bond that Ferrari has celebrated with this special-edition 458 Italia.
Commissioned by an evidently dedicated fan through Maranello's Tailor Made program, this one-off 458 features a red paintjob with white roof and gold wheels. It's a livery that apes the cars Lauda drove for the Scuderia in the mid-70s, and carries through with tricolore racing stripes over the roof and throughout the red-stitched black leather interior.
Not the most subtle treatment we've seen, but then the Italia is hardly a subtle car to begin with. Lets just hope this particular example manages to steer clear of going up in flames as have so many 458s - and one notable 312 T2. Feel free to read more in the press release below.

Apple CarPlay drawing early safety concerns [w/video]

Apple's CarPlay infotainment system hasn't made it into a single vehicle yet, and it's already drawing criticism for distracting drivers among safety advocates. The new tech unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show pairs users' iPhones with the car's dashboard display to make calls, dictate messages and listen to music. Some automakers, like Volvo, also let users interact with the HVAC system from the screen.
"The idea that people want to be on their phones, and therefore let's give them a way to do that -- that's not putting safety first, that's putting convenience and the desire to be in touch first," said Bruce Hamilton, manager of research and communications at the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, to CNN Money.
Distracted driving is a huge concern on modern roads with more vehicles allowing drivers to use their smartphones through Bluetooth and infotainment systems. A Texas A&M study found that drivers' reaction time doubled while dictating text messages, according to CNN Money. The new tech is certainly not making drivers pay more attention.