New car news

06 October 2009 - 12:00

Year of the (Prancing) Horse

See more pics of the Ferrari

Ferrari has just announced a special 599 for the Chinese market. It's based on the car with the HGTE handling pack, though it has a few extra, Far Eastern touches.

Features such as the starter button, which glows jade green because jade is revered in China. And a luggage set embroidered with a map of the Silk Road, because that's in China. And a rev counter featuring ancient Chinese script in place of western numerals because, of course, that's Chinese. Actually, we like those and think they should feature on the new HSV or something, just to confuse some bogans.
 
Artist Lu Hao was behind the special touches, and unconfirmed reports suggest he is also Chinese. Though we believe he missed a trick. Surely the Prancing Horse could have become some sort of elaborate dragon.
 
Just 12 cars will be made and in a market of more than a billion people, it should sell like cheap chopsticks.