Ferrari to hit new sales goal early

For years, the Italian automaker has artificially limited the number of cars it produces. But the company does have plans to ramp up production to 9,000 units a year. According to Automotive News, Ferrari will hit that goal in 2018, a full year earlier than expected. A report says that in 2018, Ferrari will double the number of shifts at its plants. In addition to the ramp up in production, the company plans to introduce its first sport-utility vehicle, following in the footsteps most recently of Lamborghini, who launched its Urus model earlier in the month.  CEO Sergio Marchionne has long wanted to produce more vehicles to squeeze more profits out of the company. This led to a dispute with the former chief, Luca di Montezemolo. Montezemolo was concerned that building too many vehicles would cut the exclusivity of the brand and lower its value. Limiting total output has its benefits; it maintains a level of exclusivity and prestige, making the cars more desirable and it allows Ferrari to operate under different fuel economy and emissions standards than larger, mainstream automakers. This is due to the fact that it is difficult to hit emissions goals when your "entry-level" model is powered by a 591-horsepower twin-turbocharged V8.