Filed under: Videos , Ferrari Click above to watch the video after the jump There was a time when shifting your own gears meant you had to drive with both feet, but in the age of high-tech automatics, that's no longer the case. Over the years, F1-style gearboxes has evolved and -- in most cases -- proven to be faster and more efficient than a manual, with far less physical labor. Ferrari's recent lineup is chock full of auto 'boxes, and one F430 Challenge owner who frequents the track finally got fed-up with the teasing from his manual shifting brethren and decided to poke back at those who call his Maranello masterpiece the Ferraromatic. Hit the jump to watch all the things you can do in a self-shifting Fezza, including knitting, texting and wine tasting (simulated). Sure, it's all a clever ruse (a few inconsistencies with steering angle spoil the illusion), but it's damn funny all the same. [Source: Axis of Oversteer ] Continue reading VIDEO: Things to do in your Ferrari F430 Challenge racer when you're bored on straightaways VIDEO: Things to do in your Ferrari F430 Challenge racer when you're bored on straightaways originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 19 Oct 2009 15:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Read

Filed under: Coupe , Tokyo Motor Show , Nissan , Motorcycle , Specialty , Alternative Fuel Nissan Land Glider Concept - Click above for high-res image gallery Concept cars tend to push the boundaries of what is and isn't possible with a four-wheeled vehicle. Such is the case with the Nissan Land Glider -- a 47-inch cross between a motorcycle and a car, with an enclosed cabin, a glass canopy and passenger compartment that leans into turns for added stability -- going on display this week at the Tokyo Motor Show . Usually, such far-out-there concepts make the auto show circuit before being abandoned somewhere in the corner of a dark, dingy warehouse, but perhaps not this one. According to Automotive News , there are some inside the Japanese automaker that suggest the fully electric car could slot into the company's upmarket Infiniti lineup, possibly even making it to the United States. If that happens, the Land Glider may be a single-seater, as the concept's single rear passenger perch may not make it through safety testing. We'd be pretty surprised to see a production Infiniti Land Glider that keeps the concept's unique layout, but it certainly wouldn't be the only strange-looking eco-friendly automobile to hit the market. We'll see... Gallery: Nissan Land Glider Concept [Source: Automotive News - Sub. Req'd] REPORT: Nissan Land Glider could come to the States as an Infiniti originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 19 Oct 2009 15:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds .

Filed under: Motorsports , Ferrari From his brief tenure at McLaren, we know that Fernando Alonso has a bit of trouble getting along with his teammates. Especially when he doesn't get the clear preferential treatment as the team's #1 driver. After all, as has often been said, a driver's teammate is his chief rival. So after Ferrari confirmed that Alonso and Felipe Massa would be put on equal footing, we smelled some trouble a-brewin'. But we didn't expect it to start at least until the beginning of next season. Turns out, that was a bit premature, as some cracks in the relationship between the two teammates-to-be have already started to show. Speaking with a group of journalists in his native Brazil where the F1 circus is preparing for this weekend's grand prix, Felipe Massa said with "absolute certainty" that Alonso knew about the plan to have wingman Nelson Piquet crash to hand him the controversial victory. That's a pretty hefty charge levied by his future teammate, and Ferrari naturally scrambled to issue a clarification (which you can read after the jump ) but you can't take back what's already been said. Massa was suitably - and vocally - upset when the Crashgate story broke , because without Alonso's ill-earned victory, Massa would have won the championship last year, instead of losing to Lewis Hamilton by one point at the last corner of the last lap of the last race of the season. Better luck next year, gents.

Filed under: Coupe , Performance , Ferrari With the new 458 Italia ready to go, the 458 Spider on its way , and the California still fresh on the market, Ferrari is turning its attention from the V8 range to its V12 flagships. CAR sat down with the company's CEO and managing director Amedeo Felisa, who revealed the full roll-out schedule for not one, not two, but three new V12 supercars currently under development in Maranello. First up is the 612 Scaglietti, which has been on the market since 2004. That may not seem like a long product life cycle, but considering the lackluster Scag hasn't exactly won the hearts and minds of enthusiasts and customers, Ferrari is apparently moving ahead with its replacement , due to hit the market by 2012. Around the same time, we can expect to see the long-anticipated supercar to follow in the footsteps of the 288 GTO, F40, F50 and Enzo. Although Ferrari has been working on hybrid propulsion and other forms of green technology, those bits won't be ready by the time the Enzo's successor rolls around, so expect a more conventional V12 (or possibly twin turbo V8) to drive Maranello's new benchmark. The replacement for the 599 GTB Fiorano, meanwhile, will take a little longer. The two-seat GT was introduced a few years ago and recently treated to a new HGTE package to keep it ahead of the competition. But although the new 458 is already expected to outgun the Fiorano, and with arch-rival Lamborghini hard at work on a successor to the Murcielago, Ferrari isn't planning to replace the 599 before 2015. [Source: CAR ] Ferrari CEO outlines dates for Enzo, 612, 599 replacements originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 01 Oct 2009 19:26:00 EST.

Filed under: Autoline on Autoblog On this week's Autoline After Hours, John McElroy, Peter "Autoextremist" DeLorenzo and BusinessWeek 's David Welch are joined by Erich Merkle, President of Autoconomy, to discuss the week that was in the world of automobiles. We suspect a large part of the discussion will center on the imminent demise of Saturn after Penske pulled out of its deal with General Motors to take over the ailing brand and its considerable dealer network. Make the jump to get in on the insider conversation, and be sure to posit your own thoughts in the chat window below the video. Continue reading Autoline After Hours with John McElroy: Demise of Saturn Edition Autoline After Hours with John McElroy: Demise of Saturn Edition originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 01 Oct 2009 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink

Filed under: Europe , Hatchback , Audi , Diesel Audi A3 1.6 TDI - Click above for high-res image gallery Audi has kicked off its latest efficiency marathon in northern Norway this week with a fleet of A3, A4, A5, Q7 and TT models to demonstrate what they can do in the real world. Leading the pack in terms of minimal fuel consumption is the new A3 1.6 TDI. On the road in Norway in the opening stage, the drivers managed to squeeze out an astounding 78.4 mpg average from the 1.6-liter diesel engine. Next up was the A4 2.0 TDI e sedan, which went an average of 60.3 miles on every gallon (U.S.) of diesel. In addition to the high efficiency models, Audi also opted to include several high performance models this time around to show that even they can get very good fuel efficiency when driven sedately. The 340-horsepower TT-RS averaged 32.22 mpg, while the utterly absurd Q7 V12 TDI with its 500 horsepower diesel V12 managed a startling 27.03 mpg. That's nearly as good as what we achieved with the V6-powered Q7 TDI on last year's U.S. Mileage Marathon , so it's not too shabby for a big SUV that would probably pull a house off of its foundation Gallery: Audi Efficiency Marathon A to B [Source: Audi] Continue reading Audi A3 1.6 TDI shines during opening stages of efficiency challenge, scores 78.4 mpg (U.S.)! Audi A3 1.6 TDI shines during opening stages of efficiency challenge, scores 78.4 mpg (U.S.)! originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 25 Sep 2009 18:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink

Filed under: Coupe , Performance , Videos , Ferrari The making of Two Ferrari 458 Italias at play - click above image to watch the video If you make a really hot, truly exotic supercar, you can make a two minute promo video that will attract tons of Internet eyes. When you're Ferrari and you've just unleashed the sexy 458 Italia, you can make one of the best teaser videos of all-time and then make a second, almost as cool video about the making of the first video. In the footage, the director says that the goal is to make a film where the viewer gets the feeling that he or she is driving the vehicle themselves. We know we like the video, but we're pretty sure we would have rather been behind the wheel. Actually, we're thinking of making a tribute video of the 458 Italia trailer. All we need is a modified Fiat, a Mercedes SUV loaded up with cranes and cameras, a Ferrari pace car rigged with cameras, some stunt drivers , a track and a film crew. Oh, and two Ferrari 458 Italias. Hit the jump to watch the "making of" video, as well as the finished product. Gallery: Ferrari 458 Italia Gallery: Frankfurt 2009: Ferrari 458 Italia [Source: Ferrari via YouTube ] Continue reading VIDEO: Making the Ferrari 458 trailer VIDEO: Making the Ferrari 458 trailer originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 25 Sep 2009 18:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds .

Filed under: Videos , Ferrari , Toys/Games Ferrari love in Forza Motorsport 3 -- Click above for high-res image gallery There are 29 Ferraris in Forza Motorsport 3, from the 1964 Ferrari 250 GTO to today's 599 GTB. And just for good measure, the kind folks at Forza threw in a few dream(ier) rides, including modern FIA GT cars, as well as the F40 and F50 Competizione models. You want more? Done. You'll be able to download the all-new Ferrari 458 Italia just in time for the holidays. Ah, but what if you don't have an XBox? If you're one of the scores of devoted Gran Turismo fans, you won't be left out in the cold. Polyphony Digital is also including the brand new Fezza in GT5, and in an apparent game of one-upmanship, the GT camp and the Forza family have released their own Ferrari teasers. Check out all three videos after the jump and get another eye-full in the Forza gallery below. Gallery: Forza Motorsport 3 Ferraris [Source: Forza 3 , GTPlanet ] Continue reading Forza 3 celebrates the Ferraris in our lives, joins GT5 in celebration of the 458 Italia Forza 3 celebrates the Ferraris in our lives, joins GT5 in celebration of the 458 Italia originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 22 Sep 2009 19:58:00 EST.

Filed under: Aftermarket , Coupe , Performance , Ferrari edo competition FXX Evolution - Click above for a high-res image gallery From the looks of it, edo competition seems to have run out of supercars to modify. The high-end tuning firm has already tweaked pretty much every mainstream supercar, and have decided to have a second go at such exotica as the Ferrari Enzo . The German tuner's latest version of the ultimate Prancing Horse is dubbed the FXX Evolution and is essentially a road-going version of the FXX Evoluzione race car offered to Ferrari's special Corse Clienti program. Does a street legal Ferrari FXX sound familiar? You might remember that edo competition previously took an FXX and made it street legal (at least in Germany). So what justifies the FXX name on this particular Enzo? For starters, 840 horsepower. Displacement of the V12 has been bumped from 6.0 to 6.3-liters, and new camshafts, titanium valve springs and connecting rods, new cylinder heads, and a high-flow exhaust system have all been added to provide the 180 horsepower increase. Sans mufflers, the FXX Evolution matches its racing counterpart's 860 horsepower. Edo competition also managed to shed 220 lbs from the car, decrease shift times to 60 milliseconds (also matching the race car), and install an FIA-spec adjustable suspension system.

Review: A different take on Challenger vs. Camaro We've discovered a way for anyone to get their hands on a Camaro for a price that would even please your paperboy. It's not exactly a Camaro of the vehicular variety, but HSN's limited-edition Esteban Camaro guitar can still grab attention in its own right. VIDEO: Ford shows off new Focus EV for the Jay Leno Show Following the first images of Ford's new battery-powered Focus for the Jay Leno Show's Green Car Challenge, the Blue Oval has posted a video with some of its engineers showing off their handiwork. Geiger GTS: Crazy Germans modify Corvette ZR1 Geiger is back, and this time it's the vaunted Corvette ZR1 that gets the tuner touch. Dubbed the "Geiger GTS," this