Eight Things You Didn't Know About the Ferrari F40
2. Ferrari went to extreme lengths to reduce the weight of the F40. In fact, so little paint (some say a mere 2 liters) was used on each car that the carbon kevlar weave can be seen through the paint.
6. F40 ownership costs are understandably high, beginning with the cost of acquisition. The sticker price
for the F40 was $399,150 in 1990, though dealer markups brought pricing
to somewhere between $700,000 and $900,000. Today, clean F40s can sell
for upwards of $1 million. Annual fluid swaps cost $1,000. A minor belt
services is recommended every three years at $3,000. A major service is
recommended every ten years to replace items like belts, fuel lines, and
water pumps at a cost of $15,000. European spec F40 rubber fuel
bladders must be replaced every seven to ten years at a cost of $12,000.
Tires should be replaced at least every 7 years (or less than 14,000
miles) for $2,000. A new windshield runs $8,000. Both lower side panels
cost $26,000. The front clam goes for $35,000. The front crash box runs
$24,000. Veyron owners wish their cars were this cheap.
8. Not only was the F40 built to commemorate the forty
year anniversary of Ferrari (hence the name), but it was also the last
car to roll out of Maranello under Enzo’s supervision before his
passing. At its launch, Enzo said, “Little more than a year ago,
I expressed my wish to the engineers. Build a car to be best in the
world. And now the car is here.” Ferrari marketing officer, Giovanni
Perfetti, added, “Customers had been
saying our cars were becoming too plush and comfortable. The F40 is for
the most enthusiastic of our owners who want nothing but sheer
performance. It isn’t a laboratory for the future, as the 959 is. It is
not Star Wars.” Double burn. The F40 was truly a race-bred driver’s car
meant to scare anyone brave enough to pilot it. Enzo always said, “I don’t care
if the door gaps are straight. When the driver steps on the gas, I want
him to shit his pants.” I wouldn’t be surprised if Enzo got his wish
with the F40 and can guarantee he’d still be grinning over the ordeal.
Complete list (Jalopnik.com)
Monday, March 7, 2016
The greatest BMWs of the last 100 years - AutoBlog.com
E30 BMW 3 Series – David Gluckman
No, we can't and won't overlook the E30 M3. It's all kinds of greatness in a tidy package, with an engine that has to be worked, tons of tricks and tweaks that let it utterly dominate as a touring car, and a purpose for everything that went into the homologated road cars. It's what M once was and should strive to be once again.
But I have a special place for the more simple E30s, the ones that are still attainable. My 325i was a little rough around the edges, but it had held up pretty well and the engine was still going strong deep into triple-digit mileage. You feel like you're wearing an old pair of worn-in jeans when you're driving one – it's familiar, imperfect in ways you have known about for years, yours. They have acres of glass and you can actually see out of them in every direction (novel!). And then there's the way the car talks back; not so much through the wheel, because the steering isn't great, but you know what's going on around you at all times and why. Aside from the oddly placed wheel, the controls feel right and are placed deliberately. They're just plain friendly, and there's a reason the 3 Series, and this one in particular, was the benchmark for so long. Why did I sell mine again?
E39 BMW M5 – Mike Austin
This makes the case for the best sedan ever made. The E39 hits the sweet spot in so many ways. Take the glorious M5. In 1998, 400 horsepower was crazy, especially in a car that weighed just over 4,000 pounds. Unburdened by with the weight and equipment needed to cope with modern safety standards, the 5 Series was the benchmark of a balanced, responsive chassis. This was close to peak BMW - when the engines were still naturally aspirated and spun like sewing machines. Nothing in the class could touch the 5 Series in terms of driving involvement, and few cars since come close.
Complete list (AutoBlog.com)
No, we can't and won't overlook the E30 M3. It's all kinds of greatness in a tidy package, with an engine that has to be worked, tons of tricks and tweaks that let it utterly dominate as a touring car, and a purpose for everything that went into the homologated road cars. It's what M once was and should strive to be once again.
But I have a special place for the more simple E30s, the ones that are still attainable. My 325i was a little rough around the edges, but it had held up pretty well and the engine was still going strong deep into triple-digit mileage. You feel like you're wearing an old pair of worn-in jeans when you're driving one – it's familiar, imperfect in ways you have known about for years, yours. They have acres of glass and you can actually see out of them in every direction (novel!). And then there's the way the car talks back; not so much through the wheel, because the steering isn't great, but you know what's going on around you at all times and why. Aside from the oddly placed wheel, the controls feel right and are placed deliberately. They're just plain friendly, and there's a reason the 3 Series, and this one in particular, was the benchmark for so long. Why did I sell mine again?
E39 BMW M5 – Mike Austin
This makes the case for the best sedan ever made. The E39 hits the sweet spot in so many ways. Take the glorious M5. In 1998, 400 horsepower was crazy, especially in a car that weighed just over 4,000 pounds. Unburdened by with the weight and equipment needed to cope with modern safety standards, the 5 Series was the benchmark of a balanced, responsive chassis. This was close to peak BMW - when the engines were still naturally aspirated and spun like sewing machines. Nothing in the class could touch the 5 Series in terms of driving involvement, and few cars since come close.
Complete list (AutoBlog.com)
Sometimes The Plight Of The 1% Can Be Heard
Porsche sees error of ways, next 911 GT3 to offer manual transmission
Consider this Porsche's mea culpa. After creating an uproar over selling a new 911 GT3 without a manual transmission, the automaker introduced the limited-edition, manual-equipped 911 R in Geneva. That car is just a stopgap, though. It's meant to hold 911 drivers over until the next GT3 arrives with the same six-speed manual transmission.
Yes, the next-gen GT3 will get an old-fashioned six-speed manual, according to a new report from Autocar (but the GT3 RS will still be PDK-only). In fact, the same report claims Porsche will make sure that the 911 GT3 remains the car for the brand's most ardent purists. While the rest of the Porsche range moves to turbocharged engines, the GT3 will stick to its naturally aspirated guns. That comes direct from the big boss behind the GT3, Andreas Preuninger, who told the magazine this would be the case "for the foreseeable future."
(AutoBlog.com)
Consider this Porsche's mea culpa. After creating an uproar over selling a new 911 GT3 without a manual transmission, the automaker introduced the limited-edition, manual-equipped 911 R in Geneva. That car is just a stopgap, though. It's meant to hold 911 drivers over until the next GT3 arrives with the same six-speed manual transmission.
Yes, the next-gen GT3 will get an old-fashioned six-speed manual, according to a new report from Autocar (but the GT3 RS will still be PDK-only). In fact, the same report claims Porsche will make sure that the 911 GT3 remains the car for the brand's most ardent purists. While the rest of the Porsche range moves to turbocharged engines, the GT3 will stick to its naturally aspirated guns. That comes direct from the big boss behind the GT3, Andreas Preuninger, who told the magazine this would be the case "for the foreseeable future."
(AutoBlog.com)
R.I.P. - Nancy Reagan
Nancy Reagan, Former First Lady, Dies at 94: ‘She Is Once Again With the Man She Loved’
Former first lady Nancy Reagan, who joined her husband on a storybook journey from Hollywood to the White House, died Sunday.
She was 94.
Reagan died at her home in Los Angeles of congestive heart failure, according to her spokeswoman, Joanne Drake of the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library.
(KTLA.com)
Former first lady Nancy Reagan, who joined her husband on a storybook journey from Hollywood to the White House, died Sunday.
She was 94.
Reagan died at her home in Los Angeles of congestive heart failure, according to her spokeswoman, Joanne Drake of the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library.
(KTLA.com)
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