“They’ve shown it with the top down, because it’s going to look awful when the top’s up” was the theme of nearly every email and conversation after that piece. And I thought you all might have a point. There are lots of good-looking cars that really lose it when the top goes up. But we needn’t have worried. It looks stunning when the top is in place, as the picture here testifies (as with all the images here, click it for a bigger version).

Now I agree that Rosso is the default colour for a Ferrari. But they are a bit common. So it’s nice to see this picture, just released, in something different. And in this case it’s a homage to the original California – Azzurro California blue.

Just 14 seconds to raise or lower the roof makes it as quick as anything else out there. There’s room in the back for small children (or legless adults) and more than enough power to keep most of us happy.

As I said last time, a very cleverly positioned and executed car.

The FXX uses a fair bit of the technology from the Enzo, but is a pure track car, part of a programme designed to develop Ferrari’s technology by enlisting the feedback from FXX owners. Owners can only drive the cars on special track days organised by Ferrari, and one of the conditions is giving a full brief of the car to Ferrari after every session.

Just 30 FXXs have been built (originally 29, but Ferrari built a special black one for Michael Schumacher) and they are loosely built on the Enzo platform, but with an output raise to 800+ bhp, slick tyres, upgraded brakes and the very latest F1 gearbox. Plus of course full telemetry. And owners have the option to store the cars with Ferrari and full Ferrari maintenance is included in the deal.

This is a very rare car, and very desirable. The one we have includes full Ferrari support, but a purchase is dependent on approval from Ferrari.

If only I could afford it!!

To enquire about any car in this article, new or used, just click here

I wrote a while back about my dislike for car numbers instead of car names, and it looks like Ferrari were listening! The first details on the new Ferrari we wrote about last month have now been released and, as we expected, this is a baby 599.

This is going to get really interesting. With a 450bhp V8 and great 7-speed dual-clutch box, not to mention the first folding metal roof on a Ferrari, this is aimed fair and square at Aston Martin, Porsche and the top end SLs. And if the target price of £125k is right, it is going to see a lot of sales going to Italy.

Looking at the picture you can see how much like the 599 it is, and with the trademark round lamps at the back and 4 pipes, no one is going to mistake this for anything other than a Ferrari. The engine is in the right place and performance is suggested to be sub 4 seconds to 60.

More details when we get them. I can’t wait!

To enquire about any car in this article, new or used, just click here

F40, F50, Enzo. The pinnacles of Ferari’s craft. But the F40 is now 20 years old. And haven’t things moved on in that time. I wrote I while ago about the Ferrari Scuderia being quicker round the Ferrari test track than the Enzo. Well, that showed how far Ferraris have come in the last 4 years, but at least the Scuderia was a stripped out race car for the road. But the awesome 599 actually walks all over the F40 (not quite, but it’s certainly got the upper hand). And for around what you’d still be paying for an F40 today. Oh, and the sound track to this piece is wonderful!

To enquire about any car in this article, new or used, just click here

Luca di Montezemolo has always been a law unto himself, and this time he’s even managed to catch out his own PR team, by announcing that the new Ferrari F149 will be revealed at the Paris Motor Show in October (thank you Evo for the original story).

The motoring press has been trying to guess what the F149 was all about for quite some time. Most of the speculation has centred around the possibility that this will be the Dino for the 21st century. Personally, that always seemed a little like wishful thinking (an easy sentiment to put in writing after the event, but honest, Guv, it’s what I thought!). I can’t see Ferrari going down-market. The reason they sell, and the reason they’re so profitable, is because they stubbornly refuse to compromise on price and quantity. A lesson they have learned very well from Porsche. There will be no ‘cheap’ Ferraris. There may be Ferraris that cost less, but believe me they will be very profitable.

And I think Ferrari is far too shrewd to pop a cheaper mid-engined car in to the mix. For a start, it would threaten the F430 but, probably more importantly, it would pop a new Dino bang in the firing line of the Audi R8. Now that is a very dangerous place to be.

So, the new F149 is going to be a Front-engined, V8. Yes please! I have never been a huge lover of the mid-engined Ferraris; much preferring the engine up-front. And the idea of a front-engined, sensibly priced (by Ferrari standards) 2+2 is very appealing. And there seems to be the possibility that the F149 will come with a folding metal roof. Now that will be interesting, and a big seller in the UK (which buys more convertibles than anywhere else in Europe. We are an optimistic bunch!).

I think Ferrari will have a real winner here. It won’t take sales away from the existing line-up, but it will pull sales in from other marques. And this should complete the Ferrari line-up for the foreseeable future. Oh, apart from the SUV (believe me, it will happen!).

To enquire about any car in this article, new or used, just click here

So I have never really lusted after a Ferrari. Admired certainly, coveted even. I always found them slightly less than masculine. I know, I am very much in the minority. But there was one exception. The Ferrari Daytona. Now that looked how a high-performance car should. It was purposeful. You knew just from looking that it would fulfil your dreams. Well, now there’s another.

The Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano. A true front-engined V12 Ferrari sporting GT in the old-fashioned mould. A huge improvement over the 575, which never really did it for me, either visually or to drive. But Ferrari have fixed that.

I wrote about the Porsche 911 Turbo recently, a car that I said was as quick as anything in the real world, its all-round ability making it untouchable. Well, if you factor in reliability and everyday usability, I stand by that. But the Ferrari 599 actually makes the 911 seem slow. This is SLR territory. This must be the fastest Ferrari I have ever driven. Its straight line speed is simply astonishing. Never mind 0-60, its 0-100 time is sub 7.5 seconds! Now that is seriously quick. It is in SLR, Koenigsegg and Zonda territory. But it’s less than £200k. A veritable bargain.

The 599 is very stiff, and uses magnetic suspension for instant reaction (similar to Audi in the R8). The F1 ‘box gets supershift technology, which makes changes lightening fast. It really does think so quickly it’s almost doing it before you’ve decided what you want. But it only seems to work really well when you’re going hell for leather. More modest acceleration, and downchanges, are a bit disappointing. And I couldn’t find a suspension setting I was really happy with. I’m not sure the Maranello engineers had UK roads in mind when they mapped it. But These are little niggles. This is an absolutely awesome car, offering class destroying performance at, lets face it, bargain prices when you compare it to the likes of an SLR or Zonda.

And we have a Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano for sale (build slot Q3 2008). Which has got to be an improvement on the 3 years Ferrari now make you wait. Well, perhaps I should re-phrase that, because I recently had an email discussion with a guy who took me to task for not updating the site when we sell cars. In my defence, I told him that I felt these posts were in effect news pages (which is what a blog is about). I believed that people would realise that it meant we have a car for sale at this point. So I want to make it clear that what we actually have is not a Ferrari 599 for sale, but a changeable build slot for a Ferrari 599 (3rd quarter 2008) as of today’s date. It may well be gone by tomorrow, and almost certainly within the week. But if you are reading this at some point in the future, I’m sure we’ll be able to get you what you want. Just not this particular one!

One of the questions we are constantly asked is “What cars have you got in stock?”. Well, that’s not really how the business works. We source cars for our clients based on their exact specifications and requirements, but we do have a list of cars that are available to us, and sometimes I’m still astonished by what we do have available. Everything from a Lamborghini Reventon to a Bugatti Veyron we can get our hands on. But some marques are always in huge demand, such as Bentley, Aston Martin, Ferrari and Lamborghini. And as this last week turned in to Aston Martin week, I thought I’d have a look at what we’ve got available from the pride of Italy – Ferrari.

We can always source a good range of Ferraris (which is just as well considering how many we get asked for), but it is interesting to see just what we have available from our list. It’d put most Ferrari dealers to shame! Everything from a brand new 430 Scuderia for delivery next summer, to a selection of F430s, 599s and Scagliettis. They all have good specs and, apart from the build slots for the Scuderia, they are available immediately! I know, it sounds like an ad, but it’s not. These cars will all go, and soon. But it is interesting to know what’s available without having to start running round our contacts to source what a customer wants. And quite often we find that one of the cars on the list is offering even more than our customer was looking for. Here’s the current list:

Ferrari 430 Scuderia For Sale

We have 2 build slots available for the Scuderia, with an estimated delivery of July 2008

Ferrari F430 Coupe F1 For Sale

New, but pre registered, in Rosso

Ferrari F430 Spider F1 For Sale

2 new in Rosso

Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorino F1 For Sale

3 of these, pre-owned, in Argento Nurburgring, Nero Daytona and Grigio Silverstone.

Ferrari 612 Scaglietti F1

New, in Nero Daytona

So, that’s 9 top spec Ferraris all available now (except the Scuderias where the build slots are available immediately). Not a bad selection. But it still won’t be enough for everyone! Most of our customer know exactly what they want, including every option available. And that’s just fine. It’s what we do. And I have to admit, it’s quite fun finding exactly what our customer wants and delivering their new pride and joy to their door!

The Ferrari F430 Scuderia is the long anticipated replacement for the 360 Challenge Stradale, that track-burning edition of the F430’s predecessor, the 360. Worth the wait? It would seem so.

Using what is probably the best car in class as a starting point is either mad or brilliant – I’m not sure which. How do you improve on the performance, handling and soul of the F430, without wrecking the car. With the 360’s morph in to the 360 Challenge Stradale it was easier because, great though the 360 was, it was actually quite flawed. But the F430 isn’t. It is as close to automotive perfection as it gets. So there’s a challenge!

At first glance it looks like Ferrari have just shoved a big stripe up the car. There are no other immediate signs; no wings or arches or big badges – just a great big stripe! But a closer look reveals something very special has gone on. Virtually every element of the car has been tweaked or lightened – or both. A complete under-body aero re-design; bigger wheels; beefier ceramic brakes and of course important tweaks to the engine & gearbox. This car now puts out 510bhp and hits 62mph in just 3.6 seconds. Ferrari even claim it’s as quick round their test track as the Enzo.! Mouth watering yet? It gets the e-diff from the 599 and a new enhanced version of the F1 superfast gearbox. Oh, I really can’t wait to play with this!

The Scuderia is already being built, and be in no doubt there will be lots of clamouring for this car. There are no shortages of customers for V8 Ferraris – ever – and this one will take some getting.

So if you do want one, let us know soon!