The new model will also tip the scales at a skinnier weight than its predecessors thanks to a greater use of aluminum alloys in the chassis structure. CAR reports that engineers have managed to cut as much as 66 pounds from the vehicle.

With more power and less weight, the 2012 California should provide increased performance if the report turns out to be accurate. CAR also mentions that the optional Handling Speciale package now features upgraded dampers paired with an ECU that boasts a 50-percent improvement in response rate. Sounds fine by our ears.

When looking for exotic sports car thrills on public roads in the summer, it simply doesn’t get any better than the Ferrari 458 Spider. How nice, too, that Italy’s summer has gone on and on this year – it thoughtfully didn’t end until the evening after our epic drive through the Apennine mountains. Our mostly sun-drenched route started at around 500 feet above sea level in Maranello, climbing to near 3,200 feet over Passo della Cisa, finishing the outbound portion on a deserted sandy beach in northernmost Tuscany. Then, instead of taking the suggested direct route back along the three-lane autostrade, we chose to retrace our steps over Passo della Cisa on the amazing S 62 two-lane highway where Enzo Ferrari competed in his very first road race back in 1919. It was a very appropriate 300 miles in paradise.

The all-aluminum 2012 Ferrari 458 Spider is built primarily at the Scaglietti facility in Modena, and the rakish drophead is scheduled to arrive in North America by mid-February carrying a base price of $257,000. Rather surprisingly, our mountain hop reveals that the Spider possesses perhaps an even better sum of its parts than does the$225,000-ish much-ballyhooed fixed-roof Italia. Certainly, either body configuration fairly thrashes anything the old F430 lineup was ever capable of.

Back in the early 1990s, an impressive 85 percent of all Ferrari models were dressed in red paint. While we can understand that Ferrari and red go together like peanut butter and jelly (or red white and… green), it’s tough to understand how 85 percent of all customers could buy such a rare horse, yet insist upon such a common color. Apparently, more recent Ferrari owners agree, since the number of Prancing Horses in rosso have dropped to “only” 45 percent for 2010.

Greater differentiation is one reason for the decrease in the color red, but it also helps that Ferrari has become far better at utilizing the rest of the color spectrum. The automaker tells us in the post-jump press release that two-tone liveries have become one of the latest crazes, with the roof painted a different color than the rest of the body. Ferrari has also says it has perfected a three-layer painting technique that utilizes three coats of paint for a deeper and more brilliant color than has been offered in the past.

Perhaps the coolest thing Ferrari is doing with color is customizing its finish to just about any paint the customer desires. For example, if you like the color of the yellow fire hydrant at the end of your street, simply send a sample to the folks in Maranello, and they’ll match it. Not that we’d recommend it…

Ferrari’s efforts to add a bit more color to the most famous lineup of exotic supercars is obviously paying dividends. The automaker claims that special-order finishes have gone up from only one percent 10 years ago to 10 percent today. So go ahead, don’t be yellow. Order your Ferrari in Blu Scozia, Avio Met or Vinaccia.

An awful lot of cars have made themselves famous while using just four tires. Formula 1 teams’ tire total per race is around 140 – i.e. 35 sets of Pirellis.

With Jim Glickenhaus’ featherweight Ferrari F430 GT2-based 470-horsepower P4/5 Competizione about to tackle the 24-hour race at the Nürburgring at the end of June in the new EXP1 class, the car’s tire sponsor Pirelli is bringing, according to Glickenhaus, 800 tires along, using the occasion to test like mad whether it be daytime heat sets, night sets, wet sets, semi-slick sets, you name it.

As the P4/5 Competizione has proven itself durable so far, looks like it may last the whole 24 hours, being hampered perhaps only by the plethora of pit stops it’ll be constrained to effect while Pirelli tests the various quartets of rubber.

Ferrari’s absence at North American auto shows the past few years has meant that its newer vehicles have made their debuts at some less conventional venues. Last year, the 458 Italia’s first U.S. appearance was at the Ferrari Challenge event at Miller Motorsports Park. This weekend, the Ferrari FF received a private showing at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca during the Ferrari Racing Days.

In addition to the new Ferrari four-seater itself, the display showcased the numerous interior options and a full set of matching luggage. The car on hand was a European version, but retail sales of the U.S.-spec FF should begin at either the end of October or the beginning of November of this year. Only 40 cars will be available for the rest of 2011. After that, Ferrari plans on selling approximately 200 cars yearly to American buyers.

You can see our photos of the Ferrari FF at Laguna Seca in the gallery below. Check back this week for more coverage of the Ferrari Racing Days.