After teasing us for quite a while now, Ferrari has finally revealed the official details on their new successor for the 612 Scaglietti. Called FF - an acronym for Ferrari Four (four seats and four-wheel drive), the new model is the company’s most powerful, versatile four-seater ever, as well as its first ever four-wheel drive car.



The concept car was designed by Pininfarina, and according to Ferrari "the new car represents not so much an evolution as a true revolution." The new model will deliver "unprecedented level an extremely sporty, high-performance character with incredible versatility, superb comfort and sophisticated elegance, guaranteeing both driver and passengers an absolutely unique driving experience."

The new Ferrari FF GT sports car concept is expected to make its world debut at the Geneva Motor Show in March, and a production version will follow by 2012.


The exterior and the interior
Designed by Pininfarina, the new Ferrari FF features a shooting brake-like body style, with a front design clearly inspired by the 458 Italia and a large rear hatch. According to Ferrari the new model can comfortably accommodate four people and their luggage, thanks to the best cabin space and boot capacity (450 liters, but up to 800 when rear seats down).

Ferrari will offer a vast array of personalization options and accessories, including six model-specific exterior colors and sumptuous interior trim incorporating specially selected and treated aniline leather.

The engine
Under the hood there is a 6,262 cc direct injection V12 engine that delivers an impressive 660 HP at 8,000 rpm and a peak torque of 503 lbs-ft 6,000 rpm. With this impressive power, the FF will sprint from 0 to 60 mph in 3,7 seconds and will hit a top speed of 208 mph.

Combined with a transaxle dual-clutch F1 gearbox, the engine has a fuel economy of 15,4 l/100 km, the equivalent of a CO2 emission of 360 g/km. The weight-to-power ratio is impressive for this section of market: 2.7 kg/CV.

A first ever for a Ferrari model is the new four-wheel drive system (4RM). It weighs 50% less than a conventional four-wheel drive system, maintaining perfect weight distribution (53% over the rear axle). Completely integrated with the car’s electronic dynamic control systems, the four-wheel drive technology delivers record levels of performance on all terrains and in all conditions via continuous and intelligent predictive torque distribution to all four wheels. The FF is also equipped with the latest magnetorheological damping system (SCM3), as well as the most recent development in carbon-ceramic brakes from Brembo.

The competition
Of course the current market does not offer much shooting-brake like coupe, but there are lots of four-door GTs out there: the Porsche Panamera, the Maserati Quattroporte or the Mercedes-Benz CLS->Maserati Quattroporte. But of course this is a totally different market, with different buyers. Not to mention all of them are less powerful and much cheaper that the FF. But then again, a Ferrari will always remain a Ferrari.

When can I buy one?
After the concept will make its world debut at the Geneva Motor Show, Ferrari will start preparing the production version. However do not expect it to go on sale before the end of 2012. Rumors say the price will be in the $700k area.

It’s not hard to imagine what the world would be like if Ferrari did come out with a successor to the venerable Enzo supercar. As one of the meanest and most awesome supercars to come out of Maranello in history, the Ferrari Enzo certainly has no equal – that is unless a successor to it comes along down the road.

In the event that our fantasy does come true, concept designer Peter Simon already has an idea of what he thinks the Enzo successor is going to look like.

Featuring a far more aggressive nose and front end than the real Enzo, Simon’s concept work is the personification of a car that certainly poses a design identity that’s all its own.

According to Simon, the inspiration behind his work was taken from – get this – human and animal bones. Simon took his inspiration, weird as it sounds, and combines with the flair of Maranello to create a striking study that boasts of swooping angles that we’ve never seen from an actual Prancing Horse.

We have to give props to Peter Simon for the ingenuity and the rather out-of-the-box approach to his work. We just don’t think that an Enzo successor – if or when it does come out – would look anything like this.

James Glickenhaus’ one-off, custom-made Ferrari P4/5 Competizione has become something of a can’t-miss proposition for us, so much so that anytime the whole engineering team comes out with an update, we jump at the opportunity to see how far along the track-specific supercar is coming.

A few days ago, we got the latest update on the P4/5 Competizione and as per usual, we’re wasting no time sharing all the new photos with you folks!

After months of building that features as much carbon fiber as any car we’ve seen in recent time, the P4/5 Competizione was finally unleashed out on the track for its very first test run. The supercar was driven by British Touring Car Championship driver Fabrizio Giovanardi, and as we expected, he had some pretty glowing reviews about the car. “The test was fantastic. The car is so easy to drive and all the controls light and very direct."

With meticulous preparations and a passionate desire to build the best car possible, we wouldn’t have expected anything less. Check out the photos of the Ferrari P4/5 Competizione finally getting some burn on the track.

Could it be the world’s ultimate supercar? Combining the skills of legendary design house, Pininfarina, with the pace of an Enzo, this impressive coupe was set to turn the performance car class on its head when it was unveiled in the summer of 2006.

It’s the Ferrari 612 P4/5, a one-off model created especially for film director and stock exchange magnate, James Glickenhaus. The P4/5 started its life as an Enzo, but was transformed because Glickenhaus wanted a car that resembled the styling of Ferrari’s 1960’s race cars, the P Series. Designing, engineering, and building this special car was left in the hands of none other then Pininfarina. Their mission was to produce a unique vehicle inspired by sport racing cars with extreme vocations. This was not to be just a show-car, but a vehicle to be enjoyed on the road. And taking a close look at the final product, we have to admit they managed to do more than that.



Exterior and Interior
Even if the P4/5 started its life as an Enzo there is nothing about this car that reminds about it. Pininfarina has developed more than 200 components through constant interaction between styling and design: from the bixenon lighting clusters specifically designed with an innovative system of yellow and white leds to the alloy wheels – 20-inch aluminum – milled from the block, up to and including the aluminum and special steel in-sight hinges.

The result is a supercar with sleek lines and an impressive aerodynamic. Pininfarina’s effort was to reach the highest levels of performance combined with perfect functionality of all the appendices integrated in the body of the vehicle.



The Engine
The Ferrari P4/5 is powered by a 6.0 liter V12 engine that delivers 660 HP at 7800 rpm and 657 NM of torque at 5500. The engine is mated to a 6-speed semi-automatic transmission of the Enzo with black shifting paddles behind the wheel. It has two directional indicator buttons, one mounted on each side of the steering wheel.

It can sprint from 0 to 60 mph in just in 3.0 seconds and can hit a top speed of 233 mph.



The Competition
The Ferrari P4/5 is a one-off model with no competitors on the market. However, considering it started as a Ferrari Enzo, models like the Aston Martin One-77 and the Lamborghini Reventon would fit the bill as worthy challengers.

The One-77 is powered by a naturally aspirated 7.3-liter V12, derived from Aston’s 6.0-liter powerplant. That massive motor will crank out 750 HP with torque checking in at about 533 pound-feet. With this amount of output, the One-77 can sprint from 0 to 60 mph in 3.5 seconds and can hit a top speed of 220 mph.

Limited to only 20 units, the Reventon is powered by 6.5 liter engine. For this car and none other, Lamborghini guarantees a 12 cylinder engine that delivers 650 HP at 8,000 rpm and 660 Nm of torque. It can sprint from 0 to 60 mph in 3.4 seconds, with a maximum speed over 211 mph.



Prices
Being since this is a one-off model, no-one will actually get the chance to purchase one. That is, of course, unless your name is James Glickenhaus in which case you paid around $3,000,000 for this unique model.

The Ferrari 612 Scaglietti has already been written off production, marking the end of the line for a car that was the first V12 Ferrari to be built using an all-aluminum space frame and body-panel construction. Apparently, that sparked an idea within Ferrari to explain the meticulous detail the Italian automaker goes through in building these engines. We thought we could fathom just how detailed and painstakingly exhaustive these V12 engines were to build, but, well, we really had no clue until we saw this.

In this video, Ferrari describes the process of how this particular V12 engine for the 612 Scaglietti is built. From the sophisticated work of casting the main parts that will comprise the engine all the way up to the verification on the test bench and subsequent installation on the car, this video will show just how the recently-discontinued Ferrari 612 Scaglietti received all that power.

So the next time anyone happens to pop open the hood of any Ferrari model, they might want to take a second and look at that engine, and think of the back-breaking process it took to build it from the ground up. It’s a pretty impressive sight, to say the very least.

Before anyone begins to even dream about owning any of these cars, we feel we have to give fair warning that purchasing any one of them will probably cost a few arms and legs. Of course, for anyone whose bank account has never felt the dryness that most of ours have, then listen up.

Forbes - yeah, we all know them - has released a Top 10 list of the World’s Most Expensive Cars. Think forking over $100,000 on a car is already a financial burden? Well, think again. Not only are these cars fast and powerful, but they command a pretty steep price tag, which is only affordable to those people that have as much money as we have lottery tickets.

Something of note for this list is that there are two cars that have yet to be unveiled, let alone given a price tag. Their respective prices are then assumptions by Forbes and may change the list once the actual prices have been revealed.

Another thing that we noticed is the conspicuous absence of the Aston Martin One-77, which, at $1.77 million, is easily one of the most expensive cars in the world. Forbes normally covers a lot of holes on their list, but they clearly made one oversight there.

10. Rolls-Royce Phantom Drophead Coupe: $447,000

The newest Rolls-Royce to come out of West Sussex also happens to be its most expensive. The new Phantom Drophead Coupe commands as much respect for its luxury and performance as it does for its price tag. The luxury ride is powered by a 6.75-liter naturally aspirated V12 engine that delivers an impressive 453 horsepower and 531 lb/ft of torque with the option of adding a teak deck made of 30 different pieces of fine-grain wood. As you can expect, Rolls-Royces don’t come cheap, and in the case of the new Phantom Drophead Coupe, that’s $447,000 you’re going to have to part with.

9. Lamborghini Murcielago LP670-4 SuperVeloce: $455,400

If the Drophead Coupe is all about riding in luxury, then the Lamborghini Murcielago LP670-4 SuperVeloce is all about riding at break-neck speeds. As one of the last special edition Murcielago models to come out of Sant’Agata, Lamborghini wasted little time in making this Murcielago a car nobody’s going to forget anytime soon. Inside this stunning piece of Italian machinery lies a 6.5-liter V12 engine that produces 670 horsepower and can clock a 0-60 mph time of just 3.2 seconds. Care for one? Do you have $455,400?

8. Ferrari SA Aperta: $520,000 (est.)

The first of four estimated price tags on this list belongs to a car that we first saw at the Paris Auto Show: the Ferrari SA Aperta. Built to celebrate the 80th anniversary of Pininfarina, the SA Aperta is based on the 599 GTO with an engine that’s nothing to laugh about, that is unless you classify a V12 engine that produces 670 horsepower as funny. Ferrari has yet to reveal an official price on the SA Aperta, although Forbes seems to think that it’s going to be somewhere around $520,000. This limited run Ferrari’s price tag is aided not just by its performance capabilities, but also because of its exclusivity, which, in case you didn’t know, limits the vehicle to 80 units.

7. LeBlanc Mirabeau: $728,000

Not a lot of people are familiar with this Swiss racer, but the street-legal LeBlanc Mirabeau just happens to be one of the most expensive cars on this list – and for good reason, too. It packs a supercharged V8 engine under its hood, producing a whopping 700 horsepower and 850 Nm of torque. And also, despite it’s race-aesthetics, the Mirabeau is absolutely street-legal, providing a car that’s going to grab attention like a basketful of magnets inside a hardware store. As for the price tag, well, let’s just say that unless you have about $728,000 at your disposal, you might want to think of a cheaper – and more practical – set of wheels to take around the block.

6. SSC Ultimate Aero: $750,000

Ultimate is as Ultimate gets. That’s how you describe the SSC Ultimate Aero, the one-time fastest car on the planet, thanks in large part to its monster V8 engine that produces 1,287 horsepower with a staggering top speed of 273 mph. Many have described the SSC Ultimate Aero as the Bugatti Veyron’s kryptonite, and for good reason. Before Bugatti recently reclaimed the title of fastest production car on the planet, the Ultimate Aero held that lofty title, one in which they’re itching to get back. As for the price tag for one of these bad boys, it’s going to cost you $750,000. Speed has a price, so they say.

5. Ferrari F70: $870,000

Unless Forbes knows more than any of us care to imagine, number five on their list is a car that hasn’t even had its world unveiling yet. Yep, they’re talking about the successor to the Ferrari Enzo, a car that’s been christened as the “F70”. Not much is known about the “F70” other than its rumored to have either a V12 engine or a turbocharged V8 that produces somewhere in the neighborhood of 700 horsepower. Either way, Forbes is pricing the “F70” at $870,000, which is about $200,000 more than what its predecessor – the Enzo – was priced when it first hit the market about a decade ago.

04. Pagani C9: $1.3 million

Another car that’s yet to hit the market despite it’s apparent fondness for being photographed by ‘auto-razzis’ over and over again is the Pagani C9. Contrary to earlier reports, the new Pagani supercar will not come with an AMG-sourced V12 engine. Although AMG will still be tasked to build the new engine, it will be created specifically for the C9 with a rumored output of somewhere around 700 horsepower. The car will only be limited to 40 units and as such, Forbes is estimating that Pagani will be taking advantage of the law of supply and demand, putting in a price tag of $1.3 million for each model.

03. Maybach Landaulet: $1.405 million

As one of only two luxury cars to make it on the list, the Maybach Landaulet completely redefines the words ‘class’ and ‘luxury’. The chauffeur-driven limousine is based on the 62S and features a soft partial convertible top above the rear-sear passengers making for a pretty comfortable Sunday morning car. Talking about luxury, the Landaulet is one of the closest things you can find to a mobile hotel room. It comes with its own refrigerator, folding tables, and two champagne flutes hand-polished in 925 sterling silver. Further stressing its ‘luxurious’ image, the Landaulet is a car that can only be afforded by those who live and breath in luxury - people that can afford a car for $1.405 million.

2. Koenigsegg Agera: $1.5 million

Straight from the Scandinavian winds of Sweden is a supercar that breathes 910 horsepower and can accelerate ‘north to 60’ in just three seconds. As the latest masterpiece built by Swedish supercar maker Koenigsegg, the Agera is definitely in a class all its own. We’ve already touched on all those ponies under its hood, which is made entirely possible because of the 4.7-liter V8 engine underneath, but the Agera is also being touted for one advantage it has over its competitors: cabin and luggage space. Sure, it’s not the first thing you’re going to look at when you’re in the market for a supercar, but at an estimated $1.5 million – and we know that kind of money doesn’t just grow on trees - you’re going to take any advantage you can get.

1. Bugatti Veyron Super Sport: $2.6 million

The Holy Grail of all Bugatti Veyron models, the Super Sport isn’t just the most expensive car on the planet with a $2.6 million asking price, but it also happens to be the current record-holder of fastest production car on the planet having clocked a Guinness World Record speed of 268 mph. We’re pretty sure that that record is eventually going to be broken someday. But in the world of the present, the Veyron Super Sport stands head and shoulders above everybody else as the fastest, most powerful, and most expensive production car you’ll find today.

Lets face it, the Ferrari 458 Italia is a car that needs no customization; it is perfect just as it is. Of course, that still isn’t going to stop tuners from tinkering around in their automotive laboratory to try to juice up this baby. The European tuner Oakley Design is offering a tuning package limited to just only 5 units that improves not only the car’s appearance, but also its performance.

The aerodynamic package includes a carbon-fiber front spoiler lip, carbon-fiber inserts on the radiator air exit ducts, wider side sills, a lighter carbon-fiber rear diffuser, a new rear spoiler and carbon-fiber roof panel, mirror covers, and an engine cover insert. The exterior package is finished off by 20-inch wheels with 245/35ZR20 and 305/35ZR20 tires.

Aerodynamics get improved with the use of a front spoiler that "adds 45kg of down force" to the front end at speeds of 150 mph and a new rear spoiler with a Gurney flap that adds 25kg of downforce.

The engine’s output has been increased by 10%, obtaining a total of 627bhp and a peak torque of 567Nm. The sprint from 0 to 60 mph is made in 3.0 seconds, while top speed is 205 mph.

This tuned up 458 Italia is much more impressive than the made-to-order 458 Italia designed by Cam Shaft. The Ferrari 458 Italia Nighthawk still produced the same 570hp as the standard model with only a matte black wrap to spice it up.

The Ferrari 458 Italia Oakley Design has been taken testing in the MIRA Wind Tunnel. Check out the video to see how many carbon fiber parts were developed and tested using a range of track data and wind tunnel testing.