A Tifosi's Blog

Ferrari Unleashes F2012

2012-02-04T01:06:37-06:00

Ferrari has publically released its 58th single-seater Formula 1. An evolution of last year's F150, employs dramatic aerodynamic modification thought the package including a stealthy front nose that appears to be an open box from the front because of the unique flat-bottom employed on the high nose. Noticeably slimmer in the rear and sporting an amazing air induction package which includes two induction slots and a killer spine down the back. This slimming has required relocation of the cooling components, which presumably assists front / rear balance. It is thoroughly amazing how they can produce this track fighter that when all is said and done weighs 640 kg (1,408 lbs) with water, lubricant and driver.

Explore the new F2012

Unusual Ferrari F355 up for Auction

2011-07-02T04:41:58-06:00

What appears to be quite an interesting customization of a F355 Spider is up for auction in Roswell, GA on July 16-17th. From 50 ft., it appears to be as standard spider other than the chrome stock wheels, but the interior an engine bedazzeling makes you pause.

Someone raided the local ostrich farm, and went crazy outfitting all Schedoni surfaces with various colored ostrich hydes. In addition, most of the paintable surfaces in the engine compartment have been painted to match the body color.

Communication to to the auction company to verify the background of the car has yet to yield any information yet.

Check out the ostrich F355 for auction here.

Ferrari to Launch 612 Replacement on January 21

2011-01-20T08:00:50-06:00

Ferrari to launch the new V12 4-seater replacement for the 612 on January 21st at 6:00 am eastern time on http://www.ferrari.com/. You must be pre-registered to view the photos. According to Autoblog who posted some spy photos http://tinyurl.com/4qgqpeh will be a swoopy coupe, hopefully without the bungie cords!

Formula One 2011 Regulations to Finally Allow Team Orders

2010-12-12T06:38:35-06:00

Formula One has confirmed that it will finally allow team orders in 2011. It’s about time to end this madness, as it has just become silly recently, forcing teams to commit Mickey Mouse stunts to not raise the ire of the officials. I had a feeling that this was going to happen this year when Bernie made passing comments this year after the German Grand Prix, when the Ferrari team sent a message to Massa to allow Alonzo to pass. These strategies have occurred since Formula One and multiple-car racing teams have taken place.

While the full 2011 regulations are not fully published, they also are introducing driver adjustable rear wings, as in the Can Am days. This additional control will be added to the driver’s operation in addition to adjustable brake bias, etc., giving the driver more control and additional distractions. Double diffusers are also verboten, and they are requiring that the gearboxes last through five Grand Prix weekends, up from four from last year.

Additionally, a peek into 2012 regulations reveals the introduction of biomass-derived fuels and the availability of complete team communications to the broadcasters. Keep an eye on 2013, as it will bring the most dramatic change when the 2.4 liter V8s will be replaced with 1.6 liter four-cylinder power plants. Expect wildly different body styles, possibly back to the cigar-shaped style perhaps? A inline four-cylinder block would dramatically reduce yaw forces allowing for more stability, just a thought. Regardless, it will be a very interesting change to Formula One as we know it today.

Ferrari Broadcasting the 2010 World Finals from Valencia

2010-11-26T06:31:12-06:00

Ferrari is broadcasting the 2010 World Finals on Sunday November the 29th. They are a hoot, and will be entertaining with the Ferrari Challange World Finals, other support races and a salute to both the entire team and the fans. It’s free for all.

Click here to view on the 29th.

Ferrari Virtual Academy Driving Simulator

2010-10-31T08:23:42-06:00

Ferrari releases new Mugello track map for their amazing Ferrari Virtual Academy online driving simulator. If you are a driving simulator gammer and have longed for a proper PC-based simulation game, FVA is it. The game launched in September with the Fiorano circuit, and it is great fun.

You can race online against fellow Tifosi around the world. And this is no standard game, as there are weekly prizes for the top five drivers both for Italy and the rest of the world. Mugello is the the current track with the Nurburgring coming in the future. If, at the end of the season, you are part of the five fastest drivers, you will win a trip into the heart of Ferrari: to Maranello. There is a charge for each track, and currently they are running a special for 19.95 Euro, about $28.00.

Click here to find out more

Gerald Roush 1941-2010

2010-05-22T00:37:52-06:00

I lost a great friend today.

Gerald got me truly revved up about Ferrari cars 20 years ago. And when I mean revved up, I’m not talking about introducing me to the cars that had graced my walls many years ago or the stories I read endlessly in Road & Track, but he really opened my eyes to the world of Ferrari. He had a way about him that fascinated me in a way that no one had done before. His voracious appetite for preserving the history of the marque allowed the magic of Ferrari to be unfurled before my very eyes. My initial introduction was via a phone call to find out the pedigree of my first Ferrari, a wonderful 1984 308 GTS QV S/N 52623. Not only did he take the time to provide me with the skimpy background that this 7,000 mile car had, but spent tons of time educating me on the model, how many had been identified as being built and suggesting additional research material. Additional teaching sessions further exacerbated this fascination to the disease phase that I was slowly slipping into.

Gerald thrived on other individuals taking a keen interest in the prancing horse minutiae as did he and with his teaching background he stoked the fire to the point that I became interested in tracking and preserving the mark as he was. He encouraged me to start the 330 register and track all 330 series cars, when he probably got tired of me asking questions on this model. To this day, I can’t visit a dealership without recording what I can which has led into my current fascination of tool kit research & documentation, new car documentation and the 456 Register. He must have chosen the coolest profession ever, I’ve thought to myself often. Being able to get up early in morning with his coffee, and head downstairs into the lair and document the stories of these cars and the lives of those that were lucky enough to strap on and play caretaker to these great automobiles. I could spend endless hours listening to his and Carol’s stories that make these cars different from all others. I’m sure all marques have their share of enthralling tails, but Ferrari cars have attracted all types of owners, dealers and drivers. I’ll treasure my time strapped to a good scotch and listening to stories ranging from playboys like Porfirio Rubirosa, swapped serial numbers, past flamboyant dealers like Don Fong, mysteriously appearing non-existent models, precious cars buried underneath the ground for dozens of years, torched up into pieces and hidden in barrels of oil, burned to the ground, unceremoniously retrofitted with snakeskin or alligator seats or roofs, transplanted Chevy small blocks and gifts for mistresses. These are the real legends behind these fascinating vehicles. Yes, they were very successful at the track and under the stylistic brush of the likes of Pinin Farina, Vignale & Zagato, but how can you compete with these tales. You just can’t make this stuff up.

First and foremost I fully believe that his integrity as a Ferrari historian he was second to none. I began to learn his methods of tracking and documenting serial & model numbers, Ferrari internal codes, etc. He thought me well on documenting reports from multiple corroborating resources and not from hearsay and continually pointed out errors in documented works . Consistently recording factory nomenclature and deciphering installed components from original documentation was of particular joy to him. Much of his historic note taking has become accepted practices for many a Ferrari serial number geek. His early-on efforts of record-keeping set the standard for future Ferrari knowledge preservation that we are all grateful of.

Gerald was to become one of the coolest guys I had the pleasure of knowing. His love of Carol and his family, Southern rock, Auburn football, old goofy English cars, cooking & good food, wine, scotch, grappa, Italy, the Mille Miglia and of course Ferrari cars was infectious. He was the insiders guide to Monterey week, which we were privileged to have shared with he and Carol for many years which filled us with memories for a lifetime. We talked he and Carol into bringing the MG Tojeiro, Leonard-Special LOY 501 to the Colorado Grand in 1995 (probably after liberal amounts of Grappa), and in spite of spending a glorious week in Colorado, Carol’s idea of a week vacation didn’t include sliding around in a hot, oil slick laden aluminum-floored, sporty car without a top. Gerald returned the following year with Jim Arnieri as co-piloto in the gorgeous little green racecar.

Thanks Gerald for your friendship and wisdom over the years . You will certainly be missed by the Ferrari world and those of us that knew him. So, as I listen to the Allman Brothers, Traffic and Freebird and nurse a 35-year old wee dram, I raise a toast to you my friend. “If I leave here tomorrow, would you still remember me? For I must be travelling on, now, 'Cause there's too many places I've got to see.”

Caution: Sudden Acceleration / Deceleration May Occur in your Toyota

2010-02-06T12:22:39-06:00

From Sniff Patrol

Ferrari 330 GT 2+2 Project Car

2010-01-01T08:43:46-06:00

Looking for a derilict 330 project car? A very rough example has shown up in Lynchburg, VA. No word on the chassis S/N yet.

According to the dealer, "the car just arrived from Riverside CA, where it had been sitting in dry storage since the 1980's." As you can see, the car is missing it's engine and transmission, but still has it's radiator, alternator, fan, etc.

For the most part, the interior is complete, but very rough. The passenger door has a serious rust issue and pressumably running throughout the chassis. The site also claims that the the car was originally silver. Offered at $29,000.00.

You can check out the car here.

Barn Find Ferrari 330 GT 2+2 Sold

2009-12-26T12:37:34-06:00

When was the last time you saw a barn-find Ferrari? 330 GT 2+2 Series II S/N 7607, with black plates and 81,000 original miles came up for sale on ebay and sold 12/23/2009 for $68,100.00. There was an amazing 74 bids before the bidding was exhausted.

Originally delivered to Bagley in the USA, 638/PF (according to Hilary Raab's Ferrari Serial Numbers Part I, revised).

The 330 was claimed to be off the road and stored inside since 1982! The lising states "One owner from 1970 till 2009, an unmolested , damage & rust free super straight California black plate car, motor has been recommissioned and runs perfect , no smoke, no overheating , rebuilt carbs and distributors, new battery and fuel pump, flushed gas tank and fuel lines, motor has excellent compression on all 12 cylinders, motor was rebuilt in 1973, this Ferrari has ultra rare rarely if ever seen factory removable headrests for front seats and all factory belly pans, owner’s manual, no tools or jack, interior is all original tan leather, front seats are dry rear seats and door panels are in great shape, this is the way you hope to find them. Title is California 1970’s pink slip." Seller claims that air cleaner is included with the car.

Marvel in the patina, the untouched console and passenger headrest. Also note the leather headliner.

Michael Schumacher Return Great for F1 Circus

2009-12-26T09:39:10-06:00

Ok, the stage is solidifying for 2010 to be a banner year for the series struggling for kumbaya between owners and the elf. At last check, the opener Bahrain is a mere 71 days away and I would bet that there are engineers in Maranello as we speak working 24/7 sweating out details. While we are not at the grid yet, we will be enjoying 13 teams in 2010, including four new entries with Lotus (currently based UK, backed by a Malaysian consortium), Campos (Spain), Virgin (UK) and our own team here in the states, USF1.
Peter Windsor, Ken Anderson and Chad Hurley, the co-founder of YouTube have settled down in Charlotte, NC to hatch the US's first Formula One team since Dan Gurney's Eagles in the 60s. While probably not approved by Hurley, http://www.crash.net is presenting videos giving you a peak of the team's progress.

USF1's First Day

They are promising a team line-up after the first of the year.

Fresh from a team and driver championship, Brawn GP now taken over by Mercedes has offed the providential Button to carry the luggage for Sir Hamilton freeing space for miraculously recovered, seven-time world champion Michael Schumacher. The anointed one joins his mate Brawn for a one-year soiree. Scuderia Ferrari have also done some house cleaning dumping personality-less Kimstser. I really enjoyed this recent rally footage where Kimi demonstrates a perfect pirouette for his new team. Note the complete lack of post-crash class, where without checking the condition of his now dizzy route caller, he dons his thug-shaped ball cap and exits stage uphill.

The Kimster at Play

Stefano Domenicali will have his hands full with Alonso adding his special flavor to the team. It will be great to see Felipe back in the driver's seat.

2010 Rules & Regs

The most drastic changes in year will tax the race strategists by banning refueling during the race, modifying the points system to include the top 10 finishers, reducing the width of the front tires, adding more weight to offset the advantage of the vertically challenged KERS drivers. Now that the teams all agreed to not run KERS, this will just add additional poundage for the design teams to pile on to the mass required for the additional fuel. Banned are those goofy wheel fairings that proved to be more of a headache. Oh, and they added the M. Schumacher rule, that it the team chooses to substitute a driver that has not participated in an F1 race in more than two years, they will be granted one day of track testing. Gee, thanks.

Did you catch Bernie's Christmas Card?

Bernie Eckelstone's Christmas card

Forza Ferrari!

CNBC Presents Shift Into Overdrive on Ferrari

2009-10-01T17:13:12-06:00

CNBC Presents Shift Into Overdrive on Ferrari - Thursday, Oct. 1st 10p ET

The Why 58 Motor Yacht

2009-09-26T07:21:59-06:00

Ok, this is ultra cool and a nifty toy, when you don't have to go anywhere fast. In a way, a fairly Obama-friendly, green transport, assuming you still have some dough left.

A 2008 Italian design excercise between Yacht maker Wally and Hermès, it boasts a 14 knots maximum speed, can withstand up to Sea Force 4, and has a long range autonomy 4 Atlantic crossings.

Of course, the question arises, "Why?", to which a quick response is returned, "Why not?

Check out the Why 58.

Ferrari F430 Opens First Sabarro

2009-05-05T16:03:58-06:00

Nicholas Cage's new movie Disney’s The Sorcerer’s Apprentice experienced an unexpected stunt featuring a black Ferrari F430 that skipped a curb in front of a Sabarro restaurant. As the set was closed at the time, so no diners were harmed in the making of this "Drive-Through" scene.

http://www.nypost.com/seven/05042009/news/regionalnews/film_a_bway_smash_167542.htm

ASAP Utilities is a Killer App for MS Excel

2009-03-27T06:26:09-06:00

Ok, I'm going to let my secret out. Have you ever wondered even as powerful Microsoft Excel is that there are scads of functionality that have been left out or requires macros, hours and much frustration? Enter ASAP Utilities, a small 2Mb download created by spreadsheet guru, Bastien Mensink out of the Netherlands. Even though I have been using Excel since it replaced VisiCalc, and thought I knew my way around pretty well, this irreplacable add-in adds every possible function imaginable.

There are very simple functions such as deleting blank lines, conditional search and replace, cell formatting, etc., that will save spreadsheet jockeys hours of frustration. It cleans up imported data that is copy and pasted in like nothing else, and the export to web function is flawless. The best part is that it is so elegant that it assists novice users and speeds exprienced users.

Trust me on this one, download, try it for 10 minutes, then hop back on the site and buy this. asap-utilities.com