Ferrari building six copies of invite-only supercar

Ferrari building six copies of invite-only supercar

CNBC.com - October 27, 2014

Ferrari just got even more exclusive. The Italian luxury automaker is gearing up to start production on its invite-only supercar known as the Ferrari Sergio, and only six people will be able to get their hands on one.

The concept car, unveiled at the 2013 Geneva Motor Show, was designed in collaboration with Italian firm Pininfarina, and each model is expected to sell for millions, though Ferrari would not disclose an exact price.

But if you wanted to be one of the lucky six, you're too late as Ferrari has already pre-sold all the Sergio cars. Long-standing Ferrari clients are the only ones who got the invites.

 A spokesperson from the automaker told CNBC the final orders are being confirmed and production will start "shortly", with the aim of delivering the final product to clients next year. Ferrari will have to make changes to the design unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show in order to comply with road laws so the design is likely to be different from the original concept which had no windshield or mirrors.

Ferrari has made a point of being exclusive by capping the number of vehicles it makes each year to 7,000 and the move has paid off financially. The brand, owned by Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA-IT), reported revenues of 1.3 billion euros ($1.65 billion) in the first half of the year, a 14.6 percent rise from the same period in 2013.

The company also has a "one off" program where enthusiasts with deep pockets can design a bespoke car from start to finish and have it made at Ferrari's Maranello headquarters. The Sergio buyers' identities have not been revealed but in the past big names like Eric Clapton have purchased custom made cars.

 The Sergio is based on the Ferrari's 458 Spider mechanical base and technologic components. The doors rise up rather than open outwards and the company said the car can accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h in less than 3.4 seconds.

Ferrari has pursued a similar exclusive approach with another car in its range – the LaFerrari supercar . Only 499 are being made, and after its debut at the Geneva Motor Show last year, over 1,000 people had already requested the car. But similar to the Sergio, you don't choose the car, Ferrari chooses you.

.

$2.2 Million Lamborghini Sesto Elemento Will Blow Your Mind

$2.2 Million Lamborghini Sesto Elemento Will Blow Your Mind

Brian Warner - CelebrityNetWorth.com - February 7, 2014

Are you in the market for a new car? Looking for something a little more sporty than your current whip? Do you have a couple million dollars lying around gathering dust? If you answered yes to these questions, then we highly recommend you consider buying the new $2.2 Million Lamborghini Sesto Elemento. The $2.2 million sticker price makes this Lambo the second most expensive car in the world, right behind the $2.4 million Bugatti Veyron Super Sport. If you are still interested, you better act fast because Lamborghini is only producing 20 Sesto Elementos.

So what do you get for $2.2 million? "Sesto Elemento" literally translates to "Sixth Element" which is a reference to the fact that the car is made almost entirely out of an extremely expensive rare carbon fiber and is therefore the lightest Lamborghini ever manufactured. The car weighs 2200 pounds which is less than most sub-contact mini-cars. The name, unfortunately, is not a reference to "The Fifth Element", one of the greatest movies of all time, but the Sesto Elemento is absolutely out of this world. The car is powered by a 570 horsepower V10 engine. Combined with a semi-automatic six speed paddle-shift transmission and nearly 400 lbs of torque, the Lamborghini Sesto Elemento can go from 0-60 in 2.6 seconds and has a top speed of 217 MPH! For comparison, the 2013 Ford Taurus takes 13 seconds to go from 0-60 and has a top speed of 133 MPH.

Let's say you are rich enough to afford the Sesto Elemento and lucky enough to be one of the only 20

buyers, there is one catch… The Lamborghini Sesto Elemento is not and will never be street legal in the United States or Europe. If you live in either of those regions, you'll only be allowed to drive your Sesto Elemento at the track because the car will not include any of the street-legal-required safety equipment or speed controls, including airbags. But that doesn't mean you can't have fun on the track or ship the car to your mansion in Russia, Brazil, Japan… etc.

What do you think of the Lamborghini Sesto Elemento? Would you pay $2.2 million for a car you could never drive on the streets?

[More images]

.

First Look: 2010 Ferrari 458 Italia

First Look: 2010 Ferrari 458 Italia

By Marty Padgett - TheCarConnection.com

July 28, 2009

Ferrari says its new 2010 458 Italia will replace the F430 this fall when it makes a world debut at the Frankfurt auto show.

The new two-seat, mid-engined, V-8 supercar from Maranello is new from the ground up, according to the Italian automaker. They also believe it's one of the biggest leaps forward for the company ever in terms of technology, performance and emissions.

The core of the new supercar is a 4.5-liter engine (hence the name, plus an "8" for its cylinder count) that puts out 570 horsepower and 400 pound-feet of torque. Ferrari promises the new engine, coupled to a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission, will shuttle the 458 Italia to 60 mph in less than 3.4 seconds--comparable to a Nissan GT-R. Top speed should reach 202 mph.

The core of the new supercar is a 4.5-liter engine (hence the name, plus an "8" for its cylinder count) that puts out 570 horsepower and 400 pound-feet of torque. Ferrari promises the new engine, coupled to a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission, will shuttle the 458 Italia to 60 mph in less than 3.4 seconds--comparable to a Nissan GT-R. Top speed should reach 202 mph.

The performance envelope is much bigger than the car it replaces, the F430, and the new 458 Italia benefits from more racing influences than ever, the automaker says in a release. Namechecking F1 champion Michael Schumacher at every opportunity, Ferrari says the handling, design, even the shape of the steering wheel get their inspiration from Formula One, with the input of Schumacher.

With a weight balance of 48/52 and a double-wishbone suspension in front and multilinks in the rear, the 458 Italia's handling will be race-ready, it's claimed. And new traction systems derived from anti-lock brakes should make the new car up to the safety standards of Ferrari's other new model, the California hardtop convertible.

Weight-saving construction techniques have kept the 458 Italia to a lean 3042 pounds, and Ferrari promises low fuel consumption for the class, which includes the Lamborghini Gallardo and potentially, the Lexus LF-A supercar, along with the Nissan GT-R.

We'll have more from this fall's 2009 Frankfurt auto show.

First Look: 2010 Ferrari 458 Italia (link with images)