Australian Car Advice | News Blog

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The Ferrari California boasts an all new 343kW (460hp) 4.3-litre V8 that is mounted in the front of the car behind the front wheels.

Making it move is a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission system that will happily send the California to 0-100km/h in less than 4 seconds, which is also new technology for the prancing horse.

Although a controversial Ferrari nonetheless, it still promises to be true to its core. Using a new multilink rear suspension system the Ferrari California is also blessed with the highly acclaimed F1-Trac traction control system first seen in the 599 GTB Fiorano.

Brembo has taken care of the brakes with carbon-ceramics all around.

The interior is classic Ferrari, carefully crafted by Ferrari’s own skilled artisans. The California gets all-new seats, steering wheel, instrument panel and
infotainment system

The Italian company says the California will appeal to owners who “desire a car which embodies everything the Prancing Horse represents in terms of sporty design and innovation, but also seek a car with greater versatility than ever”.

Click through to the next page for the gallery or head over to the official website to view the unveiling of Ferraris newest weapon.

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Also said to be used is the seven-speed dual clutch transmission as seen in the forthcoming California. The report says that the acceleration times from the coupe version shouldn’t decrease. Whether this is true or not remains to be seen.

Ferrari’s Challenge at Mugello is being held on November 5th. This is said to be the date that this car will be unveiled.

So will it work? Or should a Scuderia be strictly hard-top only?

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In a period which saw sales in the ultra-performance market - usually dominated by the German outfit - drop by 39 percent, Ferrari boasted an amazing 37 percent sales increase.

“The Porsche 911 is the traditional sales benchmark in this category, something it achieves with a wide range of models and versions covering a broad spectrum of the market,” says Kevin Wall, General Manager of the Australian Ferrari importer, European Automotive Imports.

This achievement is underlined by the fact that Ferrari competes with a far more focussed range of models at the top of the price spectrum, and must contend with increasing demand and Ferrari’s ability to supply.

Between them, Ferrari and Maserati took more than 35 per cent share of the top market sector, showing that Australian car buyers are being increasingly enamoured with the style, exclusivity and performance of the leading Italian car marques.

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When owning a standard Ferrari just isn’t exclusive enough, elite customers can now choose to create a unique Ferrari-endorsed supercar based on the 612 Scaglietti, F430 or even the Enzo.

The design and construction of these bespoke supercars requires as much attention to detail and engineering as their production counterparts, with the price tag rising into the millions of dollars.

This particular model features extensive use of carbon-fibre panels extending to the roof, side skirts and rear fascia - ensuring it performs as well as it looks, taking a page from the design of the 430 Scuderia.

The rules of coachbuilding design are quite simple, so long as the hard points remain intact - such as the windshield position and crumple zone structures - the design possibilities are endless, so long as your pocket is deep enough.

In this case however, the design style resembles a far more hardcore version of the 430 Scuderia, retaining the same headlights as the F430 however replacing the tail lamps with single units borrowed from the 599 Fiorano GTB.

No details are known as yet on whether this level of customisation extends to the engine bay, however larger side air scoops over the rear wheel arches suggest at least that air flow to the high-revving V8 engine has been improved.

Previous examples to arise from this program include the extraordinary Enzo-based Pinnafarina P4/5 commissioned by James Glickenhaus.

Source: ItaliaSpeed

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The team at the Supercar Club offer members a variety of cars to drive throughout the year, ranging from city runabouts like the HUMMER H2, right through to earth shaking supercars like the Ford GT. After paying a once off joining fee and an annual fee, members are entitled to a certain number of days behind the wheel of the exotics of their choice – the number of days varying with each membership level.

Sitting on the Supercar Club’s fleet at any given point are cars such as the Audi R8, Ferrari F430 and F430 Spider, one of only two right-hand drive Ford GTs in the world, Aston Martin V8 Vantage and DB9, Porsche 911 Turbo and GT2, Lotus Exige S and even an Aerial Atom - amongst others.

This unique program runs out of Melbourne, Sydney and the Gold Coast. The Supercar Club has plans to expand to Perth by years end and Adelaide early next year (2009).

Members book their desired vehicles through an online portion of the Supercar Club’s website which gives priority to early birds. Members have the ability to book 30-days in advance and have the ability to use a limited number of wildcards to book cars up to 12-months in advance for special occasions.

Although you may have heard of many exotic car rental companies operating throughout Australia, but the Supercar Club is unique as it owns every car on its fleet. Those exotic car rental companies generally rent out privately owned cars and can’t guarantee availability as the actual owner of the vehicle has the final say.

The Supercar Club recently launched an initiative allowing Australian members to own a share of a truly exclusive hypercar – the Bugatti Veyron. This exclusive experience is still in the development stage and will finally depend on a minimum number of acceptances.

The idea behind the Bugatti deal is to allow Australian members time behind the wheel of the Veyron. Although the car can’t be driven on Australian roads, members will be given the opportunity to access about one month in total behind the wheel overseas. After driving the Bugatti Veyron myself earlier this year, there is simply nothing that compares in terms of the driving experience and pleasure.

Once the car is sold at the end of its use, members receive a return on their investment – certainly not too bad for a person with around $200,000 in expendable income.

After joining the Supercar Club, members are put through a driving course to help them cope with the size and driveability of a supercar. One of the club’s major repair costs comes from scratched wheels – no wrecked cars to speak of yet, touch wood!

Also on the cards are track days at major racing circuits with the club’s cars. These days will give members a unique opportunity to throw some exotic machinery around the race track in an environment where they can exploit the cars full potential. Instead of owning just the one vehicle and taking it to track days, members will be able to drive a whole range of supercars under controlled conditions.

Some manufacturers were initially threatened by the Supercar Club’s presence in Australia, but soon realised it was a benefit rather than a detriment. Members are able to sample a wide variety of cars and will likely purchase the car that really polarises them. After driving machinery like the Audi S5 and several Lamborghinis, it takes a proper drive to cement the decision to purchase such a car.

A cap of five members to one car means that new cars are added frequently to meet member demands. Prospective members will be happy to hear that it’s a democracy at the Supercar Club. Members are given the chance to vote at frequent meetings and share the decision about the next vehicles entering the fleet.

Members are the ones who ultimately choose the car they’re after, opposed to the big wigs and bean counters of the operation.

According to the Supercar Club, New South Wales members are around 39-years old, on average,  and evenly split between business owners and employees. Victoria is somewhat different though with the average age lingering around 47-years old, while about 97 per cent run their own business, indicating entrepreneurial skills are directly related to hot cars … sort of!

Although the general income of members is in the vicinity of $300,000 a year, there is a high school teacher who has recently joined the exclusive club. It’s certainly not a bad way to con students into school work!

Boys, if you have access to your Dad’s black Amex, pop it back in his wallet. The minimum joining age is 30 – although the Supercar Club is willing to make exceptions after prior approval from their insurers.

The most popular cars on the fleet are the Ferrari F430, Ferrari 360, Audi R8 and Lamborghini Gallardo Spyder. Victoria is also hung on Aston Martins, with the V8 Vantage and DB9 Volante striking a chord with southern state members. With the recent addition of a Lamborghini Gallardo Superleggera, this could soon change!

The general feel of the place is that members are key and are treated with the utmost respect. In the Supercar Club it doesn’t matter how much you earn or who you are, or even whether you are part of a chess club. Everyone is on the same level and shares the one passion – fast cars.

To find out more information about the Supercar Club, please visit http://www.supercarclub.com.au. You can also call the club on 1300 798 900. If you are interested in Bugatti Veyron ownership, follow this link.

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The seven times Formula 1 world champion has worked with Ferrari’s team of engineers, technicians and test-drivers on honing the California’s performance.

“I have to say that, as with the 430 Scuderia, participating in the project since the very beginning has been really fascinating and great fun,” Michael Schumacher at the end of a test session at the Fiorano circuit.

“The 430 Scuderia is, of course, a more extreme model with a focus on absolutely cutting-edge performance. However, although the Ferrari California is very much a Grand Tourer in terms of its usability and high level of interior comfort, it is still surprisingly sporty and fun to drive under any kind of conditions.”

The result is a car which can be comfortably driven everyday and on long trips, whilst still offering blisteringly quick Ferrari trademark performance - with 0 to 100km/h coming up in under 4 seconds.

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“We intend to create a working environment unlike any other anywhere in the world. Not only should all of Ferrari’s collaborators be able to avail of high tech tools and work stations, they will also have a pleasant working environment in which to use their skills and express their creativity.”

The two latest creations arising from this programme were presented today: the new Company Restaurant and new Car Assembly Line producing the recently revealed Ferrari California.

The restaurant was designed by architect Marco Visconti and is located at the heart of the Ferrari “village” as a place where all workers can meet and socialise during their breaks.

However the major addition to the Ferrari campus has been the new Car Assembly Line where every single workstation has been refined to improve work quality, reduce worker movement and enhance ergonomics in a climate-controlled environment.

“Our goal is to have a production facility in which there is zero possibility of an industrial accident. We must, however, remain aware that this objective can only be attained with the full cooperation of all those involved.”

With growing environmental concerns, Ferrari CEO Amedeo Felisa also introduced the two latest projects undertaken at Ferrari: a photovoltaic system and a trigeneration plant.

With these projects in place, Ferrari expects to cut the amount of electricity taken from the national grid by 25% and to reduce CO2 emissions by 35% - saving tens of tonnes of emissions by the end of the year.

Much simpler environmentally friendly initiatives are also being introduced, such as the addition of a series of shelters in which over 100 bikes will be parked for employees to use in moving around the campus.

“This emphasis on environmental awareness has also led to the extension of the green areas both inside and outside the company buildings. Thus far we have planted over 1,000 trees along the central boulevard named in honour of Enzo Ferrari and the streets that open off it and are named in honour of our various World Champions.”

Also presented were a series of new services for Ferrari employees and their families, including a proposed Maranello Village - a dedicated residential complex for Ferrari employees which provides a quick and easy living solution for individuals moving to the town from other areas.

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Although we can argue about the looks, there is no argument when it comes to performance. Powered by Ferrari’s high-tech 6.0-litre V12, the car produces 397 kW (@ 7250 rpm) and 588 Nm of torque and goes from 0-100km/h in just 4.2 seconds.

From the outside, Ferrari enthusiasts would spot the standard carbon-ceramic brakes as well the new roof, which is now a glass panel that can automatically darken to reduce light transmission from 5 per cent to 95 per cent and any point in between!

Of course the most noticeable change is the ‘Challenge’ 20 inch ball polished alloy wheels.

Under the skin, the transmission and suspension have been updated. The 612 now has GTS suspension as standard while the steering wheel sports a new Ferrari Manettino switch that enables the driver to change the response of the engine, gearbox, brakes and suspension to suit road conditions or driving requirements.

One of the reasons we do love Ferraris is their gearboxes, whilst Aston is still working on their Sportshift and Lamborghini have all but perfected E-gear, Ferrari’s F1 SuperFast gearbox (first seen in the 599 GTB Fiorano) has been improved even further, with gearshift times down to a remarkable 100 milliseconds.

“These mechanical and drivetrain changes make the 612 a more nimble, dynamic car to drive, which enables 612 owners to use their Ferrari in a wider range of road conditions and they ensure that the 612 retains and enhances its position as the ultimate grand tourer. How, significant though they are, these changes are but the beginning when it comes to the changes made to the 612 for 2008.” says Kevin Wall, General Manager for Ferrari in Australia and New Zealand.

Interestingly Ferrari has used the same name as Bugatti with “Atelier” for their studio. Prospective owners fly from all over the world to choose how to equip their own Ferrari 612 Scaglietti to a remarkable level of detail and personalisation.

Like most supercar manufacturers, Ferrari is more than happy to match any colour provided to them by a customer to produce both a body colour or an interior finish. The personalisation allows buyers to pick between literally an endless number of combinations to create their own unique Ferrari.

“The changes to the Ferrari 612 and the launch of the One-to-One programme enable it to stand head and shoulders above its rivals for performance, style, technology and a level of exclusive personalization that is nothing short of unique, the 612 remains what it has always been, the ultimate grand tourer, a car that seamlessly blends ultimate performance with luxury and ease of use to produce a car of extraordinary all round capability.” says Kevin Wall.

The current Ferrari 612 costs $575,700 for the six-speed manual and $601,200 for the F1 gearbox. Prices for the new range are yet to be released.

Click through to the next page for specifications and full press release.

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How? Well you might notice the missing rear plate. The driver of the Bugatti was fined a measly £60 ($123) and allowed to go, we wonder how Australian police would have dealt with this issue given our draconian traffic laws!

More info here.

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