Project Car Hell, Fun With Fastback Fiats Edition: Dino or 128 SL Coupe?

Welcome to Project Car Hell, where you choose your eternity by selecting the project that's the coolest... and the most hellish! Let's celebrate Fiat's triumphant return to North America! More »

Nice Price Or Crack Pipe: The $15,000 Fiat Dino?

Unsurprisingly, 82% of readers felt that $433 was a truly righteous price for a ready-to-go LeMons-winning BMW 535i. However, we can't stop thinking about Fiat, so that means we're going to look at one now. More »

PCH, Rootes Group Challenges The Prancing Horse: Sunbeam Venezia or Ferrari 308 GT4?

Welcome to Project Car Hell, where you choose your eternity by selecting the project that's the coolest... and the most hellish! You want an exotic European Hell Project, do you? Well, who doesn't?
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Backyard Ferrari Of The Day: 1980 Crypto-Porschrarri Dino

You Ferrari fanciers have no doubt been pointing and hooting at the Fauxborghinis of last week's Backyard Lambo Of The Day series. Not so fast, signore! We're going to follow up that series with some Fauxrraris, cars that offend the purists just as much as they impress the rest of us with their low-buck (and sometimes not-so-low-buck) ingenuity. Today's car is a sort of Mystery Fauxrrari out of Washington state…

Vintage Racer Killed In High-Speed Crash At Mosport Raceway

This weekend weekend of bad motorsports keeps getting worse. Yesterday, Scott Kalitta. Today, Dino Crescentini, a ten-year veteran of vintage racing, died at Mosport International Raceway in Bowmanville, Ontario, when the Wolf Dallara Can-Am car he was driving — a car once owned by Canadian industrialist and Formula One team owner Walter Wolf and driven in the 1977 Can-Am Series by the legendary Canadian Gilles Villeneuve — apparently went sideways at very high speed. Crescentini was participating in a race as part of the 29th International Vintage Racing Festival at the track. Inspector Paul Hamilton of the Durham Regional Police tells us

"...[the driver] was heading northbound from corner six at Mosport. After this corner is a long straightaway and at some point his vehicle became airborne at an extremely high rate of speed and rolled end-over-end. The driver was transported to Bowmanville hospital where he succumbed to his injuries."

An at-the-scene account from tipster John below the jump: More »

Baby Ferrari F149 Dino California GT Or Whatever Caught In Action At Fiorano

You've already heard about the upcoming baby Ferrari. A lot. Though we're not sure if it'll be called Dino, F149, California GT, or something else. What we do know is that we're told we can expect it to expose itself in about two weeks. And now, we may also know what it looks and sounds like in motion around Ferrari's Fiorano test track. Is that a V8 we hear screaming through the tailpipes?[YouTube via autoblog.nl]

Ferrari F149 Makes Photographic Debut... in Two Weeks?

The rumor mill has been churning at full froth lately over a possible new model from the shops of Maranello and Modena. One set of reports calls it a Ferrari Dino, another calls it the California GT and as of late, the third option is the Ferrari F149. Whatever it ends up being, Topspeed is reporting images of the new car will hit the web in just two weeks time. This means some outlets must have embargoed pictures — which means we'll probably be showing you shots later today after somebody jumps the gun and spills them all over upon seeing a story up saying the words "Ferrari F149." We all know how itchy those trigger fingers can become. But until then, we'll just have to be content to peek again at the spy photos of the Ferrari F149 / Dino / California Dreaming / Whatever and the knowledge that something is on it's way. We think.

New Ferrari Dino Breadvan Caught Testing

You love it, you hate it. The possibility of a front-engined V8-powered Ferrari "Dino" seems potentially sacrilegious, yet quite titillating. We're not exactly sure what to think about the new baby from Maranello. The idea of a smaller, more attainable Ferrari is fine with us, but we usually associate the "Dino" name with a mid-engined V6 model. Actually nobody is really sure what the car will be called. We don't even know if the car will be built by Ferrari in Maranello, or outsourced to Maserati in Modena. It's speculated the sales goal will be 4000 units of the new car. Either way, if it keeps the current breadvan profile of this current test mule caught by the advice giving Aussies at CarAdvice, we're all for them calling it whatever they want to. Mmm... breadvan. More »

Possible Ferrari Dino Spied At Track, On Toy Store Shelves

We keep being told there's no plans for a Ferrari Dino in the future and no cars are in the works. Info like that flies in the face of suspiciously Ferrari Dino-shaped cars on dynos and today's fresh Ferrari mule running around a test track. World Car Fans is running a spy photo of what is either a shocking new shooting brake, or a very heavily camouflaged Ferrari. Speculation puts the car as a platform mate of the Maserati GranTourismo on a diet and sporting V8 power. Guess we'll just have to wait for the Paris Motor Show and see what the new car looks like and what it will be called. Or we could head over to Toys R'Us. World Car Fans is also reporting... More »

Mystery Ferrari Mule Spotted In Maranello

OK, we're flummoxed. We've no idea what the heck this Ferrari is that was spotted outside of the R&D center of the prancing horse in Maranello. We're guessing it's a powertrain mule — but of what kind and what purpose, we've not got the foggiest idea. We're wondering if y'all — or perhaps the nice people at FerrariChat might be willing to hazard a guess as to the identity of the mystery mule. Full spy report from our magical tipster Kevin Welker (who knows a thing or two about the sound of an engine) after the jump and higher-res shot located here. More »

Kennedy's Jensen FF?

Our good buddy Kennedy (see here) just signed a mega-bucks deal with Warner Brothers and took off to England in search of fame, fortune and what have you. Is he buying hot cars with his millions? Probably not, as the American dollar is worth like half a farthing these days. Regardless, if you're going to front as a jet setting, white boy pimp, we can think of few better cars to vamp with than an AWD Interceptor. One of the rides we can think of just happens to be after the jump. More »

Lamborghini's Dino Fighter: The Embolado

Calm down, calm down. It's just a design student's concept. But what a friggin' concept! Looking precisely 317% more like a fighter jet than Lambo's Reventon mega car, the Embolado was penned by the same design student (Luca Serafini) that whipped up one of the niftier not-endorsed-by-FerrariDino concepts. Embolado means, "bull in balls," which apparently has something to do with sticking flaming balls on the end of bulls' horns and letting them run wild in the streets. Sounds insane good to us! Does Lamborghini need a Dino fighter? Ask Ferrari. More »

The Design Story of Dino: Berlinetta Prototipo Competizione

With all the talk of Ferrari's "new Dino," a moniker attributed to a massive game of telephone among media types, it's a fine time to dig into the original Dino's history. Pretend it's 1967 (baby), and Pininfarina had just unveiled the Ferrari Dino Berlinetta Prototipo Competizione at the Frankfurt motor show. The working prototype and design study was based on the Ferrari Dino 206 S and expressed the penmanship of 23-year-old designer Paolo Martin. That car was antecedent to the production 206GT, the first of Ferrari's sub-V12 cars to be badged Dino in honor of Enzo's late son Alfredo "Alfredino" Ferrari, who died in 1956 of complications from muscular dystrophy. The name continued as a separate Ferrari brand until 1976, when the Dino 308 GT4 was given a Ferrari badge. But the Berlinetta Prototipo Competizione still stands as an iconic late-'60s exotic — gull-wing doors, bubble top and all. [Car Body Design]

Ferrari "Dino" Test Mule, on Video

This "new Dino" business is becoming just a bit tedious, to say the least. It's obvious something's out there, despite denials from Fiat's top count, Luca Cordero di Montezemolo. Word is, the "Dino" will be built mainly on Maserati hardware, and possibly at Maserati's plant. Will it be a Ferrari, a relaunched Dino, or a Maserati? Only the count knows for sure. [World Car Fans]

Strange Ferrari 612 Scaglietti Spotted Provides Us Opportunity For Endless Speculation

The Italian stallions of Autoblog.it happened to snag some shots of a very odd looking Ferrari 612 Scaglietti near the Maranello Ferrari factory. There's potentially some very weird stuff going on under the hood there if those odd-looking hood bulges are to be believed. Perhaps it's a facelift for the 612 Scag, or it could be it's an test mule for a Dino powerplant, or maybe even the new twin-turbo engine we've heard rumored will be under the hood of the next Enzo. Or maybe it's just an engine upgrade for the big V12. Whatever it is, there be strange things afoot in the stables of the prancing ponies. We'll keep our eyes peeled for any new developments. [Autoblog.it, and for added English fun - the Babelfish translation]

Retroconcept Vinci Sport, A Portuguese Dino

Portugal probably isn't the first country that comes to mind when you think of exotic sports cars. Engineering concern CEIIA and designer Ernestos Frietas are trying to change that. Reminiscent of a Dino 206 GT, the Retroconcept Vinci Sport shares the Dino's diminutive proportions, mid-engine layout and overall profile. Additional references like the hood nostrils, headlights, and air intakes are clearly Dino-inspired but brought up to date with modern materials and forms. The Vinci Sport makes extensive use of carbon fiber in both the chassis and body. [Via Car Body Design] More »

I Voted No on the 250 GTO

While the Loverman and I agree on a great many things and have quite possibly slept with too many of the same women (all before we knew each other), now and then there is a great schism. DAF vs. FAF, Evo vs. WRX. Killdozer vs. Dave Matthews. Okay, so the last one was a complete and utter lie. But the 250 GTO is one of the only Jalopnik Fantasy Garage cars I've ever voted down. And it sounds like insanity, even to me. More »

Miniature Maserati, Maybe?

The Internets are a flurry! Last month we referred to a potential potential Maserati GranTurismo Spyder with a retractable hardtop. That story was based on speculation from Edmunds. Then came word the same vehicle, sans much of its cladding and caught on a dynometer, was in fact a Ferrari Dino. However, the tulip tiptoeing dudes at Autoblog.nl noticed something pretty important. The heavily camoed mystery ride sports a wheelbase about two feet shorter than the big-daddy GranTurismo. And Ferrari has been in Dino-denying mode for the past half-decade. The Dutch Autobloggers are claiming this mule is an entirely new vehicle, slated to slot into the line up as the entry-level Maserati. If that's the case, we say bring it on. By the way, next week we'll let you know that this car is actually the new Fiat Topolino. [Autoblog.nl]

Ferrari Group Hug: A Non-Dino Dino Takes Shape

[UPDATE: The Dino tribute in question isn't the work of Mr. van den Brink. It's by Ernesto Freitas, he of Luso Motors based in Guimarães, northern Portugal. Dino love knows no international borders. The project is a spin-off of a thread Mr. van den Brink started on Ferrarichat. His real baby is the GTO.] Maybe you've already answered our question of the day. But what's the deal with that Dino in the picture, you ask? Dutch designer Michiel van den Brink, artiste behind the Spyker D12, is on a mission to create the a new Dino a reality, with or without Ferrari's help. His year-long project culminated recently in a model for an updated, mid-engine coupe, whose creation has been the subject of a thread on Ferrarichat since 2006. The model takes cues from Pininfarina's latest Ferrari designes, and even references the mid-'60s Ford Mustang Fastback. The goal is to put the faux Dino into limited production. Though we're not sure how close they are, or what'll happen when Ferrari releases its own update of the V6-powered classic — which we've heard is in the pipeline despite the company's vehement denials. But working on an enthusiast-driven project isn't the worst way to spend 12 months, and could be a model for a Wikisupercar of the future. [via Autoblog.nl]

Do We Really Want An Entry Level Ferrari?

And does Ferrari need the headache? We're all for more Ferraris, but is downmarket the right way to go? Chevy's Z06 already has pwnage on the F430 in terms of raw, thrusting juju and costs $100,000 less. Should the Dino get actualized, it will (obviously) have less to say on the track than its beefier, brawnier sibling. And its guestimated price point of of $100,0000 to $120,000 aims it squarely at another also ran, the Aston Martin V8 Vantage. Why also ran? Because those are the waters that the Porsche Turbo patrols, and to a lesser extent Audi's R8. Ginsu knives, no matter how shiny, don't play at a gun fight. But that's what we think. How about you? More »

All the Prospective Dinos: A Compendium of Ferrari Spec Designs

Ferrari continues to disavow development of a new, entry-level "Dino" model to compete with the 911 and its ilk. But vehement denials haven't prevented acres of page inches devoted to speculating on what such a beast might look like. The product of so-called "Project California," was most recently reported as in play by the UK's sometimes overenthusiastic Auto Express. Whether or not such a car is in the pipeline, Car Body Design compiled some of the spec designs printed in various scoop-claiming publications. We had a chuckle at AE's Ferrari-as-Porsche-Cayman entry, though the InfoMotori design could be very nice indeed. – Mike Spinelli More »

More Details On The Possible World Record Ferrari Party At Silverstone

We told you last month about Ferrari's attempt to set a new Guinness World Record for the "Largest Parade of Ferrari Cars" this upcoming weekend at Silverstone, the historic former air base turned racetrack in the UK. We've now received (via press release) the following list of expected Ferrari entries:

* 20+ pre-1973 V12s, including two 250 GT SWB, a 250 GTO and a 275 GTB/C, as well as several Daytonas, 250 GT Lussos and even a 330 GT

More »

A N.A.R.T. Le Mans 308 GT4? Yes!

Holy wow. Extra wow. Wow with T ng t Sriacha sauce! Wow with an added dose of Old Man Chinetti. In 1974, this 308 GT4 was a factory entry from Modena at Le Mans in the Group 5 class. The next year, Luigi Chinetti brought it back, but yanked the whole North American Racing Team from the competition due to a political disagreement with ACO officials. Some folks look at the GT4 in the same way they view the Porsche 914. Not us. Not quite the sex machine the O.G. Dino was, and not the swooping pants-dropper the Pininfarina-penned GTB and GTS were, it nevertheless rocks the angular '70s-Bertone styling well, and in race trim, it simply looks as if it has come to beat you. Hard. Plus, unlike the GTS and GTB, the gas gauge read "Benzina." Too bad it placed 38th during its only outing in the Sarthe due to engine failure. – Davey G. Johnson More »

Ferrari Duplicity: Dino Si, Dino No

The duplicity of information between Ferrari and the media that report on it, regarding the prospective entry-level Dino model, is truly epic. With each source that allegedly leaks enough info to feed the Photoshop machine comes return fire from company reps that there's no such car in the works. The latest news from the backchannels is that the new, V8-powered Ferrari 420 Dino was greenlit in September, and will go on sale in 2010. But just last week in a press conference at the Los Angeles auto show the company issued a flat denial that the Dino, if it did exist, was for public consumption. While we search the middle for truth, check out what AutoExpress has to say about the spec image (above), for which someone likely raided a Porsche Cayman press kit to create. – Mike Spinelli More »

LA Auto Show: Ferrari Not Building Dino

This just in from the Ferrari press conference. Ferrari is not, they repeat not building a Dino for public consumption, leaving the F430 as what's still the lowest rung on a line whose barrier to entry is getting higher with every passing year. But may we direct you to this fine children's costume, which could conceivably provide hours of amusement for both child and adult? Only $29.99! – Davey G. Johnson More »

Ferrari's Dino Back on the Table for Real?

Automotive news is talking about the new entry-level Ferrari project as if it's a done deal. According to the paper, Ferrari's got a V8-powered, Porsche 911-challenging hardtop convertible (with 2+2 seating) in the works. It'll hit Europe in 2008 and the US the subsequent year. And that's not the only new model in the pipeline, AN says. Another, presumably more expensive 2+2 coupe is under consideration for early next decade, right after a late-decade redesign of the F430. By then, we'd imagine Alfa Romeo will have begun its return to American, Maserati will have launched its next-gen coupes, and all will be right with the Italo-American automotive universe. We'll see. More »