Ferrari Revs Up for Launch of New Model at Frankfurt Show

GENEVA — For those who are wondering why Ferrari is a relatively quiet presence at the Geneva auto show, the answer became clear on Wednesday as the Italian supercar maker confirmed that it is hustling to launch a new model at the Frankfurt auto show in the fall.

Fiat Chairman Luca Cordero di Montezemolo told Reuters that the new model, which will be based on the F430, the company's most popular car, is in the works. "It is a new model on which there's been key research on weight reduction, performance obtained from Ferrari's experience in [Formula 1] competitions and safety," the company said in a statement.

He also said there are no plans to carry out an IPO for Ferrari.

Ferrari's news from Geneva has been relatively low-key, centering on such things as color and trim changes and new tech features for the 612 Scaglietti.

Ferrari has relaunched 10 historic exterior colors for the 612 Scaglietti, after conducting what it describes as "meticulous research in the company archive." The Italian supercar manufacturer used the occasion of the 2007 Geneva Auto Show to unveil the colors and to introduce new features for the Scaglietti, as well as roll out its Ferrari Financial Services.

The financial services arm is designed to offer "exclusive financing for historic models, competition cars and even Formula 1 single-seaters," the automaker said.

The historic colors are: Avio, Avorio, Azzurro, Blu Scozia, Celeste, Grigio Ferro, Grigio Medio, Grigio Scuro, Verde Abetone and Vinaccia.

Ferrari also introduced a new Bose 2 DIN radio navigator for the 612 Scaglietti. The system is available in the U.S. market and combines radio, audio and video DVD, Bluetooth and satellite radio. A TV tuner and a rear parking camera are also part of the system.

The Italian supercar maker also introduced a new satellite anti-theft system integrated with the car alarm for main European markets. This system includes a GPS antenna and a transponder key.

Ferrari also noted that it has developed a new car configurator that will allow its online customers to simulate their dream Scaglietti. "There is an almost an infinite number of configurations possible for all the models in the range," it said. The personalization program is accessed at the Ferrari Owners' Web site.

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