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Anytime German auto tuner Novitec gets its hands on an exotic car you know that good things will happen. They’ve done multiple Ferrari’s, Audi’s, Porsche’s and BMW’s along with just about every other high-end manufacturer out there, and with this they’ve managed to build a reputation as one of the best exotic car tuning companies in the business. It now seems Novitec has gotten the bug to play with Maserati’s as it has just released a complete package for the Quattroporte S and Sport GTS.

By supercharging the engine from the Maserati GTS Novitec has managed to increase power from a base of 440 hp to a whopping 600 hp. This means 0-60 times of just 4.5 seconds and a top speed of around 195 mph. Also keep in mind that this is still a big 4 passenger grand touring car. For $36,000 you get one supercharger, water-cooled inter-coolers, reinforced V-ribbed belts, fuel injectors and everything else you’ll need to make your once fast Maserati a whole hell of a lot faster.

Source: Motorator.com

The fact that Ferrari chose Beijing as the official coming out party for its fastest ever front-engined road car is a clear signal of the importance of this market to the crew from Maranello. Whatever the reasons, we're always happy to finally get our first glimpse of the new 599 GTO, a proper Ferrari if there ever was one.

Only 599 GTOs are scheduled to be built and the entire run is reported to be sold out. However, we're pretty sure that anyone with the correct financial wherewithal will find a way to park one in their garage. And there's even bigger news about the 599 GTO's Nürburgring lap time. Stay tuned...

What do you get when you start with a 599 GTB Fiorano, lose 430 pounds, add 49 horsepower and import street-legal tech from the track-only 599XX? The sum of those many marvelous parts is the 599 GTO, the fastest road-going Ferrari in the automaker's legendary history.

The folks in Maranello unleashed it's king Horse to the public earlier this week before its official unveiling next month at the Beijing Motor Show, with the promise to build precisely 599 examples carrying the venerable GTO designation. The good news is Ferrari created a vehicle configurator that lets you customize your 599 GTO to your heart's content. The bad news: at an estimated $460,000, most of us couldn't afford it.

But still, it's fun to dream, and with the hundreds of available combinations you'll have plenty of time to play. Hues for the 50s and 60s are available, along with metallic finishes, and you can choose your own seat type (racing buckets come in small, medium and large), steering wheel type, a host of available carbon fiber accents, over a dozen different interior stitching options and plenty more. Check it out and start saving your pennies for the launch later this year.

There's something special about seeing a supercar in person, and it's a once in a lifetime event to see several in the same place. It's for that reason we're big fans of supercar reunions. Last year, as part of the Monterey Classic Car Week festivities, Concorso Italiano hosted a Ferrari 288 GTO reunion as part of the car's 25th anniversary, and an incredible fifteen examples showed up, making it the largest gathering ever.

Concorso plans to outdo itself this year with another Ferrari reunion, this time with the F40. More than a dozen owners have already signed on to bring their cars, and we fully expect plenty more to be on hand come August 13th. In fact, the event organizers hope to have more than 40 examples in attendance. The F40's project director, Leonardo Fioravanti, is also scheduled to make an appearance.

If you're a big fan of the F40 or even just Italian supercars in general, then start making your plans to be in Monterey in a little over four months.

We've seen the spy shots. We've even seen the options list. Now Ferrari has officially taken the wraps off its new performance benchmark, the 599 GTO, ahead of the car's official debut later this month at the Beijing Motor Show.

Sort of a street-legal stepping point between the production 599 GTB Fiorano and the track-only 599XX, the 599 GTO evokes the famous Gran Turismo Omologato designation made famous by the legendary 250 GTO of the 1960s and the muscle-bound 288 GTO of the 1980s. That's quite a legacy to follow, so it's a good thing the 599 GTO brings the goods.

Output from the 6.0-liter V12 – itself derived from the Enzo's engine – is up from 612 horsepower to 661, with torque up a modest 9 lb-ft to 457. Coupled with a 195 kilogram (430 lb) weight reduction program – now tipping the scales at 1495 kg (3295 lbs), the leaner and meaner 599 can sprint to 62 miles per hour from a standstill in a scant (and very specific) 3.35 seconds, with a top speed in excess of 208 mph, while lapping the Fiorano test track from which its donor's name is derived in a blitzing 1 minute, 24 seconds. That's faster than the Enzo, people.

The GTO is also treated to more aerodynamic bodywork, including a new front splitter, side sills, diffuser and rear spoiler. The vented hood is new as well, as are the ten-spoke, 20-inch rims with F1-derived wheel donuts aiding aero efficiency.

Piquing your interest yet? Don't get too excited. As the new flagship in Ferrari's range, the 599 GTO is reported to fetch a price tag approaching £300,000 overseas (equivalent to nearly $460k). Only 599 examples will be offered, which is still more than the Enzo whose performance it eclipses. Follow the jump for the official press release.

Onlookers green with envy. Waiting twitchingly for the traffic light to turn green. A briefcase full of greenbacks. Even British Racing Green, if you're talking about a GT. You could find a few ways to associate Ferrari with the color green, but the environmental sense would be a bit of a stretch – historically speaking, at least. But the times, as one Mr. Zimmerman wrote, they are a-changing. Now even Maranello has been forced to get on board the "Heal the World" train. And this is the result.

Called the HY-KERS, what you're looking at is a rolling test bed. It's a hybrid, sure, but if you thought this was a haphazard application of a plug-and-play hybrid system, think again. The HY-KERS incorporates a roadgoing derivative of Ferrari's Kinetic Energy Recovery System – fancy-talk for regenerative braking – from last year's Formula One program.

Ferrari has worked diligently to optimize the benefits of the system to the 599's performance. The entire system weighs a modest 40 kilograms, partially offset by the obviation of the starter motor and conventional battery. Integrated into the seven-speed dual-clutch transmission and mounted below the car's center of gravity, the system returns over 100 horsepower, supplementing the V12 engine under hard acceleration and it can even operate under full electric power when puttering around town. Of course, a Ferrari never putters around anything, save for when it takes its owner for a round of golf at the local country club.

FERRARI DEBUTS AT GENEVA WITH THE HY-KERS, A 'VETTURA LABORATORIO'

Geneva, 2 March 2010. Ferrari presents a vettura laboratorio (experimental vehicle) at the 80th edition of the Geneva Motor Show based on the 599 GTB Fiorano equipped with an advanced new hybrid transmission.

Hybrid technology is one of the solutions examined by Ferrari in its on-going research and development into making its production cars ever more efficient. Experimenting with alternative technologies represents the company's long-term strategy after the announcement in 2007 of a five-year plan to reduce fuel consumption and emissions across the range. With the launch of the Ferrari California (2008) and the 458 Italia (2009), in fact, Ferrari's average fuel consumption and CO2 emissions figures have already been reduced by around 30 per cent compared to 2007.

The HY-KERS displayed at the Geneva Motor Show is an example of how Ferrari is studying the application of hybrid technology to high-performance sports cars. Central to Ferrari's objectives is maintaining the balance, handling and performance characteristics typical of its cars despite the inevitable disadvantages in terms of weight represented by applying hybrid solutions to existing models.

To this end Ferrari has employed its racing experience to adapt a lightweight hybrid drivetrain to the 599 GTB Fiorano with the aim of ensuring that vehicle dynamics are unaffected. This was achieved by the careful integration of all system components, positioning them below the centre of gravity and ensuring that interior and luggage space are entirely unaffected. Similarly the flat lithium-ion batteries are positioned below the floorpan of the car inside the aerodynamic underbody. The result is a centre of gravity that is even lower than in the standard car. In addition, a part of the weight gained by fitting the electric motor, generator and the batteries is offset by being able to do away with the traditional starter motor and battery.

Ferrari has also applied its F1 technology to the design, engineering and construction of a new kind of electric motor which also helps optimise the longitudinal and lateral dynamics of the car, enhancing traction and brake balance. The motor cuts in during acceleration, providing instantaneous torque when moving away from a standstill and during overtaking manoeuvres, with torque control a function of grip, gear and accelerator pedal angle. Depending on vehicle speed and engine load – for example in town driving – the hybrid system can also function as a full-electric drivetrain. The result is a direct reduction in consumption and emissions. The motor also features a unique cooling and lubrication system for maximum efficiency under all operating temperatures and loads. The castings of the motor are made in the Ferrari foundry, complete with Prancing Horse motif.

Weighing about 40 kg, the compact, tri-phase, high-voltage electric motor of the HY-KERS is coupled to the rear of the dual-clutch 7-speed F1 transmission. It operates through one of the transmission's two clutches and engages one of the two gearbox primary shafts. Thus power is coupled seamlessly and instantaneously between the electric motor and the V12. The electric motor produces more than 100 hp as Ferrari's goal was to offset every kilogram increase in weight by a gain of at least one hp.

Under braking the electric drive unit acts as a generator, using the kinetic energy from the negative torque generated to recharge the batteries. This phase is controlled by a dedicated electronics module which was developed applying experience gained in F1 and, as well as managing the power supply and recharging the batteries, the module also powers the engine's ancillaries (power steering, power-assisted brakes, air conditioning, on-board systems) via a generator mounted on the V12 engine when running 100 per cent under electric drive. It also incorporates the hybrid system's cooling pump.

In keeping with Ferrari's 360-degree approach to efficiency and its commitment to environmental sustainability, new technologies for its road cars are matched by the considerable investments already made to reduce the environmental impact of the company's production activities in Maranello.

After the inauguration of the photovoltaic installation on the roof of the Mechanical Machining facility in January 2009, which reduced the factory's power requirements by over 210,000 kWh annually, 2009 also saw the opening of the trigeneration plant (the simultaneous production of power, heat and cooling from a single source) – the first of its kind to be implemented by a sports car manufacturer. This enabled Ferrari to reduce CO2 emissions by 15 per cent, with the goal of reaching a reduction of over 40 per cent by the end of 2010. Thanks to these ecological solutions, Ferrari is completely autonomous for its energy requirements.

When you're driving a Ferrari, you'd better keep your eyes open. When you're buying one, you might want to avert your eyes lest they start watering. Because you know it's going to be a big bill. Just how big is a matter of details, and new reports from the glossies in the UK give us exactly that.

For the British market, the new Ferrari 458 Italia will sell for a whopping £169,545, or the equivalent of about $277,000 by today's conversion rates. A quick look at the outgoing prices reveals a whopping increase over the $199,000 MSRP for a 2009 F430, but a touch less than the $282k commanded by the 430 Scuderia (whose performance the new 458 eclipses and, it could be argued, effectively replaces). It's also worth noting that the figures are a fair bit higher than those suggested in the alleged leaked price sheet from back in October.

Of course pricing for new vehicles around the world isn't based on current exchange rates, but rather on local market considerations, so until U.S. pricing is announced, it's more relevant to look at relative prices in the UK itself. The £169k 458 Italia is over £40k (~$65k) more than the £128k F430, but a couple grand less than the £171k Scuderia. The California, in case you were wondering, lists at £143,325 on the 2010 UK price sheet (which includes all Her Majesty's tea party taxes) – but we're still supposed to believe the Cali's not the "baby Ferrari" we all predicted it would be.

If you're eyes aren't done watering yet, the price for a new 458 only continues to rise from there, with options like LEDs on the steering wheel at £2,794 ($4,563) Alcantara trim for the trunk at £1,445 ($2,360), electric seats at £2,120 ($3,462) and – wait for it – a £1,156 ($1,888) spare wheel.

[Source: Evo]

When Ferrari took the wraps off the 550 Maranello in 1996, it represented an important step in the company's evolution. Replacing the aging F512M (nee Testarossa), the 550 Maranello marked a shift back to front-engine V12 GTs for Ferrari – the niche market for which the company became known. But if the 550 Maranello was a pivotal product for Ferrari, the 550 Barachetta Pininfarina was even more desirable.

Characterized by its open-top format with rear cowling and leather-trimmed roll hoops, Ferrari only made 448 examples of the open-top 550 before the model line was replaced by the 575M. Another 559 drop-top Superamericas were built on the 575M's basis, but the rarest example was the solitary 575 GTZ built by Zagato for one Yoshiyuki Hayashi, an avid Ferrari collector in Japan.

For better or worse, the window of opportunity that, for a time, allowed coachbuilders like Zagato to create specials like the 575 GTZ is now closing, with Ferrari's own customization program bringing the carrozzeria tradition back to the Maranello gates – to the exclusion of others. But not before the Milanese design house gets in one last hoorah, celebrating the 90th anniversary of the first such collaboration between the two Italian houses of rolling style.

Taking five pristine examples of the aforementioned 550 Barachetta as their basis, the 550 GTZ borrows the shape from Hayashi's 575-based coupe and gives it a roadster body style. There's no word on whether any modifications have been carried out on the coupe's mechanicals, but the rolling stock appears to have carried over unchanged if that's any indication. All five examples have reportedly been spoken for at a price of £1 million ($1.6 million) apiece, which may seem like a lot for a car long since replaced, twice, but hardly too much to ask for historic artifacts of automotive Italiana.

[Source: CarsUK]

The Ferrari 430 Scuderia is already one of the hottest-performing supercars on the market, but some people just don't know how to leave well enough alone. Some of those people work at Ferrari, who've worked tirelessly on the 458 Italia to supplant the 430's already legendary performance. And some of those people work for Novitec Rosso, who've come back yet again with another mod job for the Italian stallion.

Called the Edizione 747, the custom Scuderia may not be as big as a jumbo jet, but it packs nearly as much thrust. Strapping a pair of superchargers to that high-revving 4.3-liter V8, along with a few more tweaks here and there, brings output up from an impressive 510 horses to a bonkers 747 horsepower. Intercoolers and revised aerodynamic cooling keep the engine running cool. Twenty-inch NF3 rims wear Michelin Pilot Sport Cup rubber mounted to sport springs that drop the ride height by a further 30 milimeters, available with an adjustable front end that can lift 40 mm to clear curbs and speed bumps at the touch of a button. Novitec's also decked out this particular example with a two-tone yellow and matte black paint scheme, and given the interior a few mods to complete the package.

Novitec says the 747 is capable of reaching 218 MPH, about 20 more than stock, and hitting 62 MPH in 3.4 seconds – only a touch quicker than stock, which just goes to show there's a limit to what even steamroller rear tires can handle. Novitec will only be making three examples, which just may be enough to keep a few moneyed speed freaks busy until the new 458 Italia comes around, and then it starts all over again.

[Source: Novitec Rosso]

It doesn't seem like it's been that long, but for Felipe Massa, it must feel like it's been an eternity since he's been up to speed. The Brazilian Formula One driver hasn't been at work since July when he suffered a major blow to the head from some flying debris at the Hungarian Grand Prix.

A lot has happened since then: his mentor and former team-mate Michael Schumacher prepared for a comeback and then had to cancel it due to health concerns of his own, the Scuderia promoted test driver Luca Badoer for a couple of races before sending him home, and then Maranello hired Giancarlo Fisichella to fill in and stay on as a reserve driver for the future. Then they picked up Fernando Alonso to be Massa's wingman next year, and somewhere in the middle of it all, Ferrari launched its first all-new mid-engine production car in a decade. (Not to mention the new engine chief they hired, the senior executive they lost or the new designer who is said to be taking over).

Now, after his prolonged absence, Massa has returned home to Maranello for the first time since the crash. He got some practice time in the simulator before hitting the track in a privately-owned, retired F2007 with GP2 tires to reacquaint himself with his craft. And while he was at it, he stopped by the production line to check out the new 458 Italia.

[Source: Ferrari]