ferrari

Finally see and hear the Ferrari La Ferrari in action

May 2, 2014 by Gary Grant Leave a Comment

Wrapping up what seems like Ferrari week here in The Garage, let’s start Friday with a quick clip from the blokes at Top Gear, featuring the most unfortunately named Ferrari of all time.

The lads got their hands on the much awaited La Ferrari earlier this week and proceeded to tick off the Ferrari media corps by dropping a tiny teaser video online ahead of the embargo time. That clip was yanked off the web in a hurry and now, a couple of days later they have shared another short video. The visual quality seems to be somewhat less than expected, but the sound is spectacular. I’m still not sure the exhaust note makes up for the name though.

Ferrari 250 GTO in motion defines automotive passion

April 30, 2014 by Gary Grant Leave a Comment

Although even the least car focused general public know the name Ferrari, but somehow I suspect that many don’t quite understand the passion that enthusiasts feel for the cars that Enzo built. There are people out there who just can’t grasp why people are so upset about the Ferrari that was banged up in Toronto earlier this week. They just don’t get it. Even young enthusiasts, who get that the car is beautiful, ferocious and rare probably don’t truly appreciate the history behind the car.
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Ten Ferrari crashes caught on camera

April 29, 2014 by Gary Grant Leave a Comment

Following yesterday’s destruction of a Ferrari F40 in Toronto, I thought it might be fun to string together a few Ferrari crash videos for your viewing, errr, pleasure.

First up, we have perhaps one of the most infamous Ferrari crash videos, which also happened here in Canada. The scene was Targa Newfoundland and the driver was Calgary’s Zahir Rana. The car was Rana’s FXX, which came to rest in a lake. It was epic.

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Rare Ferrari F40 destroyed on Toronto test drive

April 28, 2014 by Gary Grant 18 Comments

Updated: An industry insider who wishes to remain nameless informs us that the F40 was owned by the dealer and had been sold to a customer. Incredibly, the Dart was a new car that was owned by the same dealer and was being driven by a lot attendant!

Over the years, the lads at Jalopnik have supported a campaign called Save the Enzos, which comes to life every time some hapless rich guy wads up his Million dollar supercar. Today, perhaps we can switch that up a bit to include the iconic Ferrari F40.

Earlier today, a mechanic at Ferrari of Ontario was returning from a road test in an F40. As the mechanic made a left turn, the driver of a late model Dodge Dart ran the red light, clobbering the scarlet machine. The drivers of both vehicles were unhurt, but as you can see from the images, both vehicles sustained significant damage. The difference is that the damage to the Ferrari is likely worth more than the Dart owner earns in a couple of years.
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Russian guy is the worst pay to play driver ever

April 28, 2014 by Gary Grant Leave a Comment

If you thought the on track behaviour of the amateur Daddy Warbucks drivers at Sebring was bad, you ain’t seen nothing yet.

Meet Vadim Kogay, a Russian driver in the Blancpain Endurance Series. Kogay’s ride is an anything but white bread Ferrari 458 GT. The driver (and I use the term very loosely) took his toy to Monza and proceeded to teach the world what a real racing driver can do. Spinning alone under yellow, blocking traffic and swerving all over the track are just part of the fun. At one point, the guy puts himself off and then cuts back onto the track in front of a competitor, very nearly causing a massive collision.

Even funnier than the on track action is the commentary from the television dudes, who come out with gems such as “And that’s going to go over like a cup of cold sick with the race director”. This cat is going to become an internet star, let’s just hope he doesn’t kill someone along the way.

The Garage at 2013 Rolex 24 at Daytona

January 31, 2013 by Gary Grant 3 Comments

The Winners crossing the line!

The past 12 months have been just a crazy ride for me as I have traveled around the world covering events for Wheels.ca including bucket list events like the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the Goodwood Festival of Speed and just this past weekend I went to Daytona Beach to cover the Rolex 24 for the first time. Just an incredible year!

To get my full report on the 24, click here to read my live blog from the race complete with tons of images. The long and the short of it is that Chip Ganassi Racing won their fifth Rolex 24 in ten years. Toronto’s AIM Autosport pulled off a great third spot on the podium in the GT class and west coast Canucks, Bullet Racing, scored second place in the new GX class.

Head past the jump to see a rather huge gallery of images from the 2013 Rolex 24 at Daytona.
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Shutter Speed: Returning Home

May 31, 2012 by Allan De La Plante 2 Comments

It was Tuesday before I could get a flight home. I had planned to stay over for Monaco. By then Gilles had been home several days and was lying-in-state in the vestibule of the local arena in Berthierville. The lines to view his body just went on and on. He was dressed in a white, what I thought was a driver’s suit, but I have heard conflicting reports since. When I went to pay my respects, there were so many people there I almost turned for home. I was undergoing such a range of emotions I had never felt so intensely before. I wanted to comfort the family, but was not sure it was just me I wanted to comfort. Gaston was in hospital under heavy sedation. He had lost the son he never had. He and Gilles were closer than a Father and son. Like many Fathers, Gaston had pulled Gilles out of many of life’s ditches. I drove directly to Berthierville from the airport. After paying my respects I headed for home in Ottawa. I had seen my friend for the last time.

I am still in a fog about most of that week. I am not sure if it was the Thursday that the funeral was held, but I drove to Berthierville with my good friend David Morgan-Kirby, an avid race fan and sometimes journalist who, like I, had watched the rise of Gilles from Formula Fords to Formula One. He had taken the time to interview Gilles when he was in the lower ranks and still would get a good reception from him even though Gilles was now at the top of his game. David and I and my wife at the time sat in the loft to the right of the chequered flag draped coffin. We were within fifty feet of Jody when he gave the eulogy. David, a stoic Englishman was rock solid. My wife was a blithering mess. I was just stunned. In less than a week I had done the final negotiation for our Grand Prix book, received a significant advance against royalties, ventured overseas and returned home broken, but I was in better shape than my friend who was now the centre of a different type of attention.

After it was all over Gilles’ body was taken to Montreal to be cremated. Joanne would then take the ashes back to Monaco. We followed the black Cadillac to Montreal on our return to Ottawa. I thought of the ‘Red Cadillac’ on this drive. David and I reminisced about all we had seen. There was a lot of laughter and tears on that drive. We got seriously drunk that night. [Read more...]

Shutter Speed: They all hoped for better things…

May 7, 2012 by Allan De La Plante 2 Comments

The usual squabbling between the FIA and FOCA was noticeably absent at the start of the 1982 season. Alan Jones had become disenchanted with the almost suspension-less cars and had gone home to Australia. The rumour mill was rampant with as many as three former World Champions to appear on the grid for the season. Jackie Stewart, James Hunt and Niki Lauda were all reported to have been offered large sums of cash to put on a helmet again. Only Lauda appeared at McLaren with John Watson as his backup.

Carlos Reutemann had intended to retire but reconsidered when Jones left the team. Keke Rosburg was his second at Williams. Mario left Alfa-Romeo to return to America and IndyCar racing. Gilles and Didier remained with Ferrari. Piquet teamed with Recardo Patrese at Brabham while Prost and Arnoux returned to Renault. Mansell and de Angelis took up the cores with Lotus and March retained Jochen Mass alongside newcomer Raul Boesel.

Gilles thought 1982 was going to be his year. Ferrari would win the constructors championship, but things would be very different in the drivers race.

South Africa started the season and a rift over the new driver’s super license which the drivers felt they could be traded like cattle at the whim of the team owners. Once this got straightened out the race got underway. Gilles had qualified third behind Arnoux and Piquet. Didier was qualified sixth. Both Ferrari would drop out of the race with Gilles blowing a turbo and Didier having a misfire and finishing in eighteenth.
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Shutter Speed: Two in a row

May 1, 2012 by Allan De La Plante Leave a Comment

After the drama in Zolder everyone packed up, lock, stock and barrel and moved to the shores of the Mediterranean…Monaco. Long known as the crown jewel of Grand Prix racing and a serious favourite of the drivers and spectators alike, Monaco remains a very narrow, dangerous circuit that would not pass the required safety standards now in force in Formula One. It is like Kitsbuhel in downhill racing. It is iconic and will continue to be run.

It was felt the turbo-charged cars would be ineffective on the slow, twisting streets of both Monaco and Long Beach. Gilles proved them very wrong by putting the 126C on the front row with Nelson Piquet in his Brabham on the pole. Pironi had a more difficult time taming the powerful Ferrari and sat seventeenth on the grid.
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Shutter Speed: The new kid on the block

April 18, 2012 by Allan De La Plante 5 Comments

The 1981 Formula One season continued with the on-going dispute between the FIA, the sports governing body and FOCA, the Formula One Constructors Association. At the first race it came to a head and only at the insistence of the principal sponsors of the teams would any kind of reconciliation take place and the season got underway at Long Beach.

At Ferrari there was a new kid on the block. Jody had retired having achieved his goal of the World Championship in 1979. He stuck around for 1980 with the T5 disaster falling down around him. Some drivers would have just thrown up their hands and called it a day, but Jody showed his class by sticking to Ferrari so they could capitalize on his achievement. The new kid was Didier Pironi who had moved over from Tyyrell.

“When I joined Ferrari the whole team was devoted to Gilles. I mean he was not just the top driver, he was much more than that,” recalled Pironi. “He had a small family there…he made me fit right in. I felt at home right away. Gilles made no distinctions. I was expecting to be put in my place. I was not number one. I was number two yet he treated an equal all the way.”
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