Ferrari 599XX Evo auctioned to Google exec for charity

Google executive Benjamin Sloss recently took delivery of a very special Ferrari in a unique way. Sloss was the winning bidder in an charity auction of an ultra-rare Ferrari 599XX Evo hypercar. The proceeds of this auction went to benefit the victims of an earthquake that struck the Emiglia Romaga region of Italy in May of this year. The region is home to Modena, Maranello and Fiorano – all towns and cities that are significant to the Italian automaker. The winning bid of €1.4 million ($1.78 million) will go to victims in these cities, among others, in the region.

Sloss, who accepted the car in an event at the Italian Grand Prix at Monza, had the car painted bright yellow. The high-performance machine was presented by Ferrari boss Luca di Montezemolo, accompanied by Scuderia Ferrari drivers Fernando Alonso and Felipe Massa.

The 599XX Evo won by the Google exec is a special machine, powered by a 740-horsepower V12, and equipped with active aerodynamics. It lapped the Nürburgring in a mere 6:58.16.

Sloss was quoted as saying that he was extremely happy to have contributed to the cause. The 599XX Evo was part of a series of auctions to raise money for victims. Other items included front bodywork and a V8 engine from a retired Formula One racecar. Also auctioned was a racing suit worn by former F1 driver Giancarlo Fisichella. All told, the auction raised close to $2.3 million.

News Source: Ferrari via Motor Authority

Image Credit: Ferrari

Creditshttp://www.autoblog.com/2012/09/11/ferrari-599xx-evo-auctioned-to-google-exec-for-charity/

Ferrari 458 vs Ferrari 430

Jeremy Clarkson borrows Captain Slow's Ferrari 430 for a drag race against the new £170,000 Ferrari 458. Fantastic high definition clip from series 15 of the award-winning motoring show.
I Think it's Fantastic!!!

F1's first among equals. History, passion, flair and success are all words that have become synonymous with Ferrari - Formula 1's most famous, decorated and evocative team.

As the only team on the grid to have a lineage right back to the very beginnings of F1 in 1950, Ferrari occupy a special place in the sport and it is often said that a successful Ferrari is good for F1 - even if their sustained period of rewriting the record book with Michael Schumacher between 2000 and 2004 had many people questioning that particular aphorism. Yet their gilded status also carries a heavy burden of expectation and their 2011 season - which delivered just a solitary victory at Silverstone, not a single pole position and a distant third place in the Championship - fell a long way short of the standards set by Ferrari legends of the past. The latest group charged with taking the famous Prancing Horse to glory are attempting to continue a glittering F1 story that has seen the team achieve more Drivers' (15) and Constructors' (16) Championships, along with race victories (216), than any other marque. Current drivers Fernando Alonso and Felipe Massa follow in the wheel tracks of legendary names to have driven for the Scuderia such as Alberto Ascari, Juan Manuel Fangio, Niki Lauda and, most successfully of all, Schumacher. That's not to say that Ferrari's F1 history has been one glorious, uninterrupted success story: the 'tifosi' famously had to endure a 21-year wait, and some alarming slumps in form, before another drivers' title finally arrived more than two decades after Jody Scheckter's 1979 triumph. Yet once that millstone was lifted in 2000 by the 'dream team' of Jean Todt, Ross Brawn, Rory Byrne and Schumacher, success continued to follow success and the team's reputation was restored to the level attained during their peak years. In more recent times, Ferrari have invariably still been in the thick of the title chase - triumphing with Kimi Raikkonen in 2007 but suffering final-race heartache with Massa in 2008 and then Alonso in 2010 - but have also endured widespread criticism for failing to provide innovative designs. Former technical director Aldo Costa paid the price for a poor start to last season and was replaced by highly-regarded former McLaren man Pat Fry, who has stayed true to his word and delivered a more aggressive car for 2012 under the management of Stefano Domenicali. It's not difficult to appreciate the logic: after failing to beat either Red Bull or McLaren on a consistent basis last year, a new approach is needed for the new season. Credit=http://www1.skysports.com/formula1/teams/ferrari/profile