Italian

The Ferrari California is, like any model to emerge from the Maranello plant since, say, the shiver-worthy 348, a brilliant car. Unfortunately, that doesn’t change the fact that the latest “starter Ferrari” was practically born to be purchased by rodent-sized-canine-owning celebrities who neither know nor care about the car’s thousands of engineering man-hours or the storied marque’s extensive competition record both past and present. (“Fernando Alonso? He’s, like, an opera singer, right?”)

This pre-installed stigma is bad juju for types of true enthusiasts who would buy this car. You know, the folks who wake up at stupid o’clock in the morning to watch Formula 1 live on Speed and can appreciate technology like the direct-injected 4.3L V8 and available 7-speed double-clutch transmission, because the gearhead of lesser means who sees them cruising down the street will tend to assume the person behind the wheel thinks "Imola" is the name of a meat-borne pathogen and merely bought a California because it’s a convertible and it has a back seat on which to place the pet carrier of Aphrodite, their Mexican Hairless.

Even if the sum of your automotive knowledge barely extends beyond “right pedal go, left pedal stop,” you probably know that the Italians have a well-deserved reputation for building some of the fastest and most beautiful sportscars, grand tourers and exotics in the known universe. But while plenty of non-car geeks have heard of Ferrari and Lamborghini, not everyone is familiar with names of Italian superbike makers. And that’s just wrong, dang it.

Thus, as a public service of sorts, we’ve decided to acquaint you with ten of the most magnificent motorcycles ever to emerge from the Land Shaped Like a Boot. Some were built by companies with which some of you may be familiar; others are sure to make all but the most hardcore two-wheeler afficianados say, “Who?” Anyway, without further ado or any particular order, are 10 very bella bikes.

A few weeks ago we caught our first glimpse of Ferrari’s newest V8 powered spec racer, the 458 Challenge. We licked our chops at its reduced weight, firmer suspension and tweaked electronic driver aids relative to the street version and how all those changes would add to the car’s ferociousness. But numbers can only tell us so much; visuals do a much better job of conveying how quick (or slow) something is.

How convenient, then, that some intrepid car spies recently managed to catch some 458 Challenge test mules hot lapping Ferrari’s Fiorano private test track. A cursory glance at how fast they move through the scenery indicates these prototypes are quite fast. Like, a scant two-tenths of a second slower than the FXX fast. The soundtrack, on the other hand, is something of a disappointment. Whether this is a function of background noise, distance from the mic or whatever, it just doesn’t…well…watch the video after the jump and you’ll hear what we mean.

It’s hard to believe that, less than 15 years ago, most car buffs had never heard of Horacio Pagani. But when he unleashed the first supercar bearing his name (the angular, Mercedes-Benz V12 powered Zonda C12) upon the world in 1999, most petrolheads (and more than a few non-petrolheads) became accutely aware of the Argentinean designer and his work. Now, the last lines of the original Zonda’s chapter in Pagani history are being written, but not before one last bombshell.

You see, there’s an anonymous U.S.-based supercar collector who wanted a Zonda that is uniquely his (Rumor has it he will keep the car in Switzerland, since the Zonda is not street legal over here.). The result of his consultations with Mr. Pagani and his team is rendered here before us, wearing the name Zonda HH. No, we don’t know what the extra letters stand for either (Hugh Hefner? Hubba Hubba? Hyperventilating Hippopotami?).

Middleweight superbikes are highly underrated. They are to motorcycles what that 3rd string QB with a 100-yard arm is to football; all the skills without the heavy ego. Everyone knows 600s are where you start, and the "liter bikes" (motorcycles with 1000cc motors and almost 200hp) are the big leagues. But if you climb off your 600 and want to upgrade, don't think of the 750 class as a stepping stone, but rather a heavenly compromise. It's a partnership of more power with little weight gain, and when you want to go fast that's the perfect match.

Nowhere is this idea better executed than with the new 2011 Ducati 848 EVO. It's V-twin engine has picked up 6hp from the last model, for a total of 140hp. I know 6hp doesn't sound like a lot, but when that power is only pushing 369lb (40lbs less than a Honda 600RR), 6hp is like adding 40 to your car. This makes the Ducati the most powerful motorcycle in its class. 

Ever since the 355 Challenge of the late ‘90s, Ferrari has been producing lightly-modified, track-only versions of each of its mid-engine V8 models and putting on one-make series in which they can compete. No points for guessing, then, that Maranello’s newest “budget” model – the 458 Italia – would spawn the competition version seen above.

Taking a cue from its predecessors in that it's named the 458 Challenge, this latest rich-boy track toy reatains the street version’s direct-injected 4.5L V8, producing the same 570hp. However, it has less mass to schlep around thanks to weight-saving bits like Lexan windows and carbon fiber body panels. Reprogramming the paddle-shift dual-clutch transmission and tweaking the gear ratios relative to the standard car gives it even more scoot.

Historically speaking, Ferrari and Lamborghini (and their respective supporters) have been quite dissimilar. Ferrari has typically been all about elegant styling and its racing pedigree, while Lamborghini has been about wild pantomiming and general rebeliousness, the latter no doubt rooted in the famous disagreement between Feruccio Lamborghini and Enzo Ferrari that led the former to get into the supercar business himself. Bottom line? Some fans dig both, but there is still a fair bit of partisanship.

Now, however, the relationship between these two marques and their followers has become considerably more complicated, thanks to the Japanese tuning house Auto Veloce. Using the outgoing “cheap” (har har) Ferrari – the still mighty good F430 – as a starting point, Auto Veloce adds new front and rear fascias, rocker panels and a rear wing to create, as you can see, a four-wheeled jackalope called the F430 Super Veloce Racing.

Ferrari, along side Pagani, Lamborghini, and Porsche, is among an elite list of manufacturers who make adrenaline pumping machines. Of course, in the world of tuning, too much adrenaline is never enough. The Ferrari F430 has served as playground for the aftermarket set with everything from high-horsepower monsters like the Novitec Rosso 747hp Edizione Special to more mild manner offerings with slight cosmetic overhauls and minor tuning tweaks like the ASI Ferrari F430. Status Design, from Russia, is late to the party but still most welcome.

The company has just released the Ferrrai F430 SU35. The name, 'SDSU35' is derives from the famous Sukhoi Russian fighter jet. Their tuning kit boosts the F430 Scuderia from 490hp to 525hp. This is done through a new retuned computer, a new high-performance exhaust system, and new air filters. But don't think for a second that Status Design has stopped at a mere 525hp. For those so-called 'adrenaline junkies', they offer an optional supercharging kit that increases the 525hp to a pupil dialating 700hp.