10. Porsche 918 Spyder: $845,000

The list of the Top 10 most expensive new cars is even more shocking that you might expect. Released by Forbes, you can forget the Ferrari 458 or the $300,000 Lamborghini Aventador because even at the low end of the scale these models start at right around the one million mark.

In 10th place, at $845,000 is Porsche’s upcoming flagship, the 918 Spyder. When it does arrive later this year, it will come powered by a high-revving V8 engine making more than 500 hp, mated to a plug-in hybrid system that adds over 218 hp. Porsche claims a 0-60 mph time of 3.1 seconds, with an incredible 78 mpg rating.

Vocal critic of former leader Silvio Berlusconi, Ferrari President Luca di Montezemolo has announced his intention to run for the position of Prime Minister of Italy.

Montezemolo has quite the background to make a legitimate run for office too, being a member of Italy’s hereditary aristocracy and a lawyer by profession. He currently presides over Ferrari and Fiat and has even coordinated the World Cup while it was in Italy. Now obviously those are trivial tasks compared to running a country, but Montezemolo looks poised to take on the task now.

Back in 2009, he formed Italia Futura, a center-left think tank which could rapidly become a political party placing Montezemolo as a candidate for prime minister. Elections are scheduled for 2013 and it’ll be interesting how big of a role Montezemolo will play.

[Source: Business Insider]

Rifling through boxes at an estate sale paid off for Bobby Goins after he recently found a 1952  Ferrari 212 Inter Ghia Cabriolet tucked away and forgotten.

The car, which was barely visible except the emblem, had been sitting in a garage for 40 years. Pickers find forgotten cars frequently, but unless it’s really notable they don’t make it to the media. Last September we brought you a story about a 1955 Mercedes-Benz 300SL Gullwing being found in California, but this latest find beats the Benz.

According to information from FerrariChat.com, Goins only knew it was a Ferrari, but had no idea what model it was or its value. He soon found out exactly what he had, but there was one catch: it had a Corvette engine. The could have compromised the value from a restoration perspective, but against all odds, the original engine was located in Wisconsin.

Though the amount he paid for the car wasn’t disclosed, Goins sold the car for $150,000 to someone who plans to fully restore it and set it on display at the 2013 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance.

[Source: FerrariChat]

Mr. Hayashi out in Japan didn’t want to settle for just any ‘ol mundane Ferrari to add to his collection. He decided to commission Zagato for an extremely rare, modern day version of the 250 GT-based Zagato Coupesbuilt.

The job originally started in 2005 and a Ferrari 575M Maranello was chosen for the base of the project. Ferrari was even consulted early on in the development of the project, and with their blessing Zagato was allowed to place Ferrari badges and logos on the car. The only stipulation was that Zagato would not be allowed to unveil the vehicle at the 2006 Geneva Motor Show since Ferrari was debuting the 599 GTB Fiorano. As a result, this 575 GTZ made its official unveiling at the Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este two months later.

Now this extremely unique vehicle is for sale, with this particular one being the second of six completed. It sports only 2,826-miles on the odometer and despite being part of a numbered series, only the first and second examples (both ordered by Mr. Hayashi) features Zagato’s fully encompassing styling efforts. Vehicle number two is the only one featuring an all black exterior and an interesting dark green interior.

No other 575 GTZs will ever be built, and this vehicle can be road registered for use in the United States.

GALLERY: Ferrari 575 GTZ Zagato

[Source: Teamspeed]

Over in the United Kingdom, Hertz has teamed up with Premiere Velocity in order to offer their customers the ability to rent some of the world’s finest exotic supercars. The list of exotics being offered is impressive including Lamborghini‘s LP560-4 Bicolore and Aventador, Porsche‘s Carrera 4 GTS Cabriolet, Ferrari‘s 458 Italia, Range Rover‘s Evoque, Mercedes-Benz‘s Brabus S-Class and SLS AMG Roadster, Rolls-Royce’s Phantom and even McLaren’s MP4.

The full range of cars available is up on Hertz’s website and a 5-percent discount is offered when booking through http://www.hertzsupercars.com. Prices vary, but a C63 AMG for example is £201.25 a day ($314) while an Audi R8 is £362.25 ($565). Hertz wand Premiere will also offer customers with a bespoke meet, greet and delivery system at any agreed location whether it be their home, office, hotel or airport.

The requirements? Enough money, 25-years of age and no more than six points on their driver’s license.

Ferrari confirmed the debut of their 458 Grand Am would happen at this year’s Daytona 24 Hours, set to begin on January 26th at Florida’s Daytona International Speedway. Derived from the GT3 variant of the 458, the Grand Am race car was developed in collaboration with Michelotto and aimed at the American series.

For the Daytona 24 Hours race, Ferrari has their version of a dream team as a crew. Daytona 500 winner Michael Waltrip will be alongside Travis Pastrana, and endurance race veterans Rui Aguas and Robert Kauffman. Hopefully Ferrari will have better luck than all those other “dream sports teams” like the Philadelphia Eagles and Miami Heat. They’re clearly itching for a victory.

GALLERY: Ferrari 458 Grand Am

Back in the 1950s and ’60s, when you bought or ordered a Ferrari, being able to select individual colors, features or options was virtually par for the course, a big reason why today, survivors from that era tend to fetch huge money when they come up for sale.

Now, Maranello has launched a new bespoke cosmetic program, that aims to build on those age-old traditions of customer excellence and exclusivity. Called “Tailor Made,” it allows Ferrari clients to essentially personalize every last interior and exterior detail of their new car, with assistance from a Personal Designer who works with them through the entire selection and creation process, right up to the point at which the customer takes delivery.

In fact, customers are actively encouraged to visit the Ferrari facilities where they can browse different materials and concepts, as well as preview the final results of their selection. They can even collect their completed car from Maranello personally if they so choose.

The Tailor Made program embodies three distinct elements;

Scuderia, a race inspired category which provides customers with such options as carbon-fibre trim, rubberized leather, Alcantara, chamois and other such finishes such as diamond quilted fabric (inspired by such a pattern found on the 1957 250 Testa Rossa), as well as specific exterior colors and even, racing stripes, such as those found on original North American Racing Team (NART) cars.

Classica, which includes pastel colors inspired from Ferrari exterior hues of the past, along with traditional materials such as rich wools, cashmere, leather, or velvet.

And finally, Inedita, which takes an experimental approach, combining new themes with traditional ones,  such as as offering a novel range of materials, like as denim or suit fabric, for upholstery.

How do you make a Ferrari F430 really bad ass? You cover it with a leather and tattooed cowhide.

The work of French artist Phillipe Pasqua, this masterpiece features Japanese motifs of sea and serpents, alongside Pasqua’s signature skulls. The really hard part must have been applying the cowhide to the supercar – working around the mirror edges, side lower skirting, pretty much anywhere the surfacing is uneven is sure to have been difficult, but Pasqua makes it work. Underneath the leather, the Ferrari F430 is apparently unmodified, so there’s nothing to distract for the exquisite tattoo art.

If you happen to be in Paris, this piece of automotive art is on display at the artist’s solo show at the Galerie Laurent Strouk until mid-January.

[Source: Born Rich]

Next year, Ferrari will bid farewell to the aging 599 GTB, but not before giving it one last special edition model.

This next one will be called the 599 GTB 60F1 Edition and it is to commemorate 60-years since Ferrari won its first race in Formula 1 back in July of 1951, at the Silverstone circuit.

This new car will not only commemorate Froilan Gonzalez, who drove the 375 F1 back in 1951, but also Fernando Alonso, who secured the teams first win in the 2011 season.

So as a tribute, a plaque featuring the signatures of Gonzalez and Alonso will be affixed to the dashboard.

Technically these special edition models aren’t much different from the regular 599 GTB, so there is no extra power on tap. However, all the 60F1 special editions will come standard with the Handling Grand Turismo Evoluzione (HGTE) package.

The 60F1 will also feature three special paint schemes:

The 375 F1 livery pays tribute to Gonzalez’s car and is painted in the darker red of historic Ferrari race cars.

The 150th Italia livery is based on the 2011 racer as driven by Alonso and features white A-pillars and buttresses, and white lower front bumper, with painted mudguards and a discreet white paint on the hood. This one also features the tri-colors of the Italian flag on the rear spoiler.

The 150th Italia Livery 2 is completely red, apart from the white lip on the front bumper.

All special edition models also get the Ferrari fender shields and satin finished 20-inch alloy wheels. You will also get grippier rubber for better handling.

Inside, you will either find a four-point racing harness in blue and red (as per all the F1 cars on the 2011 grid), or a regular three-point belt in red for markets that do not alloy four-point harnesses for road cars.

The Euro-spec models will get seats by Sabelt, while the American version will be fitted with Recaro seats. Both types of seats will feature a material called Superfabric which provides more grip.

So if you want to own a piece of Ferrari history, make your way to your local dealer and place your order. All these models will be delivered in 2012.

Gallery: Ferrari 599 GTB 60F1

An bizarre accident over the weekend in Japan severely damaged 14 cars, eight of which were Ferraris. The other vehicles involved in the smash-up include three Mercedes-Benzes, a Lamborghini, a Nissan Skyline and a poor little Toyota Prius. According to the news report, a caravan of foreign car enthusiasts were heading from Hiroshima to Kyushu when one of the Ferrari drivers hit the median while trying to overtake a car on the wet, curved road.

Fortunately no one was seriously hurt in the crash, but it’s a sad sight to see all these exotics demolished the way they are. From what we can tell in the video, there were multiple F355s, F430s, an F360 and some form of an F512. Even worse, the accident shut down the road for six long hours as officials tried to determine exactly what happened.

Check out the news report from Japan below:

[Source: Jalopnik]

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