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Europe’s economic problems sees UK become biggest Ferrari market in Europe

The Ferrari F12 (pictured) helped Ferrari to strong profits in the first half of 2013 The economic crisis in the Eurozone has seen Ferrari’s sales in countries like Italy and Spain plummet, and Greece managed just one sale in 2012 (and even that came to the UK). But Ferrari have a plan to keep profitability by limiting supply and achieving stronger revenues for the sale they do make – with stuff like Ferrari’s bespoke Atelier and Tailor Made services and Classiche work adding more revenue – to keep them powering forward, and it seems to be working despite poor sales in many European countries. In fact, despite an increase of just 2.8 per cent in volume, Ferrari has managed to increase their profits in the first six months of 2013 by an impressive 20 per cent, with total sales of 3,767 and net profits of €1.22 million.

One Lap of the Web:1966 Chevrolet Chevelle, Ferrari replicas and the Scion FR-S vs. the Ford Focus ST

We spend a lot of time on the Internet -- pretty much whenever we're not driving, writing about or working on cars. Since there's more out there than we'd ever be able to cover, here's our daily digest of car stuff on the Web you may not otherwise have heard about. -- Join the crew from Drive as they take an in-depth look at the 1966 Chevrolet Chevelle.

First production Pontiac Aztek hits eBay

The Pontiac Aztek may be the most hated American car in the history of American cars, which is really saying something. But lately, it's begun to acquire the kind of appeal that has made other oddballs -- such as the AMC Pacer and Ford Pinto -- beloved collectibles among a certain segment of the car community. Hell, we were just cruising eBay for Azteks the other day.

Register now for the 2013 Interior Motives Design Awards ceremony

Registration is now open to attend the glamorous Interior Motives Design Awards 2013 ceremony at Moon 13 (formerly The Cocoon Club) in Frankfurt on 9 September, the eve of the first Frankfurt motor show press day. The finalists will be revealed in front of some of the most influential figures in car design, while partygoers will be able to view the projects in person and relax over a drink and food with their colleagues. Awards will be given in the following eight categories: Best eco interior Best use of technology Best innovative interior Best ergonomics Best conceptual interior Best production interior Best conceptual exterior Best artistic visualization The winner of each category receives $500 in prize money, and one student (or group of students) will walk away with the accolade of Interior Motives Student Designer of the Year, which carries with it a prize of $5,000.

Mini Vision concept: what does it say about the brand's future?

The sight of Mini design head Anders Warming presenting a holographic, 3D projection of the Mini Vision concept as if appearing in his own cartoon was certainly a new one on us, but it captured the quirky, slightly left-field image the subsidiary of BMW Group has cultivated since its relaunch 13 years ago. As the 'Vision' tag suggests, this is billed as a marker of intent for the brand's future design direction rather than a pre-production teaser of the new Mini hatchback (Cooper in most markets) we'll see later this year. However if the third-generation 'new' Mini doesn't look remarkably similar we'd be amazed, such is the level of productionized detailing on this purely digital model.

Is this the first 2014 Corvette Stingray crash?

The photo quality isn't great, but what you see before you may be the first multicar accident involving a new 2014 Corvette Stingray, and what appears to be a second-gen Lincoln Town Car. Chevy also had a single-car Corvette incident in Arizona back in February. Shot in Madison Heights, Mich., the new Stingray pictured is part of Chevrolet's captive test fleet judging by the manufacturer license plate.

Lamborghini Gallardo LP 570-4 Squadra Corse. It’s the final, final Gallardo. Probably.

Lamborghini Gallardo LP 570-4 Squadra Corse (pictured) will debut at Frankfurt We did think Lamborghini had come to the end of the road with the Gallardo ahead of an all new Gallardo arriving in 2014, but they have one more trick up their sleeves to milk the last drop out of the most successful car in Lamborghini’s history – the Gallardo LP 570-4 Squadra Corse. The Squadra Corse is, in effect, a road-going version of the tgrack Super Trofeo – as was the Blancpain and the Gallardo LP570-4 Super Trofeo Stradale – but this looks certain to be the last of the Gallardos. The Squadra Corse gets plenty of input from the Super Trofeo, with a carbon fibre rear wing, carbon ceramic brakes and a carbon fibre, removable, engine cover.

Lotus to create 100 new jobs (2013)

Lotus is bouncing back from the five-car plan debacle that saw its CEO Dany Bahar dismissed for professional misconduct, and an ambitious plot to launch a Porsche-slaying five-car range go up in smoke without so much a test mule spy shot. The Norfolk-based outfit has announced today the creation of 103 new jobs to meet rising demand not just for its cars, but the brand’s legendary car set-up skills too. It follows a £100m investment from parent DRB-HICOM earlier in 2013.

Lamborghini Gallardo Squadra Corse (2013) at Frankfurt motor show

Wave goodbye to the Lamborghini Gallardo forever with this final special edition: the Gallardo LP570-4 Squadra Corse. Forget the previous Superleggera and Super Trofeo Stradale models: the Gallardo Squadra Corse is the most track-focused, hardcore Gallardo ever, and marks the end of a mammoth decade-long lifespan for Sant’Agata’s baby V10 supercar. Gallardo Squadra Corse – Italian for ‘big wing on the back?’ No, though granted the wing will catch your eye first.

MG 3 arrives in the UK next month – price from £8399

All the UK models of the new MG 3 (pictured) will cost under £10k MG revealed the UK MG 3 back in June as their design centre in Birmingham, and it’s not a terrible looking thing – at least from some angle. But whether the relatively low tech and the implication that this is the rebirth of MG Motors will be enough to persuade UK buyers in remains in doubt. What will help is a relatively modest entry point, and the MG3 is starting at £8,399 when it goes on sale in the UK in September.

2014 Ford F-150 receives CNG/LPG fuel option

Ford will be offering a 2014 Ford F-150 that can run on compressed natural gas and liquid petroleum gas. This will make the Ford F-150 the only half-ton pickup offered in the U.S. market that can run on CNG and LPG.

Alfa Romeo 4C to serve as official safety car at World Superbike Championship

The 2014 Alfa Romeo 4C will serve as the official safety car at the 2013 World Superbike Championship, which will be taking place at Silverstone this weekend. The last time Alfa Romeo fans got a glimpse of the 4C was just a couple weeks ago at the Goodwood Festival of Speed , but at Silverstone the car will be wearing a stylish white matte livery with red, white, and green colors from the Italian flag on its roof and hood. Alfa Romeo is no stranger to the world of bike racing, having sponsored a number of events in the past.

Enthusiast 3D prints an Aston Martin DB4

New Zealand enthusiast Ivan Sentch is in the process of 3D printing a 1961 Aston Martin DB4. Engadget reports that he bought a $499 Solidoodle 3D printer and has been working on this project since December 2012. Using a Nissan Skyline as a donor car, he'll make a fiberglass mold of the print and hopefully transform this thing into a drivable, street-legal car for a fraction of the cost of an authentic DB4.

Ferrari ups profits while cutting production (2013) CAR report

Eyebrows were raised in May 2013 when Ferrari chairman Luca di Montezemolo confirmed to a group of journalists, including CAR’s own Ben Barry, that the illustrious supercar maker wanted to slow its production rate and sell fewer cars in 2013. The strange-sounding order was decreed to help the brand retain its exclusivity, yet despite the gastric band on output, the Ferrari boss insisted profits could be upped. Impossible?

Jaguar readying SUV for Frankfurt motor show

While the next new Jaguar model slated for dealerships is a BMW 3-series fighter rumored to be called the XS, Autoweek sources have confirmed the company will also be showing an SUV at the Frankfurt motor show in September. Likely to be named XQ or Q-type, the Jaguar SUV is expected to ride on a version of the XS platform (itself a variation on the aluminum XJ architecture) rather than share a platform with a Land Rover product. Slated for 2016 production, the new Jaguar XQ SUV will share some powertrain technology with Land Rover, specifically the Ford I-4 engines from the Evoque.

Karmann-Ghia Coupé redesigned by Brazilian students

The winners of the Karmann-Ghia Brazilian student competition to design a modern interpretation of its classic Volkswagen Karmann-Ghia Coupé have been revealed. Over almost 60 years the German-Italian company has become an important supplier of car bodies and tooling in Brazil, but the market has lacked a model carrying the Karmann-Ghia badge since the '70s. The original coupé, which inspired the contest, was launched in Brazil in 1962 and remained in the market for 10 years before it was replaced by the Volkswagen SP – considered the first car completely developed in the country.

BMW's quirky new i3

The side view of the new BMW i3 electric vehicle takes some getting used to, with no two windows the same size or shape. The i3 is high-waisted through the front door and then there's a notch for a taller rear-passenger window and the rear-hinged rear door and a narrow, tapering window at the rear quarter. Yet when you look at the underlying structure -- made of carbon-fiber-reinforced plastic -- an innovative choice for a mass-produced car -- there's a giant side opening from front to rear.

One Lap of the Web: 2014 Corvette Stingray walk-around, RM Auctions and a 1964 Volvo PV544

We spend a lot of time on the Internet -- pretty much whenever we're not driving, writing about or working on cars. Since there's more out there than we'd ever be able to cover, here's our daily digest of car stuff on the Web you may not otherwise have heard about. -- We recently drove the ’14 Corvette Stingray and were extremely impressed with its agility.

Bonneville broadcast will add pepper to the salt

If you've ever been to Bonneville during Speed Week, you know what a thrilling corner of the motorsports world the place occupies: standing out on the endless, blazing-white expanse of salt, hearing the cars before you see them, seeing first the roostertail of salt rocketed into the air, then the tallest part of the rear fin, then the car itself, blasting over the curvature of the Earth, followed by engine cutoff, popping chutes, deceleration and the giddy celebration of driver and crew as yet another record falls. But most people -- those with jobs, kids, responsibilities (where are your priorities, people???) -- will never get a chance to go. So this year, the Southern California Timing Association has made a deal to broadcast audio of the entire Speed Week live, as it happens, direct from the salt, on the fabulous internet.

Jaguar XKR-S GT IS coming to the UK – just 10 available

The Jaguar XKR-S GT (pictured at Goodwood FoS) will be available in the UK At the New York Auto Show in the spring, the Jaguar XKR-S GT was revealed as a track inspired, but road legal, version of the XKR-S to be sold in limited numbers and only for the US market. At first we thought the XKR-S GT was destined for both the US and UK, but it quickly became clear that Jaguar intended their XKR-S GT just for the US. Which seemed a shame.

Flavio Manzoni on the design secrets of the Ferrari LaFerrari [w/Video]

Flavio Manzoni has explained the secrets behind the design of the LaFerrari hypercar in an interview with Autocar's Steve Sutcliffe. Ferrari's design chief, speaking at the Ferrari Museum in Maranello, talks of how the LaFerrari was designed to manifest the future of Ferrari and mark a milestone in the design process. Presentations of four 1:1 scale models adorn the walls of the room kept exclusively for project LaFerrari, although there were five initial presentations – three from Ferrari and two from Pininfarina.

Spyker B6 Venator Spyder concept to debut at Pebble Beach

The Spyker B6 Venator Spyder Pebble (B6 Coupe pictured) looks to be heading for a debut at Pebble Earlier this year we managed to trawl through the rather dry annual report from Spyker and discovered that plans were afoot for a Spyder version of the B6 Ventador Concept we first saw at the Geneva Motor Show in March. We managed to follow that up with the news that we’d heard a convincing whisper that Spyker were planning to give the Venator Spyder a full public debt at Frankfurt in September, but ahead of that would reveal the B6 Spyder to attendees at this year’s Salon Prive first. That whisper has now been given additional credence with a report from Autoblog that a voice in Spyker has revealed that the B6 Venator Spyder will actually get its first outing at Pebble Beach in less than three weeks.

Jaguar XKR-S GT to cost £135k (2013)

Jaguar has caved in to customer demand for its hardcore XKR-S GT model, and has announced it’ll sell ten right-hand drive examples to UK customers. The confirmation follows a commitment to allocate 25 to the USA and five to Canada earlier in 2013. How much will I have to pay to put a Jaguar XFR-S GT on my UK driveway?

Subaru BRZ: Increased supply for UK market

There will be more Subaru BRZs (pictured) in the UK The Toyota GT86, and it’s Subaru BRZ sibling, have been a big hit in the UK, and around the world, with lovers of (almost affordable) sports cars that aren’t overloaded by tech and weight. But until now the BRZ version of the Japanese sports car has been in reactively short supply as Toyota takes the vast majority of production to fill its customers needs, but for those who’d prefer to take the slightly left-field BRZ route, there’s good news. Subaru has announced that they are increasing the supply of BRZs in to the UK market which means car buyers with a hankering should now be able to get a new BRZ in 2-6 weeks (depending on spec and colour).

Volkswagen launches Car-Net in-car assistance system

Volkswagen has launched an in-car assistance system which will offer a number of convenience and diagnostic features. Not too dissimilar from some other systems already on the market -- such as BMW Assist, Mercedes-Benz'sMbrace, and GM's On-Star -- VW's system will offer roadside assistance, service appointment scheduling, and automatic crash notification. The latter triggers a call from the vehicle to a Car-Net customer specialist when the airbags in the car are deployed, which will then connect the occupants with a local public safety answering point, which can send emergency vehicles to the scene if needed.

2014 Jeep Cherokee delayed?

Chrysler Group late today took the unusual step of postponing a planned media drive of the 2014 Jeep Cherokee scheduled for early next month but vowed that "vehicles will still be in showrooms in September." The media event -- in which waves of national and foreign journalists were to gather in Seattle between Aug. 8 and 14 to drive the Cherokee for the first time -- was delayed until at least the first half of September, according to an email from the automaker. "Over the last couple of weeks during final quality and durability testing, we have discovered the opportunity to further improve powertrain calibration" in the Cherokee, the company said.

One Lap of the Web: Lamborghini Sesto Elemento, Steve McQueen's cars and more Google Glass

-- Behold the Leyland Force 7V, 4.4 liters of V8 Australian power. Out of 56 built in 1974, only 10 survived after the company went kaput. Check out more pictures and info of Leyland Australias over at Jalopnik.

Ford Energi drivers use all-electric mode 60 percent of the time

Ford has noticed quite a few interesting things by researching how owners use their Ford plug-in hybrids. It appears that Ford owners are driving their hybrids in electric mode nearly 60 percent of the time, using their cars' 21 miles of gas-free all-electric range. This figure contrasts quite a bit with the 41 percent of all-electric drive time earlier in the year, demonstrating that winter driving patterns differ quite a bit from summer driving.

Court order BANS publication of VW’s Luxury car security codes

Bentley is just one of VW’s marques whose security has been compromised There have been plenty of stories around in recent years of car makers’ security systems being easily hacked by spotty boys with a laptop, and now a scientist at Birmingham University has cracked VW’s Megamos Crypto system that protects cars like Bentley and Porsche. Flavia Garcia has cracked the code that transmits between VW’s luxury cars – like Bentleys and Porsches – and the key fob, which potentially fatally compromises VW’s security. Garcia had planned to publish his paper on the fatal flaws in the Megamos Crypto system at the Usenix Security Symposium in Washington next month, but a judge has put the kybosh on that.

Who's Where: Christopher Weil becomes head of Mini exterior design, Marcus Syring head of Rolls-Royce exteriors

An internal reshuffle in Munich has seen Christopher Weil appointed head of exterior design for Mini, replacing Marcus Syring who takes up a similar position at Rolls-Royce. The changes see Weil return to Munich after just over a year as director of automotive design at BMW DesignworksUSA in LA. His portfolio includes the BMW 328 Hommage, F30 3 Series, 5 Series GT, current 7 Series and 4 Series.