#maranello

Is this the last naturally aspirated V8 Ferrari?

Ferrari brought the open top version of its most powerful naturally aspirated V8 road car ever to the Paris Motor Show this year.

Later this month, the Museo Ferrari in Maranello will host an exhibition of Sergio Pininfarina’s Ferraris.

Earlier this month, Italian exotic automaker Ferrari debuted its new F12 Berlinetta at the 2012 Geneva Motor Show. Ferrari Chairman Luca Cordero di Montezemolo was responsible for the unveiling of the F12 Berlinetta, and now he is once again denying reports of a Ferrari IPO. 

Technology has significantly impacted the automotive sector especially when cars are produced in the factory. Computers and robotic platforms assemble engines and build the cars without much help from workers. However Ferrari has a different take on production, with their engines being entirely hand-built.

This video shows the buildup of a 458 Italia engine starting with assembling the crankshaft and ending with the installation of the cam covers. The 11 minute video is a walkthrough of the Maranello facility, with interviews from many members of the Ferrari team. Each of the workers explain their task to produce the 4.5-liter V8. It’s nice to see something made by hand for a change.

Check out the video after the jump!

Ferrari has just announced that the Eternità concept is the winning entrant for their International Design Contest. The contest challenged students to develop the Ferrari hypercar of the future with the latest generation technologies and materials, while preserving the iconic performance and elegance associated with the legendary Italian automaker.

Ferrari is holding a world design contest to develop the Ferrari of the future. Ferrari, in collaboration with with Autodesk, the technical partner and supporter of the project, is challenging students to develop the Ferrari hypercar of the future with the latest generation technologies and materials, while preserving the iconic performance and elegance associated with the legendary Italian automaker.

The latest in a long line of douchebags writing off exotic cars is one gentleman who apparently took delivery of a Ferrari 458 Italia at Ferrari’s Maranello factory, only to write it off 24 hours later.

The video features the predictable burnouts and revving-really-high-in-a-low-gear type of behavior prone to 17 year old Honda drivers, but then cuts to video of the 458 French kissing a pole. No footage of the actual accident is shown, perhaps to spare the driver further embarrassment…or because it was staged?

Hit the jump to see the full video

[Source: Axis of Oversteer]

Ferrari might be opening a theme park this fall, but there’s already trouble brewing in the automotive world’s Magic Kingdom as the Italian automaker takes steps to idle one of their engine plants and lay off 600 workers after demand for Ferrari engines utilized by sister brand Maserati has fallen.

Ferrari has announced that it will auction off the rights to the very last F430 to roll off the assembly line and donate the proceeds to help citizens of the Abruzzo region that was devastated during the April 6th earthquake in Italy.

Rights to the car will be on the block at a special Ferrari-themed RM Auction this Sunday, however, the car itself will not be built until the end of the year.

The 490hp F430 will come with a special two-tone paint job using the traditional colors (red and blue) of Aquila, the city hardest hit by the earthquake. The owner will then be invited to the Ferrari factory in Maranello to chose the remaining options on the car. Ferrari has said it will toss in several pricey options from its Carrozzeria Scaglietti catalog.

The Italian exotic will come with a certificate signed by Ferrari Chairman, Luca di Montezemolo and a special dedication plaque.

This news also marks the first admission by Ferrari that F430 production will end this year, making the arrival of a concept to succeed the impressive exotic at the Frankfurt Auto Show this Fall almost certain.

Official release after the jump: