Art in London

Good. God.

I never wished I was in London this bad in my life.

[Youtube]

Canadian Kid Kicks Ass Against Ferrari F1 Pros

Remember that 11 year old kid from Montreal that was causing quite a stir at pro-karting events? He was so good that he caught the eye of Ferrari who quickly signed him to their Driver Development Program.

Well, there’s been an update on Lance Stroll. He’s embarrassing all the F1 driver’s at Ferrari!

Stroll came in second place in a friendly pro-karting challenge full of Ferrari F1 veterans, including Fernando Alonso and Felipe Massa. Even test driver’s that drive the Scuderia models were involved in the race. And Stroll kicked all their asses. Well, except for the guy who came in first which, by the way, Ferrari is keeping tight lipped about. Having an 11 year old beat almost your entire elite F1 lineup is a bit embarassing afterall.

But who cares, they’ve got a driving prodigy on their hands. They know the future of Ferrari racing is going to be alive and well with Stroll on their team.

Thanks for doing Canada proud, kid!

[Ferrari]

Ferrari’s Development Program Signs 11 Year Old Canadian Kid

I am consumed with jealousy.

At 11 years old, my biggest accomplishment was likely scoring the winning goal at a soccer game, or being able to successfully make a girl laugh.  Lance Stroll on the other hand, apparently has much higher aspirations for his age.

The Montreal native recently caught the eye of Ferrari due to his ability to kick ass in pro-kart racing. He was even named Rookie of the Year and Driver of the Year by Le Federation Sport Automobile du Quebec. Ferrari quickly saw Stroll’s potential and offered him a contract. Stroll will be taking part in Ferrari’s Driving Academy with driver’s much older than him. The Driving Academy has a reputation for molding drivers into Formula One Champions. That’s why Ferrari only hand picks the best of the best to participate.

Congrats, kid! I’m sure we’ll be seeing you at the Montreal Grand Prix in the future reppin’ Canada.

[Ferrari via Autoblog]

Get A Life: Supercars in Halifax Pulled Over by Police After Complaints

This past weekend, if you were in Halifax, you may have been lucky enough to notice a lot of supercars around, which isn’t really a regular occurrence down here. About a dozen supercars were in and around the Halifax area, turning heads and showing off those lovely exhaust notes to the public. Everything from Ferrarris, Lamborghinis, Maseratis and even a Saleen was spotted.

They were apparently in town to tour the Maritimes thanks to sponsorship from ZR Autos in Calgary.

Unfortunately they didn’t receive the warmest welcome here since some people down here apparently have a permanent stick up their asses and can’t stand one ounce of fun or change in their lives.

The supercars were driving down Highway 103 to Halifax. People traveling the same highway definitely noticed them and instead of thanking their lucky souls that they were able to experience such and event, they decided to call the RCMP and complain that they were driving at a ‘high rate of speed’.

While I can understand safety concerns of speed, the last thing on my mind would be to call the cops. Chances are the people driving the cars are highly skilled professional drivers who are used to high rates of speed and know the limits of their cars. In my opinion, it’s no big deal for them to open up the taps of the cars if there is minimal traffic and are trained professionals.

The RCMP did indeed respond to the complaints and pulled over one of the cars. The rest of the supercars pulled over as well as a sign of a good gesture. In fact, when the police pulled over the supercars, they were all traveling at the speed limit, so I believe it was a case of just pushing the supercars to their limit with no one really around then slowing to the speed limit once traffic picked up.

Anyway, do you think after all that, these supercars are going to return? I sure hope so. And I hope in the meantime people can get a life instead of calling the cops.

[The Chronicle Herald]

Ferrari: We Will Never Do Four Doors

So Porsche has gotten some flack for making a four door car, even though the Panamara is blisteringly quick, is great around corners and definitely deserves to wear the Porsche badge. But the problem is it is a bit unfortunate looking from some angles. Aston Martin was able to make their four door car look achingly pretty but according to Jeremy Clarkson, who is not a closeted Aston Martin fan, the Rapide just isn’t quite up to snuff. Even Lamborghini toyed with the idea of having a four door car, but ultimately it stayed as a concept.

Ferrari, it seems, will never go this route. Not because its competitors can’t seem to get it right and therefore it isn’t worth trying, but because it isn’t what Ferrari is all about.

“We stand 60 years and we never needed four doors. What never means, I don’t know, but one of the strong points of Ferrari is to keep the product in the right way. I’m not saying four doors is not right for the image, but it’s not part of our heritage” said Ferrari CEO Amedeo Felisa.

Whether or not that holds true remains to be seen. If Porsche and Aston Martin somehow become successful with their four door cars, I’m not so sure Ferrari would just stand idly by while they eat up a segment of the market. Though Ferrari claims they have that market covered with the Maserati Quattroporte. They say that is the closest we’ll ever get to having a four door Ferrari.

Oh, and for good measure, I decided to add a video of a car that really exudes true Ferrari heritage: the 599 GTO. That exhaust note will totally make your day. You’re welcome.

Fiat, Ferrari & Alfa’s Future All Laid Out For Us

Italian giant Fiat is going to be  hard at work for the next five years.

They have released a very detailed business plan for Ferrari, Fiat and Alfa Romeo. Why do we care? Well, aside from the fact that all three brands make ridiculously great cars, the business plan lays out what we’ve known for a while: Fiat and Alfa Romeo will be coming to Canada.

We’re extremely excited about that, but obviously, since Ferrari is Ferrari, they get first dibs on our coverage of their business plan.

And here it is. Ferrari will have six new models in the next few years. The 612 Scaglietti will get a replacement late next year with an expected addition of a hybrid set up. The V12 will stick around though, and it will likely be more powerful. The ridiculously good looking 458 Italia will spawn a Spyder version for those who prefer drop top thrills, and there is going to be a 599 GTB replacement as well. The California will be updated.

The biggest news is that the discontinued Enzo hypercar will indeed have a successor! No word of an expected release yet.

Check out Fiat and Alfa’s business plan for the North American market after the jump.

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Just Watch and Listen

You won’t be disappointed.

Ferrari to Have Hybrid Option For Every Model In Its Lineup

Move over Toyota, Ferrari wants to take your hybrid crown away. Yes, Ferrari. Even though red is the colour of choice for any true Ferrari enthusiast, you can expect to see many green Ferraris in every sense of the word in the coming years.

Even though the Head of Ferrari is playing the role of Debbie Downer for the 599 hybrid’s launch date, the above shot is indeed the 599 hybrid version in green taken at this year’s Geneva Auto Show.

And Ferrari isn’t going to stop there. The Chairman of Ferrari Luca di Montezemolo says that he would like to see every Ferrari owner have the choice of a hybrid option no matter which model they are interested in. And soon too.

Says Montezemolo “This is a first step of a long project and we want within three years, maximum four, to have a hybrid Ferrari car ready for every single product of our range. This is our goal. In three years we aim to cut emissions by a minimum of 35 percent.”

Even though they are not volume sellers, supercars tend to chug as much or sometimes more gas than most large SUV’s so this is welcomed news.

Ferrari’s Future: Hybridized 599 Coming In 2015

Yes, we are aware that that is not the 599 you see above, but any opportunity to post the ridiculously good looking 458 Italia will be taken advantage of.

The 599 will be the model selected to get the hybrid treatment, but don’t expect it any time soon. 2015 is the projected release, and even that isn’t written in stone. The head of Ferrari Amedeo Felisa recently said of the 599 hybrid:

“The technology is not ready. The suppliers are not ready. Everything is underdevelopped. There is a lot of work to do. It’s not for tomorrow. We haven’t decided when (it will be introduced)”

While we are a bit disappointed in the 599 hybrid’s excessive delay, Felisa’s no-nonsense approach to being interviewed is appreciated. Just tell it like it is.

There are some people who aren’t so impressed at the idea of a hybridized Ferrari though. Ferrari’s are the epitome of performance not efficiency and any attempt to address the latter would likely compromise the former which is blasphomy in the Ferrari world. But the fact of the matter is, this new venture into efficiency is not an option for Ferrari, it’s a necessity or else its existence will fade away quicker than George W. Bush’s credibility.

But Ferarri has another trick up its sleeve.

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World Car of the Year 2010: Top Ten Entries Revealed

What is the best car in the world? It’s all relative and subjective and thus, impossible to determine. But that doesn’t stop automotive journalists from trying.

52 automotive journalists representing each continent in the world (except Antarctica – Penguins can’t legally drive yet) have gotten together and submitted their top ten choices for World Car of the Year in two categories: Car of the Year and Performance Car of the Year. There will then be three finalists chosen for both categories.

Find out what car made the top ten and what our pics are for the finalists after the jump!

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