New Website for Ferrari Owners
by Antonio Ghini
Communications Director - Ferrari SpA
20.6.01

In order to meet the needs of the ever-expanding community of Ferrari owners, Ferrari is developing a new, exclusive channel of communication. The Ferrari Owners' Site is an internet project that is due to go on-line later this year with the intention of providing a direct line of contact between clients and the factory in Maranello.

Internet was chosen for the speed with which it can reach owners the world over, and for the opportunity it opens up for creating a unique, close-knit community among people sharing the same passion. With this in mind, one of the key attractions of the new site will be forum and chat functions, with the possibility of sending questions direct to Ferrari's technicians and engineers.

As the name implies, use of the site will be restricted to those owning a Ferrari and access is protected by individual username and password. The site - www.owners.ferrari.com - will feature specialist articles and data covering every aspect of ownership, from new models to events involving the marque, classic cars, motor sports and technological innovation.

The site will metaphorically put owners in the driving seat, allowing them to personalise access and highlight those areas of specific interest, and even create a virtual garage with the cars they own. With the technical information provided, owners will also be able to set service interval alerts, while an on-line insurance scheme for cars of all ages will help ease the ownership process.

An important advantage of using internet is the rapidity with which users can be kept abreast of what's going on, so along with day-to-day information from the factory, users will be able to pick up all the latest news from the marque's various international racing activities where the owners themselves are protagonists. There will be complete coverage from each of the Ferrari Challenge and Historic Challenge races worldwide, as well as news from the Ferrari F1 Club.

During the site's development, special attention has been paid to collectors, providing a preferential channel of information regarding all the historical aspects of the company and its cars. Services available will include the possibility for owners to order a copy of their car's original build certificate from Ferrari's archives, as well as hard-to-find spare parts.

The site will also allow a unique insight into the engineering side of the company, with exclusive information and reports from the Research and Development department where access is usually denied. Along with in-depth articles on past models that helped make Ferrari famous, there will be special features on key technical aspects regarding road car design and engineering.

Exclusive interviews with the teams involved in developing the company's cars will ensure owners get an early idea of upcoming models, backed up by articles analysing the various areas of R&D involved, such as engine design and the technologies and materials used.

Of particular interest will be the section dedicated to the transfer of F1 technologies to road cars - an area of unique importance to Ferrari. Among the articles featured will be one on turbos, tracing the development from the immensely powerful F1 engines the team first employed at the beginning of the 1980s up to the F40.

Owners will also have exclusive access to articles written by Ferrari engineers for scientific publications: among these will be features on aerodynamics and F1-type gearboxes. The purely technical aspects of Ferrari as a modern, high-tech engineering reality will be backed up by photographic tours of the company's facilities from the centre of road car production to the F1 wind tunnel.

Last but not least is the chance for clients to acquire specially selected collectors' items, such as limited edition products from the Ferrari Best Selection range. To get a preview of just what the site will look like, a launch site will be on-line from around the end of June where owners will be able to register straight away. When the site goes live later this year, users will receive their username and password automatically by e-mail.

Owning and driving a Ferrari is a unique experience, the influence of which goes beyond mere possession. The Ferrari Owners' Site aims to enhance that experience, developing the relationship that unites owners with the Maranello manufacturer and providing the basis for new services and products in line with customers' expectations.

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