Motorsport

Since the company's beginnings, Ferrari has been involved in motorsport, competing in a range of categories including Formula One and sports car racing through its Scuderia Ferrari sporting division as well as supplying cars and engines to other teams and for one make series.

The 1940 AAC 815 was the first racing car to be designed by Enzo Ferrari, although it was not badged as a Ferrari model.

History

Enzo Ferrari never intended to produce road cars when he formed Scuderia Ferrari (literally "Ferrari Stable", and usually used to mean "Team Ferrari", it is correctly pronounced [skudeˈriːa]) in 1928 as a sponsor for amateur drivers headquartered in Modena. Ferrari prepared, and successfully raced, various drivers in Alfa Romeo cars until 1938, when he was hired by Alfa Romeo to head their motor racing department.

In 1941, Alfa Romeo was confiscated by the fascist government of Benito Mussolini as part of the Axis Powers' war effort. Enzo Ferrari's division was small enough to be unaffected by this. Because he was prohibited by contract from racing for four years, the Scuderia briefly became Auto Avio Costruzioni Ferrari, which ostensibly produced machine tools and aircraft accessories. Also known as SEFAC (Scuderia Enzo Ferrari Auto Corse), Ferrari did in fact produce one race car, the Tipo 815, in the non-competition period. It was the first actual Ferrari car (it debuted at the 1940 Mille Miglia), but due to World War II it saw little competition. In 1943 the Ferrari factory moved to Maranello, where it has remained ever since. The factory was bombed by the Allies in 1944 and rebuilt in 1946, after the war ended, and included a works for road car production. Until Il Commendatore's death, this would remain little more than a source of funding for his racing operations.

Ferrari

Ferrari S.p.A. is an Italian sports car manufacturer based in Maranello, Italy. Founded by Enzo Ferrari in 1929, as Scuderia Ferrari, the company sponsored drivers and manufactured race cars before moving into production of street-legal vehicles as Ferrari S.p.A. in 1947. Throughout its history, the company has been noted for its continued participation in racing, especially in Formula One, where it has had great success. Ferrari road cars are generally seen as a symbol of luxury and wealth.

Speculation regarding production

It was reported on 22 March 2009 that production plans for the Lamborghini Estoque were cancelled.[5] Lamborghini executives responded to this by stating that the Estoque had not reached the production planning stage and that the decision whether to produce the Estoque or not has been delayed due to sales and marketing considerations.[6][7] Stephan Winkelmann, Lamborghini's chairman, has since indicated that a four-door Lamborghini is likely, stating that response to the Estoque showed opportunities for Lamborghini outside the supercar market.[8] However, Winkelmann also stated that Lamborghini does not have any plans to manufacture the Estoque and that it was only a concept vehicle.[9]

Lamborghini Estoque

The Lamborghini Estoque (Spanish pronunciation: [esˈtoke]) is a concept car built by Lamborghini. Unlike current production Lamborghini cars, which are mid-engine two-seat sports cars, the Estoque is a four-door sedan.

The Estoque was introduced at the 2008 Paris Motor Show.[1][2][3] The Estoque is the first front-engine vehicle by Lamborghini since the LM002 utility vehicle. It is described as a "concept for a $230,000 four-door sedan".[4] It currently houses a 5.2 litre V10 engine, although there has been speculation that this could be replaced by a V12, V8, or possibly even a hybrid or turbo-diesel engine, as suggested by Lamborghini's Brand Director, Manfred Fitzgerald.[2]

As with other Lamborghinis, the Estoque derives its name from Spanish-style bullfighting. An estoque is a type of sword traditionally used by matadors.[4]

Aventador J

Six months after unveiling the Aventador, plans for a roadster version were leaked by the U.S. EPA after it included the model on a data sheet on its website. Lamborghini officially unveiled the Aventador J to the world at the 2012 Geneva Motor Show. The roofless and windowless concept car uses the same V12 engine as the standard Aventador, producing 700 hp through a lightweight seven-speed automated transmission. The car has also been stripped of its air conditioning and radio units to save further weight, allowing it to weigh in at only 3,472 pounds (1,575 kg).[20][21] The car at the Geneva show is the only copy to be produced.[22]

The J designation comes from Appendix J in the FIA rulebook that describes the technical specifications of race cars.[22]

Reception

On 31 July 2011, the Aventador was reviewed on motoring show Top Gear, receiving mixed reviews from Richard Hammond. Although impressed with the performance and handling, Hammond expressed dismay at the lack of temperament and danger associated with driving previous Lamborghini supercars.[18] The Aventador recorded the third fastest time around the Top Gear track with a time of 1.16.5, beating the Bugatti Veyron Super Sport, among others. Top Gear also announced that it chose the Aventador as the car of the year for 2011.[19]

The Lamborghini Aventador makes an appearance on video games such as Gran Turismo 5, Forza Motorsport 4 via the November Speed Pack DLC, Car Town and Need for Speed: The Run. It also served as the cover art of the PlayStation Vita game Asphalt: Injection. It has also been confirmed as downloadable content for Gran Turismo 5.