Next week, all attention turns to Paris for the Retromobile show and the associated auctions. Bonhams will stage their annual Les Grandes Marques du Monde a Paris. Headlining the sale is one of these great marques in the form of this Bugatti Type 55 Vanvooren Cabriolet. The Type 55 was effectively a Grand Prix car for the road and the consigned example is one of just six clothed by Vanvooren with Cabriolet body. Of these, the chassis 55217 is understood to be the most complete survivor. It is expected to sell for over €3 million.
Also consigned is a FIA GT race winning Dodge Viper GTS-R. Originally campaigned by Carsport Holland, it won three races and also qualified on pole position for the 2001 Spa 24 Hours.
The latest addition to the BMW M3 line-up is the CS model. The high-performance version of the M3 has more power and a more poised chassis. The 543 bhp M3 CS will be built in limited numbers from March of 2023.
German manufacturer Porsche will celebrate the company's 75th anniversary this year. To mark the occasion, the Stuttgart designers created the Vision 357 show car. It is not all show as the retro-styled machine is based on the 718 Cayman GT4 RS.
The next in a series of Audi all-electric concepts is this Actisphere. The high performance cross-over is aimed at active customers and accommodate several bicycles or skis. The Actisphere features two electric motors and has a 600 km range on a single charge.

The international auction season will kick off on Wednesday with the annual RM Sotheby's Arizona sale. It is headlined by a lovely selection of 1960s and early 1970s sports cars. Among them is this AC Shelby Cobra 427 Competition, which is one of just 19 built. This one served as a factory press car and also featured in the Elvis Presley movie Spinout. It was subsequently raced extensively and has been owned by the current custodian twice. Chassis CSX3011 is now expected to sell for $3 - $3.6 million.
A similar pre-sale estimate is given for this Ferrari 275 GTB/4. It was in the same collection for 45 years between 1971 and 2016. Although recommissioned, chassis 10325 has survived in lovely original condition.
Also attributed a $3 - $3.5 million estimate is the Lamborghini Miura SV in the sale. It was originally fitted with a split-sump lubrication system and has benefited from a complete restoration at the hands of the Bobileff Motorcar Company and Bob Wallace.
The rarest of the bunch is this Chevrolet Corvette ZL1. It is understood to be one of just two Convertibles fitted with the Can-Am derived big-block ZL1 engine. No ZL1 has been offered for sale in three decades and this Corvette could sell for $2.6 - $3 million.

Today we have taken a closer look at three Porsche Group C racers. The most sophisticated is this 962C GTi, which was built around a stronger honeycomb aluminium monocoque chassis designed by Nigel Stroud. The featured RLR-200 was the second of five built and raced extensively between 1988 and 1990. Beautifully restored by Katana ltd., it was raced at last year's Spa Classic.
A regular of recent Spa Classics was this 962C, which was originally sold to Japan. Raced only twice in period, 962-166 has been raced more extensively by its current, Dutch owner. It has now been consigned to next month's Artcurial Retromobile sale with a €900,000 - €1,200,000 estimate.
The earliest of the trio is this ex-John Fitzpatrick Racing 956. Built to the later 'B' specifications, it was raced extensively in period and is today painted in the striking Skoal Bandit colours.
Aston Martin is rounding up DBS production with the limited edition DBS 770 Ultimate. Only 499 examples will be built; 300 Coupes and 199 Volantes. As the name suggests, the V12 fitted produces a staggering 770 hp. All DBS 770 Ultimates have reportedly already been spoken for.

To celebrate the 70th anniversary of the Corvette, Chevrolet created the E-Ray; the first electrified version of the American sports car. The drivetrain consists of the familiar naturally aspirated LT2 V8 and a front-mounted electric motor. Interestingly, the batteries can be charged while driving and there is no option to charge the car off the grid. The maximum system output is a startling 878 bhp and thanks to the electric all-wheel drive system, the E-Ray can accelerate to 60 miles per hour in just 2.5 seconds. Due to be sold as a 2024 model, the E-Ray is available as both a Coupe and Convertible body.
French manufacturer Renault expanded the rally line up with a new Clio Rally3. It is the first ever four-wheel drive Clio rally car. The Clio Rally3 is powered by a 1.3-litre, four-cylinder engine that produces 260 hp with the mandatory restrictor fitted. Once homologated, the four-wheel drive Clio will be eligible for rally championships all around the world.

The start of the auction season is traditionally in Scottsdale, Arizona where international companies Bonhams and RM Sotheby's will hold a sale. Headlining the two auctions are a pair of V12-engined Italian supercars. Due to cross the block at Bonhams on January 27 is this Maserati MC12 Corsa. One of twelve Versione Corsa track-only examples built, the example consigned is effectively brand-new. Rarely consigned to an auction, Bonhams gives no estimate for this mighty Maserati.
A day earlier, Anglo-Canadian auctioneer RM Sotheby's will offer this Ferrari LaFerrari. Finished in a unique colour combination, this particular example was ordered new by noted collector Greg Whitten. The metallic blue LaFerrari is estimated to sell for over $4 million.
Renault SPort will conclude production of the hard-core Mégane with this R.S. Ultime edition. Just 1,976 examples will be built before the Alpine brand takes over the role held by Renault Sport. The well-specced Mégane R.S. Ultime uses the same 300 hp, turbocharged four-cylinder engine as the Trophy model.

The year has barely got under way but we have already learned of quite a lot to look forward to. This includes the Hennessey Venom F5 Revolution. This is a track-oriented version of the 1,817 bhp Venom F5. It features a more aggressive downforce package but is also lighter than the road car. Hennessey plans to build a limited run of just 24 Venom F5 Revolutions.
British specialist racing car manufacturer Radical has introduced a revised SR3. Dubbed the SR3 XXR, it is slightly more powerful than the outgoing model. Deliveries of the SR3 XXR will start in February of 2023.
At last week's Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Peugeot debuted the Inception Concept. Powered by a pair of electric motors, it represents a preview of future Peugeot production models. The combined output of the Inception Concept is a hefty 670 bhp, which allows the sedan to accelerate to 100 km/h in less than three seconds.
AC Cars is due to launch the all-new Cobra GT Roadster in the coming year. It features a bespoke aluminium spaceframe chassis and will be powered by a V8 engine that produces 654 bhp. The Cobra GT Roadster will be fitted with a six-speed manual or an optional ten-speed automatic gearbox.

We have come to the end of 2022; a year during which a form of normality returned. During the many great events, we came across a great deal of interesting cars and to close of the year we take a closer look at four of them. At the Le Mans Classic, one of the attention grabbers was this Ford GT40, which won the Plateau 4 race. Sold new to a Scottish privateer, it scored a victory first time out and then won the Portuguese Sports Car Championship in the hands of Carlos Gaspar. Raced well into the 1970s, GT40P/1022 has come full circle and is now back in Portuguese hands.
During the Goodwood Festival of Speed, Ferrari's 75th anniversary was celebrated. One of the cars out on the hill was this Ferrari 512 S. Demonstrated on behalf of owner Nick Mason by Marino Franchitti, it is the 1970 Sebring 12 Hours winning example.
Another race winner this year was this McLaren M19A Cosworth. In the hands of Stuart Hall, it scored a hard fought race win during the Monaco Historic Grand Prix. It would be the first of two wins for Hall that weekend.
First shot at the Louis Vuitton Bagatelle Concours d'Elegance some twenty years ago, we were once again treated to this very special Alfa Romeo 6C 2500 SS Touring Berlinetta at the Chantilly Arts & Elegance Richard Mille. Built on an Alfa Corse prepared chassis, it may very well the first road car to come out of Enzo Ferrari's workshop.

It was a busy week with Artcurial grabbing the headlines for consigning this Ferrari 250 LM for the Retromobile auction. It is the first time in nearly a decade that a 250 LM is offered at an auction and this a remarkable example that has been in the same collection for twenty years. Chassis 5901 was sold new to Luigi Chinetti's NART and was raced only at the 1966 Daytona 24 Hours in period.
During the same week, RM Sotheby's will have this Bugatti Chiron Profilée on offer during their Paris sale. It is a one-off, pre-production example for a version of the Chiron that never entered series production. It sits in the range between the Pur Sport and Super Sport and has a unique long tail with a rear wing. The striking Profilée is offered directly from Bugatti and is the last brand-new Chiron available.
Alfa Romeo and Zagato have collaborated to create this one-off Giulia SWB Coupe. Based on the Giulia, it combines a short-wheelbase chassis with the GTAm engine and a six-speed manual gearbox. Zagato have clothed the Alfa Romeo with a striking Coupe body inspired by the classic Zagato Alfa Romeos. Built to custom order, the Giulia SWB Coupe seems to sadly remain a one-off.
One of Zagato's rivals of old, Bertone, is back with this GB110. Based on German underpinnings, it features a design that draws inspiration from legendary designs like the Stratos Zero. Production of the Bertone GB110 will be strictly limited to 33 examples.

As the year 2022 draws to a close, it is time for us to look back at the top 25 of cars sold at a public auction. They were of course all eclipsed by the Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR Uhlenhaut Coupe, which was bought from the factory at a record smashing €135 million in May. This was, however, a private sale and started a trend of sealed bid auctions that was particularly popular with RM Sotheby's. No results of these sales were published so can not be listed.
The top seller of 2022 was also offered by RM Sotheby's and was this Ferrari 410 S Scaglietti Spyder. Described by Carroll Shelby as the best Ferrari he ever raced, the five-litre sports racer found a new home during the Monterey sale for just over $22 million.
Earlier in the year, Gooding sold this fabulous Talbot Lago T150C SS Figoni & Falaschi Teardrop Coupe for a hefty $13,4 million at their annual Amelia Island Auction. One of eleven built, these Teardrops are ranked among the most beautiful cars ever made and this one was originally sold to Olympic bobsledder Freddy McEvoy and was later part of the Nethercutt Collection.
Also going across the Gooding block but at Pebble Beach was this Bugatti Type 57 SC Atalante Coupe. This black over black Atalante was originally sold to France and could more recently be seen driving around the streets of Athens. Chassis 57523 found a new custodian for $10.3 million.

Among the early consignments to the upcoming Gooding Amelia Island Auction are four remarkable Rufs from a single collection. Although based on Porsche products, the modifications carried out by Ruf are such that these cars all have distinct chassis numbers, recognising Ruf as a bona fide manufacturer.
The earliest of the quartet is this BTR2. Built in small numbers during the mid-1990s, the BTR2 was based on the naturally aspirated 911 Carrera. Ruf added a turbo and a subtle bodykit but kept the car rear-wheel drive further distinguishing it from the 993-generation 911 Turbo. The example consigned was originally sold to Japan and eventually made its way across to the United States.
Offered from the same stable are a pair of Turbo Rs; a Coupe and the one-off Cabriolet. Both 911 Turbo-based models are finished in a striking blood orange colour. The Coupe is particularly interesting as it was more recently upgraded to the later Turbo R Limited specification by Ruf.
Another unique Ruf available at the Amelia Island sale is this RK Coupe. The Cayman based machine featured styling by the great Aldo Brovarone and in this particular case, a supercharged engine.

This weekend, Dutch specialist manufacturer Donkervoort has launched the F22, which is the first all-new model in many years. It is a 21st century interpretation of Colin Chapman's original Lotus Seven. Although it complies with the latest safety requirements, it was designed with lightweight in mind throughout and tips the scales at just 750 kg. Combined with a 500 bhp version of Audi's RS 3 engine ensures that the F22 offers stellar performance figures. The new design is modern but still unmistakably Donkervoort. The planned run of 50 examples was sold out so quickly that the figure has been stretched to 75 examples. It is also the first Donkervoort that will be available in the United States.
Ford Performance and Multimatic have joined forces one more time to develop the final development of the recent GT. Dubbed the Mk IV, it is a track-only version with a larger and more powerful engine, and a bespoke long-tail bodywork. Inspired by the 1967 Le Mans winning Mk IV, the new GT Mk IV production will be strictly limited to 67 examples.
Another track-only machine that broke cover recently is the DeTomaso P900. The name is a reference to the remarkably dry weight of just 900 kg. It is powered by a naturally aspirated V12 engine that is good for a startling 900 hp. With a 1:1 power to weight ratio, the P900 should be a formidable weapon on the track. Only 18 examples are planned to be built.

Today we take a closer look at a pair of Aston Martins that raced at the Le Mans Classic this summer. First up is this AMR1 Group C racer, which is actually built on the chassis that was destined to form the basis for the stillborn AMR2. After the program was axed, the chassis was built up as a complete car using the readily available spare parts and assigned the chassis number AMR1 / 06. It has resurfaced in recent years and has been campaigned in historic events. Out in the Endurance Racing Legends race was this Aston Martin DBR9. Extensively raced in period, it today still wears the Gulf colours used during its 2008 Le Mans outing. Now part of the ROFGO Collection, chassis DBR9/7 made a rare appearance at Le Mans.
For the 2023 season Mercedes-AMG has prepared this new GT2 racer. It joins the existing GT3 and GT4 cars to compete in the re-established GT2 category. Although the final figures are subject to Balance of Performance, the GT2 should have around 700 bhp available.
Another new Mercedes-AMG car launched this week is the S 63 E-Performance. The high-performance S-Class features a hybrid drivetrain that combines the familiar twin-turbo V8 with an electric motor with a combined maximum output of 791 bhp. The S 63 E-Performance also has a sophisticated chassis with rear-axle steering and active roll stabilisation.