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The McLaren Elva ‘Windscreen’ edition

we’ve all seen the 2020 McLaren Elva before, either in photos or in a YouTube video, the roofless supercar from McLaren with a 4.0-Liter twin-turbocharged V8 pumping out 804 hp, but with no windshield … a car McLaren lists as ‘The McLaren Elva is born to heighten every sense and build the closest connection between driver, car and the elements. ‘

And that’s certainly the case, as the only attempt at making the driver’s life any easier at speed is a ‘flap’ that changes its angle so the wind gets deflected over the cockpit, officially it’s called the McLaren’s Active Air Management system, and it helps, but still, with more power than a McLaren Senna GTR and a modified exhaust to get ‘the right sound’, some might argue practicality might be an issue on some markets driving the limited edition McLaren Elva.

Once McLaren completed the production of the Speedtail, they started building the 399 Elva speedster, each with a base price of £1.4million ($1.9 million) before options, as this is a McLaren MSO car to begin with, you can be sure many customers will request even more bespoke MSO options, raising the price well beyond the $2 million mark.

Today McLaren showed the first Elva with a windshield … apparently McLaren found out there are customers in countries that actually require a car to have a windscreen (mandated in some states of the USA), and some customers even requested one. Now don’t get excited too quickly, you’ll get a windshield complete with wipers and rain detection, but you still don’t get a roof on the McLaren Elva ‘Windscreen edition’, that would be sacrilege I guess.

The McLaren Elva windscreen variant won’t have any side windows either, it’s a pure Roadster according to Mike Flewitt, Chief Executive Officer, McLaren Automotive, and the Elva is still a Super-lightweight and extremely powerful car created to celebrate the pure joy of driving, and that can only be experienced if you ‘feel’ the speed and are exposed to the elements … note that the intention from McLaren is to build most of the 399 units as ‘screenless’ versions, only a handful would come from the factory with the added windshield, making the latter the rarest McLaren in modern history.

While the McLaren Elva is the lightest car they ever made with a weight of less than 1,300 kg, adding the windshield, wipers and other necessary extras will raise the overall weight by 20 kg, but by removing the unnecessary Active Air Management System (AAMS) and using carbon fiber to surround the heated glass, they managed to keep the added weight at only 20 kg, still, both versions of the Elva will reach 100 km/h from 0 in 2.8 seconds, 200 km/h comes around in 6.8 seconds, do note that if you specify your Elva as a ‘windscreen version’ you can’t remove it to enjoy screenless driving, once it’s fitted, it’s a permanent fixture.

Created as an homage to Bruce McLaren’s legendary race cars, heritage liveries like that of the Satin Casa Blue windscreen model prototype pictured have captured the imagination of Elva owners. Demand for bespoke customization of this kind by McLaren Special Operations (MSO) has produced a series of dramatic and unique cars that stand out even among one of the rarest of McLarens, but they have decided that there is a limit to the number of bespoke Elva builds, only 149 units of the Elva will be specified and built to customer order.

May 28, 2021 / Comments Off

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SSC reveals a 2,200 hp Tuatara Aggressor

It hasn’t been an easy time for SSC lately, first, they declare to have set a world speed record with their Tuatara hypercar in October 2020 when they published a top speed of 316 mph (508.73 km/h) over two runs in opposite directions, on a stretch of the State Route 160 outside of Las Vegas near Pahrump, where the Agera RS made history in November 2017, race driver Oliver Webb took the wheel of the SSC Tuatara to pulverize the world record for the fastest street-legal production car.

But that record quickly got questioned by just about everybody, especially on YouTube, and it forced SSC to do a second attempt to put all the rumors to rest, but they weren’t going back to Texas again, for this second run the Tuatara was taken to the Johnny Bohmer Proving Grounds at Space Florida’s Shuttle Landing Facility, and they would make sure to have every kind of measurement system and witnesses to make their point, the SSC Tuatara will be the fastest car in the world.

The second go at the record was performed on January 17, 2021, but this time by the owner of the car. Dr. Larry Caplin, as required by regulations, to qualify for an official world record the car has to travel the same track twice, once in one direction, and once in the opposite direction … this time the SSC Tuatara managed to get to 279.7 mph (450.1 km/h) in the northbound direction and subsequently reached 286.1 mph (460.4 km/h) on the southbound way, for the record this came down to an average speed of 282.9 mph (455.2 km/h) … the current world record for production cars.

But things turned for the worse when the transporter that was carrying the rare #001 record-setting car was involved in an accident, it appears a strong gust of wind flipped the trailer with the car inside on the I-15 while the car was heading to Florida for a second record-setting run mid-April because at the second attempt described above they didn’t reach the magical 300 mph barrier, so they wanted to try again … sadly the car never made it to Florida in one piece. SSC did release a statement after the incident they will still do a second attempt, and possibly even with this very car, as the damage is purely cosmetic according to Shelby, the chassis, drivetrain, and suspension are perfectly fine.

The SSC Tuatara is powered by a Nelson Racing Engines, twin-turbo 5.9-Liter flat-plane-crank V8 engine that develops 1,750 horsepower on E85 and 1,350 hp on 91 octane, but if you would expect SSC to simply repair their crashed Tuatara, or perhaps build another one, you are sadly mistaking … they just released information on ‘the next step’, it seems they deem 1,750hp isn’t enough, and now intend to release two new Tuatara variants.

The SSC Tuatara Striker will come with improved aerodynamics, their release states an increase of 300% compared to the original car at 160 mph, thanks to a massive rear wing together with a vertical stabilizer and a new diffuser, at the front the splitter and dive plate further push down the car, the split is to be 45.4% to the front and 54.6% for the rear, adding even more carbon fiber and Alcantara on the interior will reduce weight … even with the current 1,750 hp (1,305 kW) this should mean the Tuatara Striker is even faster.

But that’s not all SSC has in the pipeline … how about 2,200 hp (1,641 kW)? That’s right, the SSC Tuatara Aggressor will come with the same modified aero and weight savings as the Striker, but with a massive power increase, the latter one will not be street legal it seems. The Tuatara Aggressor can also be customized with special exhaust tuning, performance options, and bespoke aesthetics … but there is a catch, SSC only builds a very limited number of these cars.

The intention is to build 100 units of the SSC Tuatara, now they will add 100 units of the new SSC Tuatara Striker … but only 10 of the SSC Tuatara Aggressor will be available, no official pricing has been published by SSC for either of these new evolutions, but I guess the clientele for these hypercars doesn’t care for a million more or less, it’s all about having the fastest, most exclusive hypercar for these customers.

May 27, 2021 / Comments Off

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Rolls-Royce Coachbuild

Back in the early day of the automobile, we weren’t talking about cars yet in the early 1900s, the art of coachbuilding was just about the only way people could get an automobile, manufacturers would build a rolling chassis and have it shipped to a coachbuilder who would create a bespoke body for the client, back in those days it was only the superrich that could afford an automobile anyway, so these were a very exclusive mode of transportation, and usually, the result was a one-off or a few-off at most.

Rolls Royce states back in 1904 there were 8,000 automobiles in the UK, compared to 500,000 horse carriages, but things quickly changed, and we hardly see any horse-drawn vehicles these days, albeit used or romantic city tours or during weddings, instead we now have millions of cars on the road, and we wouldn’t be talking about Rolls Royce, the ultimate luxury car builder, if they weren’t trying to go back to the good old days of building bespoke, unique cars for the ultra-high net worth individuals in the world today, those that have no problem taking a $600,000 base car from Goodwood and having it turned into their ultimate expression of individuality … at whatever cost.

Keep in mind we are talking about people that usually already have a massive amount of cars all over the world anyway, including several factory original Rolls Royce cars and most likely a super, or mega yacht … if you think about the fact such a water toy will cost more than $10,000,000 per year just in staff costs and maintenance, the idea of a multi-million, one-off Rolls Royce isn’t so far fetched, because make no mistake, to have a bespoke Rolls Royce coachbuilt just for you won’t just double the base price … it will grow several times over, and I’m sure people like this will still ask ‘how much?’, but I highly doubt they will even blink when they receive the invoice.

While real coachbuilding has been a very niche market for decades, the trend is making a comeback, and let’s not forget Rolls Royce is perfectly suited up for this task, we might have expected the art to die out when Rolls Royce replaced the Silver Cloud series with the Silver Shadow in October 1965, but don’t forget that until 1993 they were still building the classic Phantom VI, still using a separate chassis with coachwork supplied by Rolls-Royce subsidiary H. J. Mulliner, Park Ward Ltd.

When the Rolls Royce production moved to Goodwood in 2003, they incorporated the Bespoke option right from the start, but the requests a client could make were still limited by the base car, even with 44,000 different shades available, you can rest assured there will be one client that wants a different shade, and that was possible, but a completely different shape for ‘their’ Rolls Royce wasn’t really possible until recently when the current Phantom model was introduced.

For the first time in history they used their own, proprietary structure, it came down to the fact the chassis only had to have four fixing points at each corner … what’s between those points is customizable, which they made abundantly clear with the 2019 Cullinan and the 2020 new Ghost, and this flexibility with the chassis has opened the doors for further customization … or in Rolls Royce terms, coachbuilding, beyond what was already possible with the Bespoke department.

It would take Rolls Royce four years to have their first coachbuilt car ready for the new chassis, a request came from a client in 2013 to create a two-seater coupé with a massive panoramic roof, much in style with the coachbuilt models from the 1920s and 30s … four years later, in 2017, the world finally saw the Sweptail, with a raked real profile, the roof-line tapering in a sweeping gesture to a bullet tip that houses the center brake light. The coachbuilt bodywork wraps under the car with no visible boundary to the surfaces like the hull of a racing yacht. The underside of the motor car describes a progressive upward arc at the rear departure angle, producing the swept tail that gives the car its name.

Today Rolls Royce proudly presented the new Boat Tail, a unique coachbuilt commission, that clearly shows they intend to keep the option of a one-of-a-kind motorcar an option at Rolls Royce in the modern age, coachbuilding is back for good it seems, the Boat Tail is the result of a four-year partnership between Rolls Royce and three of their most ‘special’ customers.

Rolls Royce Coachbuild doesn’t just receive an order and starts working, each of their clients is closely involved in every step along the way to the creation of ‘their’ car, or a stated in the press release:

“Only the House of Rolls-Royce can offer its Coachbuild clients the inimitable opportunity to commission a product of future historical significance, that is as fundamentally unique as they are, and then participate in every detail of its creation. This is an authentic luxury. This is contemporary patronage in its truest form. This is Rolls-Royce Coachbuild.”

When you want to have some special options or a one-off color for your new Rolls Royce, you turn to their Bespoke department, but this new Coachbuild department takes things several steps further, if we look at the new Boat Tail, this means a total of 1,813 new parts had to be created, just for this car, it took eight months to create the aluminum spaceframe structure to support the large Boat Tail, just for the rear section five new ECU had to be made, taking another nine months of development so the aft deck lids to open to an appropriate 67-degree angle, incorporate a highly secure locking mechanism and integrate a total climate control system to the rear hosting suite to preserve any cuisine stowed on board.

And this new Rolls Royce Coachbuild Boat Tail isn’t a concept car, it is completely street legal with full homologation, she underwent rigorous testing just like a normal ‘production’ Rolls Royce, even high-speed testing, the car was tested at temperatures as high as 80°C to as low as -20°c, just to make sure the occupants and that special hosting suite would live up to the customer’s expectations … all of them insisted they intend to drive their Boat Tail once they receive her.

Torsten Müller-Ötvös, concluded, “Boat Tail is the culmination of collaboration, ambition, endeavour, and time. It was born from a desire to celebrate success and create a lasting legacy. In its remarkable realisation, Rolls-Royce Boat Tail forges a pivotal moment in our marque’s history and in the contemporary luxury landscape.”

May 27, 2021 / Comments Off

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Bentley releases the Bentayga S

We already had the impressive Bentley Bentayga Speed from Crewe, a 625 hp W12 beast that tries to compete with the 650 hp Lamborghini Urus Super SUV, but on a more luxury playing field, where the Lamborghini is the more ‘sportscar’ version of an SUV, but now Bentley introduces another version in their fleet of Bentayga models.

Next to the Hybrid, the V8, and the Speed, Bentley now also offers the ‘S’, based around the 4.0-Liter V8 twin-turbo engine, the Bentayga S intends to move Bentley’s SUV onto the sportscar playing ground, a direct competitor for the likes of a Lamborghini Urus, an Audi RSQ8, or the Porsche Cayenne Turbo … but the Bentley Bentayga S only has the same power as the Cayenne Turbo, at 542 hp, the Audi RQS8 adds 49 hp on top of that, while the Urus crushes them all with 650 hp … if you want to get near the Urus power you’ll still have to go for the considerably more expensive Bentayga Speed with her 626 hp.

But unlike the Bentayga Speed, this new Bentayga S comes without chrome, Bentley calls it ‘Black brightware’, but that’s just saying the window trim, the headlight trim, mirror housing, and other parts that are usually a ‘bright’ chrome on a Bentley Bentayga are now finished in gloss black, for that ‘sports’ touch, they even go as far as using tinted glass on the lights …

For this Bentayga Sport, the engineers in Crewe came up with an enhanced Sport chassis mode, and the Dynamic Ride active anti-roll system is standard on the S, they even improved the sound from that big V8 at the front thanks to a more open exhaust system … a free-flowing sports exhaust on a luxury SUV from Bentley, imagine that.

As already mentioned, the Bentayga S comes with the Blackline Specifications as standard, but you can also recognize the Sport version from the bespoke 22-inch wheels and S badging found on the lower edge of the front doors, but also a large rear spoiler is fitted in Crewe while the sports exhaust comes with a pair of black oval tailpipes at either end.

To add that sports feel to the interior, Bentley opted to use leather and Alcantara split between the seats and parts of the interior, the Sport also comes with new seats and a unique stitching pattern, Special color accents on the instrument panel, center console, door pads, and seat bolsters further distinguish this model from the ‘regular’ V8 version, while S badges are fitted on the panel in front of the passenger, new graphics in the driver’s instrument panel and illuminated treadplates.

May 26, 2021 / Comments Off

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The ABT SQ8

Renowned German tuner ABT has already created a special version of the Audi RSQ8 SUV, but that was their ABT RSQ8-R, but that car was created to celebrate their 125th anniversary, so only 125 units of the RSQ8-R were built, if you are looking for the next best thing, at a considerably lower cost, ABT now also offers their magic on the Audi SQ8 version.

The Audi RSQ8 comes from the factory with 600 hp and an electronically limited top speed of 250 km/h, if you opt for the less costly AUDI SQ8 and have it modified by ABT you’ll end up with a 650 hp Sports SUV that will go up to 270 km/h … the ABT SQ8 as a complete car can be yours for €130,795 including VAT.

If you already own an Audi SQ8 and would like to get the 4-liter V8 bi-turbo petrol engine boosted from the factory original 507 hp (which isn’t bad already) to the ABT SQ8’s 650 hp thanks to the ABT Power S performance upgrade, add the stunning GR23 wheels and that impressive looking aero package … you’ll have to leave €22,900 in Kempten, Germany, and that’s without the €3,445 cost for installation and paint matching to the rest of the body.

The massive wheels are available in either satin, matt, or glossy black, all in 23-inch size, but I’m sure you will be able to convince ABT to paint these wheels in other shades too. The Aero Package is a front bumper add-on part, a rear diffuser, and a rear wing … there doesn’t seem to be a set of side skirts in this kit, however, but if you would like to get a bespoke interior inside your Sport SUV ABT SQ8, that is also an option, just get in touch with ABT and I’m sure you’ll be able to figure something out with their artisans.

May 24, 2021 / Comments Off

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Up close with the Huayra R

Horacio Pagani and his team are hard at work to put together the first customer car for their limited series Huayra R, the track-only version for the stunning Pagani Huayra, but for now, they only put together a 1 on 1 scale mockup vehicle so they can evaluate the modifications done from the 3D computer designed model, over at least two 1/5 scale models, into real-life proportions … no interior yet, and no engine fitted either, but this satin silver metallic Huayra R with the famous orange stripe just looks so impressive, even standing still inside a studio.

There will be 30 units of this stunning Pagani Huayra R available for clients, but these can only be used on a closed track, heavily inspired by one of Horatio’s favorite classic race cars, the Porsche 917, the design for the Huayra R has been radically modified from the regular street-legal version, in the end only very few parts are the same … rumor has it only the exterior rearview mirrors and some screws on the chassis are the same as those found on the streetcar, that’s impressive for a limited production run of only 30 units.

The new Pagani Huayra R will come with a new V12 engine too, codename ‘R’, this engine will be naturally aspirated instead of the turbocharged V12 found in the streetcar, but this beast will come with 850 hp and 750 Nm of torque, inside a car that comes with a dry weight of only 1,050 kg … imagine the acceleration this Huayra R will be capable of.

Because the Pagani Huayra R does not have to comply with legislation for road use, Horatio could go all-out when designing this car, but he did still restrict himself to FIA regulations for GT cars, might a career in racing be on the horizon for these cars? The Huayra R does come with its own, bespoke carbon-fiber monocoque, instead of adding a roll cage to the existing Huayra monocoque, Pagani just created a new one with an integrated roll-over cage.

Take a look at the video Shmee150 was allowed to make featuring this satin silver metallic 1/1 mockup for the Huayra R:

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May 24, 2021 / Comments Off

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The 2022 Mercedes-Maybach S 680 4MATIC

Mercedes has a reputation for luxury sedans, the E-class is a very nice car with a great track record, but the S-Class takes even more credit for being a top-of-the-line limousine, even in its factory form, the S-Class is a chauffeur-driven car, and many high-net-worth individuals have an S-Class in their fleet, for when the Rolls is a little over the top, but there is one step above this model from Mercedes … a Maybach.

For the 2022 model year, we will be seeing a majestic Mercedes-Maybach S 680 4MATIC sedan in U.S. dealerships, a luxury car as advanced as Mercedes can deliver, a beautiful design combined with the utmost refinement and craftmanship, offering driving comfort together with performance to satisfy just about every owner you can imagine.

This Mercedes-Maybach S 680 4MATIC will be the most powerful model in the Maybach line-up, a hand-built 6.0-Liter V12 engine with two turbos delivers 621 hp and 738 lb-ft of torque … even with the massive weight of this S680, acceleration to 60 mph takes only 4.4 seconds, and thanks to its 4MATIC all-wheel-drive system (31% front and 69% rear torque) she doesn’t lose traction and keeps this mammoth car stable while thundering down the road.

This is a sedan from the upper-class echelons, and that comes with active road noise compensation, just like your gaming headset, this system reduces unwanted low-frequency noises using counter-phased sound waves, the active road noise compensation is a function of the new Burmester® High-End 4D Surround Sound System.

On the road, you will recognize the Mercedes-Maybach S 680 4MATIC sedan immediately from the distinctive front bumper and radiator grille, featuring bespoke Maybach lettering, when looking closer you’ll notice the seamless, illuminated door handles, and as an option, the client can select that typical Maybach two-tone paint finish, complete with probably a hand-painted dividing line, the Mercedes-Maybach paint chart offers ten different combinations.

On the inside, you’ll find hand-selected Nappa leather everywhere, including the headliner, but also on the dashboard, the armrests, around the window frames, and even on the sun visors. Naturally, the seats show the stunning, quilted stitching pattern, that returns on the two leather cushions for the rear passengers, a contrast color for the piping and stitching is available, as is a Mercedes-Maybach emblem and the scent system for the airconditioning, which comes with bespoke Maybach perfume naturally.

The rear of the front seats is finished in a designo backrest, made from wood, which looks like it was picked from a luxury yacht, or a Riva boat, very nice indeed, and a touch of luxury like none other, and just in case you are transporting someone very important, the rear doors can be opened … and closed by the touch of a button on the dashboard, or just with a hand gesture, you wave to the door, and it opens, how cool is that?

The Mercedes-Maybach S 680 4MATIC sedan is a large car, but driving her is surprisingly easy thanks to rear-wheel steering, even in narrow streets, the advantages are clear thanks to a reduced turning circle, while at speed the opposite is true thanks to a virtual lengthening of the wheelbase with this system.

It is clear the Mercedes-Maybach S 680 4MATIC sedan is meant for people to be driven in, not drive themselves, and that shows with the fact the rear seats ‘detect’ a passenger, if you take place in these sumptuous fauteuils, the headrest automatically extends, you can make a gesture to open or close the sunshades, even the one inside the massive panoramic sunroof above you.

And you won’t be bored sitting in the rear of the Mercedes-Maybach S 680 4MATIC sedan either, thanks to a pair of 11.6-inch display screens in front of you, not only can you access the car’s functions thanks to the MBUX High-end Rear Seat Entertainment system, but you can also watch a movie (headsets are hidden for you, so you don’t disturb the other occupants) and even browse the internet from the comfort of the rear seats.

And to really make the experience one to remember, the new Maybach comes with a refrigerator that holds a pair of silver-plated champagne flutes and your favorite bottle of bubbles, matching holders on the central console back there will hold the flutes in place, even while being driven around … it doesn’t get any better than this.

There is no official pricing released yet, but this car is intended as a direct competitor to cars like the Rolls Royce Ghost and the Bentley Flying Spur, so don’t expect the Mercedes-Maybach S 680 4MATIC sedan to come at a bargain … you know what they say: ‘if you have to ask the price …’

May 22, 2021 / Comments Off

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The Bugatti Chiron 4-005 prototype

When a carmaker is preparing to release a new model, they usually have test mules or prototypes built to perform tests with, these days a lot of the preparation is done virtually, many thousands of miles are ‘driven’ on a computer before a working prototype is made, and more often than not, this prototype will hide underneath a modified body of an existing model, you’ll have to look at details like front and rear track, the position of the exhausts and other stuff like that to notice something is off, and you are actually looking at a test mule.

When it was time to create a successor for the Veyron, it took Bugatti a total of eight prototypes to develop the Chiron for production, and each of these prototypes is hand-built and get bespoke parts created just for that unit, the fifth prototype in the development actually still exists after eight years, called the 4-005, this was the car that got used to developing the Chiron’s software, which is used in a about 30 ‘computers’ found scattered around underneath the beautiful Chiron bodywork.

Rüdiger Warda was responsible for the Chiron’s infotainment and audio system, and it took him and a team of 13 engineers, computer scientists, and physicists to develop these systems for the new Bugatti Chiron, they spent weeks inside the 4-005 for stress-testing the system until everything was exactly as they wanted … this team was responsible for the way the headlights, taillights and turn signals perform their ‘show’ when the owner approaches the Chiron.

This was also the car to be driven in the USA, perform drifts in the snow in Scandinavia, complete laps on the high-speed ring in Nardò, and pass heat tests in South Africa … this 4-005 prototype had a rough life, and all of that had to happen before the global launch in 2016, being protected from spy shots all the time.

When Mark Schröder had difficulty reading the menu navigation writing during a test-drive in Arizona, USA, he came up with a solution right away – like the electronic paper display of an e-book reader, the display background now changes from black to white and the writing from white to black when signaled to do so by a sun sensor.

During all these undercover testing, the team sometimes did stress tests for as long as 10 hours straight, and still got out of the car without backpain or fatigue from driving, after eight years of hard driving conditions, this Bugatti Chiron 4-005 covered over 74,000 km, arguably the highest mileage Bugatti Chiron in the world, and if you look at the interior, the seats, and the electronics … they look essentially wear-free … what a testament to the quality of this hypercar.

Finally, in 2021, the Bugatti Chiron 4-005 development prototype is being retired, it will no longer be used to further develop any of the electronics, there will be no more equipment mounted in the interior or on the matte black bodywork for measuring or monitoring … it’s over for this prototype, it’s harsh life is no more and she will probably get a nice spot inside the museum now.

May 20, 2021 / Comments Off

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Carfection Covers the Ultimate Trilogy of 90s Icons

As far as YouTube videos go, a 15-minute video can seem like such a chore. People these days want information and speed all at once, then onto the next task. But this episode of Carfection is well worth the watch – in 4K resolution if I may add. Henry Catchpole from Carfection, a YouTube channel with almost a million subscribers, has the pleasure of teaming up with DK Engineering to compare a holy trinity of iconic supercars. He starts off the three-part series to review the legendary McLaren F1 while the Porsche 911 GT1, Mercedes-Benz CLK GTR wait in the stable for their turn in the YouTube spotlight.

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The F1 featured in the episode is one of the few McLaren F1’s to maintain its original color and material combo. And this is the only one to have a full Alcantara interior. The owners over the years used towels and seat covers to maintain its pristine condition. The originality of an F1 is the deciding factor in the resale value – not just its mileage.

Just over half of the 106 F1’s produced hit roads as legal road-going supercars. This example is number 37, and with only 64 road cars, it not just a special icon of the 90s but a rare one.

The McLaren F1 featured a 6.1-liter V12 BMW-built engine that put down 627bhp and 479ft-lbs of torque. It was able to hit 60mph in just 3.2 sec and achieve a top speed of 240mph. Not only did McLaren design and build a legendary road car, but they also dominated on the track by notably beating Ferrari’s F40’s in the BPR Global GT Championship in ‘95 and ‘96 in addition to winning Le Mans in 1995 by taking 1st, 3rd, 4th, and 5th place – not bad for McLaren’s first kick at the Le Mans can.

Carfection’s series will continue on with the other two legends one by one and highlight their major significance in the supercar world as we know it today.

May 19, 2021 / Comments Off

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Radford’s Project 62

Coachbuilding is back, the UK based Radford has a long history of creating bespoke builds for the more wealthy customers in the world, Harold Radford founded the company back in 1948 and it took him a few years to unveil his first creation, a 1951 Bentley Countryman, an estate car like the world hadn’t seen yet, with the best specifications possible at that time.

He went on to create a total of 12 Aston Martin DB5 Shooting Brake versions which are priceless today, Radford was also the creator for the bespoke Ford GT40 prototype fiberglass body, and his customers were among the most famous people in the world, all members of the Beatles owned a Radford Mini, a completely modified version naturally, also owned by Peter Sellers and even Enzo Ferrari … sadly the company went into liquidation in September 1966.

Car designer Mark Stubbs has recently been able to acquire the Radford name, and he’s working with some interesting names in the automotive scene to unveil a new Radford car after 55 years, codename Project 62 for now, the first car will be strictly limited to 62 units, but there are already plans for a second Radford car that should see a few hundred units being manufactured.

At this moment Radford is accepting orders, and deposits, for their first new car, which will be a completely bespoke build for each customer, the Project 62 is a mid-engined, two-seater using Lotus technology to recreate a classic race car for the modern world, styling for this new Radford is inspired by the iconic Lotus 62 project from the late 60s, but in true Radford style, the new Project 62 will be coachbuilt, luxurious, and exclusive.

Ant Anstead, which we know from the Discovery TV show Wheeler Dealers, is involved in the project together with Mark Stubbs and Roger Behle, but also Jenson Button, FIA Formula One World Champion is on board, the buyer of a Radford Project 62 will be invited to a track day where Button will demonstrate the full potential of the new car.

All the details about this exciting new car will be made available later this year, if you would like to register an interest in becoming a customer, you might want to pay the new Radford website a visit.

May 19, 2021 / Comments Off

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McLaren’s MSO created a 720S in the Gulf Oil livery

We’ve already published an article on McLaren Automotive’s MSO department, the McLaren Special Operations that offers bespoke builds to fortunate customers, but now we can admire something truly special from the artisans at MSO, a hand-painted livery on a McLaren 720S that took 20 days from start to finish … the result is a celebration between two iconic brands and the personalization possibilities from MSO: a bespoke 720S in the iconic Gulf Oil International racing colors.

McLaren and Gulf Oil go back a long time, their first partnership dates between 1968 and 1973 when we saw the Gulf livery on McLaren cars in both the F1 and the Can-Am races, a return of the two icons came in the Nineties when we saw the legendary McLaren F1 GTR race cars in the traditional light blue and orange color combination on the track, driving to victory at the 1996 BPR Global Endurance Series and in the GT1 Class at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1997.

In 2020 a new partnership was reached when McLaren went on to using Gulf oils exclusively for their new cars as their lubricant supplier, to celebrate this, McLaren MSO offers the opportunity to a very limited number of customers to have their supercar hand-painted in the famous Gulf Oil livery, the car presented here, a 720S model is a showcase of a close collaboration between McLaren and Gulf Oil to make sure the paint (both metallic and solid) is a perfect match to the trademark Gulf shades of light blue and bright orange.

After many tests in the spray booth, AkzoNobel, a highly regarded name when it comes to top-of-the-line automotive paints, was able to put together the perfect mixture to mimic the shades required … it still takes a highly skilled painter a total of 20 days to complete this elaborate livery on a McLaren 720S.

The Gulf Oil blue and orange not only adorn the body of the McLaren 720S, but the orange is also used on the brake calipers, that same shade is taken into the interior where we find matching orange seat belts while the rest of the interior gets both light blue and orange stitching, a stunning looking Gulf logo is embroidered on both headrests, while another Gulf logo gets painted on the side sills, so it’s clearly visible when you open the doors on this bespoke MSO build.

Mike Flewitt, Chief Executive Officer, McLaren Automotive stated: “This project is a showcase of MSO’s capabilities and echoes the recent full restoration of the McLaren F1 GTR 25R, a car raced in the 1990s. The 720S in such an evocative livery and interior finish, created in close association with Gulf, which perfectly shows the potential for our customers to work with MSO’s skilled team to personalize their McLaren.”

More photos on this amazing looking McLaren MSO 720S Gulf Oil livery:

May 18, 2021 / Comments Off

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The Zenvo TSR-S is back

The Zenvo Automotive TSR-S is a hypercar in every sense of the word, being the street-legal version of the TSR race car, the ‘Street’ version comes with a 5.8-liter twin-supercharged flat-plane V8 engine capable of delivering no less than 1,177bhp, add the lightweight carbon fiber body and state-of-the-art aerodynamics, and you end up with an extremely impressive hypercar as if that massive rear wing didn’t impress enough.

And we must discuss that rear wing a little further, it is called an active Centripetal wing … yes, I had to read that twice too, and I also took a look at the documentation on this wing. In fact, it’s simple, this patented rear wing moves … but not as you might expect, on this Zenvo TSR-S this wing moves on two axes, when the driver hits the brakes, this rear wing lifts up into the air and effectively becomes an air-brake, but when cornering at speed the wing tilts to increase downforce on the axle that needs it … and as an added bonus, it looks cool too.

Some figures perhaps? Acceleration from 0 to 100 km/h takes a mere 2.8 seconds, in 6.8 seconds you’ll reach 200 km/h behind the steering wheel of the Zenvo TSR-S, and to keep you from getting overly confident of your driving capabilities, the top speed has been electronically limited … at 325 km/h, now that’s more than enough to get you into a heap of trouble with the arm of the law on the highway.

The engine, the aerodynamics, and the carbon fiber body are all produced in-house by Zenvo, even the gearbox is from their hand, and it’s not just any gearbox either, the Zenvo TSR-S comes with a hybrid variant of the 7-speed sequential gearbox with helical-cut dog gears, called a ‘Dual Gearbox’, the driver can switch between a rather comfortable gearbox for ‘Road use’, or go for a more intimidating, direct power-shift ‘Race’ setup when the opportunity presents itself, just by using a switch on the steering wheel.

Back in March 2020, Zenvo had an amazing looking white TSR-R ready to be shown to the world at the Geneva Motor Show, sadly the event was canceled, and the car never got its public unveiling, instead, the car was showcased during a private media event at Zenvo’s HQ in Præstø, Denmark. This was the first car ever to come with full fragmented carbon fiber wheels and a bespoke weave design to exposed carbon fiber body sections, fragmented carbon fiber is created by hand-cut and expertly layered fragments of carbon fiber to create a special finish, these wheels weigh about 15 kilograms less than their aluminum counterparts.

If you would like to add a Zenvo TSR-S to your garage, you might be in for a long wait, each of these hypercars made in Denmark will set you back at least €1,450,000 before options, and Zenvo is limiting the production of this street-legal race car to only 5 units per year to maintain exclusivity, Zenvo is working on a worldwide dealer network, in April 2021 the MOHR GROUP in Germany became an official Zenvo dealer, both the TS1 GT and the TSR-S will be shown in their 1,600 m² space in Motorworld München, interesting is the fact both the TS1 GT and the TSR-S are homologated for Germany and Euro 6 compliant.

And now Zenvo is looking at the UK market, they have shipped the bright blue TSR-S to the UK to showcase their flagship model to both customers and brand followers during the 2021 Summer months, Zenvo hasn’t released a schedule yet as to where the TSR-R will be available for test drives during events and gatherings, but it seems many fans are waiting in line to get behind the wheel of this amazing hypercar, Zenvo is working on a global expansion plan, so it might not be too long before the Zenvo TSR-R crosses the Atlantic and puts down her wheels on US soil.

More photos on the Zenvo TSR-S hypercar:

May 17, 2021 / Comments Off

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Most powerful Mercedes AMG GT in final testing

When you are interested in seeing some of the world’s most impressive and fast road cars on a track, a visit to the Nurburgring Nordschleife in Germany, also known as ‘the Green Hell’ might be a great idea, this track is famous for being used as a testing ground by just about every car manufacturer, so the chance of seeing an upcoming car doing laps around this track is substantial, having the record for the fastest lap on the Nurburgring is also something many car builders like to brag about.

In 2020, Mercedes claimed a new Nurburgring lap record in the luxury four-door class, putting down a time of 7 minutes 23.009 seconds in a Mercedes-AMG GT 63 S, the current top of the line model in the GT series, with 630 hp, but the car they are now testing on this German track will put the 63 S to shame … the upcoming Mercedes-AMG GT 73e will use the twin-turbo 4.0-liter V8 engine, but add hybrid power into the mix, for a total power output of 804 hp (600 kilowatts) and a massive 1,001 Nm of torque.

Despite the additional weight of the electric motors and the batteries required for this hybrid setup, it is very likely the Mercedes-AMG GT 73e will set a new ‘Ring record’, perhaps that is what they were trying to achieve during these final testing when CarSpyMedia captured a mildly camouflaged prototype taking a stint on the Nurburgring … check out their video below:

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Mercedes has been developing this ultra-high-performance variant of their AMG GT for a long time now, and we all expected the car would have been introduced already by now, but there isn’t an official statement yet, although the car was seen at the unveiling of the AMG Project One and the introduction of the 2021 edition Formula One car, we still don’t have any release date, nor pricing on what promises to be the fastest luxury four-door car Mercedes ever made.

May 16, 2021 / Comments Off

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Porsche Exclusive Manufaktur, Tequipment and Classic divisions

Meeting personal customer wishes is an important part of the global offering from Porsche. The sports car manufacturer pursues this goal with its business divisions Porsche Exclusive Manufaktur, Porsche Tequipment, and Porsche Classic. The company now plans to respond to the wishes and needs of its customers to an even greater extent with a new and significantly extended range of products and services.

This includes various options for the individualization of Porsche sports cars, turning them into unique one-offs. Porsche is extending the personalization options for individual components directly in the Car Configurator, and is supplementing its offering for new, used, and classic vehicles with a “Performance Parts” range. As part of its Co-Creation strategy, the sports car manufacturer is also offering a new interpretation of the legendary Sonderwunsch program of the late 70s and will make it possible to design individualized one-off cars in the future – co-created by the customer and realized professionally by Porsche.

The range of individualization options for new vehicles currently extends from personal customer consulting during the configuration process through to the realization of limited small series. Through Tequipment, Porsche also offers numerous accessory products and retrofit options for individual customer vehicles. In the area of classic vehicles, Porsche is currently focusing on spare parts supply and factory restorations. The Stuttgart-based sports car manufacturer is now significantly extending its offering in all business areas.

“It is our goal to provide customers around the globe with even more accurately tailored and demand-based products within the context of classic, existing, and new cars, and to also offer a comprehensive range of individualization options,” says Alexander Fabig, Vice President Individualisation and Classic. “With the new offerings, we are responding to the great global demand for our products. Starting with new possibilities for individualization and personalization of individual components, through the additional range of Performance Parts, up to the realization of uniquely individualized sports cars, we have the right option for every customer.”

Simpler and more personal than ever before: individual enhancements

The Porsche Exclusive Manufaktur is successively expanding the range of products that can be individualized and personalized. Significantly more options will be available here in the future. Examples include various exterior wrap options, individual starting numbers, prints on the floor mats, illuminated door entry guards, and logo projectors in the vehicle doors. In addition, customers can choose to become designers themselves in the ordering process.

The personalization options include individual design elements such as colors, logos, lettering, and text. Using a digital application in the Porsche Car Configurator, it is possible to specify own designs for various items. For example, customers can have their own signature embossed on elements in the vehicle interior. The leather-covered cover on the center console is suitable for this, for example. The range is rounded off by personalized wraps and decals on selected exterior areas and individual paint finishes on the wheels.

New components for GT models and classic cars

Porsche will offer a large number of new components for new vehicles as well as used and classic cars under the name “Performance Parts”. The Porsche Tequipment range for new and used vehicles is aimed at drivers who are motorsport enthusiasts and amateur race drivers. Porsche Classic will offer new developments with a historical reference, components for performance enhancement, and also lifestyle products for both young and older classic cars. These will increase the performance of the classic vehicles or improve their everyday usability. With two show cars based on two first-generation Cayenne models, the Classic division is also providing a preview of possible additional individualization offerings with an outdoor and offroad focus.

Modern and classic sports cars as one-offs according to customer wishes

As part of its Co-Creation strategy, Porsche is now offering a new interpretation of its legendary Sonderwunsch program from the late 70s and will make it possible to design individualized one-off cars in the future – co-created by the customer and realized professionally by Porsche. The expansion of this offering is divided into the areas of Factory Commissioning for individual customer color and material wishes directly in production and subsequent Factory Re-Commissioning and Factory One-Off after vehicle delivery to the customer.

Whereas Factory Re-Commissioning is also aimed at implementation of individual col-ours and materials, the Factory One-Off is a systematic technical new development. Depending on the age of the vehicle in question, either the technical experts at Porsche Exclusive Manufaktur or the specialists at Porsche Classic take care of the implementation.

About Porsche Exclusive Manufaktur and Porsche Tequipment

Across all model series, customers can currently choose from more than 700 Porsche Exclusive Manufaktur options. The demand for individualization is increasing all the time. The level of vehicle enhancement is particularly extensive in 25 percent of all 911 models delivered worldwide: they visit the Porsche Exclusive Manufaktur work-shops at the parent plant in Zuffenhausen for exclusive re-commissioning.

Sonderwunsch one-offs and limited small series are also produced in the Porsche Exclusive Manufaktur. Current examples are the Porsche 911 Targa 4S Heritage Design Edition and a limited 911 special model which was produced on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of Porsche China. Porsche offers numerous accessory products and retrofit options via the Tequipment division. The overall range of initially around 150 parts has continuously grown to now include more than 500 Tequipment options.

About Porsche Classic

Porsche Classic is responsible for spare parts supply and factory restorations of all of the brand’s road-approved classic cars. The range extends from a selection of various accessories and technical literature through to classic spare part supply and new editions of spare parts that are no longer available. Every year around 100 classic vehicles from the Porsche 356 through to the 911 (Type 996) and Boxster (Type 986) pass through the Classic workshop for accident repairs and other repair work. Complete restorations are available for all cars prior to the 996 generation of the 911, the Boxster Type 986, and Carrera GT. The current spare parts range includes more than 60,000 items. This is supplemented each year by an average of 300 new issues of spare parts that are no longer available as well as new accessory, lifestyle, or performance-enhancing parts.

Porsche is also successively extending its international dealer and service network with the Porsche Classic Partner program. These are existing Porsche Centres with specific expertise in handling classic Porsche cars. The network currently comprises 76 locations, including four Porsche Classic Centres.

May 16, 2021 / Comments Off

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RUF at the Petersen Automotive Museum

I’m sure you know what RUF is, and what these three letters stand for in the world of Porsche tuning, in the Bavarian town of Pfaffenhausen, Alois Ruf Sr founded a company called AUTOR RUF back in 1939, when his son, Alois Ruf Jr took over the business in 1974, they released the first RUF modified Porsche, and things went only up from that moment.

Having the world’s fastest car is a thing many want to add to their Palmares, and RUF managed to do that twice already, both the RUF BTR and the RUF CTR were the “World’s Fastest Production Car”, and if you couldn’t really afford one of these stupendously fast, Porsche based RUF beauties, you could still get behind the wheel of these amazing cars … virtually, as they were part of the Gran Turismo video games. Today RUF has become a manufacturer, their current models, which include models like their CTR Anniversary and the SCR, are designed, engineered, and manufactured entirely by RUF using RUF parts including the chassis, engine, transmission, and even the body.

Renowned Porsche-themed event organizers Luftgekühlt have partnered up with the famous Petersen Automotive Museum for a two-part exhibition, where the first part, that’s to open on May 15th, is called the “Pfaffenhausen Speed Shop, The RUF Gallery”, and it will showcase some of the more important RUF creations from as far back as the 1990 RUF CTR Yellowbird.

But “The Vault presented by Hagerty” at the Petersen Automotive Museum will also have a 2012 RUF CTR3 ClubSport, a 2007 RUF Turbo R Cabriolet, a 2016 RUF Turbo R Ltd, a 2016 RUF Ultimate, a 1994 RUF RCT EVO narrow body, a 1994 RUF RCT EVO wide body, and a 2015 RUF RT12R on display for visitors to admire.

“We are honored to be chosen for a dedicated exhibit at the Petersen,” said RUF Automobile Owner Alois Ruf. “From our beginnings in a small shop in Pfaffenhausen, Germany to the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles, we have only sought to bring joy through cars. We are grateful to both Luftgekühlt and the museum for helping us spread that joy.”

If you would like to visit these amazing RUF cars at the Petersen Automotive Museum you will have to purchase tickets in advance on their website, also note you will be required to wear a face mask and social distancing guidelines of at least six feet will be enforced to make sure you can visit this exhibition is all safety.

May 14, 2021 / Comments Off

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The RML Short Wheelbase

It seems many wealthy customers have a craving for the classic road cars and racing legends, but with prices for the Fifties or Sixties Ferrari into the tens of millions it might be a good idea not to risk that kind of money on the open road, where you could hit a pothole, or even worse, get hit by another car and cause a fortune in damage to this rare car, to help out those that still want to drive a classic looking car, but not spend that kind of money, nor want to forego on creature comfort and modern-day performance, several companies are preparing a modern-day GT car with classic looks.

A few months ago we already published an article on the GTO Engineering Squalo, and today we bring you the RLM SWB, created by the world-class engineering company, RML Group located in Wellingborough, UK, this ‘Short Wheel Base’ as it is fully called takes inspiration from the legendary 250GT SWB from 1959, and while the RLM SWB might look like a car from the Fifties, it will come with all the 21st-century amenities we’ve come to expect from a modern GT.

The RLM SWB even comes with a Ferrari engine at the front, more specifically a 5474cc V12 that puts down 478 hp and 568 Nm of torque at the rear axle, courtesy of a six-speed manual gearbox, no automatic paddle shifter for this modern-day classic GT, naturally the gearshift lever is mounted in an open-gated grid, just like in the good old days.

The RLM SWB should be able to accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in 4.1 seconds and should reach a top speed of 186 mph, but that’s exactly what Michael Mallock, RML’s Chief Executive intended, the SWB wasn’t created to be the fastest on the road, instead they want to offer their customers a driving experience with less electronic intervention and performance you can actually use in day to day driving on regular roads or in the city.

And to make the ride as comfortable as possible, RLM made sure the cockpit suits even taller owners, up to six-foot, six inches (two meters) in height, while being seated on some amazingly finished seats, and while the interior remains classic as an homage to the 250 GT SWB they used for inspiration, the RLM SWB will come with satnav, air conditioning, cupholders, and smartphone connectivity, all without intruding too much into the overall looks of the interior.

It should come as no surprise the RLM SWB is larger than the 1959 original she was sculpted after, things have changed over the last 60 years, and clients expect a larger car today, but the overall design has been maintained as closely as possible in the overall looks, like the stacked taillights for instance, or the beautiful exposed fuel filler, and the typical vents on the bodywork just had to be retained too for this modern interpretation.

“After almost three years, we are nearing completion of the Short Wheelbase’s development,” said Michael Mallock. “While this is the first such car to wear RML’s name, our experience working on a variety of whole vehicle programs, as a ‘white label’ partner to various OEMs, is extensive, and second to none. So this car showcases much of the experience we’ve gained from not only designing and building low-volume, high-end motor cars but also implementing thorough testing procedures to make sure that driving them is an emotional experience for all the right reasons.”

The RLM SWB comes with a length of 4264mm, a width of 1954mm, and weighs 1470 kg, no pricing has been published at this moment, but this very special car will not come cheap, especially as only 30 units are planned to be built, the RLM SWB will be available to order by the end of 2021.

May 13, 2021 / Comments Off

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Chiron habillé par Hermès

A passionate Bugatti collector comes to Molsheim with his personal vision: to create for him a truly unique Chiron that epitomizes luxury. Enter the ‘Chiron habillé par Hermès’, the hyper sports car inspired by artisan craftsmanship that is one of a kind.

For any Bugatti connoisseur, to own a hyper sports car hand-crafted in the French luxury marque’s Molsheim Atelier is a lifelong wish. For some, this is not enough, and they have more than one Bugatti model to admire in their collection. They take their dedication to the legendary automobiles even further and come to Bugatti with visions for their very personalized hyper sports car – in reference to Bugatti’s coachbuilding past of the Type 57 models, where Bugatti’s individualization options were a major USP. The ‘Chiron habillé par Hermès’, created for a customer in the USA – the entrepreneur and real estate investor Manny Khoshbin – revives the relationship of the two French brands, whose owners Ettore Bugatti and Émile-Maurice Hermès laid the base for a new form of luxury which France stands for up to this very day. The phenomenal result brings dreams to reality.

“I am a true Bugatti aficionado – I wanted to name my son ‘Ettore’ but my wife disagreed,” explains Mr. Khoshbin. “When I saw the Chiron¹ for the first time in 2015, I was one of the first customers in the world to reserve a build slot, yet one of the later to take delivery of one, but the reason for that was down to me.” It was Mr. Khoshbin’s vision and his devotion to the Bugatti marque to inspire others by defying the limits of custom automotive design.

After years of collaborating closely through the creative process, Mr. Khoshbin took delivery of his unique ‘Chiron habillé par Hermès’. The evolution of this elegant and extraordinary Chiron would bring on board the French luxury brand, Hermès, to leave its mark on the hyper sports car with an intricate and special application of colors, fabrics, and finishes to complete the unique look that Mr. Khoshbin had been striving for. The result is a remarkable example of the Chiron that will always stand out, and exemplary of how Bugatti can make anything happen.

Custom detail on every level

Take a closer look at the ‘Chiron habillé par Hermès’ by Bugatti it is clear that the hyper sports car is individual in almost every single aspect. The exterior color, the interior design, the unique details: the teams in Molsheim and Paris have worked with great passion to make the application of custom colors, fabrics, and materials a reality.

The overall color scheme of this extraordinary Chiron, which is adorned in the distinguishable leather shade of ‘Craie’ made famous by the legendary handbags and other luxury goods to come from Hermès. The off-white, chalk-derived hue envelopes the complete outside of this Chiron; making for one exterior color when most Bugatti Chiron models consist of two main colors for contrast.

Further to the main exterior color, the rear bumper, all mesh covers, trim parts, and Bugatti ‘Classique’ alloy wheels are all finished in ‘Craie’. There are also a number of unique design traits on the exterior of the ‘Chiron habillé par Hermès’ by Bugatti, with the horseshoe grille on the front customized with the Parisian brand’s signature ‘H’ monogram, while its classic ‘Courbettes’ motif, graces the underside of the rear wing. The ‘Courbettes’ design features sketches of rearing horses and was specially chosen by Mr. Khoshbin to emphasize the immense power output of 1,500 PS in the Chiron.

Mr. Khoshbin chose the optional ‘Sky View’ glass roof, adding two fixed glass panels above the driver and passenger seats, while the exposed engine bay that hugs the top-side of the hyper sports car is the only exterior item not finished in ‘Craie’, save for the ‘Italian Red’ brake calipers and the aluminum-finish door sills.

Inside the ‘Chiron habillé par Hermès’, the theme of individuality is taken to another level yet again. Almost all material used for the interior is crafted by Hermès, with the ‘Craie’ share representing leather of the seats, middle console, inner signature line, roof and rear panel plus the doors’ clasps. The ‘Ecru’ leather around the center console, dashboard, and other parts of the interior, developed by Bugatti, combines with the shade of ‘Craie’ in the hyper sports car, while the carpets are finished in the color ‘Beige’. The Bugatti materials involve extensive safety testing to ensure they meet the highest quality regulations,

The use of an original Hermès material, adorned by the ‘Courbettes’ design is reflected inside the Chiron, too – on the middle console plate, the center console tray, and door cards.

An immersive order experience

From the point that Mr. Khoshbin reserved a build slot for his Chiron, through to the delivery of the one-of-a-kind hyper sports car, the customer was fully involved in the order process. That was, at his own election – Mr. Khoshbin is, after all, a true Bugatti enthusiast and collector. He adds: “The order of this special Chiron involved two visits to Hermès in Paris to discuss design, the realization of the interior and see progress being made. Between myself, the team at Hermès, and designers at Bugatti, we exchanged hundreds of emails. I took my time to draft the car and that was very much a conscious decision – this is a car that I will one day hand down to my son, it will live for generations”.

“I’m truly thankful to the teams at Bugatti and Hermès for making this happen. I came to Bugatti with the idea, and it’s not something that they’d usually do but they were open to the notion of making something special. Now I have three Bugatti models in my collection, and there is soon to be a fourth. There’s this one, and two Veyrons, one a Grand Sport Vitesse “Les Légendes de Bugatti” Rembrandt Bugatti, that I love just to look at, they are so beautiful.” The Rembrandt Bugatti is one out of three Vitesse in this unique configuration with an extremely rare exposed brown carbon fiber finish. “Then we’re about to take delivery of a Bugatti Baby II for my son,” Mr. Khoshbin continues, “he is Bugatti mad, and gets excited every time he hears the name! I like the ‘Chiron habillé par Hermès’ the most out of them all – I drive it almost every day. It’s a real driver’s car and I still get excited every time I get into the driver’s seat.”

This application of Hermès design with automobiles hand-made by Bugatti is not the first time the two French luxury houses have worked together. Before the First World War, Ettore Bugatti commissioned saddles and other leather tacks from Émile-Maurice Hermès – grandson of founder Thierry Hermès – and the company’s leather later appeared in racing cars by Bugatti in the 1920s. In 2008, Bugatti paid tribute to the enduring relationship with the ‘Bugatti Veyron Fbg par Hermès‘, associating Bugatti’s technical performance with the expertise of Hermès and its craftsmen.

May 12, 2021 / Comments Off

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First customer McLaren P1 listed at auction

Let’s go back in time … to 2013 to be exact, the time when McLaren unveiled the long-awaited successor to their legendary F1 road car … the McLaren P1, a car from a new generation of hybrid hypercars like the Ferrari Enzo and the Porsche 918, her main competitors at that time, a limited production run of only 375 McLaren P1 would be built, making her an instant part of British Automotive history, a halo car many dream about, especially as it came with an MSRP of $1,350,000, but adding MSO options could quickly push that amount beyond $1,600,000 … 8 years ago, and those few units that passed the auction block already regularly break the $2,000,000 barrier these days.

But this bright yellow over black McLaren P1, chassis SBM12ABB1EW000023 is a bit special, finished in Volcano Yellow over a black leather interior with an Alcantara dashboard is in fact the very first customer registered P1 in the world, as stated in a personal letter, dated 9th October 2013, from Frank Stephenson, the McLaren P1 designer to the first owner of this specific car, delivered in the UK, this P1 is a Left Hand Drive car, as due to the very limited production numbers, McLaren never even built the P1 in RHD, all of the 375 McLaren P1 are LHD.

In fact, clients could start ordering the McLaren P1 only from October 2013 … by November 2013 all of the 375 units were sold out, making the P1 an instant collector’s item on the automotive scene, powered by a 3.8-liter, twin-turbocharged V-8 coupled to an electric motor, the total output was 903 bhp (727bhp from the V-8 and 176bhp from the electric engine). with her unique aerodynamics, including adjustable front and rear wings providing as much as 600kg of downforce at 160 mph, performance was incredible: 100 km/h took just 2.8 seconds, 200km/h was reached in 6.8 seconds, while 300km/h came after only 16.5 seconds, the top speed of the McLaren P1 was a mouthwatering 217mph (347kph).

This extremely rare McLaren P1 underwent all her maintenance and care in the hands of official McLaren dealerships in the UK, and while this car now had two owners, both were from the same family, she crossed only 3,666 miles since 2013 but still had her Hybrid battery replaced in 2018, and underwent her most recent service at McLaren Birmingham in 2020, this special McLaren P1 is ready to be driven.

When Jeremy Clarkson, from the famous BBC Top Gear program, was able to test drive a black McLaren P1 on the famous F1 circuit of Spa Francorchamps in Belgium during the second show of the 21st series, he described the P1 as “A game-changer, a genuinely new chapter in the history of motoring”, take a look at a clip from that episode here:

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Silverstone Auctions The May Sale 2021 – Classic Cars and Classic Motorcycles will have this yellow McLaren P1 up for auction on May 22nd, with an estimate between £885,000 and £985,000 (that’s $1,250,000 to $1,400,000) which sounds like a steal considering the MSRP back in 2013, so this might be your chance to get hold of a hypercar at a bargain, relatively speaking.

If you’re looking for more, detailed information about the 2013 McLaren P1 take a look at our ultimate guide to the McLaren P1.

May 11, 2021 / Comments Off

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Bentley Flying Spur gets even better

We all know the new Bentley Flying Spur is an amazing luxury sedan from one of the world’s best-known car builders with a massive heritage behind its name, back in February 2021, the Flying Spur W12 was recognized in MotorWeek’s 2021 Drivers’ Choice Awards as the Best Dream Machine, that has to account for something in the automotive world, but that doesn’t mean Bentley isn’t constantly looking to improve on perfection.

For the 2022 model year, the Flying Spur has been developed even further, with more technology added and new paint for the exterior combined with additional finishes for the veneer inside this amazing car, a beautiful Cambrian Grey has been added to the already vast list of 62 exterior paint options. While the following were part of the options list, for the MY22 model these become standard: Traffic sign recognition, hands-free boot opening, extended safeguard features, top-view camera, welcome lighting, and automatic dimming mirrors, as well as the Air Ioniser.

Inside the extremely quiet cabin of the Bentley Flying Spur, the client can opt for a magnificent open-pore veneer, which gets an extremely thin coating that allows the customer to feel the texture of the wood used, carefully selected from either Crown Cut Walnut, Dark Burr Walnut and Koa veneers, because the satin coating is a mere 0.1 mm thick (compared to 0.5 mm for the normal, glossy coated veneers).

With the improved Flying Spur for 2022, Bentley clearly shows they can still improve on perfection …

May 11, 2021 / Comments Off

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Award winning Lotus Evija

The Lotus Evija has been named as ‘The One to Watch‘ in Top Gear’s second-ever Electric Awards as Jack Rix, editor for Top Gear magazine was able to take an early prototype onto Lotus’s own test track in Hethel, Norfolk, production for the all-electric Lotus Evija will start later this year, but the test car handed over to Top Gear is still an early sample, rather crudely finished on the inside, but in a very special wrap on the outside.

Once production of the Lotus Evija gets started, only 120 units will be made of this Lotus halo car at £2,400,000 each (that’s about $3,357,500), but this car will come with 2,000 hp that offers an acceleration from 0 to 62 mph below the 3 seconds mark, going from 0 to 124 mph takes only 6 seconds, and more importantly, an acceleration from 200 km/h to 300 km/h (124 mph to 186 mph) also in just 3 seconds, compared to for instance the Bugatti Chiron that would take 6 seconds.

Top Gear’s Jack Rix was the first to get behind the wheel of a Lotus Evija, albeit a restricted pre-production prototype … this test car came with ‘only’ 1,600 hp and 1,250 lb-ft of torque … bummer, acceleration to 62 mph takes 3.3 seconds in this car and the top speed has been limited to 140 mph, but as this car accelerates with gearshifts, it’s just a relentless push from start to finish, this seems to become a stupendously quick car to drive, even without the full 2,000 hp available.

To keep the Lotus Evija as light as possible, they fitted a small 69 kW battery, and while it’s not fitted underneath the cockpit for that low center of gravity, Lotus has fitted it behind the cockpit, in the position where the engine would be in a mid-engine car, thus offering the same agility as a car with a naturally aspirated engine, the downside of this rather small battery is the fact the Evija will only have a range of about 30 miles when pushed hard.

On the other hand, Lotus confirms the Evija will be capable of a full charge in only 18 minutes … provided you have access to a 350 kW charger, but the advantage of using such a small battery is the fact the Lotus Evija will put only 1,680 kg on the scales, with 2,000 hp available in production form, this will result in some very brutal acceleration, and amazing road-holding capabilities with active vectoring and aerodynamics added to the production version.

Enjoy Top Gear’s video on the track test below:

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May 9, 2021 / Comments Off

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