In February two absolutely fabulous French cars will cross the block. Our favourite is this Matra MS670, which is the actual car that was driven to victory in the 1972 edition of the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Powered by a glorious three-litre V12 engine, these Matras are among the most evocative cars that ever raced at Le Mans. The victory in the 1972 edition was the first for Matra and it also completed driver Graham Hill's unique set of Monaco, Indy 500 and Le Mans wins. Chassis MS670-01 was retained by Matra Sports and is now offered for the first time at the upcoming Artcurial La Parisienne sale with a €4+ million estimate.
Later in the month, at the Bonhams Legens of the Road auction this stunning Bugatti Type 57 S Corsica Tourer. The Type 57 S is a rare car in its own right and this is one of just two clothed by London-based coach-builder Corsica with a four-seater tourer body. It has been in the same ownership since 1969 and has never been fully restored. Offered by the late owner's family, chassis 57503 very much offers a unique opportunity to acquire a Type 57 S Bugatti that is still largely original.
Honouring the acrobatic team of the Italian airforce, Pagani have created this Huayra Tricolore. Based on the Roadster model, only three will be built and the price is a staggering €5.5 million excluding local taxes. It is money well spent as the Huayra Tricolore, is the most powerful Pagani production road car as it comes with a 828 bhp version of the Mercedes-Benz twin-turbo V12 engine.

Several years in the making, Hennessey Performance have finally revealed the production Venom F5. The mid-engined machine is the first car developed from the ground-up by Hennessey. It is built around a bespoke carbon-fibre composite monocoque and features a twin-turbo engine that its aptly named the Fury. It is good for a staggering 1,817 bhp and could propel the Venom F5 to a top speed of over 500 km/h. Priced at $2.1 million, production is strictly limited to just 24 examples.
Hot on the heels of sister company Audi, Porsche have revealed their plans to return to sports car racing with a LMDh prototype. Built to the IMSA regulations, the car will be eligible to compete in all the major races. While it will have to be built on a LMP2-specification chassis from one of the four specialist builders, the new Porsche racer will feature proprietary engine and bodywork. In good Porsche tradition, the LMDh racer will also be made available to customers. The last sports prototype that was campaigned by customers was the RS Spyder. It was raced in the ALMS by Penske Racing and it seems likely that this highly successful team will once again be responsible for running the new car in North America. Featured today is one of the RS Spyders raced by Penske. In the hands of Romain Dumas and Timo Bernhardt, it scored an outright victory and a pair of class wins during the 2008 season.
Lamborghini Squadra Corse have created the perfect Christmas present for one of their customers with this one-off SC20. The no compromise machine is in many ways a road legal racer. It boasts a very aggressive body that lacks amenities like a windshield. Power for the unique SC20 comes from a 759 bhp version of the familiar 6.5-litre, naturally aspirated V12 engine.

After releasing a preview last week, Porsche have now revealed the all-new Porsche 911 GT3 Cup. It is the first 911-based Cup car that features the wide 'Turbo' body. Compared to the outgoing model, it has an additional 25 bhp on tap. The car comes fitted with electronic aids like anti-lock braking and traction control but for most Porsche Carrera Cups these driver aids will not be activated. Immediately available, it is priced at €225,000. Another first is that the 911 GT3 Cup will be raced in a North America based series.
Although not expected to hit the track until 2022, Peugeot have released further details of their upcoming Le Mans Hypercar. It comes equipped with a twin-turbo V6 that powers the rear wheels and a separate electric motor that drivers the front wheels. While the petrol engine is good for 670 bhp on its own, the sophisticated drivetrain will ensure that while the 268 bhp electric motor is working, the system output does not exceed 670 bhp. As per the regulations, the electric motor of the Peugeot LMH will not work until the car reaches 120 km/h. We will keep close taps on this exciting project.
This year, Radical have launched a brand-new model with the SR10. Following familiar Radical lines, this model is powered by a 425 bhp engine yet weighs only 725 kg. The SR10 is targeted at track-day enthusiasts.

Today we celebrate Turbo Thursday by taking a closer at three turbocharged racers. The first is this Jaguar XJR-11, which was raced at the recent Monza Historic exactly 30 years after the car originally made its competition debut at the Italian track. Campaigned in the Sports Car World Championship by Jaguar during the 1990 and 1991 seasons, chassis 490 was driven to victory at the Silverstone round in 1990.
One of the most extreme cars to compete in the Group 5 class during the late 1970s and early 1970s was the Ford Zakspeed Capri. Six of these silhouette racers were built and this example was originally raced by Harald Ertl and Klaus Niedzwiedz. During the 1980s, it was used in hill climbs by Herbert Stenger, who would continue to own the car until his passing in 2014. In its new ownership, it has been carefully restored to its original guise and returned to the track for the first time this year.
For the Toleman team, 1984 represented a breakthrough season. For a variety of reasons, the TG 185 could not continue the upward trend, despite clinching one pole position in the hands of Teo Fabi. It was however the first car sponsored by Benetton and it would evolve into the Grand Prix winning Benetton B186. The feature example is the only example to be in full running order today.

Between 2013 and 2020, Porsche built a startling 1,410 examples of the 991-generation 911 GT3 Cup car. From the 2021 season, its place in the Porsche Cup series around the world will be taken by the all-new 911 GT3 Cup based on the latest 992-generation of the 911. As shown in our gallery, it is currently going through the final tests before the car is shipped to customers ahead of the new season.
To mark the occasion, we have taken a detailed look at the very first Porsche built for a one-make series; the 911 Carrera RSR 3.0 IROC. It was developed towards the end of the 1973 season for Roger Penske's International Race of Champions. Held over four rounds in late 1973 and early 1974, the lucrative championship featured some of the world's best drivers. The fifteen cars used in the series were built specifically for the IROC and were the first three-litre 911s sold to a customer and also the first to be fitted with the legendary 'Whaletail' engine cover. Our feature car was raced originally by Peter Revson, Gordy Johncock and George Follmer in the IROC series and later by Elliott Forbes-Robinson in IMSA.
Gooding have revealed two further high-end consignments for their upcoming Scottsdale Auctions. The earliest of the duo is this beautifully patinated Bugatti Type 37. Originally delivered to the south of France, it has been in ownership of the same family since 1958. It is estimated to find a new owner for the first time for over six decades for $650,000 - $850,000.
Rarer still is this Aston Martin DB2/4 Bertone Cabriolet. One of two built, it was shown at Pebble Beach when new and later also owned by Grand Prix racer Innes Ireland. Beautifully restored, chassis LML/506 should sell for over $1 million.

Established in 1951 by Scottish Francophile David Murray, Ecurie Ecosse was one of the leading privateer teams during the next decade. The team is best known for their association with Jaguar, resulting in back-to-back wins at Le Mans in 1956 and 1957. Today we take a look at the first Jaguar C-Type run by the team. The sixth 'XK120C' built, it was owned and driven with great success by Ian Stewart. Today XKC 006 is part of a prominent collection of Jaguar competition cars and is regularly raced in historic events.
The original team ceased operating in 1971 but under the stewardship of Hugh McCaig, the name was revived during the 1980s. During this period, Ecurie Ecosse built and raced Group C2 cars of which this C285 Cosworth is the first. Designed by Ray Mallock, it was driven to three class victories during the 1985 season. The following year, the team won the Group C2 World Championship with its Rover-engined successor. Raced into the early 1990s, the unique C285 has been restored to its 1986 colours and configuration and has made several appearance in the Historic Group C Championship.
MINI have offered a first glimpse of the upcoming John Cooper Works Electric. Still shown in concept form, it should enter production in the next couple of years. No performance details were released, just a couple of pictures of the camouflaged test car.
A pioneer in the electric world is Croation specialist Rimac and they are putting the final touches on the upcoming C_Two. Its all-electric drivetrain should be good for a mesmerising 1,914 bhp.

Over the last few years, the cut-off date for historic racing has moved up considerably and we now see cars appear in historic events that we have seen compete in contemporary events just a few years ago. Seeing this Maserati MC12 in action at the recent Historic Grand Prix Zandvoort shows that that is certainly not a bad thing. Raced extensively in period by Team Vitaphone, it scored five FIA GT wins. Now in Dutch hands, chassis 007 was a winner at Zandvoort as well.
Yesterday, Audi released a teaser image of a planned Dakar challenger. The car should start in the gruelling race in 2022. Also included in the press release was the mention that the German manufacturer will return to sports car racing from the 2023 season onwards with an LMDh car. This will mean the new Audi will be able to compete in both ACO and IMSA sanctioned events.
The latest addition to the Hyundai rally car line-up is this i20 N Rally2. It is currently undergoing testing and the first cars should arrive at customers at the start of the 2021 season.
The latest all electric supercar is this Elation Freedom. The brainchild of two Argentineans, it is being built in California. Power for the all-carbon fibre machine comes from three electric motors, good for a combined 1,340 bhp or 1 mW. There is also the option of a fourth motor, which raises the output to 1,903 bhp! The Freedom should accelerate to 100 km/h in less than two seconds and has a limited top speed of 421 km/h.