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Ferrari F80: The new 1200hp hypercar.
ALBORZ FALLAH | CarExpert | 19/10/24 To the average person, every Ferrari is a supercar, but to the company itself, the word ‘supercar’ is reserved for those very special, limited-numbered cars that are released to the world every decade or so. What Ferrari constitutes as a supercar is what most now refer to as a hypercar. To understand the importance of the Italian brand’s latest creation, the Ferrari F80, then we must first have a brief look at what came before: 1984–1985 Ferrari 288 GTO 1987–1992 Ferrari F40 1995–1997 Ferrari F50 (1996 F50 GT) 2002–2004 Ferrari Enzo 2013–2016 Ferrari LaFerrari 2016–2018 LaFerrari Aperta 2025 Ferrari F80 From the original 288 GTO to the LaFerrari, these halo cars are what define the Italian brand and set its vision and tone for the models that follow. As such, the all-new Ferrari F80 is the most essential vehicle to leave Maranello since production of the LaFerrari Aperta ended in 2018. At first glance, it’s a big departure from what came before. Gone is the V12, and in its place is an electrified twin-turbo V6 with an incredible 1200hp (882kW) on tap. This is the quickest, fastest and most powerful road-legal Ferrari ever, able to go from 0-100km/h in 2.15 seconds, hit 200km/h in 5.75 seconds and reach a limited top speed of 350km/h. Limited to just 799 examples – which, as you can guess, have all already been sold – it should come as no surprise that this is also the most expensive of the ‘supercar’ models ever on sale. In Europe, the vehicle is priced at €2.9 million Euro (as a comparison, the LaFerrari was priced at €1.2m Euro), which equates to roughly A$4.7m, but to get an actual price we must add the Luxury Car Tax (LCT), which will make it around $6.25m. This still excludes stamp duty (close to $600,000 in some Australian states) and other on-road costs. So it’s very much the case that the Ferrari F80 will cost around A$7,000,000 before any customisation requests, which we suspect will be plentiful. There is no doubt that the very lucky and very, very few Australian customers that have been offered an allocation will have their vehicle specified in a manner that will see it go well past $8,000,000 when the first F80 deliveries take place toward the end of 2025 – all of which will be left-hand drive only. Ferrari gave us a quick demonstration of the new F80’s engine and exhaust note. While it’s not a high-revving V12, it was surprisingly high-pitched and loud. We will wait and see when the car goes on sale if it delivers the euphoric acoustic experience of Ferrari supercars of the past. Ultimately, the new Ferrari F80 has reset the benchmark for what is possible in terms of power and performance. It’s the answer to a question nobody has asked, but that is why Ferrari exists. The company pushes the boundaries in every respect and continues to drag the rest of the automotive industry along for the drive. While the 288, F40, F50, Enzo, and LaFerrari were the poster cars for many in the years gone by, the F80 will not only please current Ferrari buyers (an undisputed fact, given that all F80s are sold and many customers are screaming about missing out) but will also create an entirely new generation of fans who aspire to Ferrari ownership for decades to come. Full story at CarExpert.com.au
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Bentley EV will bring new customers to boutique brand
Alborz Fallah | CarExpert | 11 October 2024, 4:00pm Bentley says its first electric vehicle (EV), set to be unveiled in November this year ahead of a 2026 launch, will attract a range of new customers to the brand. Speaking to CarExpert, Bentley head of product communications Mike Sayer shed light on the company’s EV strategy and positioning. “I think the beauty of the way we are going about our strategy is we have a hybrid car here that has all the characteristics of a non-hybrid car with the benefits of a hybrid system, so that will appeal to a very broad spectrum of people,” Mr Sayer said, referring to the brand’s plug-in hybrid (PHEV) models. “So the question you have to ask is not do we have EV customers now or are existing Bentley customers ready to move into an EV, but in two to three years time when our EV goes on sale, what does the market look like then? Both in terms of loyal customers and new customers to the brand, who our research shows want to come and experience a Bentley if it’s a more forward-thinking product.” Bentley has been keeping a close eye on the Rolls-Royce Spectre, which was the first ultra-luxury EV to hit the market. Despite slow sales and lower-than-expected demand, Bentley’s competitor seems adamant it will continue its electrification journey. This view isn’t shared as much by Bentley, which intends to continue to sell its V8 hybrid vehicles for the foreseeable future while it begins a slow migration to EVs. Earlier this year, it revised its target for an EV-only lineup from 2030 to 2033. “The problem is twofold, it’s not just how we engineer the car and afford the development, but how we take the customers on the journey as well,” said Mr Sayer. “Whatever the first EV is, it has to be an outstanding Bentley first and then it just happens to be an EV and that’s the challenge that we are engineering our way through at the moment.” Bentley’s first EV won’t replace any existing model, and will instead be an entirely new offering for the brand. Mr Sayer says that given Bentley’s rich history and brand credentials in the luxury segment, the migration to EVs will be less impactful than some other more performance-oriented manufacturers. “EV [powertrain] suits the car beautifully. Silence, instant torque and a smooth powertrain, that’s what we have strived for, for over a 100 years,” he said. “For us, the iconic part of our powertrain has always been about instant torque and not cylinder count, it’s about how the engine feels and how effortless the car is to drive, so as long as we engineer that into whatever the first EV is going to be, it’s going to be a winner. “And if you talk about other attributes that make a Bentley a Bentley, you are talking about authenticity of materials, craftsmanship and design and there is nothing standing in the way of all three of those things being applied to a car regardless of powertrain.” While it doesn’t yet offer an EV, Bentley has been rolling out a new V8 plug-in hybrid powertrain across its range, which it shares with Porsche. It has also ditched its diesel and iconic W12 powertrains. Read the full story at CarExpert.com.au
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Toyota re-enters Formula 1, but not with its own team
Max Davies | CarExpert | 11 October 2024, 4:53pm Toyota is back in Formula 1 after a 15-year hiatus, joining forces with midfielder Haas F1 Team after signing a technical partnership. Haas, an American team that has competed in F1 since 2016, has reportedly signed a multi-year deal with Toyota that will “share expertise and knowledge, as well as resources” through the Toyota Gazoo Racing (TGR) motorsport division. It’s the first time Toyota has been involved in F1 since 2009, when it withdrew its factory-backed team at the end of an unsuccessful eight-year campaign. The deal will run alongside Haas’ arrangement with Ferrari, from which the American team has sourced engines and technical expertise since it entered the sport. TGR will provide design, technical and manufacturing services to Haas, who will in turn offer technical expertise and commercial benefits to the Japanese brand. Haas aims to improve its development and competitive standing in F1, while Toyota is looking to develop its own knowledge and skills. The American team’s boss, Ayao Komatsu, says he is “hugely excited” to have signed a deal with TGR. “The ability to tap into the resources and knowledge base available at Toyota Gazoo Racing, while benefiting from their technical and manufacturing processes, will be instrumental in our own development,” he said. “In return we offer a platform for Toyota Gazoo Racing to fully utilise and subsequently advance their in-house engineering capabilities.” The deal was today announced at the Toyota-owned Fuji International Speedway in Japan, with the arrangements to be effective immediately. From left: Haas F1 Team team principal Ayao Komatsu, Toyota Motor Corporation chairman Akio Toyoda, and Gazoo Racing Company president Tomoya Takahashi TGR branding will be visible on Haas’ F1 cars from next week’s United States Grand Prix in Austin, Texas. With the support of TGR, Haas looks to continue to chase down the RB F1 Team, which Daniel Ricciardo following this year’s Singapore Grand Prix. Toyota has long been involved in other forms of motorsport, as it continues to field its own GR teams in the World Rally Championship (WRC) and World Endurance Championship (WEC). It also continues work on the GR GT3 Race Car set to debut in 2026, while it recently announced it would be joining the Australian Supercar Championship in the same year. The Japanese brand’s last tenure in F1 was before the days of TGR. It debuted in the 2002 Australian Grand Prix and went on to compete in 140 races, during which it scored a total of 13 podiums, no wins, and a best Constructors’ Championship finish of fourth place. The team left F1 at the end of 2009 following its parent company’s first ever financial loss, despite already having a near-fully developed car ready for the 2010 season. Read the full story at CarExpert.com.au
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Tesla Cybercab autonomous taxi revealed
Josh Nevett | CarExpert | 11 October 2024, 2:40pm Tesla CEO Elon Musk has revealed the Cybercab, a fully autonomous taxi he says will enter production in 2026. The Tesla Cybercab was revealed at the We, Robot event held today at the Warner Bros. film studio in Los Angeles, and livestreamed on Tesla’s YouTube channel. Sharing a design very similar to previous renders, the Cybercab will debut as a two-door compact autonomous vehicle with an estimated sticker price of under US$30,000 (A$44,500). Tesla hasn’t confirmed any technical specifications for the vehicle. Key design elements include a low, sleek coupe roofline with squared-off bumpers and full-width horizontal light bars at the front and rear. Like the Cybertruck, the Cybercab wears a stainless steel exterior finish. For the first time, the Cybercab will incorporate inductive charging, which removes the need for a plug and charging cables. In other words, the Cybercab can be charged wirelessly via a charging pad. The Cybercab has front-hinged butterfly doors that open vertically. Inside, you’ll find a single bench with two and a minimalist dashboard featuring a large central screen. there’s no steering wheel or pedals, as you’d expect in a fully autonomous vehicle. The success of the Cybercab will hinge on regulatory bodies approving fully autonomous driving technology for use on public roads. “We expect to start unsupervised [Full Self-Driving] in Texas and California next year with the Model 3 and Model Y,” Mr Musk told attendees at the We, Robot event. “We expect to start production of the Cybercab in 2026, before 2027. “We will make this vehicle in very high volume, and before that you’ll experience a robotic taxi with a Model 3 and Model Y program wherever regulators approve it.” Mr Musk believes the Cybercab will revolutionise the experience of road travel by making it safer, cheaper, and more enjoyable. “Autonomous cars could be used five or ten times more, the same car would have five or ten times more value,” said Mr Musk. “The cost of autonomous transport will be so low, you can think of it like individualised mass-transit. The average price [of bus travel] is around US$1 per mile. Operating costs for the Cybercab are going to be around US$0.20 per mile. “With autonomy, you get your time back. That’s a big deal. “It’ll save lives, a lot of lives, and prevent injuries. Autonomous cars will be 10 times safer than driving. “In an autonomous world, the car is a comfortable little lounge… it’s going to be awesome.” The robotaxi was originally due to be unveiled on 8 August, but was delayed at the last minute to make “an important design change,” according to Mr Musk. The Tesla CEO has been promising fully autonomous vehicles since 2014, and said in 2019 that Tesla would have over a million robotaxis on the road in 2020. Read the full story at CarExpert.com.au
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LAMBORGHINI HURACAN RECALLED
Lamborghini Australia has recalled 5 examples, Huracan EVO, Huracan Sterrato, Huracan STO, Huracan Tecnica, Due to a software issue, the headlamp high beam setting may not operate as intended. This could result in reduced or poor visibility. Reduced or poor visibility may affect the night vision of the driver, increasing the risk of an accident causing serious injury or death to vehicle occupants and other road users. If you own one of the affected vehicles, you should contact an authorised Lamborghini dealer and organise an appointment to have the software updated, free of charge.
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