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Ferrari's Scuderia Spider 16M to integrate customized iPod touch
We've already seen one luxury car concept utilize an iPhone for displaying automotive information as well as managing the entertainment end of things, but the photo you see above isn't just conceptual. In fact, Ferrari will build 499 of its ultra-limited Scuderia Spider 16Ms, and for those who choose, it can be outfitted with an iPod touch dock right in the center of the dashboard. The 16GB touch will feature Ferrari themes, images and sounds, and of course, fortunate buyers can remove the PMP after having it parked in the garage. There's no word yet on how pricey the iPod touch upgrade is nor how expensive the whip itself will be, but the standard iteration of the car rings up at $277,000. You know, just so you have a frame of reference.[Via Engadget Spanish]
Vertu concocts a few more moneymakers: Ferrari Ascent Ti collection
We've already learned that the luxury handset sector ain't hurting even though the economy is (B&O notwithstanding), so it follows logic to see Vertu crafting a new line of covetable mobiles for the affluent. Reportedly, the Ferrari Ascent Ti collection will consist of three phones that all sport the iconic Ferrari logo along with a catchy paint job to further illustrate the automotive connection. The Nero will be all black, while the Rosso and Giallo will be red and yellow, respectively. Each handset features a scratch proof PVD and Ferrari-inspired themes / ringtones, none of which will really make 'em worth the asking price. Speaking of which, Vertu hasn't publicly disclosed a sticker just yet, but given that just north of 2,000 will be made, we'd say it'll be up there. Way up there.[Via I4U News]
Acer's F-22bid LCD sounds like a jet, looks like a Ferrari
We've seen Ferrari's logo and lacquer applied to everything from GPS nav systems to overpriced clock radios, each product diluting the brand that Enzo built bit by bit. Acer is the most common enabler, and its latest prancing horse-decal'd product is the F-22bid, a 22-inch LCD sporting a 1680 x 1050 resolution and a racy (sorry) 2ms gray-to-gray response rate. Brightness is the standard 300cd/m2, though a contrast ratio of 20,000:1 impresses, and VGA, DVI, and HDMI inputs mean it should easily connect to just about all of your headless video outputting devices -- but at what cost? Acer isn't telling, and with only 500 of these being built, we're not expecting affordability here.Update: Jody commented to let us know that a seemingly identical, but apparently non-limited-edition version of this monitor is available right now at NewEgg for just $309.[Via Akihabara]
Here are some more sizzling Ferrari Challenge pics
Click for high resolution image Ferrari Challenge is gearing up for August 26 -- the game's release date for North America. With little under two weeks left before race day, we're sure some of you might be interested in seeing more of the game. Luckily, we've added a few new screens to our gallery for you to check out.In the screenshot above, you can see the Ferrari 333SP. It's one of the cars we mentioned before in our hands-on with the North American version of the game. You did read that, didn't you? Make sure that you do!%Gallery-29094%
PS3 Fanboy hands-on: Ferrari Challenge Trofeo Pirelli
Ferrari Challenge is set to hit the North American retail circuit later this month on August 26 and we've taken the NA build out on a drive for some early hands-on impressions. Our European readers have probably put in a few good laps into the game -- as it is already out over yonder -- but rest assured, there are some bits of information in this article that you too will definitely want to read about.The true "current gen" version of Ferrari Challenge Trofeo Pirelli is exclusive to the PS3, and with it comes over 40 Ferrari brand cars -- including classic models as far back as the 1950s. Each car has a unique feel; driving the 333SP felt like a charm, but some of the older models were a bit tougher to handle. Customization options are available for all automobiles; you can change the paint job and also add and remove vinyl stickers whenever and wherever. You can take those custom cars and race them online.%Gallery-29094%
Keepin' it real fake, part CXXVIII: Vertu Ferrari ripoff devoid of Italian blood
It's one thing to buy a Chinese impression of a Nokia candybar -- you know, something only the fanboys will notice as out of place. It's another to fool only yourself by opting for this over the real deal. The Vertu Ascent Ferrari clone operates on GSM networks and features a 1.8-inch 220 x 176 resolution display, USB connector, 128MB of internal storage, support for MP3 ringtones and MMS capabilities (take that, iPhone!). Excuse us, we're feeling a little sick from staring at this abomination...
Ferrari Challenge will also get Trophy support
Ferrari Challenge's Mark Cale really loves PlayStation, it seems. So much so, that his game isn't coming out on Xbox 360. The development team is also working on getting one of the newest PS3 features enabled in the game: Trophies. The racing game, which is currently available in Europe (coming soon for America), is joining the ever-growing list of Trophy-supported games. Speaking in a live Q&A session with Eurogamer's readers, Cale notes that "We're really impressed with what Sony are doing with Trophies, and we'll be making an update available very soon to allow the game to support these features in the future."Looks like Trophy fanatics are getting a lot of work piling up. With PixelJunk Eden, Uncharted and now Ferrari Challenge added to the mix, Trophy fanatics are going to have a lot of sleepless nights.[Thanks, Maverix007!]
System 3 talk about Ferrari Challenge DLC, demo
We haven't been keeping much tabs on Ferrari Challenge Trofeo Pirelli -- a racing title currently out in Europe and soon to release across North America on August 26 -- but we suppose now is a good time to get back to it. It's an especially good time as developers System 3 have released details on its first content pack DLC for the month of August.The first DLC, priced at £3.99 (sorry no exact Euro price mentioned), will include the German Nürburgring GP-Strecke course and five more Ferrari vehicles: Ferrari Enzo, Ferrari P4, 430 Scuderia, 612 Scaglietti, and the 599 GTB Fiorano. It's currently unknown whether the DLC will be made available for the North American release next month; the downloadable content seems to be Europe-only for now. Other future content is also promised including the following race tracks: Laguna Seca, Daytona, Brands Hatch, Donington, Barcelona, Hungaroring and Suzuka. Monaco will follow in September. Also, as the North American release draws nearer, thoughts of a demo come to mind. Mark Cale, System 3's boss, had this to say about that: "There are many factors that we need to take into account, and logistically, it's very possible, but I'm afraid we can't confirm anything at the moment."
Meridian $3K F80 home entertainment system gets reviewed
Before you unload $2,995 on anything, you're likely going to want the opinion of someone who has had a chance to try things out beforehand, no? Working under that assumption, we present to you a review of Meridian's stratospherically priced F80. Proudly called "the most expensive tabletop music system in the history of the civilized world," this unit was seen as a "model for all tabletop systems," with the reviewer even begging everyone else to look at this before starting up design on yet another ho hum alternative. The critic also noted that this unit pulled off what he thought was impossible: "identifiable left- and right-channel sound from a system that measures only 16-inches wide." As expected, the F80 was indeed the "best" he had ever heard in this category, but the omission of an iPod dock was a sore spot. For those with more disposable income than they know what to do with, this one seems a surefire winner; for everyone else, it's not worth going into debt over.
Joystiq hands-on: Ferrari Challenge
UK-based System 3 is out to fill the rather large racing simulation void on PS3 with Ferrari Challenge, a game the company is calling a spiritual successor to the Sega great, Ferrari F355 Challenge. It's also aimed directly at fans of Gran Turismo, GRID, and Project Gotham Racing.With its release set for next month exclusively on PS3 – as far as HD consoles go – we recently put Ferrari Challenge through its paces, while getting some background on what sets the game apart from other current-gen racers (apart from the fact that all of the cars are, obviously, Ferraris). Read on after the break to hear our impressions of the sights, sounds, and feel that highlight this high-spec driving sim.%Gallery-25886%
System 3 drops Ferrari Challenge deets, first screens
Ferrari's rich historical connection with videogames alone is enough to make us curious about System 3's forthcoming Ferrari Challenge Trofeo Pirelli, for which the first screenshots and further details appeared today.Even though the online mode has been confirmed as a PS3-only feature, the shots we've seen so far show promise, at least as far as 3D racers on the DS go. According to today's press release, the DS version of Ferrari Challenge will contain fifteen real-life tracks (including Italy's Mugello circuit), eight cars per race, fifty types of Ferrari, and, if this screen suggests what we think it suggests, wireless play. Thankfully, it doesn't control via a steering wheel plastered across the touchscreen, a la the awful Ridge Racer DS; instead, the touchscreen features a swanky dashboard interface.It's out soon, as well -- July in Europe; and during Q3 in North America. Rev into our gallery for your first look at the game!%Gallery-24804%[Via press release]
Ferrari Challenge racing onto Wii this summer
What do you think of, dear reader, when we say these words: Ferrari. Videogame? If you're anything like us, your mind will have just flashed back to either OutRun or the seminal Dreamcast port of Ferrari F355 Challenge, your pulse will have started quickening, and we can almost certainly meet up IRL.Since Yu Suzuki's two awesome racers, little else has filled that Ferrari-shaped gap in our gaming hearts. So thank goodness for Activision and System 3, who are combining to bring us Ferrari Challenge Trofeo Pirelli this summer in North America. Described as "more sim than arcade," the title will let you cruise through 15 international racing circuits in your stallion of a car.Considering this is also being released on the PS3 and Xbox 360, we're taking promises of downloadable content and online play for 16 players with a mountain of salt where the Wii version is concerned, but you never know, eh? Hit the break for some screens which are not from the Wii iteration.
Ferrari game heats up this summer
Publisher Activision and developer System 3 are bringing a new Ferrari racing game to the PlayStation 3 this summer. Dubbed Ferrari Challenge Trofeo Pirelli, the game will include 15 international racing circuits and 16-player online play. The most interesting feature is in the planned DLC whereby players can download new content and update "official teams and car rosters ... to reflect real-world lineups."If you're really interested, you can try out the PS3 version of the game this weekend at the Montreal Grand Prix (June 6-8); playable kiosks will be open to everyone. If you're lazy to head up to Canada or just feel strange going to foreign lands, then check out the game's official website for more details and some shots of the cars in the game. Ferrari Challenge Trofeo Pirelli is slated for a Summer 2008 release on the PS3 as well as the PS2, Wii, and DS. [Via press release]
Activision, System 3 take the Ferrari Challenge
London-based dev System 3 has finally let the cat out of the bag, or car out of the garage as it were, regarding its plans for the Ferrari license it first acquired in 2007, announcing a partnership with Activision to distribute Ferrari Challenge Trofeo Pirelli in North America this summer. Curiously, while the deal includes versions for both PlayStation home consoles, as well as the DS and Wii, the Xbox 360 appears to have been passed over like it was standing still.The racer aims to put players behind the wheel sim-style on more than 15 different global racing circuits, with a stream of "continually released" downloadable content, including seasonal updates to team and car rosters, promised as well. Activision also notes that the game will include a variety of modes, as well as support for up to 16 players online, though whether or not this extends to all versions remains doubtful. Ferrari Challenge's PS3 version, which looks to be the obvious lead SKU, will be shown off publicly first during this weekend's Montreal Grand Prix, giving gamers with a passion for exotic autos reason enough to plan a last-minute road trip.
Meridian's Ferrari-branded F80 home entertainment system priced at $2,995
We fully expected that Ferrari logo and lacquered paint job to add a stuff premium to Meridian's F80, but this is undeniably insane. The "transportable home entertainment system," which has been hovering about since last March, is at long last ready to be purchased. Finding prospective buyers, however, will likely be challenging. The unit is now available in silver, yellow, white, black and the obligatory red, and each one will set you back a dumbfounding $2,995. We're thinking the unit itself would go for around three bills sans branding, but apparently Italian ponies aren't cheap.
The Motorola V9 Ferrari, for the Moto-loving Ferrari driver in your life
A Vertu it's not, but that's not stopping Motorola from borrowing Maranello's most prized symbol of speed and excess yet again. Last time around, Moto was trying its hand at reworking the Z8 into a phone befitting some of the world's most exotic cars -- an effort that we believe failed spectacularly, for the record -- and this time around it looks like the RAZR 2 V9 will be the unwitting target. Technologically, the phone's a dead ringer for its less-flashy cousin, but in terms of appearance... well, that's a whole different story, thanks to a checkered pattern on the phone's metal surface, red trim, and if we had to guess, a full range of Ferrari-themed pictures and sounds. Oh, and they've also managed to throw in a lambskin case embossed with the hallowed badge. No word on pricing, but it seems that it'll only be available in Asia and Latin America -- for a very small fraction of the price of the real thing, may we add.
F1 Ferrari phone is red, lacks speed and grace
This prancing red handset brings a dash of faux-Ferrari styling to the dreamers amongst us. This Chinese made phone features the typical touchscreen found on Chinese sets, dual-band GSM, 1.3 megapixel shooter, memory card expansion -- we're not sure on the type -- all packaged in a shifty looking red car housing. The handset also comes pre-installed with three games,Jet Plane, Intelligent Puzzle, and Hand & Boot Dance -- yeah, where is the racing game? Price is set at $190 though we suspect this novelty phone won't have the tifosi yammering and cheering like they did for their F1 hero, Michael.
Acer's Ferrari 1100 ultraportable gets reviewed
You'd have to turn your brain all the way back to September to spot the first time we got wind of Acer's Ferrari 1100 laptop, but the folks over at PC Mag have finally received one in and took the time to spill the beans on how it fared. Right out of the box, it was criticized for being entirely too hefty for a 12.1-incher, but then again, it does have an integrated DVD burner. Still, the lack of a LED-backlit display along with the totally underwhelming performance when benchmarked was hard to overlook. 'Course, it wasn't exactly a slouch, but it certainly didn't live up to expectations. Unfortunately for folks hoping for the best on this rig, it looks as if your $1,860 could be spent better elsewhere, but feel free to dig into the whole review to find out exactly why it earned just three out of those five oh-so-coveted stars.
Stefan Eriksson released from jail, awaiting expulsion
Just as expected, the former Gizmondo Europe director is free at last -- well, almost. Barely a year after Stefan Eriksson was sentenced to "three years" in the slammer, he's now been let loose from behind bars and is currently "awaiting expulsion." Purportedly, everything was nearly in place to ship him back to Europe prior to Christmas, but apparently, the Swedish consulate has taken its sweet time in preparing a new passport. What's still unclear, however, is whether the Ferrari Swede will be flown back to Sweden or Germany, but if all goes to plan, we'll be liveblogging the whole ordeal as soon as that news breaks (we jest, we jest).
Motorola sullies Ferrari's good name with branded Z8
So try and put yourself in a Ferrari owner's shoes, if just for a moment. You're filthy rich; likely too rich for your own good, and possibly rich enough to have extraordinarily eccentric taste. What phone's in your pocket? A mere commoner's Motorola Z8? Of course not -- odds are you're sporting a Vertu or two -- but Moto is hoping to keep you in the fold with a specially branded version of the same, tired, old Z8 that launched nearly a year ago. For what it's worth, the phone features all manner of Ferrari badging, gets slathered in the classic rosso corsa that graces an overwhelming majority of Ferrari's works of rolling art, and features preloaded Ferrari media, but that really doesn't change the fact that it's a flippin' Z8, now does it? Granted, this isn't the first time Motorola has partnered with the legendary Italian marque having pushed out a branded MOTORAZR MAXX V6 back in the day, but something tells us Enzo drivers aren't carrying those, either (just a hunch). Find it in the Ferrari Store and through Moto's European retail channels starting in the first quarter.[Via Unwired View]
