Vicki Butler Hederson from 5th Gear tests out the new Ferrari California hard-top convertible.

Soccer star Cristiano Ronaldo, who plays for Manchester United, crashed his Ferrari on his way to work on Thursday morning.

The incident happened at 10.20am close to his luxury home in Cheshire as he was driving his $380,000 Ferrari 599 GTB through a tunnel, under Manchester Airport.

Impact was so great that the front of the supercar was completely demolished, the windscreen shattered, the left wing mirror torn off and the rear tyre completely flat. The impact caused the car to lose a front wheel and it then ricocheted off the wall before coming to a stop.

To commemorate the launch of the Ferrari California, Officine Panerai has produced a special-edition Ferrari two-counter chronograph.

The watchcase, in polished steel with brushed edges, is 45mm in diameter and boasts a cushion shaped profile. The rotor of the Ferrari California Flyback Chronograph is engraved with the Prancing Horse, while the black dial bears the Ferrari California logo to show the connection between the two luxury items.

The pushpieces and the winding crown enjoy a neatly machined knurled texture. The semi-circular sweep of the dial section between 12 and 3 o’clock resembles the tachometer instrumentation of a Ferrari car.

400 examples of the Panerai for Ferrari California Flyback Chronograph will be made. The watches are fitted with a convex sapphire crystal, and a thickly padded strap in alligator leather accented with contrasting white stitching. The price of the limited-edition watch has yet to be confirmed, but is expected to be around $12,600

While all eyes and focus were on another historical feat as British F1 driver Lewis Hamilton won the 2008 F1 Drivers Championship, becoming the first black and youngest ever winner of the sport, Ferrari quietly celebrated their 16th Constructors title with the announcing of their Ferrari F430 16M.

By Ferrari’s accounts this will be the fastest open-top car ever from the Italian sports car giant, gaining a number of weight advantages over the regular F430. The new car also sports a special plaque on its rear grille commemorating Ferrari’s 16th Constructor’s World title. The interior is also underscored by the silver “limited series” plaque just above the air vents at the center of the dashboard.

Other exclusive features include a roll-bar with a carbon-fiber outer shell and an audio system that can be combined with the removable customised Ferrari iPod Touch 16GB media player.

The Scuderia Spider 16M is available in a choice of two new colour schemes: the standard version is black with grey trim, while a tricolour livery is also available as part of the Carrozzeria Scaglietti Personalisation Programme

Only 499 examples will be produced and they should go quick despite a price tag that should be in excess of $277,000 USD, the base price of the regular F430 Spider.

Vertu have launched in Hong Kong a new collection of Ascent Ti phones inspired by Ferrari’s cars. The Ferrari Ascent Ti collection consists of three phones directly inspired by Ferrari and named after their respective colors; a limited edition phone called the Nero and two special edition phones named Rosso and Giallo.

The Nero phone is an all black Ascent Ti made of titanium coated with scratch proof PVD with a red sapphire crystal pillow. The Rosso and Giallo phones are red and yellow receptively and feature PVD coated battery covers and keys, they feature ceramic pillows. The battery cover of all three phones has been redesigned to resemble the hood of a Ferrari and features a three dimensional Cavallino on the battery cover as well as a smaller one on the front.

The phones feature Ferrari inspired themes as well as ring tones featuring Ferrari engine sounds, only 2,009 examples of the Vertu Ferrari Ascent Ti Nero will be made. They sell HKD 70,000 HKD each ($6000)

Teamed up with Meridian Audio, the same folks who channeled HD content from your iPod to your TV, Ferrari is delving into yet another consumer electronics realm by coordinating a mysterious “F80”
It took me a while to work out what it actually was too, but as it turns out, it’s a “complete home entertainment centre”.

More specifically, it’s a DAB/FM/AM tuner, a CD player, and a DVD-Video discs player. It’s called the F80, and although it’s built in the tradition of an old fashioned “wireless”, it contains three power amps, delivering over 80 watts to the two front speakers and integral rear subwoofer.

But don’t let the simple appearance of Meridian Audio Ltd.’s new F80 table radio fool you.
Meridian claims that inside the elegant cabinet lies the most advanced transportable entertainment system ever made, with astonishing performance. The smooth lines, sculptured curves and deep-gloss lacquered finish immediately tell you that it’s something special.

But what has Ferrari brought to the partnership other than a badge? Well, Ferrari has an outstanding reputation in the field of materials and composites technology and Meridian faced a number of challenges where Ferrari’s input was invaluable. For example, the main ‘cabinet’ of the F80 is made from a unique alloy-injected composite plastic that is very light but also extremely rigid and dense, to minimise vibration.

In typical Ferrari fashion, the unit should be available in a variety of colors, including white, yellow, silver, and, of course Ferrari red. And, being small and light, it’s completely transportable.

Meridian systems and components are available at selected purveyors of luxury hi-fi equipment around the world including UK, USA, Russia, China, Middle-East, India and Japan and start at £1,495/$2,995.