At the Ferrari World Finals at Mugello, the Italian manufacturer debuted the 499P Modificata. This is effectively an unrestricted version of the Le Mans winning 499P, intended to be the ultimate track-day machine for gentleman drivers. Virtually identical to the car that scored a debut win at La Sarthe, it has significantly more power and the power from the electric motor can be used at any speed. The fastest closed-wheel Ferrari ever built for non-competitive use, the spectacular 499P Modificata will be run in the newly created Sport Prototipi Clienti program.
At the same event, Ferrari released additional images and full specification list of the upcoming 296 Challenge. Due to be raced in the Ferrari Challenge series, it uses a 690 bhp version of the twin-turbo V6 that also powers the 499P.
One of the absolute stars of last week's Japan Mobility Show was this Toyota FT-Se Concept. The compact battery electric vehicle boasts a futuristic design but also brings back fond memories of the MR2 sports car. Another show car on display at the Toyota booth is this FR-3e, which is an all-electric SUV.
Subaru used the former Tokyo Motor Show to take the wraps off this Sport Mobility Concept. Another full electric vehicle, the two-door coupe could be a first glimpse of a high-performance Subaru production car.

This week, Ferrari presented the latest one-off based on the F8 Spider. Dubbed the SP-8, it is a true roadster as it does not come with a hard-top. The car was commissioned by a Taiwanese collector, and in Chinese culture, 8 is the lucky number. In addition to a striking two-tone finish, the SP-8 also features five-spoke wheels that were inspired by wheels fitted to past sports prototypes as well as the F40 production car.
At the inaugural Japan Mobility Show, Mazda offered a glimpse of the future with this Iconic SP. The two-seater coupe combines flowing lines with a sophisticated petrol-electric drivetrain that includes a twin-rotor internal combustion engine. The Iconic SP is already touted as the MX-5 of the future.
The star of the Nissan booth is this Hyper Force Concept, which is a 1,340 bhp all-electric GT-R of the future. Not only is it very powerful, the Hyper Force is also equipped with a sophisticated solid-state battery. The futuristic exterior was developed together with Nissan Motorsport and provides the Hyper Force Concept with plenty of downforce and cooling capabilities.
Among the other concept cars unveiled in Tokyo yesterday were the Lexus LF-ZE and the Infiniti Vision Qe.

Our 2023 racing season came to a close earlier this month at the Estoril Classics. It was also the final round of the Historic Racing by Peter Auto series, which started back in April with the Mugello Classic. In addition to the familiar Peter Auto fields, the Estoril Classics also included a packed field of three-litre Grand Prix cars to celebrate the period during which the Circuito Estoril hosted the Portuguese Grand Prix. Attended by 30,000 spectators, the weekend featured some spectacular races with the Sixties' Endurance and Endurance Racing Legends among the absolute highlights.
In scorching conditions, our photographers ventured around the lovely Circuito Estoril throughout the weekend. The end-result is a 200-shot gallery that serves to illustrate this concise report.
In the coming weeks you can expect a more detailed look at the museum we visited and at some of the many great racing cars we have seen in action this season.

French auctioneer Artcurial Motorcars will stage their annual Automobiles Sur Les Champs sale this weekend. As the name suggests, the auction is held on the Champs Elysees in the heart of Paris. Headlining the sale, however, is a German car; this very rare Porsche 911 Carrera RSR 3.8. One of just 51 built during the early 1990s, this example was delivered new to the United States and started its long racing career in the fall of 1994. Always meticulously prepared, it placed an impressive sixth overall and second in class during the 1996 Daytona 24 Hours. Retired from active duty in 1998, it has had just a pair of owners since. During the 2010s, the 911 Carrera RSR 3.8 was completely restored by specialists IMSA Performance and has not been raced since. It has a €900,000 - 1,200,000 pre-sale estimate.
Ahead of next week's Ferrari Finali Mondiali, Ferrari revealed the first details of the all-new 296 Challenge. Based on the highly acclaimed 296 GTB road car, it has been developed for Ferrari's popular one-make Challenge championships held all around the world. Like the GT3 version of the 296, the 296 Challenge does not feature the complicated and heavy hybrid drive. Instead, it relies solely on the twin-turbo V6 engine, which, on its own, is more than capable enough judging from the 690 bhp and 740 Nm claimed by Ferrari. The new one-make racer also boasts track-specific ABS and carbon-ceramic disc brakes. The aerodynamics package fitted, generates a staggering 870 kg of downforce at 250 km/h.

Late last month, we celebrated the 30th anniversary of the Spa Six Hours. The annual event has been a set fixture on the historic motor racing calendar and the blue ribband Six Hours Endurance race traditionally attracts a great selection of gentleman and professional drivers. This year was no exception as Dario Franchitti and Jimmie Johnson made their debut at the Spa Francorchamps circuit. In addition to the Six Hours, the event also boasted a stellar support program, which included all the Masters Historic Racing fields, including Formula 1 and Endurance Legends, and also the HGPCA and Belcar Historic. The Spa Francorchamps lived up to its reputation with a very wet Friday afternoon, which made from some entertaining racing and a very challenging qualifying session for the Six Hours race.
Our photographers were on hand to capture the event in its entirety. The result is this 190-shot gallery, which serves to illustrate our in-depth report of the 30th Spa Six Hours.

Today we celebrate Ferrari Friday with the three great examples that have been consigned to next month's RM Sotheby's London Sale. The auction includes a collection of very low mileage sports cars that consists mainly of Ferraris. The most interesting Ferrari from this collection is this 512 TR Spider. It is one of just three Spiders commissioned from Pininfarina in 1994. Acquired new by the Ferrari agent in Singapore, it has had just one owner from new and he barely broke the car in. The 512 TR Spider has just 570 km on the odometer and is estimated to sell for well over £2 million.
Of a slightly earlier vintage is this F40. Completed in 1990, it has had a number of caring owners who used the car but only sparingly. Now fully Classiche certified, 86097 has a pre-sale estimate of around £2 million.
Delivered new to Italy, this 250 GT Lusso made its way across the Atlantic at the end of the 1960s. It then joined a long-term ownership of 44 years. Since finally changing hands again in 2014, it has been fully restored and the factory certification is pending. Finished in its original grey over red leather interior, 4623GT can be yours for around £1.3 million.

It is McLaren's sixtieth anniversary this year and over the weekend, the Grand Prix team returned to its winning ways. To mark the occasion, we have taken a closer look at three McLaren racing cars that we managed to capture this year.
The most successful of the trio is the mighty M8B that was driven very successfully during the 1969 Can-Am Championship by Bruce McLaren himself. The company founder scored five wins on his way to his second and final championship. Chassis M8B/2 has had an eventful life but is now in the hands of a discerning McLaren enthusiast.
Built a year later was this M10B Chevrolet F5000 racer. It was sold to Australian racer Frank Matich and raced with considerable success through to 1980. At the recent Goodwood Festival of Speed, the M10B was driven by Frank Matich's son Kris.
Also out at Goodwood was this M29 Cosworth Grand Prix car. It was raced in period by Patrick Tambay and John Watson during a period that was not the team's finest. Today, it is owned and raced by a New Zealand native, who actually helped construct M29-2 in 1979 when he worked as a fabricator at McLaren.

This weekend, the Historic Racing by Peter Auto series will have its finale in Portugal with the fourth annual Estoril Classics. To get you in the mood, we have taken a closer look at a Porsche 911 Carrera RSR 3.0 that has already competed in all four previous rounds and will be back out at Estoril this weekend. Finished in the striking dark blue and orange colours of Samson, it was a Kremer car that was campaigned with great success during the 1974 season. John Fitzpatrick used it to win the 1974 European GT Championship. Having been owned by the same collector for two decades, 004 0006 finally returned to the race track earlier this year.
As part of the Zoute Concours, which is also due to be held this weekend, Bonhams will stage their annual sale. It is headlined by this fabulous Ferrari 250 GT Tour de France that is expected to sell for over €5 million. It was originally raced in Italy and then spent many years in Switzerland, having had a single owner between 1976 and 2013. Also consigned to the sale is this €1.1 - €1.4 million Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Roadster.
Originally announced in 2019 and subsequently cancelled, Aston Martin have now rebooted the Valkyrie Le Mans Hypercar program. The spectacular, V12 engined machine will finally make its competition debut during the 2025 season when it will be campaigned by the Heart of Racing team in the FIA WEC and United SportsCar Championship. This also means that the Valkyrie will vie for Aston Martin's first outright Le Mans win since 1959. In the same press briefing, updated versions of the Vantage GT3 and GT4 racers were also announced.

This weekend, at Laguna Seca, Porsche hosted the seventh Rennsport Reunion. During the spectacular event, the German manufacturer revealed the track-ready 911 GT3 R rennsport. Based on the 911 GT3 R competition car, the new limited production machine is not restricted by the Balance of Performance system that controls GT3 racing. This means, the unrestricted 4.2-litre flat-six engine is good for an additional 50 bhp at 611 bhp. This power is sent to the rear wheels through a six-speed sequential gearbox. Further unshackled, the rennsport also has a taller sixth gear increasing the top speed with 20 km/h and is slightly lighter at 1,240 kg. The track-only machine also boasts a heavily revised aerodynamics package that was inspired by the 935/77, which scored the seventh overall victory in the Daytona 24 Hours, in 1977. The most obvious new element is the massive rear wing while more subtle changes include revised front and rear fenders. Seven is a returning number with the 911 GT3 R rennsport, which is also reflected in the production number that is limited to just 77. The price for this remarkable machine is €951,000 or $1,046,000.