Ford Launches New Transit Custom in Sport Van Trim

European buyers interested in the new FordTransit Custom will soon have one more selection available in the options list, as starting from early next year, the Blue Oval will offer the Sport Van grade that includes an assortment of cosmetic goods to spice up its appearance.

The new trim level is available only with the short wheelbase, but consumers have a choice of six metallic finishes, named Panther Black, Atlantic Blue, Moondust Silver, Midnight Sky Grey, Stratosphere Blue and Titanium Gray.

The Transit Custom Sport Van’s bumpers, mirrors, door handles and side moldings are all painted in the body color, while Ford adds racing stripes on the bonnet and the bumper, plus new 18-inch wheels wrapped in low-profile tires size 235/50.

In the cockpit, the Sport Van model features part leather seats, an armrest in black leather, the Ford SYNC voice-controlled connectivity system, and an audio system with DAB radio as standard equipment.

Under the hood of the front-wheel drive model is Ford’s 2.2-liter Duratorq TDCi diesel engine producing 153hp (114kW / 155PS) and a peak torque of 385Nm (284 lb-ft).

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Rare 1973 Dino 246 GTS up for Auction

Exceptionally desirable “chairs and flares” Dino part of RM Auctions consigment for Arizona next month.

These days every Ferrari features either a V8 or a V12, but that wasn’t always the case. When racing homologation mandated Ferrari produce a V6, that’s just what it did, and in addition to its Formula II racers, it was placed inside the Dino. Technically not a Ferrari, the Dino represented an additional model line separate from Maranello’s principal range of eight- and twelve-cylinder sportscars, bearing the name of Enzo Ferrari’s late son. What we have here is one of the most desirable examples.

Following the initial run of just 100 Dino 206 GTs, Ferrari upped the engine capacity and lengthened the wheelbase to create the Dino 246 GT. This, however, is a 246 GTS, one of only 1,000 targa-topped roadster versions. Further setting chassis 05720 apart from other Dinos is the rare combination of original equipment with which it was specified from the factory. Its wider Campagnola wheels necessitated enlarged fender flares, while inside it was fitted with the desirable Daytona-style bucket seats and air conditioning – one of just 92 examples so equipped.

Powered by a 190-horsepower, 2.4-liter V6 with triple Weber carbs and a five-speed manual, this 246 GTS has just undergone a comprehensive restoration, stripping the Pininfarina bodywork down to bare metal and respraying it in its original yellow, reupholstering the cockpit and rechroming the trim. RM Auctions anticipates it will fetch upwards of $400,000 when the gavel drops in Arizona next month. (Photos by Khiem Pham courtesy of RM Auctions.

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Ferrari to Reveal 458 Monte Carlo in Frankfurt

As soon as Ferrari unveiled the 458 Italia, we knew it would only be a matter of time until it got the Scuderia treatment. That time could be coming at the Frankfurt show in September.

Ferrari claims the 458 Italia laps the Fiorano test track at the same 1:25 as the older 430 Scuderia (just a tenth of a second off the Enzo’s pace, incidentally), but the Prancing Horse marque looks to up the game yet again when it unveils the hardcore version of the 458. Tipped to be called the Monte Carlo after the Mediterranean city that hosts the Monaco Grand Prix, the ultimate 458 is expected to follow the same formula as the Scuderia and the 360 Challenge Stradale before it by stripping excess weight and adding a touch more power.

The latest word on the street is that the 458 Monte Carlo will be unveiled at the Frankfurt Motor Show this coming September following closed-doors previews for select customers and dealers in August. To transform the 360 Modena into the Challenge Stradale and the F430 into the Scuderia, Ferrari cut about 220 lbs off the curb weight and added 15-20 horsepower to the engine’s output. Using the same formula, the 458 Monte Carlo would weigh in at about 3,000 lbs and pack about 580 horsepower, although previous reports suggested the hardcore 458 could produce closer to 620 hp.

Speculation circulating the internet is that Ferrari could also ditch the dual-clutch transmission found in all its current models in favor of a lighter-weight, more track-focused single-clutch sequential gearbox. Whatever transmission, however much (or little) it weighs, however much power it packs and whatever it’s ultimately called, the 458 Monte Carlo ought to further the car’s performance – and drop that benchmark Fiorano lap time even further

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Ferrari Xezri Design Concept Sports Up and Wears its Competizione Costume

The Ferrari F40 had one, as did James Glickenhaus’s P4/5 coach built special, so why shouldn’t Samir Sadikhov’s award winning Xezri supercar design concept gain a Competizione Edition as well?

Along with the Cadillac C-Ville study that we showed you earlier this week, Sadikhov emailed us his vision of the Xezri Competizione Edition, which is the track-only racing version of his conceptual mid-engined supercar that finished in second place at the 2011 Ferrari World Design Contest.

The redesign brings in a new assortment of aero aids including a larger front splitter, fender vents, protruding side skirts, a roof scoop that extends to the new rear wing, a larger rear diffuser and different wheels.

Feel free to browse through the gallery of photos that you will find right after the jump.

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Capristo Opens Up a Window for Ferrari 458 Spider

If there was one thing you could change on the Ferrari 458 Spider, what would it be? Well, the answer to that question really depends on whom you ask, but for German tuner Capristo, which specializes on exhaust systems, it would be the open-top supercar’s engine cover.

You see, contrast to the 458 Italia Coupe that sports a window pane offering a clear view of the car’s high-revving V8 powerhouse, the Spider was designed with a regular vented hood.

Capristo solved the problem by designing a new engine cover made from lightweight carbon fiber that incorporates a window in the center and additional air outlets (four instead of three) laid on top of each other on either side.

The cost of the new custom-made hood is €9,800 or about US$12,800 and can be painted to match the car’s body color.

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