Ferrari

Ferrari says that the 849 Spider is two cars in one, but in reality, they are underselling it. You've got at least three cars here, possibly four, and it excels at all of them in a way that very few vehicles at any price manage to pull off.

With a big V12 engine, no turbochargers and no electrification, the 12Cilindri is the purist’s Ferrari. But is it pure enough?

Can the 849 live up to the poster-car weight of that Testarossa name, or is Ferrari using a legendary title to mask a mid-cycle refresh of the SF90 Stradale?

The Ferrari Amalfi is so much more than a Roma with just some nips and tucks. It's a far more capable and versatile sports coupe. We'd call that a win.

A manual based on an automatic – with an electronic shifter and clutch pedal – could keep a three-pedal experience alive.

Your Sport mode and someone else’s Sport mode are not the same, thanks to clever software in the new Ferrari Luce electric car.

Ferrari has invented a new suspension system that it claims makes a five-seat, heavy-battery, electric grand tourer feel like a sports car.

Everything in the Ferrari Luce’s drivetrain was designed, developed, and assembled in Maranello.

How Enzo's vision has been massively updated and why it's still the heart and soul of Ferrari. Here's everything you needed to know about Fiorano test track.

The tolerances of Japan’s fixed speed cameras are so absurdly generous, they make Australia look like an over-policed driving dystopia.

While Tyler the Creator loves his cars, no one could have predicted the rapper crashing this rare Ferrari at the 2026 Grammys.

As it turns out, even when you spend over half a million dollars on a supercar like a Lamborghini, there are some things money can't buy.

The Ferrari 348 by every measure was a better performing car than car it replaced, the Ferrari 328. Horsepower, acceleration and top speed were all vastly improved. Yet, journalists constantly regurgitate the same story about it being the car having flaws and Ferrari's (then) new CEO bagging its performance. Yes, the F355 that superseded the 348 was faster still (yet remarkably, retained much of the superb body and coachwork). But so was the fate of the F355 with the arrival of the 360. As was the fate of the subsequent V8's, the 430, 458 and 488. That's what Ferrari do. Each new generation gaining from the next. But when introduced in 1989 the 348 was the darling the European motor-shows and continued production with constant refinements until 1995. The Ferrari 348 made its debut in September 1989 at the Frankfurt Auto Show and was deemed "Best in Show" . It was the final V8 mid-engine model developed by Enzo Ferrari before his death. It is also the last of the analogue Ferraris. The 348 engine also had dry-sump oil system to prevent oil starvation at high speeds and during hard cornering. Weighing just 1370kg, the 348 has few excess kilograms. The lack of mass is also due a lack of power steering and no airbags (given the current Takata airbag fiasco, a good thing ). This places the 348 in a very different league to contemporary cars with a myriad of sensors, chips and computers. This is an analogue machine. The electronics are usefully targeted to essential systems such as ABS and twin Bosch engine computers. Sure , there was also a self diagnostic Air-conditioning system. But there is however a significant up-side to the lack of modern tech: great reliability and nothing expensive to fry, replace or maintain. Not distracted by superfluous lights, buttons and gadgetry the first thing you notice when firing up a 348 is the sound. No Detroit-like burble here, instead you get that unique Formula 1 inspired symphony that even Ludwig Van would have actually heard in his later years ( and approved of!) . At around 4000rpm, through to the 7500rpm redline, the engine simply sings a note only a Ferrari can reach. As for the styling. I think it's brilliant. Pininfarina stylist Leonardo Fioravanti (read 246 Dino, Daytona 365, 288GTO fame) drew styling cues from the legendary Ferrari Testarossa, including the iconic horizontal strakes down the side of the body. The nose also echoes the F40, these two arguably being two of the most iconic Ferraris ever produced. For journalistic prats to suggest Fioravanti somehow came up with a clunker in the 348 beggars belief. A recent UK TV show survey had the presenters shaking their heads when the results showed the Testarossa was considered by the public to be "the most beautiful Ferrari". Yet the 348 is more rounded than the Testarossa with door strakes that have form and function...they deliver cooling air to the engine's twin radiators. Dated styling? So is Michelangelo's David. The 348 has an extremely low stance, equal to the F355 and lower than the 360, 430, 458 and 488 that followed. The Connolly leather interior is clean, slick and still has a contemporary look. No bad for a design from a quarter century ago. Performance? In nanny state Australia, it's more than adequate, but, sure, the latest 2018 hot hatch/STi will probably leave it behind at the traffic lights. 100km/hr will come up in some 5.3 seconds, however things change radically after that. Due it's low mass and slick aerodynamics 200km/hr comes up almost as quickly, and it will keep accelerating up to 270km/hr. Lower in the speed envelope the 348 corners brilliantly. The steering is simply positive and precise. As for the lack of power steering EVO magazine's Henry Catchpole states: The 348 “has some of the best steering, possibly the best, that I have ever sat behind.” He expounded on the car’s analogue character, describing the steering as, “coming alive in my hands. It literally starts wriggling around, talking excitedly about all the bumps in the road and sometimes making a bigger gesture as a camber attracts its attention. Despite the lack of assistance and the wheel’s relatively small diameter, it’s not heavy in any way, there’s just perfect weight and no slack to add to the constant communication." There are some caveats. I managed to take my wife for a spin in my 348TS. Literally. I discovered mid engine cars can have a property that was unknown to me at the time: snap oversteer. The fix, as I later read while in the house of the dog ,was don't lift off the accelerator too aggressively of you feel the tail drift while accelerating into a corner. Thankfully only my pride was damaged during this dismal display of my driving ability. Driven more intelligently, the 348 simply hugs corners. One of the joys it provides is to watch the blind panic unfold in the rear vision mirror, as you go through a hairpin (at around 3x the "safe advisory" speed sign's clip) while an over-exuberant P-plated buzz box epically fails in their attempt to follow at the same clip. As for finding a good Right hand drive 348. I wish you well. I Australia as I write you can choose from four, none of which were locally delivered. One is a left hand drive. Some parts are becoming hard to acquire. Things to look for are: no signs of rust, no signs of collision damage/repair, a positive clutch (twin plate versions are difficult to track down), working AC and working clock. Air vents are known to get sticky, with many interiors looking shabby due poor efforts to refurbish them. Make no mistake. They are fast becoming rare birds. Only around 600 non-south paw versions were built and of them, only around 150 were deported to Botany Bay. Having seen many UK/Euro sourced 348 and F355 imports corrosion has been a real problem in the samples I have seen. Australian delivered cars also tend to have a better service/paper trail which can be as long as your arm..which is good. Evidence of regular servicing and not-inexpensive cam belt changes is essential. USA delivered cars are another rust free option, but of course are all left hand drive. Lots of luck seeing traffic on the wrong side of the car with a 40 inch (about a metre) ride height. Best not even go there methinks, or at least make sure your car and personal insurance is up to date. In summary, the Ferrari 348 is an iconic version of the marque that has been unfairly maligned by hearsay and ignorance. To coin the contemporary phrase: Fake News. The ride is racing-car firm, steering positive and performance more than adequate to lose your licence while still in second gear...or first gear in if you really want to nudge the redline in a school zone. As for the styling, when I'm in my 348, people just don't notice the Porsche next to me. They point, hold up their phone-cameras, prod their young kids, saying, look! A Ferrari ! Most don't have a clue what year or model Ferrari it is, they simply point, wave, smile and possibly wonder what line of narcotic I deal in. The exhaust note is symphonic. The Pininfarina styling is clearly timeless. which is more than I can say for the grey haired guy in the driver's seat...but even he is grinning like a kid. By any measure, the Ferrari 348 is a great example of this iconic marque. Given prices have risen some 50% in the last 5 years, seems the market has finally woken up to this fact as well.

With an additional T on the badge means this facelifted version of the Ferrari California is turbocharged now, the first turbocharged Ferrari road car since Ferrari F40 of 1987.

As a child I used to play with Matchbox cars. Probably my favourite would have been the Ferrari, which I now know was a 308 GTB. It was aggressive and confident; masculine yet feminine. It just stood out amongst all my other cars. So much so, in fact

wow. what a car. the Ferrari 458 Speciale. they've add a few more things to make it just that little bit more better. when I heard that the 458's days were numbered with the new 488GTB coming in to replace it....I thought its now or never. so I went for it. and to this very day, I haven't yet regretted the choice. Oh no! I have always been a fan of the 458 since it was launched, it sort of boosted Ferrari's appeal. considering that it is actually a sports car, it doesn't have all the herbs inside to allow for the best "home" like feeling. I guess that's to save weight. and the 458 is certainly no boulder either just tipping the scales at 1395kg. the Speciale is really its own car on the highway and wherever you may find acceptable roads for it to travel on. The 458 has a tuned V8 engine (4497cc) that produces 445kW and 540Nm, which is more than enough to get it to 60mph in 3 seconds flat. that's quick. but that's not all, take it through the Blue Mountains, and it really is a shining light. cruise and 100kph, and then plant it... look at the road....then look back at the speedo, and hey? you are doing 160kph. 100-160kph in about 2 seconds. yea, I love this car that I did this for some time, and yes, I did make ample fuel stops! this car is a bit pricey, and thirsty, but those are the things that wont really come into your mind when you are driving. this car does turn heads and cameras when driven through my home town, but that's one of the joys of having a 458. I'm not proud or boastful, but I was told by a friend "if you are gonna buy a 458 mate, you are going to hafta deal with a lot of cameras" that person was right. when driving you do get that feel that you're in a rocket, but cant help but think about the 458 stopping production. its really sad, but to know that you have got the keys to one of their finest examples...it puts a smile on your face as big as a banana!! the driving dynamics a spot-on, perfect ride height and the ability to throw it into corners, and it will grip like soggy weet-bix to a bowl. so I am very, very impressed with the 458 attributes, and driving dynamics. having driven it at 330kph, you get to realise that it has a lot to offer.