No need to give an introduction to this one – just watch and bathe in supercar glory.
Ferrari
Ferrari Back For Le Mans?
I now have another reason to watch the 24 hours of Le Mans, as my favourite racing team are rumoured to be back. In 2015, Ferrari are looking at competing in the top LMP1 category. Porsche have also made a comeback, and with Audi always winning, it will be great to see the two legends try and put a stop to it.
Ferrari haven’t raced in Le Mans since 1973, and the last time they won there was in 1965. Just look at the difference between their 330 P3 to their 2015 concept. Has it really been that long?
1985 Ferrari Mondial Quattrovalvole
Although it’s not uncommon to see 80s Ferraris, it’s usually the 308s or the 328s that make up most of the numbers. This 1985 Mondial Quattrovalvole jumped off the screen at me because you never see them, especially the Quattrovalvole in this trim, and for the year, it does look very similar to the F355 – maybe because it wears the 355’s wheels?
But why was I looking at Ferraris on eBay?
I wanted to see if I could find a genuinely solid and clean example for the price of a brand new Ford Focus ST (£26,000). It was starting to look fairly bleak with the usual undesirables such as the 400 and the bland version of the Mondial cropping up.
Like any cars, the mileage reflects the price, but with these ponies, an extra 20K on the clock will set you back more than a few grand. For my target price, the brilliant F355 is possible, although with high miles (above 50,000), as was the ugly and cumbersome 550 Maranello.
And the car pictured? £15,500. There are a few cosmetic problems to attend, but throw a few thousand at it and you are left with a rather handsome and exotic car. Although mileage isn’t listed, it states £30,000 has been spent, so I imagine the majority of this comes from servicing and an annual engine service (today’s price around £1000) plus a few clutches.
“Quattrovalvole” translates as “four valves” and this particular model of the Mondail received a new four valve head, and the combustion chamber design was based on the early eighties Formula 1 engine.
Once the body has been professionally finished, this Ferrari would make for a great weekend summer car. Imagine driving your own Ferrari to the song of its howling V8… and all in for around £20,000.
How Will F1 Fare With New 1.6L Turbo Units?
2013 will say farewell to the 2.4L V8 engines, and although displacement is down to a tiny 1.6L, KERS will still be a main component in power supply in 2014. The FIA initially wanted the replacement engine to be a four-cylinder unit, but Ferrari complained about the terrible noise they made, and being close to Bernie Ecclestone (CEO of F1) **nudge, nudge, wink wink ** it was eventually agreed the V6 would be the choice.
Pictured above is the first image released by Mercedes-Benz for the engine they’ll be using in 2014. Like the aforementioned BMW M12/13 engines, this small displacement unit will be turbocharged. That being said, the hp figures will be half of the crazy eighties era at around 750-hp. It’s reported the engines will be high-pitched, and due to the turbo spooling at 125,000-rpm, it will be very loud. These engines also produce more torque, especially coming out of corners, so from a spectator view the sport should appear more exciting.
Throw in KERS with twice the previously regulated amount of power (80-hp for 6.7 secs upped to 161-hp for 33.3 secs) and you’ll be witnessing a true test and ability of modern science and technology.
The design and use of a completely different engine it a massive deal for an F1 team, from weight to placement, aerodynamics and a thousand other aspects. So it seems whoever is the most dominant in 2013, doesn’t necessarily guarantee success in 2014.
I’m looking forward to 2014 and can’t wait to hear the combined sound of all those turbo-powered beasts revving before the lights turn green.
Enzo Ferrari’s Modena Yellow
Being a huge Ferrari Scuderia fan, I must admit I did not know why Enzo Ferrari chose the colour yellow for the brand’s shield; but then I never questioned why the stallion made it on there either. I suppose the prancing stallion is to Ferrari what the playful puppy is to Andrex – you just don’t always question these things.
Well now I know the reasons why (the colour yellow and the stallion, not the puppy). Take a read of the excerpt below and let Enzo explain:
When in ’23 I won the first Circuito del Savio, raced in Ravenna, I met Earl Enrico Baracca, father of the hero; from that encounter another one, with the mother Countess Paolina, followed. She was the one who told me, one day: “Ferrari, put on your cars my son’s prancing horse, it will bring you good luck”. I still keep Baracca’s photography with his parents’ inscription, where they entrust me with the emblem. The Horse was black and it stayed so; I added the canary yellow background, that is Modena’s colour.
I love Ferrari that much more now.
Alonso Drives The La Ferrari
Before leaving to take part in the Hungarian Grand Prix, Fernando Alonso had the opportunity to drive Ferrari’s latest technological masterpiece – the La Ferrari. This hybrid powerhouse of a car was developed to deal with both the track and road – considering it possess 963 stallions from its massive V12 heart and its electric motor, it was no mean feat.
Luca di Montezmolo Unhappy With F138
Ferrari fans have been hit with some bad new lately as the president Luca di Montezemolo recently told Sky Sports,“The Ferrari I saw in yesterday’s race (Hungary) doesn’t sit well with me.”
Oh dear – when Montezamolo isn’t happy, someone usually wakes up next to a severed horse’s head.
The President was very succinct with Scuderia team principle Stefano Domenicali and the engineers, focusing mainly on the F138’s performance — or lack of.
Montezemolo, being the hot-blooded Italian that he is, did not mince his words when it came to ordering the team to step up. In fact, he presented them all with a metaphorical knife, along with an invitation to put it between their teeth when thinking how to tackle the remaining half of the season.
With nine races remaining, Montezemolo clearly thinks the championship is still on the cards, and perhaps this is due to past experience – Ferrari always gains momentum in the second half of the season. Not helping matters is their current world champion contender Fernando Alonso, who made negative comments about the lack of new parts available – this didn’t go down well with Montezemolo, nor with anyone on the team.
Montezemolo also attended the technical analysis, leaving no stone unturned including the subject of the the new Pirelli tire compounds, a variable that definitely did not suit the Ferrari. Pirelli’s choice contributed to artificially altering the hierarchy in the field, something that has not pleased the president or the men of the Scuderia. This topic will be the subject of further debate in the near future.
So, can Ferrari come out of the garage after the summer break and seriously challenge Red Bull’s Sebastian Vettel and the revived Lotus Team, or will Ferrari drop the baton, I mean knife?
Gargling Gas 