My Time in a 458

Amazing, perfect, incredible; are the first words that come to mind. Driving a 458 is everything you would expect. The acceleration is exhilarating, the handling complete perfection, and the body is of course beautiful. Mere mortals stop to admire the car and peer through the windows to see who could be driving this machine. 

So how does a kid from Detroit score 20 minutes in a €200,000 piece of Italian perfection? 

Fiera campionaria is a festival held in the city of Padua, a small college town just outside Venice. At this festival, you can find camping gear, home goods, used cars; seriously anything your heart desires. 

While strolling through the event with some friends, I stumbled across two gorgeous Ferrari 458s. Any car fans heart skips a beat when a Ferrari is in the vicinity but this time I managed to keep my composer. We walked over to get a closer look when an Italian man approached us. 

"Are you fans of Ferrari?" Years of magazine articles, F1 races, and clips of Jeremy Clarkson bolting around race tracks ran through my mind. "Absolutely!" I said. 

"€100 for 20 minutes in the 458, you drive." Now my heart started to miss beats. I instantly accepted the offer and within 10 minutes my hand graced the door handle of a bright red Ferrari, the proper color. 

I sat down and strapped in. The Italian in the passenger seat instructed me. "Place your foot on the break, turn the key forward, and press the start button." A symphony of tuned exhaust, cheers from friends, and a feeling of euphoria consumed me. 

We set off though the festival and onto the motorway. This being my first time driving in Italy, I was a bit nervous. Not to mention the fact that this was my first time behind the wheel of a Ferrari. Not knowing what to expect I put the pedal to the floor as we merged onto the freeway. A flurry of red lights filled the dashboard as the engine waged war on the tires fighting for grip. I was thrown back against my seat as a grin formed from ear to ear. 

"How do you feel?" The Italian asked. I stumbled and struggled to find words. I believe I muttered something along the lines of incredible. But either way you get the idea. This car is like nothing else. They say money can't buy happiness but I fairly certain it is impossible to be as while driving a 458. 

www.ferrari.com for stats and more info

Alfa Romeo 4C will debut at Goodwood

Alfa Romeo 4C will be debut at Goodwood Speed Festival 2013, after its presentation to last march Geneve Motor Show. From the next July 12, the first 4C Launch Edition will debut on the famous english track in the event organized by Lord March.

Expectations are pretty high: Alfa Romeo 4C has a carbon fiber tub, front and rear crash box, and hybrid rear frame mainly out of aluminium to keep its weight below 900kg, with a 1.75L engine totally aluminium-made with 240Hp and 350Nm. Official datas say that 4C will be able to reach 100km/h in less than 4.5 seconds.

The 4C is going to production in May 2013 at Maserati plant in Modena, with an expected production of up to 2,500 units per year and will be the first mass-produced Alfa Romeo car for re-entry into the US market.

The launch edition of the 4C will be available only in "Carrara White" or "Alfa Red" with carbon fibre trim and other extra accessories. Price tag is starting from 60.000 euros.

Rolls Royce Wraith will go Convertible!

Rolls Royce Wraith Coupè

Rolls Royce Wraith will probably be produced also in a convertible version, that is what Torsten Muller-Otvos, Rolls-Royce CEO, said at the Rolls Royce Wraith Coupè presentation. Indeed, we'll probably have to wait one or two years to see this convertible model.

Rolls Royce is enlarging its market to an highest level offering customizing model allowing customers to choose car parts one-by-one. Sales data are really encouraging for the brand, in fact 900 Rolls Royce Phantom and 2500 Rolls Royce Ghost has been sold in the last year and the US market is growing every year.

Rolls Royce Wraith should bring to an increase of 1200 to 1500 units per year with another expected growth with the Convertible model. 

Furthermore, Torsten Muller-Otvos denied the possibility – at least for the next years – of producing a SUV model, saying that SUVs don't represent Rolls Royce style, driveability and comfort. In the end, even though its productivity is growing, it seems that Rolls Royce won't decentralize its production, and it will still produce in its Goodwood plant in West Sussex.

Pagani Huayra - The million dollar baby

Pagani Huayra is the successor of Zonda, and her name comes from the "God of wind" ( Huayra-tata ) in Quechua. This model was released in 2012 and is equipped with an engine Mercedes-AMG bi-turbo M158 5980 cc V12, capable to reach 372 km/h, 0-100 km/h in 3.3 seconds. With this 6.0 motor and the transmission of 7 gears, the Huayra is capable to surprise in the race tracks.

In the Top Gear Test Track, Huayra reached 1.138 minutes to complete 2.82 km, beating the predecessor and becoming the first car to record the a lap time below 75 seconds and the first place in the power board.

 

 

The Power Board

1. 1:13.8 – Pagani Huayra
2. 1:15.1 – Ariel Atom 500 V8
3. 1:16.2 – McLaren MP4-12C
4. 1:16.5 – Lamborghini Aventador
5. 1:16.8 – Bugatti Veyron Super Sport
6. 1:17.1 – Gumpert Apollo S
7. 1:17.3 – Ascari A10
8. 1:17.6 – Koenigsegg CCX (with Top Gear Wing)
9. 1:17.7 – Noble M600 (cold)
10. 1:17.8 – Nissan GT-R (2012)
11. 1:17.8 – Pagani Zonda Roadster F
12. 1:17.9 – Caterham Seven Superlight R500 (cold)
13. 1:18.3 – Bugatti Veyron 16.4
14. 1:18.4 – Pagani Zonda F
15. 1:18.9 – Maserati MC12
16. 1:19.0 – Lamborghini Murciélago LP670-4 SuperVeloce
17. 1:19.0 – Enzo Ferrari
18. 1:19.1 – Ferrari 458 Italia
19. 1:19.5 – Lamborghini Gallardo LP560-4
20. 1:19.5 – Porsche 997 GT2

All this power can be bought for the amount of US$ 1.300.000 approx. So if you have some money in your saving account this is an option.

For more information you can see the History of Pagani Huayra.

Famous Car Collectors

Lot of people use to have an hobby. Somebody loves to marathon running, bird watching or collect magazine. But some wealthy famous people decide to collect cars: they love cars and they want to have in their private garage something that can remember them the past years, or that can make them special because they are the only owner of this model. Having a look on the net, you can find lot of famous people collecting cars, but three of them are the top ones.

The 1930 Mercedes

Ralph Lauren:

The famous american stylist is obviously interested in fashion, especially in clothes, but probably not lot of people know that he is, for instance, also one of the biggest car collector around the world. He is the owner of a Bugatti Veyron, the fastest and the most expensive car in the world today. But the things that make his collection very special are the other automobile he is preserving in his garage: the 1958 Ferrari 250 Testa Rossa (now evaluated around 16.000.000$) and his 1930 Mercedes, and many others.

Hassanal Bolkiah:

A taste of Sultan of Brunei's Ferrari

Probably this name don't tell you a lot about this man. He is the Sultan of Brunei, and he his one of the collectors with the largest number of cars: around 7.000! People said that all his cars together probably are worth more than 5.000.000.000 $. He has all the models of Ferrari, Porsche, Bugatti and of the other luxury brands. The question could be: where does he keep all his cars? In the picture below we can have a satellite view from google maps.

This garage equal to eight hangar

Jay Kay:

He is a musician, and the lead singer of Jamiroquai. When people ask him which are the cars he loves, he always answers in the same way: any fast car! This is why he started to collect more than 40 exotic cars, such as Ferrari 550 Maranello, Lamborghini Miura SV and modified Fiat 500 Abarth. But the most important piece of his collection is an Aston Martin DB5 made famous in early James Bond films.

Just a curiosity: he has the habit of getting caught speeding in his vehicles. His  driving licence had been suspended more than one time.

Jay Kay with some of his cars

Mille Miglia: the most attractive car race in the world

Stirling Moss and his #722 300SLR that set the "Mille Miglia" record

Every year in Italy take place one of the most famous car race named "Mille Miglia" – that stands for "A thousand miles".

Originally, the "Mille Miglia" was a car race that took place 24 times between 1927 and 1957 when was  definitely banned due to two mortal crashes. From 1977 to nowadays, the "Mille Miglia" started its second life. Only cars produced before 1957 and that had participated to the original event are allowed, this statement makes the "Mille Miglia" one of the most attractive car race in the world: in fact only vintage cars can take part in this great event.

From the first race until now, the route is the same: starting from Brescia to Rome and then back to Brescia.

David Coulthard with his Mercedes 300 SLR

Mercedes participated in 2013 "Mille Miglia" – that took place from May 16th to May 19th – providing 13 models directly from the Mercedes-Benz Museum of Stuttgart including SSK and 300SLR that set the "Mille Miglia" record in 10h 07' 48" made by Stirling Moss in 1955.

From the BMW Mobile Tradition Museum arrived 8 models which included 328 Coupé Touring that won the "Mille Miglia" in 1940 with Fritz Huschke von Hanstein. Five were the cars provided by Alfa Romeo Museum including the 6C Alfa Romeo 2300 Pescara – belonged to Benito Mussolini – which took part in the race in 1936.

For any further informations, visit: Mille Miglia

Aston Martin and the challenge of hydrogen

Aston Martin Rapide S Hybrid will partecipate in this 2013 Nürburgring 24 hours, and it will be the first car ever to take part to this kind of event with zero CO2 emission. The car will be done on the chassis of the new Rapide S. To pursuit this great result, Aston Martin works together with Alset Global to create a twin turbochargers 6.0-litre V12 engine that will power the Nürburgring car. Alset Global’s unique Hybrid Hydrogen system allows a vehicle to run on hydrogen, gasoline or a blend of both fuels, depending on the driving request, and ensures an optimum balance between power, acceleration and CO2 reduction.