In Maranello at the “Ferrari Leggenda e Passione”, a very rare 1957 Ferrari 250 Testa Rossa was put up for auction.

And it sold for a staggering $12.1 million

This is officially the most anyone has EVER spent on a car.

The previous record was another Ferrari, specifically a 1961 Ferrari 250 GT California, that had been bought by british DJ Chris Evans for $10million. The car had previously been owned by actor James Coburn for nearly 25 years!

Paul Newman was en route to San Marcello Pistoiese, where the first Italian camp for children with serious diseases has been created through his support for the Dynamo Foundation. The actor and racing driver has devoting considerable time to assisting children affected by severe health problems since 1988.

Paul Newman was given a personal guided tour of Ferrari’s Maranello factory by Ferrari Director General, Jean Todt, and Ferrari’s top test driver, Dario Benuzzi, demonstrated the 599 GTB on the test track after which it is named, Fiorano, prior to Paul Newman taking to the track himself.

I was in Villa Borghese the 1st of May and, close to the entrance in front of the roman Ferrari dealer, I met Mr. Luca Cordero di Montezemolo.

I tried to ask for a little chat of which I would’ve posted on the site (not a proper interview, but maybe a couple of pictures and the promise from him to visit Ferrari Blog), but he was on a pleasure walk with his wife and bodyguards wouldn’t let me too close.

On a side note, I have seen a big total of three red Enzo’s in the last week. And each time it made my day.

Travel agency and tour operator Select Italy has found a new way to let clients indulge their wild side: luxury Ferrari tours of Italy. Select Italy is the official North American partner of Turin-based Red Travel, Italy’s premiere vendor of deluxe sports-car tours. Select Italy has long been known for the depth of its knowledge of the Italian travel market, superior customer service, and its wide selection of travel services. As demand for Italian travel begins to rise, today’s travelers are looking to true Italian specialists to provide unique services that go beyond the usual destinations of Rome, Florence and Venice.

These Ferrari tours provide truly unique and amazing experiences. Custom-tailored for individuals, a small group of friends, or a business group, Select Italy makes these Ferrari tours to order with itineraries flexible enough to allow travelers to see and experience Italy exactly as they want. These trips can function as great incentive programs for companies looking for a unique way to motivate their employees. For example, in October 2005, a major British telecom company used a group Ferrari tour as an incentive trip for their sales staff. The tours are also gaining in popularity as luxury getaways for couples and groups of friends. Wives have booked trips for husband’s landmark birthdays; grandfathers arrange trips as a way to bond with their grandsons.

Select Italy president and owner, Andrea Sertoli says,

These trips in Ferraris are a great way for clients to reward themselves, their families and their employees with a unique and breathtaking experience, whether as a romantic getaway, a family-bonding trip, a bachelor party or an executive retreat. The Ferrari is an emblem of the best of Italian design and philosophy. We’re so happy to have the chance to let travelers to Italy taste even more of the splendor that this country has to offer.

Driving in a fleet of the most up-to-date Ferraris you can zip through the Tuscan hills along the famed auto-race route, the Mille Miglia, or jaunt up to Maranello to visit the Ferrari museum and complex. Accommodations are in Italy’s finest five-star resort properties. Tours can last anywhere from two days to six weeks. The sky is truly the limit on these luxury tours.

For more information on Select Italy’s Ferrari Tours log onto http://www.selectitaly.com.