Hedging their bet, Porsche prepared two distinctly different cars for the 1970 World Championship; the 917 K for the long distance, high speed events and the far more agile 908/3 built specifically for the Targa Florio and Nurburgring 1000 km. Applying lessons learned with the 909 hill-climb racer, almost all of the weight of the very compact 908/3 is concentrated within the wheelbase. The deceivingly simple and compact machine proved more than up to the task and duly won both races in 1970. Bad luck ended the run at the Targa Florio early a year later but the German manufacturer bounced back with a 1-2-3 at the Nurburgring. Privateers continued to race the cars with considerable success and even turbocharged engines for many more years. Today most of the surviving cars are part of prominent collections but one (chassis 908/3 - 004) will be offered at RM's Amilia Island Auction next week. This prompted us to explore our archive, which resulted in this spectacular 78-shot gallery, featuring nine different examples. Among them is the one headed for auction and also the one car that won all three major races and is today part of Jerry Seinfeld's formidable Porsche collection.
Also due to cross the block in less than a fortnight, is this lovely HRG Airline Coupe, which will be offered by Gooding. Built in 1938 by the 'H' in HRG, Major Edward Halford, this machine is unique in more ways than one; it was the only fixed head HRG and the only one ever powered by a Triumph engine. Intended as a production prototype, it was not followed up on when the Major left the company soon after it was completed. It was later used as a daily driver for two decades before it was stored for many more years in boxes. Following a complete restoration, the very elegant HRG Airline Coupe did not re-surface until very recently. Gooding's sale represents the first time in nearly 50 years that the car is on the market.

McLaren have released further details and a full set of images of the P1, which will be shown to the world for the first time at next week's Geneva Motor Show. Among the new figures is that the 903 bhp hybrid supercar will be built in limited run of just 375 examples and will be priced at EUR 1 million, which the equivalent of $1.3 million and GBP 866,000. The McLaren P1 will be able to accelerate to 100 km/h in under 3 seconds and will have a electronically governed top speed of 350 km/h. Impressive as these figures are, the new McLaren will face very stiff opposition from the other hybrid supercars also due this year; the Ferrari 'F150' and the Porsche 918 Spyder.
Geneva will also see the debut of the latest Volkswagen Golf GTI. For the first time, the hot hatch will be available in two trims; the 220 hp basic model and the 230 hp 'Performance' version.
Building up anticipation, Rolls-Royce have released further teaser images of the upcoming Wraith. We now know that the coupe version of the Ghost will feature a classic 'fastback' tail. Full disclosure of the Wraith will follow next week.
Lacking any of the Rolls-Royce's elegance is the brutal Brabus 800 Roadster. It boasts the familiar Brabus-tweaked, 800 hp version of the Mercedes-AMG V12 but also a bonnet-scoop that is usually found on the designs of the less sophisticated tuners. Brabus do promise that the 800 Roadster will in fact be the fastest roadster in the world.

Celebrating Aston Martin's centenary, Italian coach-builder Bertone have reworked the Rapide to create a Shooting Brake due in Geneva in a few weeks. The one-off was commissioned by an enthusiast, who was directly involved with the development. Mechanically, it is similar to the outgoing Rapide model, with Bertone naturally focusing on the revised exterior and highly refined interior. Bertone have released just four images but we will certainly take a much closer look in Geneva.
The reworked Rapide was not the first Aston Martin given the Bertone treatment. Others include the DB2/4 Bertone Spider and the Vanquish Bertone Jet 2 but most famous all is the DB4 GT Bertone Jet. Penned by a very young Giorgietto Giugiaro, it was based on the final DB4 GT chassis produced by Aston Martin. In more recent years, the very elegant machine was owned by a Swiss enthusiast, who showed and used it extensively. He has sadly passed away and the unique DB4 GT Bertone Jet will be offered by Bonhams in their May 18 Aston Martin Sale. The pre-sale estimate is a hefty GBP 2.8 - 3.8 million.

Created in 1939, this Bugatti Type 59/50B is one of the very last and certainly the most potent racing car produced with Ettore Bugatti still at the helm. Underneath its curvaceous panels, it is very much a vintage Bugatti design complete with solid axles and cable operated drum brakes. It is also equipped with a massive 4.7 litre supercharged engine, which produces in excess of 400 bhp. Raced with considerable success right before and after the War, the unique Type 59/50B I is today on permanent display in the former Schlumpf Collection museum in Mulhouse.
During a private test at Sebring, the long awaited Porsche 911 RSR finally broke cover. Although no specifics about the car have been released just yet, we do know the GTE racer will be campaigned by a Porsche factory time in the FIA WEC. Another new racing car that debuted this week is the Williams FW35 Renault. The last 2013 F1 car launched, it hit the ground running and proved quick straight out of the box. When staging a return to sports car racing over a decade ago, Cadillac did not fare so well. They fielded a Riley & Scott designed and V8 engined LMP racer that both in Northstar LMP and Northstar LMP 01 failed to match the pace and reliability of the dominant Audi R8s.
No update these days is complete without a bit of Geneva-related news and today is no exception. Volkswagen will take the wraps off the very frugal XL1, which promises a fuel consumption of just 1 litre per 100 km. This is made possible by a very slippery shape, a lightweight carbon fibre chassis and a diesel-hybrid drivetrain. Not quite as sophisticated is the Golf GTD also on due in Geneva. It is powered by a 181 bhp and 380 Nm diesel engine. Sister company Audi will showcase the A3 e-tron; the petrol-hybrid version of the A3, which boasts a system output of 201 bhp.

Over the last few months, McLaren have carefully built up anticipation for the launch of the production version of the P1 supercar at the Geneva Motorshow. Today the British manufacturer have finally released the first technical details. The hybrid machine will be powered by a revised version of the twin turbo V8 also used in the MP4-12C and an electric motor developed in-house. At full power, the combined output is a hefty 903 bhp and 900 Nm of torque. As for the final design, we still have to do with this 12-shot gallery of a camouflaged prototype and details.
While developing a new four-door sedan, Alfa Romeo have requested a fresh angle from the European Institute of Design in Turin. The result is this fabulous Gloria Concept also due in Geneva. Created by 20 students as part of their master program, the curvaceous machine can be powered by either a V6 or V8 engine.
Among the new cars due from the Volkswagen Group are the Bentley Continental Flying Spur and the Audi RS Q3. The former is the 616 bhp four-door version of the Continental GT while the latter is the first RS version of Audi's Q-series of SUVs.
Meanwhile at the Paul Ricard High Tech Test Track, Toyota took the wraps off the 2013 specification TS030 Hybrid. Compared to last year's version, this is clearly a development. Most of the work focused on the front of the chassis where the front-wheel drive option was removed. This has allowed for a much lower and efficient nose. Toyota will field two TS030 Hybrids in the World Endurance Championship, which includes the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

Incorporating all the lessons learned while developing the Ferrari 250 GTO, Giotto Bizzarrini created the spectacular Iso Grifo A3/C late in 1963. The very low machine is powered by a Chevrolet V8 that is mounted so far back in the chassis that the coils have to be accessed through hatches in the dashboard. Only around two dozen were built before Bizzarrini went his separated way, resulting in a change of model name to Bizzarrini 5300 GT. Even rarer were the competition cars but over the years we have captured three very important examples including the prototype and the 1965 Le Mans class winner. This roaring trio is pictured in a 24-shot gallery.
One of Bizzarrini's old employers was Count Giovanni Volpi and his Serenissima team for whom he created the legendary Ferrari Breadvan in 1962. A few years later Volpi started producing sports cars under the Serenissima banner and also supplied engines to the McLaren Formula 1 team. This was, almost inevitably, followed by the development of the Serenissima M1AF; the small manufacturer's own F1 car. Rarely seen in period and only raced by its first private owner in hill-climbs, this V8-engined machine never made a contemporary Grand Prix appearance. The current owner restored the unique machine to full running order some years ago and has since raced it at historic events several time. He also brought the M1AF to the 2007 Goodwood Festival of Speed where we captured every angle as can be seen in this 18-shot gallery.
At this weekend's Daytona 500 qualifying, Chevrolet launched the new SS, which is the company's first rear-wheel drive sedan introduced in over 15 years. The car shares its platform with the Holden Commodore and the Camaro, and features a 415 bhp V8. Also used as the 'basis' for the latest Chevrolet NASCAR, the SS will be available in the second half of 2013 as a 2014 model.

This week, BMW Motorsport along with BMW Team Rahal Letterman Lanigan launched the all new Z4 GTE, which will replace the M3 used since 2009 in the American Le Mans Series. The new racer draws on the experience gather with the GT3 version of the Z4 and in fact uses virtually the same 4.4 litre V8. With the mandatory restrictors fitted, the engine produces around 480 bhp and 480 Nm of torque. The new Z4 will make its competition debut next month at the Sebring 12 Hours but it can already be admired in this 24-shot gallery from its Daytona launch.
For good measure we have also taken another look at the Z4 GT3 to which the new GTE machine is closely related. Racing since the 2010 seasons in various championships, it scored many wins including at an outright victory in the 2011 Dubai 24 Hours. We captured the car in this 24-shot gallery at last year's season opening FIA GT World Championship race at Nogaro. Entered by Team Vita4one, the pair of black and green Z4s would go on to score two wins in nine rounds.

Ahead of the Geneva Motor Show, Alfa Romeo finally offered a first glimpse of the 4C production car. The exterior design is ver similar to the Concept shown exactly two years earlier. Under the compact body the mid-engined machine boasts a sophisticated carbon fibre chassis, 1750 cc engine and twin-clutch gearbox. Unfortunately no exact figures and only these three pictures have been released but this is enough to convince us that the 4C is one of the cars to look out for next week.
German rivals Audi and Mercedes-Benz will use the Swiss show to launch two new hot hatches. From the former will come the S3 Sportback. It uses the same 300 hp as the three-door S3 that debuted last year. Much more news is contained in Mercedes' A 45 AMG; especially the new turbocharged engine. Displacing just under two litres, it produces well over 350 bhp, making it the most powerful four cylinder production engine. This power is fed to all four wheels through a 7-speed automatic gearbox. The compact A 45 AMG can accelerate to 100 km/h in well under five seconds and has a limited top speed of 250 km/h.

For the 1985 IMSA GTP Championship, Phil Conte ordered two March 85G chassis. These were fitted with the new Buick turbo V6, which was based on a stock block and prepared by McLaren Engines. The 3.4 litre engine had been developed for joint use in GTP and Indy racing, and in both guises proved very powerful but also very temperamental; in their first year, the Buick engined Marches only managed to the reach finish once. Underlining the car's potential the featured example did manage to qualify on pole for both the Daytona 24 Hours and Sebring 12 Hours. We captured this quick machine in a 12-shot gallery at recent outings in the 2010 and 2012 editions of the Monterey Motorsports Reunion.
Last week, the Chicago Auto Show opened its doors. Among the handful of world debuts was the Volkswagen Beetle GSR. Finished in the same yellow and black livery of the 1970s Beetle GSR, the limited production model is equipped with the same 210 hp engine as the Golf GTi. Kia used the opportunity to reveal the Cross GT Concept.
As we are edging closer to the Geneva Motor Show, the news continues to trickle in. One of the highly anticipated machines is the production version of the Nissan 370Z Nismo. It boasts a more powerful engine and a series of other performance upgrades to make it the most potent 370Z road car yet. The list of concept cars due in Geneva is also growing almost daily, with the Citroen Technospace and SsangYong SIV-1 added today.

This week, the Porte de Versailles exhibition centre in Paris hosts the 38th annual Retromobile, which is arguably the premier in-door classic car show in the world. As such, it attracts enthusiasts from around the world. They were treated this year to great variety of machinery ranging from a quartet of very rare Lamberts, a full Citroen DS display, two early Benz racer resurrected and more recent racers like a Ferrari 250 TR and the 1990 Le Mans winning Jaguar XJR-12. Complementing Retromobile are two major auctions; Artcurial Motorcars on the show floor and Bonhams in the fantastic Grand Palais in the city centre.
Celebrating our tenth anniversary covering Retromobile, our photographers were in the chilly French capital to capture the event in its entirety. The result is this detailed report and three galleries with a total of 230 shots featuring Retromobile, and the Bonhams and Artcurial auctions separately.

As the Geneva Motor Show draws nearer, more and more manufacturers offer glimpses of cars due in the Swiss city. Among them is BMW, who will expand their line-up with the 3-Series Gran Turismo. Compared to the standard 3-Series, it is slightly longer and taller to create additional interior space. At the launch the top of the line model will be the 335i, which is powered by a 300 hp six cylinder engine. Bentley will also display a new model; the Continental Flying Spur. For now only a teaser picture of the profile is available, with more angles expected ahead of the debut.
Show cars always take centre stage in Geneva and none more so than those created by the Italian design houses like Pininfarina. In honour of their late chairman, they will dub their 2013 show car Sergio. As with the Bentley only a single teaser shot was released by Pininfarina. Other concepts due in Geneva are the Honda Civic Wagon, Opel Adam Rocks and Subaru VIZIV.
Earlier this week, several new racing cars also broke cover including the Caterham CT03 Renault and Toro Rosso STR8 Ferrari that have been testing at Jerez since Tuesday. Expected to hit the track later in the year is the Toyota GT 86 GT4. Very closely based on the acclaimed road car, this GT4 specification racer boasts a Nicholson McLaren developed turbocharged version of the flat 4 engine, which produces between 360 - 400 bhp.

On Wednesday, the annual Retromobile show in Paris will open its doors. Supporting the event will be two auctions; Bonhams at the Grand Palais in downtown Paris and Artcurial at Retromobile. One of the most interesting machines to cross the block is the ex-Achille Varzi Bugatti Type 54 Grand Prix offered by Bonhams. The car was readied for the 1931 Italian Grand Prix at Monza by combining an existing chassis with the big Type 50 engine. Due to the massively powerful straight eight, the Grand Prix racer proved very difficult to drive and rightfully earned the nickname 'widow maker'. Our 36-shot gallery features two examples, shown in action at various editions of the Goodwood Revival. Chassis 54201 on offer is expected to change hands for at least EUR 2.5 million. Another Bugatti available at Bonhams is the Type 57 C Coupe Aerodynamique originally owned by Ettore Bugatti himself.
Among the most interesting lots in the well stocked Artcurial sale is this Talbot Lago T150C Competition Roadster, which was the first of six competition cars readied for the 1936 season. Although this particular car was extensively raced and competed at Le Mans four times, it is one of the very few survivors. The pre-sale estimate for this T150C is EUR 1.2 - 1.6 million. Available at Artcurial for slightly less is this Maserati A6G/54 2000 Allemano Coupe Speciale. One of 21 examples bodied by Allemano this one was uniquely fitted with full rally equipment. Later in its life it was shown in the Rosso Bianco museum and was more recently restored. We captured the car last year at Villa d'Este in a detailed 18-shot gallery.
As always, we will be in Paris this week and will have a complete report ready later this week.

Just two days before the three pre-season tests will start in Spain, Red Bull Racing took the wraps off the new-for-2013 RB9 Renault. As expected, it is a development of the car that brought both the driver's and constructor's world championships in 2012. Other than a slightly revised nose and a change in livery to reflect the increased role of title sponsor Infiniti, there is really little that sets the RB9 apart from its predecessor, at least at first glance.
At Sauber, on the other hand, it is all change with a new driver pairing consisting of Nico Hulkenberg and Esteban Gutierez, and a thoroughly different car. Dubbed the C32 Ferrari, it boasts significantly smaller side-pods to clean up the all-important air-flow to the rear wing. Reportedly, the designers were inspired by the remains of one of the 2012 car after it had the barriers sideways at Monaco. Also new from the ground-up is the Force India VJM06 Mercedes. It may look similar to last year's machine, it is actually different in every respect. Down to drive the new Force India is Paul Di Resta, and an, as yet, unnamed driver.
At next month's Geneva Motor Show, Toyota will reveal the FT-86 Open Concept. For now only a sketch has been released of what surely will be the preview of the convertible version of the highly acclaimed GT 86 sports car.

Ferrari have launched their 2013 Formula 1 racer in Maranello this morning. Marking F1's final year with V8s, the new Ferrari is dubbed the F138. Although every single component is revised for maximum performance, the single seater is an evolution of the F2012, which allowed Fernando Alonso to challenge for the World Championship until the final round of last year's championship. Thanks to a new 'vanity plate' the very ugly hump on the nose is no longer visible. Ferrari have retained both Alonso and Felipe Massa to drive the F138.
In a spectacular ceremony that also kicked off the manufacturer's 50th anniversary celebrations, McLaren already launched their new MP4-28 Mercedes yesterday. Unlike the Ferrari, this is actually far more than an evolution of the 2012 car even though the MP4-27 scored seven victories. The biggest change is the front suspension, which now features pull-rod actuated suspension to allow a cleaner airflow. Following the departure of Lewis Hamilton, the responsibility of piloting the MP4-28 will fall on Jenson Button and new signing Sergio Perez.
AMG Mercedes have today announced the C 63 AMG 'Edition 507'. The 507 is a reference to the horsepower available from the massaged 'M156' V8, representing an increase of 50 hp compared to the 'standard' model. Available as sedan, coupe and estate, the Edition 507 is easily recognisable thanks to a more aggressive engine cover.