Latest news with #JohnElkann
The Drive
2 days ago
- Automotive
- The Drive
Ferrari's ‘Hypersail' Boat Looks Like Something out of Dune
The latest car news, reviews, and features. This week, Ferrari released plans to build an extremely expensive vehicle with no engine. Meet the Hypersail, a decidedly sinister-looking 100-foot sailing yacht. This won't be the kind of yacht you throw a party on—it's going to be built for speed. As for why this is happening, an article on Ferrari's site states that the idea is to 'broaden Ferrari's racing identity, by pushing the Prancing Horse into another form of endurance competition.' Ferrari Executive Chairman John Elkann is quoted answering 'why' with, 'Because we couldn't not do it. When one looks at what drives Ferrari, it's about passion and competence at the service of the impossible.' Sounds like it boils down to 'because we wanted to,' which, sure, why not! This slightly abstract reveal video gives you a little more context on what we're talking about: I'll admit I don't know quite enough about boat racing to quickly understand if this tri-foil setup is better than existing foil systems (there are plenty of racing yachts using such a thing), but the basic idea is maximal hydrodynamics and velocity. Speed is a little different on the water, not just because it's measured in knots but also because what feels like a casual cruise in a car is absolutely ripping in a boat. America's Cup racing yachts will be in the 60 mph neighborhood at maximum attack. Ferrari has stated that its ultimate plan is to take this thing racing. 'Soon, watching the Prancing Horse unfold on the mainsail of its first sailing yacht will get fans' pulses racing as much as seeing a rossa cross the finish line of Le Mans first,' the brand posted. There are some lines in the press release about sharing learnings from the car side, but I don't know. I think somebody over there just wanted to try something different. The Ferrari Hypersail program is being run by Team Principal Giovanni Soldini, who will pick the sailors as well as direct the vessel's construction and planning. The yacht itself is being designed by French naval architect Guillaume Verdier. Ferrari Ferrari's building the thing in Italy and bringing in other nautical engineers and experts to see the project through, but maintains that it's an 'in-house' vehicle, not just a rebadged white-label boat from an already established nautical brand. As for its technological details, the Hypersail will be what's called a full foiling yacht. That means it will effectively 'fly' over the water—the hull itself will be up in the air while three little wings (the foils) will be in the water when it's underway. This is done to minimize drag—pushing through water takes a lot more oomph than pushing through air. The foil on the keel (a long protrusion at the bottom of a sailboat that helps steady it) is apparently uncommon; Ferrari says the Hypersail will be 'the world's first 100-foot monohull with a foil on the keel, designed to fly on three points of contact.' '…the use of a canting keel as the support for one of the foils, with the other two contact points being a foil on the rudder and, alternately, the two lateral foils,' Ferrari's release explains. For those of us who look at boats casually, 100 feet is quite a long vessel. I co-own a stinky old sailboat with some family members, and at about 25 feet, it's got room for a bedroom, bathroom, and kitchen inside. Looks like Ferrari's dispensing with the comfort-craft amenities, as, again, this vessel is built around racing. Ferrari also proudly proclaimed that the Hypersail boat, scheduled to be unveiled in its final form next year, will be entirely powered by wind and the sun (solar power). It has no combustion engine at all. Development cost and whether or not there will be a commercially available civilian version remain TBA. But if you wanted to go out and buy an America's Cup racing yacht right now, you'd need $8 to $10 million. And if you actually want to go racing, Outside Magazine once wrote 'It has been estimated that mounting a successful America's Cup campaign costs over $100 million.' I think I'll stick to local hillclimbs and track days. Got a tip? Drop us a line at tips@
CNA
3 days ago
- Automotive
- CNA
Sailing-Ferrari unveils Hypersail project led by Soldini
MARANELLO, Italy :Ferrari announced its entry into the world of sailing on Wednesday with a Hypersail project led by Italian yachtsman Giovanni Soldini that it said would blend racing tradition with technological innovation. The world's first 100-foot monohull ocean racing yacht with a foil on the keel has been designed by French naval architect Guillaume Verdier and is being built at an undisclosed location in Italy with a launch scheduled for 2026. "It perfectly aligns with Ferrari's tradition, drawing inspiration from our Hypercar, three-time winner of the 24 Hours of Le Mans," said Ferrari Chairman John Elkann. "Designing a yacht for offshore racing is perhaps the ultimate expression of endurance. Ferrari are Formula One's most glamorous and historic team, present since the start of the championship in 1950, but their more recent success has been at Le Mans where they have won the last three editions. Ferrari said the prototype yacht would have three points of contact to stabilise its flight, including a canting keel to support one of the foils, and would also be the first in the world to be entirely energy self-sufficient. Elkann ruled out any involvement in an America's Cup challenge, with the 2027 edition to be held in the southern city of Naples. "(The) America's Cup is regulated and this boat is thought to go beyond rules," he said. "This project gives us the chance to experiment in new areas." Ferrari gave no details about how much the project would cost, but Chief Financial Officer Antonio Picca Piccon said the investment was planned and there would be no substantial impact on capital expenditure. "The boat will be launched next year and then we'll start a debugging phase which will hopefully last a short time," Soldini told a news conference at Ferrari's Maranello headquarters. "It's obvious that we have quite a defined (time) goal, but the project is so complex that making it public today doesn't seem very wise. "There are a thousand things to put together. We'll definitely put the boat in the water in 2026 but I'm not making any commitments about what quarter." Soldini, a veteran of more than 30 years of solo and crewed ocean competition including two solo round-the-world races, said the aim was to keep the crew as small as possible - somewhere between eight and 12. Ferrari said 20 people were working full time on the project, with another 80-90 involved, and there would be some technology transfer from the sportscar side - mostly the F80 supercar unveiled last October. Neither Elkann nor Soldini were forthcoming about what competitions the flying monohull might enter. "Before setting sport (competition) targets, we want to finish what we're doing, developing the boat and bring it to sea. Then we'll see what we can and cannot do," said Soldini.
Reuters
3 days ago
- Automotive
- Reuters
Ferrari unveils Hypersail project led by Soldini
MARANELLO, Italy, June 25 (Reuters) - Ferrari announced its entry into the world of sailing on Wednesday with a Hypersail project led by Italian yachtsman Giovanni Soldini that it said would blend racing tradition with technological innovation. The world's first 100-foot monohull ocean racing yacht with a foil on the keel has been designed by French naval architect Guillaume Verdier and is being built at an undisclosed location in Italy with a launch scheduled for 2026. "It perfectly aligns with Ferrari's tradition, drawing inspiration from our Hypercar, three-time winner of the 24 Hours of Le Mans," said Ferrari Chairman John Elkann. "Designing a yacht for offshore racing is perhaps the ultimate expression of endurance. Ferrari are Formula One's most glamorous and historic team, present since the start of the championship in 1950, but their more recent success has been at Le Mans where they have won the last three editions. Ferrari said the prototype yacht would have three points of contact to stabilise its flight, including a canting keel to support one of the foils, and would also be the first in the world to be entirely energy self-sufficient. Elkann ruled out any involvement in an America's Cup challenge, with the 2027 edition to be held in the southern city of Naples. "(The) America's Cup is regulated and this boat is thought to go beyond rules," he said. "This project gives us the chance to experiment in new areas." Ferrari gave no details about how much the project would cost, but Chief Financial Officer Antonio Picca Piccon said the investment was planned and there would be no substantial impact on capital expenditure. "The boat will be launched next year and then we'll start a debugging phase which will hopefully last a short time," Soldini told a news conference at Ferrari's Maranello headquarters. "It's obvious that we have quite a defined (time) goal, but the project is so complex that making it public today doesn't seem very wise. "There are a thousand things to put together. We'll definitely put the boat in the water in 2026 but I'm not making any commitments about what quarter." Soldini, a veteran of more than 30 years of solo and crewed ocean competition including two solo round-the-world races, said the aim was to keep the crew as small as possible -- somewhere between eight and 12. Ferrari said 20 people were working full time on the project, with another 80-90 involved, and there would be some technology transfer from the sportscar side -- mostly the F80 supercar unveiled last October. Neither Elkann nor Soldini were forthcoming about what competitions the flying monohull might enter. "Before setting sport (competition) targets, we want to finish what we're doing, developing the boat and bring it to sea. Then we'll see what we can and cannot do," said Soldini.
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Business Standard
20-06-2025
- Automotive
- Business Standard
Fearing China rivals, Stellantis and Renault lobby EU for fewer rules
With Chinese automakers pushing into Europe, Stellantis and Renault are lobbying for a new, less-regulated category of small cars with fewer safety features, making them cheaper to build. Over the last two months, Stellantis Chairman John Elkann and Renault CEO Luca de Meo have engaged in a rare public campaign to get the European Union to consider the matter. The aim is to revive a small car segment largely abandoned by Europe's automakers as such models were unprofitable, a problem they blame on regulations that make the vehicles larger, heavier and more expensive. Elkann last week said Europe needs its own version of Japan's "kei cars", small, urban vehicles with size and engine restrictions that enjoy lower tax and insurance costs - which he said could be called the "e-car". "There's no reason why if Japan has a kei car, which is 40 per cent of the market, Europe should not have an e-car,' he said at an event in Turin, echoing similar comments in a joint editorial with Renault's de Meo published last month. Though de Meo is set to leave Renault in July, the company is expected to maintain its support for the proposal. 'Small cars are a pocket of growth one cannot, and must not, ignore right now,' said Francois Provost, Renault's director of procurement, partnerships, and public affairs. Chinese rivals have so far focused on larger EVs and hybrids in their bid for market share in Europe, but smaller EVs are on the way. The Dolphin Surf from China's BYD hit the market one month ago, priced from under 20,000 euros ($23,124) with features such as a rotating large touch screen and anti-steam rear mirrors. By comparison, the Renault 5, which is similar though can carry one more passenger, costs almost 5,000 euros more when similarly equipped. Facing that pressure, European manufacturers are examining the potential for cheaper cars to help them boost sales and achieve their CO2 targets, said Flavien Neuvy, auto analyst and head of research firm Cetelem. 'The market is down 20 per cent compared with 2019, so there is not enough volume for everyone, and the Chinese are coming,' he said. Though small cars currently account for just 5 per cent of the market, they made up as much as half the market in the 1980s, and the segment could rebound with more launches, said S&P Global, which estimates sales could reach 600,000 by 2030, up about 20 per cent from last year. The lobbying effort targets the EU's General Safety Regulations 2 (GSR2), which mandates safety features such as side airbags, sensors detecting whether a driver is falling asleep, lane-crossing warning, and more thorough crash tests. Such requirements and European rules on pollution add between 850 and 1,400 euros ($983-$1,607) to the cost of a car, estimates a source familiar with the lobbying. Lobbyists argue there is no need for safety requirements like those for high-speed collisions when it comes to small cars designed for city drivers. Backed by industry group the European Automobile Manufacturers Association (ACEA), they want an entirely new vehicle category called M0, or e-car. The European Commission is looking into the matter, said spokesperson Lea Zuber. Revamping requirements for smaller cars without compromising on safety will be complex and will not necessarily be implemented, said people familiar with the discussions. And whether less-regulated models could compete against Chinese EVs also remains to be seen. Matthew Avery, director of strategic development at Euro NCAP, which tests new cars for safety, said the idea that small city cars would not be involved in highway accidents is nonsense. The Chinese are bringing cars to Europe that consistently get five-star ratings from Euro NCAP, said Avery. Although its ratings do not carry legal weight, consumers take them into account and many corporate fleets will not buy cars with less than five stars. A change in regulations to cut some safety requirements could leave smaller European cars with two- or three-star ratings, Avery said. "If they want to, they can de-spec a car for safety," Avery said, but noted Euro NCAP's tests and safety ratings will remain unchanged. "Our job is just to say, well, this car is safer than that car." Emmanuel Bret, deputy head of BYD France, says the company will continue offering small cars that meet all current EU regulations and that blaming the bloc for making them unaffordable is just "a lot of excuses".
Yahoo
20-06-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Stellantis reportedly considering potential sale of luxury brand Maserati
-- Stellantis (NYSE:STLA) is exploring options for its luxury brand Maserati, including a possible sale, according to a Reuters report on Friday. The evaluation of Maserati's future began before incoming CEO Antonio Filosa's appointment last month, while Chair John Elkann was leading the company. Filosa starts his position on Monday. The viability assessment of Stellantis' 14 brands, which include Chrysler, Peugeot (OTC:PUGOY), Jeep, and Alfa Romeo, was a key focus for Elkann during the CEO selection process. In April, the automaker hired consulting firm McKinsey to analyze the impact of U.S. tariffs on Maserati and Alfa Romeo as these brands develop their future strategies. At that time, Stellantis stated it remained fully committed to both brands. The report indicated that McKinsey's assessment, which includes the potential divestment of Maserati as one option, remains in its early phases. Related articles Stellantis reportedly considering potential sale of luxury brand Maserati Circle stock continues to surge after stablecoin bill, buy rating CarMax shares surge on strong Q1 earnings beat Error while retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data
