Today the doors opened for the 2016 edition of the biennial Paris Motor Show. Among the cars that starred in the French capital was the all-new Audi RS 3 LMS. The latest addition to Audi's customer motorsport line-up, it is based on the equally new RS 3 sedan. Built to comply with the TCR regulations for high performance touring cars, it is powered by a turbo-charged, four-cylinder engine, good for around 330 hp. The RS 3 LMS will be available from the start of the upcoming season and is priced at EUR 129,000.
Of the local manufacturers, Renault particularly impressed with this Trezor Concept. The stylish Coupe is powered by an all-electric drivetrain derived from the successful Renault e.dams Formula E car. Driving the rear wheels, the electric motor produces 350 hp and 380 Nm of torque. While it is unfortunately not likely that we will see a Trezor, the show car does signal a new design language for Renault.
Although already announced earlier, Ferrari have now released more images and details of the GTC4Lusso T. Its unveiling in Paris coincided with the launch of Ferrari's 70th anniversary celebrations next year. As part of this, customers can order their Ferraris in some of the company's most iconic liveries.

One of the most tantalising rivalries at Le Mans was the Ferrari and Ford one of the mid-1960s. In 1967, Ferrari was looking for revenge, while Ford fielded the all-new Mk IV. Still considered a GT40, it was actually developed and constructed entirely in the United States and featured a sophisticated composite chassis. What was carried over from the 1966 Le Mans winning GT40 was the big-block V8. Before Le Mans, Ford raced only a single Mk IV but it did win the Sebring 12 Hours straight out of the box. At Le Mans, Ford won again with the winning car piloted by Dan Gurney and A.J. Foyt. At the recent Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance no fewer than three examples of the very rare Ford Mk IV were displayed including the Sebring and Le Mans winning cars.
Also on hand was the Mk IV's rival from Ferrari, the achingly beautiful 330 P4. Powered by a much smaller V12 engine and more compact in size, the Ferrari was nevertheless able to almost match the big Fords on raw pace. In the end, there was nothing the Ferrari drivers could but the 330 P4 does remain as one of the most beautiful and sought after cars ever built.
At this weekend's ELMS four-hour race at Spa-Francorchamps, Onroak Automotive revealed the first new-for-2017 LMP2 car. Suitably dubbed the Ligier JS P217, it features subtle changes to the cockpit dimensions to improve driver safety. Due to be delivered to customers from the start of the new year, the JS P217 is expected to star in all the major sports car racing championships.

A September packed with events kicked off at the much loved Circuit Park Zandvoort with the Historic Grand Prix. Headlined by the FIA Masters Historic Formula 1 championship, the event also featured races for a variety of other single seaters, touring cars, GT racers and sports cars. In addition to the races, the Historic Grand Prix also featured demonstration runs provided by the Porsche Museum and the FORCE. This made for an action packed three days. We ventured to our 'home' track for the third year and have returned with a concise report, illustrated by a class-by-class 210-shot gallery.
The latest Paris Motor Show release announced is this Ferrari GTC4Lusso T. An expansion of the Ferrari line-up, it features the twin-turbo V8 of the California T in place of the V12 fitted in the original model. This 3.9-litre unit is still good for an impressive 600 bhp. The GTC4Lusso T is rear-wheel drive only but does retain the range-topping model's four-wheel steering.

Last week's Goodwood Revival was kicked off with the new two-driver Kinrara Trophy that ran into the evening on Friday. It was won by nine-time Le Mans winner Tom Kristensen and Joe Macari in the latter's Ferrari 250 GT SWB Comp/61. A winner in period, this car made its historic racing debut after it was in longterm ownership with the two collectors for the last 45 years. Chassis 2973GT's most notable victory in period came at the 1962 Tour de France where original owner Andre Simon claimed victory.
This morning, Bentley announced the company's very first diesel engined car in the form of the Bentayga Diesel, which is due to debut in Paris next week. Being a Bentley, it is not powered by any ordinary engine but a V8 enhanced by twin exhaust driven turbos and an additional electric supercharger. The maximum output of the Bentayga Diesel engine is an impressive 429 bhp.
Also scheduled to make its first public appearance in the French capital is the Citroen C3 WRC Concept. Although officially a show car, it offers more than a glimpse of the French manufacturer's all-new World Rally Car, which is due to make its competitive debut in January at the Rallye Monte Carlo.
MINI, meanwhile, will take the wraps off the 228 bhp John Cooper Works Clubman at the Paris Motor Show. It comes as standard with a six-speed manual and all-wheel drive, while an eight-speed automatic is available as an option.

Earlier this month, the fabulous Chantilly castle hosted the third annual Chantilly Arts & Elegance. The only major concours d'elegance in France, the event offers a unique mix of classic, modern and competition cars, complemented by a great number of enthusiast clubs. On the eve of the show, Bonhams staged an auction, which was headlined by a Mercedes-Benz 500 K Spezial Roadster, which sold for over EUR 5 million. We were on hand for the third year in succession and have created a concise report, illustrated by a class-by-class 160-shot gallery.
At Chantilly, our eye was particularly caught by this unique Alfa Romeo 8C 2300 Figoni Roadster. The only short chassis 8C 2300 bodied new by Joseph Figoni, this car was hidden from sight in single ownership for so long that a replica claiming this number had already emerged. The previous owner was presented with the car as a gift for his 21st birthday and cherished it for the rest of his life. In lovely time-warp condition this striking 8C 2300 only returned to the limelight this year.
One of the special classes was dedicated to the great, French Ferrari privateer Charles Pozzi. Among the cars fielded by the Ferrari distributor from Paris was this 308 GTB Group 4. One of the most successful examples of its type, chassis 21071 was driven to the outright victory in the 1982 Tour de France.

Ahead of the official launch later this month at the Paris Motor Show, Mercedes-AMG revealed the first details of the GT Roadster and the more potent GT C Roadster. Both versions are powered by the M178, twin-turbo V8, which produces 476 hp and 557 hp respectively. The top of the range GT C Roadster can accelerate to 100 km/h in 3.7 seconds and has a top speed of 316 km/h.
Peugeot, meanwhile, have revealed the new 3008 DKR, which is due to debut at the upcoming Dakar Rally. It is development of the 2008 DKR previously used, so it features a twin-turbo diesel V6 mounted amidships in a purpose-built spaceframe chassis. The engine is actually slightly less powerful than the V6 used this year as it received a bigger restrictor. Among the drivers tasked to drive the 3008 DKR is defending Dakar winner Stephane Peterhansel.
With the Panamera 4 E-Hybrid, Porsche have added a fourth model to the all-new Panamera line-up. As the name suggests, it features a hybrid drivetrain, which consists of a twin-turbo petrol V6 and an electric motor. The combined system output of the Panamera 4 E-Hybrid is 462 hp and 700 Nm of torque.

This weekend, the Goodwood Motor Circuit hosted the 19th annual Goodwood Revival. Amazingly, as of this year, the circuit has served longer as a historic than a contemporary venue, which lasted only from 1948 through to 1966. Event host Lord March has created a tantalising and hugely successful walk down memory lane but tweaks are made every year to further improve the show. This year, a brand new, opening race was added for early 1960s GT cars that ran into the sunset on Friday evening, which provided a true spectacle. The weather was not quite on its behaviour but a rainy Saturday certainly did not dampen the spirits. Set fixtures like the Bonhams auction and the RAC TT Celebration race also did not disappoint.
We were at the sell-out Goodwood Revival for its entirety and have prepared a concise report, which is illustrated with a mouth-watering 340-shot gallery of the event itself and all the races and an additional 40-shot gallery from the Bonhams sale.

We are at Goodwood this weekend for the annual Revival Meeting and a set fixture is the Bonhams auction. The British company's sale is this year headlined by a beautifully preserved Porsche 550 Spyder. Among the very last produced, this car was owned new by a Hollywood executive. The next custodian loved driving the car so much that he decided to open a Porsche dealership. Unfortunately for him, he had to sell the car to raise the required funds to finance his new business venture. Rarely used and seen since the 1970s, it received the coveted FIVA award at the 2010 Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance for the best preserved car. Chassis 550-0090 is offered in time warp condition and accordingly is estimated to sell for around GBP 5 million.
This week, Audi revealed the first details and images of the second generation S5 Sportback. It is powered by the latest turbocharged V6 engine, which produces around 350 bhp and 500 Nm of torque. This is transferred to all four wheels through an eight-speed gearbox.
Also due at the Paris Motor Show later this month will be the mighty Bentley Continental Flying Spur W12 S. Thanks to its 626 bhp W12 engine, this is the very first four-door Bentley to break the 200 mph top speed barrier.

One of the most exclusive events during the Monterey car week is The Quail, a Motorsports Gathering. Hosted by the Quail Lodge in the heart of the Carmel Valley, it is a concours d'elegance with a unique atmosphere. The visitors are treated to a mix of automotive and culinary delights with sufficient space to really enjoy both. For us, the cars are still the most important ingredient of the event and we have taken a closer look at some of the highlights in this concise report, which is illustrated by a 150-shot gallery.
Amidst the many great cars on display, two McLarens really stood out. Shown as part of the BMW centenary celebrations was one of the three surviving McLaren F1 prototypes. Referred to as XP4 this was the car used for gearbox and endurance testing and it also starred in the popular television show Top Gear. Of a slightly earlier vintage was the McLaren M16C/D Offenhauser, which was raced for the works team in the 1974 Indy 500 by David Hobbs. This would be the first of six outings in the legendary event. A sister car to the 1974 winning car, chassis 6 was recently completely restored to its original livery and configuration.

Today, we continue our coverage of the Monterey Peninsula Car Week with a detailed look at the auctions staged by international companies Bonhams, RM Sotheby's and Gooding & Company. The major sales this year were awaited with a slightly unsettling mix of anticipation and anxiety. Anticipation because of the magnificent cars that were consigned like the very first Shelby Cobra, the 1956 Le Mans winning Jaguar D-Type, an alloy Ferrari 250 GT LWB California Spider and a highly original Bugatti Type 51, and anxiety because of the uncertainty in the market that had been raised by the recent Brexit vote. In the end, the best cars managed to sell as expected and the sales did not disappoint. Our coverage provides a closer look with all the results and a 170-shot gallery.
During the week, several manufacturers also released brand new production and show cars. Among them was the Lamborghini Centenario Roadster. Production is limited to just 20 examples and all of them have already been spoken for. With 99 examples, the Aston Martin Vanquish Zagato Volante is not quite as elusive but will surely be equally sort after. Among the show cars introduced at Monterey were the Mercedes-Maybach Vision 6 and the Cadillac Escala.
At the upcoming Paris Motor Show, Citroen will reveal this striking CXperience Concept. Like the name suggests, this large hatchback sedan is inspired by the great CX introduced back in the 1970s.