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TUESDAY, DECEMBER 06, 2011 |

Scuderia Ferrari is the only team that has been present in Formula 1 since its conception in 1950. On July 14 1951, it scored its first-ever F1 victory at the British Grand Prix held at Silverstone with a 375 F1 driven by Froilan Gonzalez.Six decades later, on July 10 2011, Fernando Alonso won Ferrari’s sole Grand Prix in the 2011F1 season. To celebrate the event, Ferrari has launched the “60 Years of Victories in Formula 1” [60F1] package for the 599 GTB Fiorano equipped with the HGTE handling package.
Clients who opt for this special edition of the 599can choose from a list of exterior and interior modifications that are part of Ferrari’s Tailor-Made program, which was launched today in Maranello by Ferrari CEO Luca di Montezemolo and creative consultant for the Tailor-Made program, Lapo Elkan.
The bodywork of the 60F1 is available in three liveries. The first one is the 375 F1, which is the same darker red color used by the Scuderia for its first F1 cars. The second is the Ferrari 150o Italia, inspired by this year’s F1 car with white strips on the front bumper, mudguards, A-posts and buttresses, and the colors of the Italian flag painted on the rear. The third model is the 150o Italia 2, which is almost identical to the previous scheme but without most of the white-painted parts.
All three versions get the Scuderia Ferrari shield on the front wheel arches painted as in the competition cars, 20-inch diamond-finish forged alloy wheels and a satin-finish aluminum fuel cap.
The interior gets seats made by Sabelt in the European version and Recaro in the North American model upholstered in Alcantara (like the rest of the cabin), with extra-grip Superfabric material in areas that come in greatest contact with the driver’s body, the Scuderia Shield stitched on the headrests and red and blue four-point safety belts.
The 599’s dashboard is trimmed in a new light and durable material named Alutex that is made from metallic fibers and fiberglass, and has a matte finish to prevent glare.
Finally, a special silver plaque that commemorates the 60 years of Scuderia Ferrari wins in Formula 1 and features the signatures of both Froilan Gonzalez and Fernando Alonso decorates the dashboard.
Story References: Ferrari via Insideline

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TUESDAY, MARCH 05, 2013 |

Starting a car company is a task for the brave at heart. Christian von Koenigsegg’s achievement is even more admirable as, after only 10 years, he has managed to shift 100 of the ultra-fast, and ultra-expensive, hypercars that bear his name.To commemorate the event the Swedish company decided that the 100th production car built, an Agera S destined for a well-off client based in Hong Kong, would be something special and would be unveiled at this year's Geneva Motor Show.
Enter the Hundra, which is Swedish for “100”, an Agera S with hand laid and swirled 24-carar gold leaf inlays in its carbon bodywork. The latest version of Koenigsegg’s supercar is powered by a turbocharged 5.0-liter V8 that puts out 1016HP and sprints from 0-100 km/h (0-62 mph) in 2.8 seconds.
“A lot has happened in the last 10 years”, said von Koenigsegg, adding that the company does not rest on its laurels: “On the contrary. The Koenigsegg range still stands proud, head to head against the greatest new car onslaught in hypercar history.”
So he’s not afraid that the new wave of rivals, like the Ferrari LaFerrari, McLaren P1 and Porsche 918 Spyder will upstage his own models?
Actually no, not a bit: “Our team can’t even wait to get their creation of passion measured against all the latest and greatest hypercars currently being launched.”

By Andrew Tsaousis

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TUESDAY, MARCH 26, 2013 |

Jaguar has released photos of what it calls the “ultimate road-going XK”, the XKR-S GT, which will be unveiled at the New York Auto Show. The XKR-S GT will be built in a limited edition of only 30 cars, all destined for the North American market.

Based on the XKR-S, the GT version gets the same 5.0-liter supercharged V8 engine developing 542hp (550PS), mated to the same six-speed automatic gearbox. What makes the XKR-S GT stand out from its sibling, though, is the racing-style bodykit, dominated by a huge carbon fiber rear wing. Jaguar states the aero aids help the XKR-S GT achieve maximum downforce of 145kg (320 lbs).

There’s also a carbon fiber front splitter that extends the front bumper by 60 mm (2.3 in), carbon fiber winglets and wheel arch extensions designed to improve the airflow around the car and to provide the engine and brakes with extra cooling.

Extra vents in the hood and a carbon fiber rear diffuser complete the XKR-S GT’s performance-oriented bodykit. While the car’s electronically limited top speed is the same as the regular XKR-S at 186mph (280km/h), the 0-60 mph (0-96 km/h) drops from 4.2 to 3.9 seconds, thanks to the improved aerodynamics.

The XKR-S GT benefits from Jaguar’s experience of developing the F-Type, and has new front and rear suspension arms, uprights, wheel bearings, bushings and rear sub-frame designs inspired by those on the smaller Jaguar.

Compared to the XKR-S, the GT version has racing-inspired twin-rate springs and upgraded height-adjustable dampers, 68 percent and 25 percent stiffer front and rear respectively. It also has a 52mm-wider front track and the faster steering rack from the F-Type.

The GT is also the first Jaguar to feature carbon ceramic brakes, with 398 mm (15.6 in) and 380mm (14.9 in) front/rear discs and yellow calipers. Fitting this system saved 21 kg (46 lbs) of the car’s mass, according to the release.

Finally, the XKR-S GT has unique 20-inch alloy wheels with Pirelli Corsa tyres specially developed for the car. Initial production will be limited to just 30 units, making it the rarest 'R' model in the 25-year history of Jaguar's R performance cars.

"The XKR-S GT is the most extreme iteration of the Jaguar R Brand's performance focus," said Adrian Hallmark, Global Brand Director, Jaguar." Utilising race-car derived technology, all-aluminium construction and an uncompromised approach to aerodynamic efficiency, the result is a car as capable on the track as it is exhilarating on the road."

By Dan Mihalascu

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