As per the photo, production of the Ferrari California has commenced, and for the occasion a new assembly line has been inaugurated at Maranello. The program called “formula Uomo” (a play on words meaning “formula man”) started in 1997 and was designed to render the factory work more comfortable and streamlined for staff. A new futuristic restaurant has also been opened at the facilities.

In the meantime, the wait for the little one from Ferrari is becoming nervous and the photos and video are a terrible tease coming up to the Paris debut in October.

Via | Worldcarfans (Thanks to fdx83)

Continue reading: A new production line for the Ferrari California

After the 15.9 percent fall in sales on its own territory, Ford is preparing itself to convert some of its manufacturing facilities, currently dedicated to trucks and pick-ups, into car production to respond to market evolution.

We should soon see the results of Friday’s top management meeting at the Dearborn headquarters, where unionists and production managers also participated. Discussions included business evolution and solutions to remain in step with changing times.

Details should emerge next month, according to Automative News, but we can anticipate that the facilities in question are likely to welcome some production of European models. The aim is to offer more cost-effective and practical options and to cut the total number of the platform in the short term.

Continue reading: Ford: converting North American production

The commercial relaunch of the Italian company will inevitably pass to the United States, at least that’s what many employees and the protagonist in the launch, Sergio Marchionne, are thinking.

Sergio recently received an honorary degree in management engineering from the Polytechnic university of Turin and has said that “it’s impossible to manufacture cars in Europe and then sell them to the US while making a profit”. Alfa Romeo is evaluating, with calculator in hand, the best adapted facilities overseas for the production of some models from its range.

Continue reading: Alfa-Romeo: American production in Ontario

Many analysts in the automobile world think that the golden era of SUVs is set to finish and that, in their place, the market will orient itself again towards the large sedans. While waiting for this to happen car manufacturers are sharpening their arms with new models and concept cars that anticipate production.

After the success that Mercedes had with the CLS, the concept seems like it’s taking hold with greater force as sports sedans, with coupè elements are starting to appear. Over the next months we’ll see the arrival of cars such as the Audi A7,the Aston Martin Rapide, the BMW Cs, the Mercedes CLS and the Porsche Panamera. All cars with different bases, pricing and emblems, but, with various interpretations, express the same “sports sedan” theme.

Continue reading: Porsche Panamera: in production from April 2009

In case relative and superlative adjectives aren’t enough to describe the exquisite Corvette ZR1, Tadge Juechter, project manager, has an interview with Edmunds in which he summarises all its values and characteristics, and adds a some news.

First the new American coupé will be produced (starting this summer) in 2,000 units a year: a figure which, together with the price of about 100,000 USD, indicates an assumed commercial success. But not only, the ability to “conquer the track record of any world circuit” reveals itself and we wonder if the ZR 1 could be defined as the perfect car.

Continue reading: Corvette ZR1: will 2000 units a year be enough?