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2014-04-30: 2014 Mugello Classic Report and 240-Shot Gallery ...
Over the weekend, the undulating Mugello circuit hosted the inaugural Mugello Classic, which replaced the Imola Classic on the Peter Auto calendar. Set in the hills of Tuscany just north of Florence, we discovered Mugello to be one of the most beautiful circuits in Europe. The event featured most of Peter Auto's familiar grids, including the Classic Endurance Racing and Sixties' Endurance, complemented by a four support grids with single seaters and Alfa Romeos. Attracting evocative fields throughout, some of the highlights on track during the Mugello Classic were a rare Ferrari 250 GT SWB 'SEFAC Hot Rod', a freshly restored Alfa Romeo 33/3 Spider and the Rondeau that was entered for a record ten 24 Hours of Le Mans races. Also on hand, to drive the aforementioned Alfa Romeo, was Nani Galli, who still holds the record on the original 66 km Mugello road course.
Quickly getting to grips with the track, we have produced a concise report, illustrated by a grid-by-grid 240-shot gallery, which features more than its fair share of flames, slides and scenic backdrops. |
2014-04-28: Privately funded sports racers that starred at Le Mans ...
Over the weekend we were in Italy for the newly established Mugello Classic and were treated to some spectacular sports cars. Before we start creating our comprehensive coverage, we have taken a detailed look at several other sports cars that were not at Mugello but certainly could have been. They share the fact that they were funded by privateers and raced at Le Mans.
The most famous of the machines highlighted today is the De Cadenet Lola T380 Cosworth, which had been commissioned from Lola by Alain de Cadenet. He is today better known for his television work but he was a formidable driver in his day. De Cadenet certainly proved his worth behind the Cosworth DFV-powered T380, which he drove to third at Le Mans in 1976 together with Chris Craft. We captured the car resplendent in its original livery at the Le Mans Classic in 2012 and it is on the entry list again this year. The original T380 was followed by two more cars following the same design, known as the De Cadenet Lola LM, which were competitively raced well into the 1980s. The featured example is pictured at Le Mans and Silverstone. Not quite as well known is the Nomad Mk 2 BRM, which was the second of three cars built by Bob Curl for privateer racer Mark Konig. While the original was powered by a small four-cylinder Ford engine, the Mk 2 featured the altogether more powerful BRM V8. It was raced at the Targa Florio and Le Mans in 1969 before it was replaced by the bigger and stronger Mk 3. Like the De Cadenet-Lola T380, the Nomad Mk 2 BRM was captured back at Le Mans in 2012. Our action-packed Mugello Classic coverage will follow on Wednesday. |
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2014-04-24: A closer look at the Louwman Museum's unique Abarth and Bugatti ...
A few weeks ago we already posted a detailed look at the Louwman Museum and today we have highlighted two of the stars of the collection; both one-offs. Our favourite is certainly the Abarth A209 Boano Coupe, which was first shown at the 1955 Chicago Auto Show. It is one of around a dozen Boano Abarths built in 1955 and sold to the United States. These included one Coupe and Convertible, while the rest were competition Roadsters. The unique 209A Boano Coupe was displayed for many years in the Rosso Bianco Museum before it was acquired by the Louwman Museum.
Also sporting a striking two-tone finish is the Bugatti Type 57 Gangloff Grand Raid, which was first shown at the Paris Auto Salon late in 1934. Intended for competition use, it was slightly lower than a standard Type 57 and boasted a raked windshield and cowled headrests. After its show duties, it was also campaigned with some success with Robert Benoist winning the Chavigny hill-climb. Following a long spell in Belgium, the Type 57 Grand Raid joined the collection in 2001 and has since been completely restored. |
2014-04-22: Rare Le Mans Cobra and Beijing Motor Show round-up ...
Although quick on tight and twisty circuits, the brick-like aerodynamics did not do the original AC Shelby Cobra any favours on long straights like the Mulsanne at Le Mans. In order to partly address this problem a special Cobra Le Mans was created for the 1963 edition of the 24 Hours of Le Mans. The most obvious change was the addition of a removable hardtop roof but the cars also boasted detail changes. Initially three examples were built, while a further six were constructed to the same specification. They were raced with considerable success in period, one finished seventh overall and first in class at Le Mans. In fact they are still campaigned successfully today as Le Mans Cobras have won the two most recent Tour Auto retrospective. This has prompted us to completely re-do our article, which now boasts a 139-shot gallery, which includes both cars that raced at Le Mans in period and two of the later cars.
Following our earlier report on the 2014 Beijing Motor Show, we can now round-up our coverage with a closer look at three more concepts shown in the Chinese capital. Among them is the Volkswagen Coupe Concept, offers more than glimpse of the upcoming Passat CC. French manufacturer Citroen, meanwhile, debuted the Citroen C-XR Concept, which undoubtedly will also be followed by a production model. Specifically targeting the Chinese market is the Nissan Lannia Concept. The striking sedan was created in Nissan's recently opened design centre in China. |
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2014-04-20: Latest from the Beijing Motor Show and a new Morgan Speedster ...
This week, the Beijing Motor Show or Auto China will kick off. Ahead of the show, several German manufacturers have already offered a preview of what they will showcase. Among them is Volkswagen, who will reveal the Golf R 400. As the name suggests, it features a 400 hp version of the familiar four-cylinder turbocharged engine. Key to the boost in power is a liquid cooled exhaust, cooling the gasses before they reach the turbocharger. Volkswagen stresses that the Golf R 400 is, at the moment, a concept car only.
Sister company Audi will use the Chinese show to showcase the TT offroad hybrid concept, which is effective a raised TT, creating yet another niche model. The show car is powered by plug-in hybrid system good for 400 hp. Mercedes-Benz will also explore a new niche in Beijing with the Concept Coupe SUV. According to the press release, it boasts the same lines off the recently introduced S-Class Coupe with a SUV platform. BMW will also the Auto China to offer a glimpse at the future with the Vision Future Luxury. The striking machine should give a good impression of the upcoming range-topping model, presumably the new 7-series. Over the weekend, British specialist manufacturer Morgan announced the limited edition Plus 8 Speedster. As the name suggests, this will be a Plus 8 with cut-down windshield. The lightweight machine will retail for just GBP 69,995. More images and details will follow in the coming weeks. |
2014-04-18: Ferrari Friday with the Ferraris that starred in the Tour Auto ...
For many years, Ferrari dominated the Tour de France, showcasing a winning mix of speed and reliability. At this year's Tour Auto, Ferraris were also very well represented. Among the Ferraris entered was the 250 GT SWB Berlinetta Competizione, which was driven to the outright victory in the 1960 Tour de France by Willy Mairesse and Georges Berger. This alloy-bodied example has been a regular in the Tour Auto since it was acquired by the current owner in 2001.
One of the absolute stars of the Tour Auto this year was the unique 250 GT SWB 'Breadvan', which we featured early last week. We have kept our eye out for this striking machine and have expanded our gallery to 71 shots. Ferrari was so successful in the French road rally that for several years, the 250 GT competition model was referred to as the 'Tour de France'. The main reason was the outright victory scored in 1956 by the 250 GT Competizione Scaglietti Coupe, of which an example was entered in this year's Tour Auto. In period this car was also raced in the Tour de France, placing 8th in 1956 and 5th in 1957. We also captured chassis 0563GT at Villa d'Este last year. Leading the field this year was a parade of Ferraris and Maseratis and among them was the very high performance 458 Speciale. For good measure, we have also added some shots of this machine from the Geneva Motor Show earlier this year. |
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2014-04-16: New York Auto Show round-up and all-new Mercedes-AMG ...
Today, the annual New York International Auto Show kicked off with the first of two preview days. Aston Martin used the opportunity to debut the hardcore V8 Vantage GT and V8 Vantage GT Roadster. Powered by a 430 bhp version of the all-alloy V8, this the North American counterpart of the N430 launched last month in Geneva.
One of the most powerful debuts in the Big Apple will no doubt be the 625 bhp Chevrolet Corvette Z06 Convertible. This represents the very first drop-top Z06 since the moniker was introduced back in 1963. Despite the lack of a roof, the car is 20% more rigid than the previous generation Z06 Coupe. The Z06 Convertible will be available later this year as a 2015 model. Land Rover will look ahead in New York wit the Vision Concept as this will form the base for the upcoming Discovery model. The show car is equipped with the innovative Transparent Bonnet head-up display, which gives the driver a better view of the ground immediately ahead of the car. Perhaps the most interesting news of the day is the announcement of the Mercedes-AMG GT, which will be launched in the fall. Powered by a V8 engine, this two-door coupe is poised to challenge the Porsche 911. The big news yesterday was of Peugeot's return to Dakar with the 2008 DKR. It will be driven by former winners Cyril Depres and Carlos Sainz. |
2014-04-14: 2014 Tour Auto report and 300-shot gallery ...
This week, some of the most beautiful roads of France were the scene of the annual Tour Auto retrospective rally. The five-day and 2,000 km event featured a 250-car strong field of GT and Touring cars of many different shapes and sizes, ranging from a BMW 700, to a fleet of Ferraris, Alfa Romeos, Porsches and Cobras. The star cars this year included the Ferrari 250 GT SWB 'Breadvan' we featured last week but also the very first Porsche 911 Carrera RSR. Set in the eastern and southeastern parts of France, the Tour Auto was run mostly on undulating roads and also featured the Dijon-Prenois, Anneau du Rhin, Bresse and Paul Ricard circuits. The fight of the outright win lasted until the very last day and was disputed between a pair of Cobras and a pair of E-Types.
Our photographers chased the Tour Auto through France and captured the event from start to finish. The result is this concise stage-by-stage report, illustrated by an action-packed 300-shot gallery. |
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2014-04-11: Peugeot and Bentley hybrid concepts primed for Beijing debut ...
With China emerging as the quickest growing market, the annual Beijing Motor Show or Auto China has become one of the most important shows on the calendar. This year's edition will start next week and both Peugeot and Bentley will showcase a hybrid-engined concept car. The French manufacturer's show stopper will be the Exalt Concept, which combines a front-mounted direct-injection petrol engine with an electric motor driving the rear wheels. The combined output of this plug-in hybrid drivetrain is an impressive 340 bhp. What will certainly capture the visitors' attention is the two-tone finish of bare-metal and shark skin. As a tribute to the artisan's of old, the metal panels of the Exalt's bodywork have been hand-beaten.
The Bentley Hybrid Concept is an altogether more straightforward machine as it represents the marriage of the Mulsanne bodywork with an all-new plug-in hybrid drivetrain. The exact details of the engine/motor combination have not been released yet, the images suggest that the Mulsanne's roaring 6.75 litre V8 has been retained. Bentley has announced that the first production model to be available as a plug-in hybrid will be the new SUV due in 2017. |
2014-04-09: Louwman Museum in full detail ....
Assembled over many, many years, the Louwman Collection is the oldest private collection in the world. To house the cars that span the complete history of the automobile, a purpose-built museum was constructed in The Hague, The Netherlands right next to a Royal Palace. The Louwman Museum was officially opened by the Dutch Queen in April of 2010. The striking building houses all the collection's highlights including the 1935 and 1956 Le Mans winning Lagonda and Jaguar, and also the Spyker 60 hp, which was the first six-cylinder engined and four-wheel drive car. Another great draw of the museum is that it offers a history both the automobile itself but also of more specialised machines like alternatively powered cars and micro-cars. At the time of our visit, the main hall of the museum housed a special Martini display, which still runs through to May 5th. Sixteen Martini-liveried machines are on show and in addition to the familiar machines, rarer beasts like the Porsche 911 RSR Turbo that placed third at Le Mans and the stillborn Lancia ECV2 were wheeled out specifically for this display. The result of our visit is a brief report, illustrated by a 180-shot gallery, which includes shots of the Martini display.
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2014-04-07: Ferrari Breadvan and 250 GT Drogo, and first glimpse from the Tour Auto ...
One of the most iconic Ferraris is undoubtedly the 250 GT SWB 'Breadvan' created by Giotto Bizzarrini for Count Volpi's Scuderia Serenissima. Bizzarrini had previously helped develop the 250 GTO while still at Ferrari and used all the lessons learned and then some to create the one-off Breadvan. The nickname is a reference to the tall Kamm-tail of the Drogo-built body, which prompted the French crowd at Le Mans to dub it 'cammionette' or small truck. It proved to be very quick but was ultimately unsuccessful. Fortunately, the one-off Ferrari has survived and in more recent years has returned to the track. This, week the 250 GT SWB 'Breadvan' will be one of the star cars of the Tour Auto. Like last year, we will cover the event from start to finish and a detailed report will follow next week. As a warm-up, we have already created a 30-shot gallery from the scrutineering at the Grand Palais earlier today.
Inspired by the performance of the Breadvan and the GTO, Belgian Ferrari importer and team principal of the Ecurie Francorchamps sent a pair of his 250 GT SWB competition cars to Drogo for a similar conversion. Both cars had been damaged in action and needed full repairs any way. The sole survivor of these is this 250 GT SWB Drogo Coupe, which was in period never raced in this guise. After a lengthy restoration, it has now been regularly exercised by its two Dutch owners, as can be seen in this 44-shot gallery. |
2014-04-04: Mighty Maserati 450S, another Ferrari 275 GTB/C and the all-new M4 Convertible ...
In Maserati's 100-year history, many great machines were produced but very few can rival the mighty Maserati 450S. Built around a thundering quad-cam V8, it was built in a make-or-break effort to win the 1957 World Sports Car championship. Despite victories in the Sebring 12 Hours and the Swedish Grand Prix, a catastrophic race in Caracas thwarted Maserati's efforts. Financial problems and regulation changes meant that this would be Maserati's final chance. Some of the vast investment was recouped by selling production cars and it is believed that ten examples were produced. We have today further expanded our gallery to 91-shots, featuring all examples that are known to have survived. Among them is the prototype, which will be offered by RM Auctions at their May 10th Monaco Sale. It has a pre-sale estimate of EUR 4 - 5.5 million.
Another great car to cross to block in this very well stocked sale is one of the 12 Ferrari 275 GTB/Cs produced. We have added this example, which is one of the most original survivors, to our ever expanding 108-shot gallery, which now features nine of the twelve chassis built. Later this month, at the New York International Auto Show, BMW will reveal the all-new M4 Convertible. Like its fixed-head counterpart, it is powered by a 425 bhp straight six engine and comes with a choice of a six-speed manual or a seven-speed dual clutch gearbox. Thanks to the use of lightweight materials, the M4 Convertible is 41 kg (90 lbs) lighter than its predecessor. Also in New York, Land Rover will showcase the Vision Concept, which will offer a preview of the next generation Discovery. |
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2014-04-02: The first Brabham Formula 1 and sports cars, and the vey slippery CD Panhard ...
Three-time World Champion, Sir Jack Brabham has turned 88 today. To mark the occasion, we have taken a detailed look at some of the earliest cars he designed and built together with Ron Tauranac during the 1960s. The earliest of these is the BT3 Climax, which was the very first Brabham Formula 1 car. It was introduced halfway through the 1962 season and was raced by Jack Brabham himself in a handful of events. It eventually ended up in the Donington Grand Prix Collection where it remained for many years until it was acquired by the current owner. He had the car completely restored and as can be seen in this 27-shot gallery, he has returned it to the track. The next outing will be the Monaco Historic Grand Prix next month.
In addition to single seaters, Brabham also produced sports cars. The first of these was the BT5 Ford, which was effectively a Formula Junior with two seats and an all-enveloping body. After two examples were built in 1963, it was replaced in 1964 by the BT8. This came with a choice of engines, including the BRM V8 that powers the featured example. Aerodynamic efficiency has always been key in racing but no car was as slippery as the CD Panhard LM64. Created by Charles Deutsch on Panhard running gear, it not only has a Cx figure of just 0.12, the LM64 also features ground effect aerodynamics. Despite sporting a 848 cc flat twin engine, it was capable of 221 km/h down the Mulsanne straight. Sadly, the pair LM64s were not quite as reliable as they were slippery and neither made it to the finish at Le Mans in 1964. They were not raced again but both cars have survived and are regularly raced and demonstrated as can be seen in our 23-shot gallery. |
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