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Following its highly successful 2007 Ferrari
has brought two models, the 430 Scuderia and
the 599 GTB Fiorano , as well as a Bio Fuel
concept, to the North American International
Auto Show. |
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Ferrari has chosen Detroit as the venue for
the presentation at a biofuel-powered F430
Spider in recognition of growing interest in
North America in alternative sources of
energy. |
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On the stand at Detroit is the 430 Scuderia,
Ferrari's new exceptionally sporty
berlinetta which, in this case, boasts a
Avio Met livery with Grey Alcantara
interiors. |
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Ferrari has
brought two models - the 430 Scuderia and the 599 GTB
Fiorano - to the 2008 North American International Auto Show
in Detroit. Also on the stand this year, however, is a
biofuel-powered technological demonstration prototype which
uses the F430 Spider as a base.
Ferrari, which last year celebrated its 60th anniversary,
had a very positive 2007, continuing the upward trend of the
last few years. Ferrari delivered over 6,400 cars to their
owners in 2007, an increase of around 14% on 2006. There was
a particularly significant leap in sales on new markets such
as Asia Pacific and the Middle East where growth was
impressive at 50% and 32% respectively. A total of 177 cars
were delivered in China too. Its operating result also
reached 15% of turnover.
Ferrari has chosen Detroit as the venue for the presentation
at a biofuel-powered F430 Spider in recognition of growing
interest in North America in alternative sources of energy.
The F430 Spider Biofuel saw certain modifications made to
the fuel feed system and most importantly to the engine CPU
to allow the engine use E85. Developing the CPU, two fuels
(Flex Fuel) can be used by the engine with the same
compression ratio. All of the other technical
characteristics have remained unchanged with respect to a
standard production engine, however. The use of this type of
biofuel and the modifications made have resulted in a
significant increase in maximum power output (+ 10 hp at the
same rpm) and torque (+ 4%) yet overall weight was
unchanged. The advantages to the environment translate too
into a 5% drop in CO2 emissions.
Also on the stand at Detroit is the 430 Scuderia, Ferrari's
new exceptionally sporty berlinetta which, in this case,
boasts a Avio Met livery with Grey Alcantara interiors. It
is flanked by the 599 GTB Fiorano with a Rosso Corsa livery
and Charcoal interiors which brilliantly underscore the
sporty heart of this the most high performance production
V12 berlinetta ever built at Maranello. Both cars also
feature Brembo carbon-ceramic material (CCM) brakes which
are now offered as standard on the entire Prancing Horse
range. Braking systems with carbon-ceramic material disks
offer a host of benefits and have become a must-have piece
of technology for the kind of very high performance cars
built by the Prancing Horse.
FXX Program extended The innovative FXX Program based on the
eponymous prototype launched by Ferrari in June 2005 has
been extended to 2008/2009. The FXX was the showcase for the
most advanced technologies ever developed at Maranello and
has been updated with an Evolution package that further
improves its handling and performance. The package itself
was developed as a result of Ferrari's collaboration with
the FXX owners, the Client Test Drivers, plus some
invaluable input from none other than Michael Schumacher.
The updated FXXs all boast a new livery and modified rear
wing profiles. The FXX Evolution package includes
participation in a series of track events which Ferrari is
organizing on several international class circuits around
the world in 2008/2009. There will be six events each year
(two in North America, two in Europe and two in Asia) in
addition to appearances at the now-traditional Ferrari World
Finals which mark the close of each competitive season. The
North American track events scheduled for this year take
place at Mont Tremblant (Canada) and Laguna Seca
(California), on the weekends of July 20th and August 10th
respectively.
The Carrozzeria Scaglietti Personalization Program The
Carrozzeria Scaglietti Personalization Program covers four
different areas: Racing and Track, Exteriors and Colours,
Interiors and Materials, Equipment and Travel. Ferrari has
been offering its clients the option of using this
personalization program since 1997 to allow them to enhance
their cars on the basis of their own personal tastes and
requirements. The aim being, of course, to ensure that each
car is absolutely unique. New content developed specifically
with client needs in mind is constantly being added to the
Program and out-of-catalogue requests are also catered for
so long as they reflect the spirit that inspired Sergio
Scaglietti in the earliest years of his collaboration with
Ferrari.
Ferrari Classiche Founded in 2005 to provide the owners of
veteran and classic Ferraris with a suitably professional
restoration and maintenance service, technical assistance
and authenticity certification, Ferrari Classiche has
received around 800 certification requests and has issued
around 550 certificates thus far. Certification is a
meticulous process involving examination of the car and
comparisons with the original designs held in the Ferrari
historic archive.
Ferrari Store The Ferrari Store opening program continues
across the globe. In 2007, in fact, we opened Stores in
Beijing, Los Angeles, Shenyang, Barcelona, Al Kobar, Abu
Dhabi and Macao. 2008 will boost our presence on the North
American market in the first half of the year with openings
in Honolulu, San Francisco and Miami. A new Ferrari Store
also opened in Singapore on January 9th while another opens
soon in Moscow.
Ferrari in North and South America 2007 was the 15th
consecutive year of growth for Ferrari North America with
1,762 cars delivered in the United States and Canada and a
further 90 in Central and South America, amounting to 1,851
Ferraris altogether. This figure represents 30% of Ferrari's
total sales worldwide, making North America the company's
largest market. Sales were also up 8% on the previous year's
figures for the North, Central and South American market.
There are 45 dealerships in Ferrari's American network: 32
are in the United States, 4 in Canada and 9 in South
America. The North American dealership network has invested
$70 million over the last three years in upgrading its
infrastructure while a further $30 million will be spent in
2008. California is the largest of the North American
markets, accounting for 27% of sales. It is followed by
North East (16%), Florida (11%), Texas (7%) and Chicago
(6%). The leading South American markets are Brazil, Mexico,
Venezuela, Chile and Argentina.
Ferrari North America enjoys an exclusive relationship with
its clients and enthusiasts, which has been further enhanced
by the introduction of a vast range of services and events
over the last few years. These include the Ferrari
Challenge, which celebrates its 16th edition this year and
offers F430 Challenge owners no less than seven different
opportunities to race their cars in the course of the year.
In 2008 The Ferrari Challenge races will be held in Florida,
Georgia, Northern California (both at the Infeneon and
Laguna Seca tracks), Quebec and New Jersey.
Since 2006 Ferrari North America has also been organizing
the Ferrari North America Driving School, which is based at
the Mont Tremblant circuit in Quebec. Course participants
are given the opportunity to learn various driving control
techniques to ensure they fully enjoy their car at the peak
of its performance in an environment in which safety remains
the absolute priority at all times.
Ferrari Financial Services was also introduced to the United
States in July 2007. The company was created to acquaint
Ferrari clients to a new world of services, including but
not limited to financing options, which utilize a wide range
of personalized flexible programs.
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