Elite Auto Rental Blog

Well in advance of an official debut at the Paris Motor Show in October, Ferrari dropped a trio of photos of the 2009 California on the Web. Strongly influenced by the V-12-engined 599 GTB Fiorano and the 612 Scaglietti, the aluminum-bodied California sports the company’s first retractable hard top.

Beneath the hood, a 4.3-liter direct-injection V-8 produces 454 horsepower at 7500 rpm. Power is delivered to the rear wheels by a new seven-speed dual-clutch transmission. The company claims 60 mph will arrive in less than four seconds.

Ferrari calls the California an “original 2+ concept,” though two-plus-what remains to be seen.

Photos courtesy of Ferrari.

If you’re the sort of person who likes to wait until the last minute to file your income taxes, today is a very busy day for you. Income taxes must be postmarked by midnight tomorrow night to avoid late fees.

If you need more time to get your tax materials together, tomorrow night is also the deadline for filing for a tax extension. Filing for an extension will give you an extra six months to get your paperwork together, but any taxes you owe are due now. On the other hand, if you know you’ll be receiving a refund, it makes perfect sense to bite the bullet and get those tax papers together now.

According to an article in USA Today, “…the impact on the U.S. economy when about $230 billion in tax refunds starts hitting the streets in March, April and May is so great that it’s known as the ‘April problem.’”

“Although our business isn’t too sensitive to tax refund time, we do see a small up tick in Dallas luxury car rentals around the time tax checks start arriving,” says DFW Elite Auto Rental.com GM Tom Warren.

“However, I’d say we do get some business for our fantasy car driving tours around tax time,” says Warren. A division of the Fort Worth-based rental car company organizes full day fantasy car driving tours. “Every year we have one or two people that decide this is their year to experience driving a Ferrari F430 and four other dream cars in a single day,” insists Warren.

Recently introduced standby ride along passes mean that a car enthusiast can get in the passenger seat for a dream car tour for far less than the full fare when seats are available on a drive your dream ticket. “It’s great for couples or as an anniversary or birthday gift for a car buff,” says the Dallas rental car executive. “The standby seats aren’t guaranteed, but if you happen to hit a tour that doesn’t fill up, they’re the fantasy car bargain of the century,” says Warren.

Check out tour dates, videos and pictures for recent DFW Drive Your Dream Tours on their website (www.dfwdriveyourdream.com)

The IRS website has a special note for taxpayers who do not usually need to file returns: “For tax year 2007 only, many taxpayers who would not normally need to file a federal income tax return will need to file one in order to ensure that they receive an Economic Stimulus Payment (commonly referred to as “rebate”).”

In other words, no file, no free money. Seems strange that folks that don’t normally file still can get money back. But why quibble when the government is buying support for incumbents during an election year stimulating the economy for the good of the common people?

Kate Miller-Wilson is a freelance writer living in the Twin Cities. Visit her website or email her for information about her freelance writing services. She is a regular contributor to our exotic car blogs.

The F2007 is the fifty third single-seater built by Ferrari specifically to compete in the Formula 1 World Championship.The project, known internally as the 658, represents the Scuderia’s interpretation of the technical regulations that apply for 2007, with changes principally concerning safety, through the introduction of more stringent front and rear crash tests and the addition of a composite material structure to provide lateral protection to the sides of the driver.

These modifications have led to a significant increase in the weight of the car, in the region of just under ten kilogrammes.The F2007 chassis has been significantly modified when compared to the 248 F1. The design was revised to accommodate a new front suspension that represents a major conceptual innovation, mainly in terms of aerodynamics. The shape of the side-pods and their openings are also revised, based on modifications to the cooling system, which also implies exits for the radiators on the upper part of the bodywork, while the engine air intake is also substantially different. The car has a longer wheelbase than its predecessor. The rear of the car is much narrower, taking advantage of the more sculpted shape of the gearbox housing, which again this year is made from carbon fibre. The gearbox itself, which is still mounted longitudinally, is fitted with an innovative quick-shift system (seven plus reverse). The rear suspension is similar to that on the 248 F1, but a significant development programme is planned in this area, in order to get the most out of the system, based on making progress in understanding the behaviour of the 2007 tyres. The front and rear aerodynamic configuration is also expected to change considerably before the start of the World Championship. The position of the rear view mirrors seen on the 2006 car remains unchanged and the same goes for the exhaust system.

Mix five parts Bentley, one part Bugatti, one part Ferrari, and stir. Then dump your $356,000 exotic down the drain. What you see here is a Bentley Continental GT featuring a Bugatti hood and horseshoe grille shoved between Audi Q7 headlights, with Ferrari-like rear end grafted on for good measure. LEW’s 100-horsepower boost for the Conti’s W-12 can’t outrun this car’s ugliness. Unveiled at the Essen motor show, the car-called Big Bang-will cost European buyers 270,000 euro, or approximately $356,000

After wrapping this beautiful Modena, a 360 Spider to be precise, into a lamp post at an intersection in Perth, Australia you begin to wonder about the which side of the road you should be driving on. By the looks of things, it was just the front end that was wrapped around the pole, while the rest of the car looks fine. But there’s bound to be some structural damage to the 360’s aluminum frame, and you can try to fix that, but she’ll never be the same.