Although the Corvette has been around for over half a century, and has become the iconic American sports car, racing success has only come in recent years with the C5-R and C6.R. In the early 1960s General Motors had a potential winner on their hands with the Corvette Grand Sport, but it was killed off twice by the company's executives. In this week's update we take a closer look at the troubled history of the Grand Sport. Another a genuine 'could have been' is the Ferrari 712, which remains as the biggest engined Ferrari ever constructed. Not as well known as the previous two, but equally rare is the Cunningham C3 Continental Coupe, which was constructed to homologate the company's racing cars.
In the last decade the Volkswagen Audi Group has added a number of niche manufacturers to their conglomerate. One of them, Lamborghini, took the wraps of the limited edition Gallardo SE, which is easily recognisable thanks to the two-tone paint scheme. From a completely different era comes the Bentley 3 1/2 Litre featured. Thanks to its exceptionally smooth running engines, they were referred to as the 'Silent Bentleys.'

When Lamborghini launched the track ready Murcielago R-GT many were hopeful the Raging Bull would finally score some victories. We saw the car in anger for the first time last week, and we were impressed by its pace, but disappointed by its reliability. Far more successful is the Bentley Speed Six, which is the most successful of the remaining works cars that dominated Le Mans in 1929 and 1930. Thanks to its stunning condition, it is now also the most expensive Bentley ever auctioned, changing hands for just $5 million last year. Porsche has been a dominant force in GT racing for the last thirty years with various 911 models. One of the first versions to score success all over the world is the featured 911 Carrera RSR 3.0.
Although Italy can be considered the home of the supercar, there have been various attempts in North America to build a worthy competitor. With the help of Giotto Bizzarrini AMC was the first, and came closer than most who followed with the AMX/3.
The summer is at its peak in most of the northern hemisphere, which is not only the best time to launch a line of T-shirts, but also ideally suited to unveil a new drop top. Porsche and Volvo seized the opportunity and launched the 997 Carrera 4S Cabriolet and C70 respectively.

For many teams this past weekend's Monza 1000 km race was the first chance to show their worth after last month's 24 Hours of Le Mans. The pressure was especially on the Pescarolo team to improve on the disappointing second place finish in France. For others it was just the second leg of the five race Le Mans Endurance Series (LMES) championship, which kicked off in April with the fog covered Spa 1000 km.
To warm up the crowds, a high quality support program was run before the main event. An insight into the history of the sport was offered on Saturday afternoon when the endurance racers of the 1960s and 1970s took each other on in a one hour race. Some of the most famous cars of the era were lined up, including two Porsche 917s.
We visited the event from start to finish, despite problems finding the poorly-indicated track location in the outskirts of Milan, Italy. Once we arrived we were delighted to find a course that combines a classic look and feel with all the facilities we have come to expect from a modern Formula 1 track. All of our findings are combined in a full report and 200 shot slideshow.

The summer heat is pounding most of us right now, so we thought it would be a great time to introduce our stylish T-shirts to help keep you cool. The Ultimatecarpage.com online store is now officially open for business.
To start, we have three different original sports car designs screen-printed on heavy duty t-shirts. There are plans in the future for baseball caps and other clothing, as well as Ultimatecarpage.com stickers and posters. The prices are great, with extra deals for subscribers. The ordering process is quite easy, so come on into the store and pick your favourites.
Maybe with the help of these shirts we'll all be able to recognize fellow Ultimatecarpage.com users at the upcoming summer car shows. Don't forget; it's never too early to start your Christmas shopping.

Performance figures only tell a part of the story when it comes to a sports car's full potential. The German Magazine Sport Auto believes that a lap around the Nurburgring Nordschleife would paint a better picture, and has organized record runs on the daunting track for the last couple of years. Traditionally the record for production cars was in the hands of a Porsche product; most recently the Carrera GT supercar. Not anymore though; in November 2004 a 350 bhp Donkervoort D8 RS shaved 15 seconds of the Carrera GT's record and is now king of the ring.
This week's Ferrari entry, the 166 MM/53 Autodromo Spyder, is one of only very few Ferraris that are bodied with an in-house designed coachwork. Not nearly as rare is the featured Chevrolet Corvette C2 427 Sting Ray. Constructed in 1966 it is the first 'Vette equipped with the seven litre engine.
From the early 1900s Rolls Royce has been a constant in the luxury segment, but especially in those early years there were many rivals. In the 1920s the Italian Isotta Fraschinis were highly acclaimed and close rivals to the Brits. In today's update we take a look at an early 8A Coupe de Ville, which still clearly shows the coach builder's horse drawn carriage roots. A few years later the Americans joined the market in force, especially with the stunning Duesenbergs. One of the most famous bodies fitted on the J chassis is the featured Derham Tourster of which only eight were constructed.