It shares the same 4.7-litre V8 as its siblings, but emphasis has been put on giving the car ‘sports characteristics derived from racing experience’ – albeit without losing its touring abilities. That’s why, while the MC Stradale coupé is a strictly two-seat affair, the GranCabrio MC has been allowed to retain its quartet of chairs.
A new V12 Ferrari is always a big event. Just think about the very first 125 S from 1947, or the 250 GTO – or the 275 GTB/4. The 365 GTB/4 ‘Daytona’ defines the 1970s, while the outgoing 12-cylinder Ferrari berlinetta, the 599 in its most extreme ‘GTO’ form, still looks fresh – and incredibly potent.
Consider, then, the latest F12berlinetta, a car more powerful than an Enzo, yet 5cm shorter and 2cm narrower than a 599. It’s 50kg lighter, too.
Has the classic Italian supercar peaked in size, then, and now become more compact, more efficient than ever before?
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The procession took place during the Ferrari Racing Days weekend, where drivers from the Corse Clienti programme pit their exclusive machines (including F1 and FXX/599XX research cars) against those of their fellow gentleman racers. With the atmosphere among spectators already whipped up by the scream of Championship-winning F1 cars relishing their second life, late afternoon saw the procession make its way towards the start line.
It must have been a hard decision to make, but the case for including both the Virage and the DB9 in Aston’s 2011-2012 range in tough market conditions was always a marginal one. So the deletion of the newer car certainly clarifies Aston’s position: Vanquish, a ‘super GT’ as the manufacturer puts it, and now solely the DB9, a luxurious high-speed gentleman’s express with ‘adequate’ power, stunning looks and a high specification.
The car, says McLaren, is heavily influenced by the company’s Racing division, but we won’t be seeing the full production version when the wraps come off at the McLaren Automotive press conference in Paris, next Thursday 27 September. What we’ll be seeing is a design study – although McLaren doesn’t hang around when it comes to turning concepts into reality. The company aims to put the car on sale within 12 months, when it will sit above the 12C and 12C Spider in terms of both price and performance.
No, no, no. I know that’s three, but such were the delights on offer at this year’s Revival that any repetition can be more than justified. In addition to a full card of racing over three days (Friday’s regular day of practice finishing with a dusk race in the spirit of the Goodwood Nine Hours), spectators were to enjoy several special themes featuring cars and drivers of historical note.
More than a dozen of the incredibly rare racing cars, almost exclusively in works ownership, were allocated their own racing pits opposite the Sir Jackie Stewart Pavilion.
The dark grey structure, bedecked with period advertising and the names of famous drivers of the day (Seaman, Lang, Caracciola et al), looked starkly sombre, matching the simple silver paintwork of the cars – and foretelling darker days ahead for the world in 1939.