Today we celebrate Ferrari Friday with four interesting examples that are due to cross the block at the upcoming RM Sotheby's Amelia Island sale.
The newest of the quartet is this F40, which was one of the very last examples produced. It has survived in a beautiful original condition and has a pre-sale estimate of $1.8 - $2.2 million. The 1970s are represented by this rare 365 GTS/4 Daytona Spider. The 36th example built, this car was shown at the 1972 New York Auto Show and was owned by the original owner until his passing during the late 1980s. With just 13,000 original miles on the odometer, it should sell for over $2.25 million. Another open Ferrari consigned is this 250 GT Cabriolet Series 2. Delivered new to the Rome area, it has recently been Ferrari Classiche certified and then fully restored. Offered from a single ownership since 1973 is this 275 GTB/4. Benefitting from a recent Bob Smith Coachworks restoration, it is now offered for the first time in nearly 50 years with a $2.5 - $2.8 million estimate.
Audi have offered a first glimpse of the company's return to sports car racing with this rendering of the upcoming LMDh car. As per the regulations for this category, it will be built on a third party chassis with the engine and bespoke bodywork provided by Audi. Due to start testing in 2022, it will debut at the Daytona 24 Hours in 2023 and is also eligible to race in the 24 Hours of Le Mans. The new LMDh racer will also be made available to customer teams.

Ahead of the official launch early in July, Lotus have revealed the first glimpse and the name of the new Type 131 sports car; the Emira. Due to replace the Elise after a 25-year production run, it will most likely be the last all-new Lotus powered by an internal combustion engine. This is probably be Toyota's familiar V6 as well as a four-cylinder engine of which the origins are not yet known. The covers will come off the Emira on July 6 and it will then make its dynamic debut at the Goodwood Festival of Speed a few days later.
Aston Martin's mighty four-cam V8 engine has powered quite a few competition cars over the years, starting with the Lola T70 in the late 1960s. It was also used in Group C racing in a variety of cars throughout the 1980s. Among them was the Emka 83C/1 that was developed by the Steve O'Rourke owned team. The Pink Floyd manager and noted gentleman racer commissioned GT40 designer Len Bailey to pen the car. The one-off 83C/1 finished 17th at Le Mans in 1983, making it the first British car home. The team sat out the 1984 season but then returned with the 84C/1, which was a further development of the 1983 car. It was raced at several events in 1985 and finished a commendable eleventh overall at Le Mans that year. Both cars have survived and have been raced at historic meetings with the 84C/1 and 83C/1 both appearing at the Le Mans Classic in 2016.

Ferrari have offered a first glimpse of a new Speciale version of the 812 Superfast. Although the full details, including the actual model name, will not be released until a dedicated event on May 5th, we already know that the range-topping machine will feature a naturally aspirated V12 engine that can rev to a startling 9,500 rpm and produces a staggering 817 bhp. The Speciale also boasts a hugely sophisticated aerodynamics package that includes a vortex-generating panel where the rear window would normally have been.
Auctioneer Gooding have revealed further consignments to their upcoming Geared Online sale. Headlining the May edition is this very rare, alloy-bodied Ferrari 275 GTB/4. One of only 16 built, it also benefits from competition inspired modifications made by the legendary Tom Meade, which includes an external fuel filler cap and alloy wheels. Rarely seen in public, chassis 10025 has a pre-sale estimate of $3.75 - $4.5 million.
Other fabulous, matching numbers sports cars from the 1950s and 1960s include a BMW 507 Roadster ($2.25 - $2.75 million) and a Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Roadster ($1.1 - $1.3 million).
The lots will open for bidding on May 3rd and will then start closing on May 7th.

On Wednesday, the National Convention and Exhibition Center in Shanghai, China will open its physical doors for the 2021 edition of Auto Shanghai. It is the first major motor show since the Covid19 pandemic ground the world to a halt. Today, we take a look at five of the show and production cars due to make their debut this week.
Audi have this A6 e-tron Concept on display. It serves a preview of the first all-electric A6 and features a pair of electric motors. They have a combined output of 469 bhp in this configuration, while the A6 e-tron will have a range of over 700 km.
Also offering a glimpse into the future of their electric and hybrid powertrains are Toyota, Honda and Lincoln with the bZ4X Concept, SUV e:prototype and Zephyr Reflection. Each of these should be followed by a production model that will be offered in the crucial Chinese market.
Already ready to go is the Maserati Levante Hybrid. It is equipped with the same, two-litre turbocharged engine that is combined with a mild hybrid system. The maximum power that is transferred to all four wheels is 326 bhp. Despite the size and weight of the Levante Hybrid, it can accelerate to 100 km/h in just six seconds.

Three weeks after revealing the Coupe, Bentley have now taken the wraps off the drop-top version of the range-topping Continental GT. Like the Coupe, the Convertible is powered by a 650 bhp version of the familiar, twin-turbo W12 engine. Despite the additional weight of the folding roof structure, the new Speed Convertible can still accelerate to 100 km/h in a stunning 3.7 seconds and has the same top speed as the Coupe at 335 km/h.
Nissan's competition department NISMO have created this Special Edition of the GT-R. Finished in a unique grey with an exposed carbon-fibre composite panels, it will be built in very limited numbers.
Next week, Bonhams will stage the Le Grandes Marques a Monaco sale. One of the great marques represented in the sale is Porsche with three 'Carrera' models. The earliest is a very rare 356 A Carrera Cabriolet. It is one of just five Cabriolets built with the new-for-1958 T2 body and the roller-bearing 1500 engine. Delivered new to California, the Carrera 1500 GS Cabriolet still comes equipped with the original four-cam engine. The Carrera name returned to the Porsche line-up with the RS 2.7 of which a lovely example was consigned. Sold new to Italy, it is appropriately painted red. Also finished in a striking colour is this yellow Carrera GT. It has had just two owners from new and is the most valuable of the three Porsches with a pre-sale estimate of €790,000 - €850,000.

Although things are starting to get better slowly, we are not in the clear as evidenced by the recent announcement that the postponed Le Mans Classic will be cancelled after all. One of the cars that would have most certainly been in action at Le Mans in July is this striking Ferrari 512 BB LM. Bought new by an English gentleman racer, it was raced at Le Mans twice in period. In the current ownership, 35523 has not missed a Le Mans Classic since 2010. It may still be at Le Mans in July as the Peter Auto team will still hold an event there this year but on the shorter, Bugatti Circuit only.
Another car that may very well race at Le Mans this year is this ADA 02B Cosworth. Originally designated the ADA 02, it was the first all-new car built by the ADA Engineering team and complied with the Group C2 regulations. In its original guise, it won only its second race outright. It was crashed at the next outing and then comprehensively rebuilt. From that point it was known as the 02B. In 1990, it scored two further wins and also appeared at Le Mans twice. The unique 02B is currently in Swiss ownership and has been campaigned at recent rounds of the Historic Group C series.
Following the renders released last week, MG have now published actual pictures of the Cyberster that is set to debut at the Shanghai Motor Show later this month. The MG B inspired machine will undoubtedly be one of the stars of the event.

On Saturday, Bonhams will host the new Supercars on Sunset auction. As the name suggests, the 32-lot strong sale features supercars and will be held in downtown Los Angeles, on Sunset Boulevard. Among the rarest cars consigned is one of seven Saleen S7-LMs built to date. The car on offer is the third example completed as part of a recommissioning of the Twin Turbo S7 built during the second half of the 2000s. Announced in 2017, the 'Le Mans' package celebrates the 2010 class win at Le Mans and includes a retuned engine good for as much as 1,500 bhp. Available to existing cars only, it is believed seven cars have received the upgrade. The S7-LM has a pre-sale estimate of $1 - $1.3 million.
Also included in the sale is a 991-generation Porsche 911 GT3 RS that was built specifically for comedian and Porsche collector Jerry Seinfeld. Not only does the vin number end with '911', it is also finished in a paint-to-sample silver/blue metallic. The complete package of options set Seinfeld back around $250,000, which came on top of the $200,000 base price. It is now estimate to sell for considerably less at $290,000 - $330,000.
For Ferrari 458 Speciale enthusiasts, Bonhams have consigned both a white and a red example. Both cars have been finished in a colour scheme inspired by Luigi Chinetti's legendary North American Racing Team or N.A.R.T.
It will be a conventional sale with in-person viewing scheduled for the next few days and then a live auction starting on 2 pm local time on Saturday afternoon.

In lieu of an in-person auction at Amelia Island, Gooding have opted to hold another edition of their Geared Online sales in May. Among the early consignments to this online-only auction are three time-warp machines.
The earliest of this trio is a Ferrari 250 Europa GT that was built to special order in 1955. It is offered for the first time since the early 1960s, when it joined the Southern California collection it has been consigned by. Placed into storage in 1965, chassis 0413GT had not been seen in public for over 50 years. The once in a lifetime opportunity to acquire the 250 Europa GT is estimated to set you back well over $2 million.
Having had just two owners from new, this Jaguar E-Type 4.2 Coupe is another time-warp consignment. It was sold new to the United States and has covered just 27,000 miles from new.
Offered by its original owner is this lovely Alfa Romeo 2600 Spider. Still on black Californian plates, it is estimated to sell for $70,000 - $90,000.
Toyota Gazoo Racing have taken the wraps off the Toyota GR 86. It is the second generation of the new '86' sports coupe that has been developed together with Subaru. It is powered by a larger flat-four engine, which is good for 232 bhp, which is sent to the rear wheels through a six-speed manual gearbox. The compact, two-door GR 86 tips the scales at just 1,270 kg.

With no motor shows planned for the foreseeable future, manufacturers are now free to pick their own time and place for a new car launch. As coincidence would have it, Genesis, Lexus and MG have all picked the same week to reveal their latest concept car and with them, their vision for the future.
Launched on a private rooftop in Los Angeles was the Geneses X10. Built by Hyundai's luxury arm, this all-electric show car offers more than a glimpse of what a high performance grand tourer from the South Korean manufacturer could look like. In addition to striking exterior lines, the Genesis X10 also features a futuristic, upcycled interior.
Lexus debuted the LF-Z Electrified as part of a plan to speed up the electrification of the brand. By 2025, the Japanese luxury manufacturer plans to introduce 20 new or improved models of which more than ten will be fully electric or hybrid. The LF-Z is a full battery electric vehicle and features motors on both the front and rear axles.
An altogether more compact electric vehicle is the new MG Cyberster Concept. This will actually be shown at a physical event; the Shanghai Motor Show later this month. Inspired by the MG B and penned at the Chinese owned company's London design studio, the Cyberster can accelerate to 100 km/h in under three seconds and also has a range of up to 800 km.