Eric Clapton is quite possible the world’s most renowned guitarist.  But did you know that he is also a huge Ferrari fanatic?

“I remember visiting Maranello, and seeing Enzo leaving the factory, in the back of a Fiat, as I was arriving. I don’t recall many things that have enthralled me as much as seeing Enzo Ferrari. [pause] I met Elvis and I don’t think I was as impressed. There was something about Enzo, he was a really frightening guy.”

Clapton, a musician, was more excited to see Enzo Ferrari as opposed to seeing Elvis Presley.  Now, I am on the same boat as him, but I can guarantee that there are millions of people who would cry foul over this. This shows how much Ferrari has impacted his life.

So, naturally Clapton owns his own Ferraris, but he has taken it a step further with the SP12EC.  It is a Ferrari built around a Ferrari 458 that received its inspiration from the 250 LM.

“You look at something like the LM, and you know it was jusfunctional. How do we get the skin to go over this thing? The design was almost incidental. Anyway, the guys knew what I’d owned and enjoyed over the years and they’d already worked up a template for a BB homage. With the 458 platform agreed, it was now a question of getting it right, and applying my requirements.”

Clapton says that the entire experience was easy and liberating.  He said that Ferrari worked with him on all aspects, and that there was no friction, only collaboration and teamwork. He even goes as far as to say that he can’t take much credit for the car, because every time they showed him something, he would say ‘oh yeah, that’s exactly what I would have done…’

This is an incredible car and a testament to both Clapton and Ferraris ability to create something beautiful.  On one hand you have a musician that has created some of the best music this world has ever seen, and on the other hand you have Ferrari that has created some of the greatest cars this world has ever seen.

[Source: Ferrari]

Ferrari’s revolutionary four-seater four-wheel-drive car is now getting a major upgrade in the form of an option.  Customers can now have their FF fitted with a full-length panoramic roof made with special reflective glass that give the passengers that “wind in the hair” feel, while still being protected from the elements.  However, it does not look like you can actually open the panoramic roof at all.

Related posts:

Ferrari North Europe has been putting together a Ferrari parade for a while now.  Back in June they had just around 600 registered Ferraris.  Today, they have managed to round up over 1,000 Ferraris to partake in the rally.  It is scheduled to take place at the Ferrari Racing Days at Silverstone Circuit on September 15.  The company wants to thank Ferrari Owners Club and Ferrari enthusiasts for helping make this parade so successful.

The 2012 North American Ferrari Challenge Series continues with the fourth race weekend of the season at Montreal’s Circuit-Gilles-Villeneuve from June 8 - 10, taking place in support of the Canadian Formula 1 Grand Prix.

“For drivers and fans alike, the Grand Prix du Canada brings the highest levels of excitement and competition to the Ferrari Challenge,” says Marco Mattiacci, President and CEO, Ferrari North America. “Ferrari was born at the racetrack, where today the company continues to develop the technologies that underpin our benchmark road cars, so together with the crowds and the spectacle it will be an especially powerful weekend,” Mattiacci concludes.

Prior to Montreal, the Ferrari Challenge made its most recent stop at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, CA. During that event, the professional racer Marc Gene set an unofficial track record – unofficial as it was set during a free practice session – of 1.05.78 while behind the wheel of the Ferrari F2003 GA F1 car. Victory in the final race of that weekend’s Ferrari Challenge went to Alex Popow, racing for the Ferrari of Fort Lauderdale. In the Coppa Shell, Ferrari of Ontario did the double with Robert Herjavec beating team-mate Damon Ockey and Maurizio Scala (Ferrari of Fort Lauderdale).

Following this race at Circuit-Gilles-Villeneuve, the 2012 Ferrari Challenge will continue as follows:

Toronto, Canada, July 6-8 as support race to the Honda Indy race

Lime Rock Park, CT, July 20-21

Homestead-Miami Speedway, FL, September 28-30 before heading to the International Finals at a location yet to be determined.

Provided by - Ferrari

Ferrari will open an international on-line auction to raise funds for the families of the victims of the earthquakes that have rocked the Emilia-Romagna region since the 20th of May.
In the days leading up to the auction next week, www.ferraristore.com will dedicate a section to this important initiative which sets out to contribute significant sums to those families who have lost loved ones.
The auction will include important and rare items, such as a 599XX Evo, the extreme, non-homologated sports berlinetta with a commercial value of €1.3 million. This extreme sports car incorporates the very best of Ferrari technology, the result of on-going Research and Development activities in the GT division and advanced experimentation in F1. The 599 XX Evo features a package of performance-enhancing technical features for the exclusive, dedicated track-based research and development programme for the 2012-2013 seasons.
There will also be a strong Formula 1 theme, starting with a V8 engine along with racing suits and helmets donated by the Scuderia’s drivers, Fernando Alonso and Felipe Massa, as well as numerous items of memorabilia from the works racing cars from past seasons.
Also featuring in the auction will be a selection from the Ferrari Store, including Prancing Horse watches.
As soon as news about the earthquakes came out, Ferrari clients and collectors from around the world spontaneously contacted the Maranello headquarters to offer their contribution. Once again the generosity of Ferrari’s enthusiasts will enable the company to provide support to those most hit by the tragedy. A demonstration of solidarity that, in recent years, has contributed to the reconstruction in Abruzzo after the earthquake, as well as the building of two after-school facilities in Ishinomaki in Japan after last year’s disaster for which Ferrari contributed over 80 million Japanese yen.

(Via - Ferrari)

The Mounted Carabinieri Regiment made a star appearance with their celebrated “Carosello” performance at the Diamond Jubilee Pageant, as part of Italy’s tribute to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II’s Diamond Jubilee Celebration which took place at Windsor Castle over four days from 10-13 May 2012. The Queen has visited Italy three times since 1961, and had the honor of seeing the Italian Carabinieri perform in Rome in both 1980 and 2000.

The Carabinieri are a part of Italy’s working police force, but they also have a ceremonial role and pride themselves in preserving cavalry traditions. The Carosello itself, for which the Carabinieri brought 90 horses and riders to Windsor, has a long and fascinating history, with its origins in mediaeval knightly tournaments. The performance is a series of complex figures that need to be performed with absolute accuracy at speed, with the most exciting moment being the charge, with sabres drawn, to the rousing battle cry: “Pastrengo!”

The Carabinieri were accompanied by multi-award winning multinational operatic pop vocal group, Il Divo, who performed “Caruso” from their fourth album, Siempre.

Luca di Montezemolo, Ferrari President, was a guest of honor for the Gala Performance and commented: “It was a most pleasant evening and I was honored to see the Carabinieri perform the historic Carosello at such a special event, which delighted the spectators and keeps high the flag of our Country.”

It is a source of great pride to Ferrari to have made such a significant contribution to the celebration and also that two such internationally renowned representatives of Italian excellence have the opportunity to pay tribute to one of the most important Monarchs of our time. Ferrari and the Carabinieri share deep-rooted values, such as respect for tradition and history, but also a sense of determination, innovation and passion. Together these two representatives of Italian excellence are the perfect partnership to represent our nation at its finest.

Provided by duPont REGISTRY

The rumors and theories surrounding the successor to the 599 GTB will soon be put to rest because we are closing in on the official unveiling of the Ferrari F620 GT. The newest addition to this notable Italian family will weigh less, be shorter, and noticeably lower than the 599. The new 2013 F620 GT will have an upgraded 6.3 liter V-12 engine, just as the FF has. Already, it seems this prancing pony will prove to be one hell of a looker if it truly looks anything like the photo. The appeal comes from the car’s curvaceous fenders, large, aggressive grille upfront, and its impressive motor that can produce 740 hp and 690 lb-ft of torque. With numbers like these, that means that this V-12 engine is one of the most powerful twelve cylinders ever made by Ferrari. As you can expect, the car’s performance numbers are impressive, accelerating to 60 mph in close to three seconds flat and to 100 mph in approximately eight seconds. Please note that the vehicle featured in the picture above is not an official Ferrari rendering and the car is set to make its official debut on February 29th, 2012. Check out the teaser video below:

[Photo via GT Spirit]

Provided by duPont REGISTRY

Provided by duPont REGISTRY

It is rumored that Ferrari Enzo’s successor, codename F70, will have a 7.3-liter V-12, which will produce 800 hp according to Automobile. We hope that Ferrari sticks with this plan and doesn’t decide to downgrade to a turbocharged V-8 or something equivalent. We may even get to see this new beauty this upcoming fall.

There is an optional KERS package, which throws a 120-hp electric motor in the mix, resulting in a combined total of 920 hp. The best part of these rumors is that it is said that the F70’s weight will be close to the track-only FXX car, which weighs in at 2,546 pounds. This means that the next Ferrari supercar has the potential to be faster off the line than a Bugatti Veyron if these rumors are true, and we hope they are!

Provided by duPont REGISTRY

Ferrari is expected to introduce the 599 GTB Fiorano successor at the 2012 International Geneva Motor Show, which will be held in a couple weeks. But, we will not have to wait until then to get a first glimpse of the F620 GT, as it has been dubbed by the motoring media. In eight short days, Ferrari will unveil images and details of the flagship Ferrari to all, and, to build hype for the upcoming event, Ferrari has released a video of a camouflaged version lapping Ferrari’s Fiorano test track. Cloaked in black, the snippet doesn’t provide many details about its form, but it does give us a nice little engine-derived soundtrack.

On the video, it is called the most powerful Ferrari ever. This would corroborate rumors that have the F620 GT producing 700 hp via a 6.2-liter V-12. That power is said to drive the rear wheels through a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission.

Provided by duPont REGISTRY