Monday, June 16, 2008

Porsche vs Ferrari

Porsche vs Ferrari

Porsche and Ferrari are German and Italian sides of the same
coin, interpretations of the sports car idea. Both founded by a
dominant patriarch, both honed in racing, both more than 50
years old, both with engineering and styling integrity. Whether on
the track of Le Mains or on the streets, the two have always been
put head-to-head and compared. Even the most naive motorist
associates these two names with both performance and style.

We’ve decided to compare the methodical Porsche 911 Carrera
4S and the passionate Ferrari F430 because both of them astonish
with their performance while attempting to maintain a reasonable
amount of practicality but do not pretend to be anything other than
sports cars.

A modern sports car should feature these characteristics: it should be
started easily, maneuvered around town, blasted on a couple of
country roads, it looks and performs the part on a racetrack but at the
same time it is very safe.

The easier way to separate the two cars is by measuring figures since
both of them have mastered the modern sports car requirements and
basically there’s no other way to choose between these two phenomenal
cars.

What initially impresses is Ferrari’s lightning fast 4-second 0-100km/h
acceleration and thrilling exhaust tone. As the occupants are pinned to
the seats, the new generation 4.3-litre V8 pushes out 368 snarling
kilowatts. Porsche’s acceleration also offers that kick in the pants a
super car should deliver, although it is 0.8 seconds slower at the 100 km/k
mark.

With such acceleration performance, it comes natural for both cars to
excel in the braking department. The two cars offer optional ceramic
discs for impressive stopping.

Porsche’s engine gets the upper hand as it is more refined and on
the economy rank leaps ahead Ferrari with a 11.8 liters per 100 km
as opposed to 18.3 liters. Both cars deliver the power through impressive
6-speed gearboxes and offer top rate handling performance.

Both F430 and Carrera4S offer great interior comfort and even if the
space is limited, the occupants don’t feel claustrophobic and flustered.
Although an impressive mix of suede, carbon fiber and aluminum abound
in the Ferrari, the Italians stand no chance when it comes to the high finish
level attained by the Germans.

Speed and silence are key elements for any super car. The look and
appearance is the biggest draw card. The Carrera 4S is a typical Porsche,
despite the new proportions. It is a great looking car, like any other 911 but
somehow the styling no longer creates the jaw dropping reaction that the
Ferrari does. Indeed, traditionalists may say that Porsche pays homage to
its roots, but the truth is that Ferrari F430 simply draws the attention.

However, even if Ferrari F430 takes your breath away with its appearance,
the super car title goes to the Porsche Carrera 4S with a more complete all
round package.

Credit

Chrome Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano

Chrome Ferrari

I think this is the hottest Ferrari I’ve ever seen in my life. Spotted in Dubai, ofcourse. Where else?


Sunday, June 8, 2008

Ferrari 288 GTO

The Ferrari GTO (often referred to as Ferrari 288 GTO) was an exotic homologation (thus the O) of the Ferrari 308 GTB produced in 1984 through 1986.

ferrari 288 GTO side

Background
The Ferrari GTO was built to compete in the new Group B Race series and a minimum of 200 cars were required for homologation. However as only Ferrari and Porsche, with their 959, entered, the series was soon abandoned leaving just the Group B Rally championship. The Porsche 959 {961} only raced three times in Group B, but the 288 GTO never raced and all 272 cars built remained purely road cars.
Engine
The GTO was based on the mid-engined, rear wheel drive 308 GTB. The 288 refers to its 2.8 liter V8 engine, though, as it used a de-bored (by 1 mm) V8 with twin IHI turbochargers, intercoolers, and Weber-Marelli fuel injection. The 2855 cc engine capacity was dictated by the FIA’s requirement for a Turbocharged engine’s capacity to be multiplied by 1.4. This gave the GTO a theoretical engine capacity of 3997 cc, just under the Group B limit of 4.0 litres.

Ferrari 288 GTO blueprint

Unlike the 308, the engine was mounted longitudinally, using the 308’s rear boot space. The wheelbase was 110 mm (4.3 in) longer at 2450 mm (96.5 in), and the track was widened also. With 400 hp (almost 140 hp per liter) and 366 ft·lbf (496 N·m) of torque, the GTO was an impressive performer. 0-60 mph times were in the upper 4 second range and Ferrari claimed 0-125 mph (201 km/h) in 15 seconds flat. Top speed was a staggering 190 mph (306 km/h).
Evoluzione
Ferrari also built 5 288 GTO Evoluzione models with more aggressive and aerodynamic body styling and increased power. The engine in the Evoluzione originally put out as much as 650 hp; however, this was dialed down to 450 hp after Group B was banned as a whole in 1986. These cars form the clearest visual link between the 288 GTO and the F40, soon to follow.

Ferrari 288 GTO angle

Credit: http://www.adrianblog.com

Massa Fastest In Canada FP1

Canadian Grand Prix - Qualifying

Felipe Massa left it to the end of a damp session in Canada to take the top of the timesheets.

Everyone left it late, and the last 10 minutes of the session was manic as everyone tried to set a lap time. The timesheets were going mad!

Pos Driver Team Time Laps
1. Massa Ferrari (B) 1:17.553 14
2. Kubica BMW Sauber (B) 1:17.809 + 0.256 12
3. Kovalainen McLaren-Mercedes (B) 1:18.133 + 0.580 10
4. Heidfeld BMW Sauber (B) 1:18.182 + 0.629 13
5. Raikkonen Ferrari (B) 1:18.292 + 0.739 12
6. Hamilton McLaren-Mercedes (B) 1:18.303 + 0.750 8
7. Webber Red Bull-Renault (B) 1:18.712 + 1.159 11
8. Coulthard Red Bull-Renault (B) 1:18.809 + 1.256 12
9. Nakajima Williams-Toyota (B) 1:18.971 + 1.418 24
10. Alonso Renault (B) 1:19.005 + 1.452 13
11. Rosberg Williams-Toyota (B) 1:19.093 + 1.540 20
12. Vettel Toro Rosso-Ferrari (B) 1:19.228 + 1.675 21
13. Glock Toyota (B) 1:19.346 + 1.793 28
14. Trulli Toyota (B) 1:19.568 + 2.015 31
15. Fisichella Force India-Ferrari (B) 1:19.815 + 2.262 16
16. Sutil Force India-Ferrari (B) 1:19.888 + 2.335 15
17. Piquet Renault (B) 1:20.091 + 2.538 23
18. Barrichello Honda (B) 1:20.173 + 2.620 17
19. Bourdais Toro Rosso-Ferrari (B) 1:20.541 + 2.988 16
20. Button Honda (B) 1:21.542 + 3.989 17

Ferrari F40

Ferrari F40 foto

The Ferrari F40 is a mid-engine sports car that was produced by Ferrari from 1987 to 1992 as the successor to the 288 GTO, with which it shared some parts and had ceased production in 1986. During its production run, the F40 was Ferrari’s fastest, most powerful and most expensive vehicle and it remains one of the highest performing street legal vehicles ever produced.