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What does a white Ferrari Testarossa remind you of?

If I see a white Ferrari Testarossa, one TV show comes to mind, the hit series Miami Vice where after his black Ferrari Daytona (a replica based on a Corvette by the way) was blown up and Crocket received a confiscated black Ferrari Testarossa as a replacement, because the black car might have been recognized by thugs, the Miami Police Department decided to repaint the car to white on a tan leather interior, making this specific combination very popular next to the classic Ferrari red.

So when I spotted this BringATrailer auction for a 1987 Ferrari Testarossa, I immediately went back decades and remembered watching Miami Vice on the television one day a week, before I actually bought the entire DVD box with all seasons combined … yep, DVD was the best of the best at that time, I even had a VHS player at one point and several Lamborghini Countach posters on my bedroom walls, the counterpart for the Ferrari Testarossa that was built between 1984 and 1991.

One of the typical features on the white Ferrari Testarossa used for the Miami Vice show was the ‘flying mirror’, the single exterior rearview mirror that was mounted high up on the windshield sill, and only on the driver side … this mirror design was only used on very early production models of the Testarossa, in 1986 Ferrari switched to a more normal position and added a passenger-side mirror too, the car on auction right now is a 1987 model, so she comes with the two mirror setup, but she does have the tan interior too.

Remember we are looking at a car that is 34 years old now, chassis ZFFSG17A8H0072019 now shows about 47,000 miles on the counter and comes with a clean California title, styled by Pininfarina’s Leonardo Fioravanti, the Ferrari Testarossa comes with the massive side intake with ‘streaks’ that made this car instantly recognizable, and as we are looking at a supercar from the Eighties, we still get popup headlights with four lamps in total.

Naturally, we are looking at a five-speed manual gearbox delivering power to the center-lock Cromodora wheels in a mere 16-inch tall version, covered with Dunlop SP Sport tires at 225/50 and 255/50 to the front and rear respectively, a power which comes from the famous 4.9-Liter flat-12 engine with Bosch KE-Jetronic fuel injection, good for 380 hp to the rear wheels only, note that Ferrari already had a four-valve per cylinder setup on the Testarossa from the start, Lamborghini answered with the Countach Quattrovalvole in 1985, now with 455 hp.

On the inside of this Bianco Ferrari Testarossa, we find a natural tan leather interior, the seat bolsters have been redone so they look amazing again, this car comes with power windows, air conditioning, and that stunning gated shifter with the satisfying ‘clunk’ when changing gears while you admire the Veglia Borletti tachometer with her redline at 6,800 rpm, the speedometer inside this Testarossa goes all the way up to 200 mph.

When you open the front hood on the Testarossa you actually gain access to a rather large luggage compartment, trimmed in tan carpet, it can hold quite some material, with the engine behind the occupants, the front made for a nice space to fit bags or other paraphernalia, in style naturally.

This car is now listed at auction by a dealer who bought the car in 2020, the main service has been performed in 2018 by the previous owner that had the car located in California and Georgia before selling it to New Jersey, the Ferrari Testarossa is a classic supercar from a bygone era, together with the Lamborghini Countach and the G-Series Porsche Turbo, these three cars left a mark in the life of an entire generation, and those side streaks became a trademark for Ferrari at that time, using them on the 348 models too.

At the time of writing the bids went up to $95,000 at the BringATrailer auction, which does sound like an interesting deal on such an iconic car, if you are interested in adding this classic to your collection, you should head over to the listing now, as it will end in a matter of hours … good luck.

October 19, 2021 / Comments Off

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The Z8, BMW’s rarest modern convertible

There has been a brief period in time when James Bond, the famous UK spy didn’t drive an Aston Martin anymore but instead switched to BMW for transportation, In Tomorrow Never Dies he got behind the wheel of a large, four-door BMW 750iL while in Goldeneye he did drive an Aston Martin DB5 briefly but the ‘gadget loaded car in this instance was a BMW Z3, still, the best was yet to come, in The World is not enough he drove an absolutely stunning BMW Z8, and that’s the car we’re discussing here.

Well, not really the screen used Bond BMW Z8, that would be a problem as the car got cut in half in the movie, but a similar-looking 2002 model currently listed at auction on BringATrailer, at the time of writing, with six days left, the bids have gone up to $135,000, which isn’t bad as the original MSRP back in the early 2000s was $128,000 already, making this the most expensive car from BMW at the time, but I’m sure the bids will continue to rise as previous sales of BMW Z8 went above the $200,000 mark, one specific Z8 even sold for as much as $296,000 in August 2021.

The BMW Z8 was actually the production version of the Z07 concept car unveiled in 1997 at the Tokyo Auto Salon, as an homage to the classic BMW 507 Roadster built between 1956 and 1959, a car that has become extremely valuable today, especially with celebrity ownership on some of these, none other than Elvis Presley owned a BMW 507, it is believed there are just 202 BMW 507 in the world today, a far cry from the number made of the Z8 between 2000 and 2003.

In 1998 BMW also presented the Z07 concept as a coupe, but that one didn’t get developed further, instead, BMW focussed on the Z8, internal code E52, as a high-end production roadster, available with a removable hardtop, but still a two-seater convertible, just like the 507 from the Fifties, with a little over 5,700 units leaving the BMW factory between 2000 and 2003, but that wasn’t the end for the Z8, Alpina took over from 2003 calling it the Alpina Roadster V8, actually the last BMW 28 left the assembly line in November 2002.

This makes this specific, Titanium Silver Metallic 2002 model, currently listed on BringATrailer, a car from the final production year, with just 24,000 miles on the clock, this 4.9-Liter V8 beauty comes with a 6-speed manual gearbox delivering about 400 hp to the rear wheels only, a car that requires some respect when driving in the rain with those massive 295/30 Michelin Pilot Super Sport tires on the rear wheels, which are custom 20-inch Style 101 Multi-spoke wheels, the car does come with the original wheels the seller states.

This 2002 BMW Z8 comes complete with the color-matched hardtop, a special stand to keep said hardtop safe in your garage, and even a cover to keep the dust off, other than that this specific Z8 has received a few non-factory modifications, like adjustable H&R sway bars, a Performance Package front strut bar, a UUC short-shift kit, an Audiovox MediaBridge, and Eisenmann mufflers … I’m sure that big V8 rumbles even louder now.

The seller does mention the front bumper has been resprayed in the correct Titanium Silver Metallic (354) shade, but that was done to close up the holes the previous seller had drilled in the bumper to fit a license plate, after that the entire car was wrapped in XPEL PPF, Paint Protection Film so this modern-day classic’s paint will remain in pristine condition for years to come.

This is my personal opinion, but think the BMW Z8 is the most beautiful, sensual looking modern BMW, sure she’s nearly 20 years old now, but you can hardly tell, this is a virtually timeless design, a classic look, inspired by a car from the Fifties, resurrected in the 2000s, but still amazing looking today. There are some impressive cars from BMW in their 2021 lineup, and some are even more expensive than this 20-year old topless beauty … but for me, none of the ‘new’ BMW even come close to the Z8, not now, not ever.

September 19, 2021 / Comments Off

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Hot Rod Jaguar XJS Convertible

The idea of driving a 6-Liter V12 convertible might be appealing to many, but cars like this usually tend to be in the six figures range, some even closing in on 7 figures … but if you are ok with getting an older, classic model, this 1990 Jaguar XJS Convertible might be an option, currently being listed on BringATrailer, at the time of writing the maximum bid is below $15,000 … so is this a bargain then?

I hope you take a close look at what you would be getting yourself into when you buy this car or any 30-year old classic for that matter, especially with a massive V12 engine under that long hood, while you could argue this is a classic car that will appreciate over time and become very valuable in the long run, right now it’s just an old Jaguar with a very limited interest on the car market, made even worse by the fact this one is a custom one.

A classic, collectible car first becomes just another old car at a certain point in its life, just like this 1990 Jaguar XJS Convertible, old cars don’t have a lot of value and sometimes end up in a car graveyard to die a slow death or become a parts car to keep other ‘old’ cars running. But at a certain moment in time, some old cars become classics, and then things get interesting as their value goes up, in some cases quite considerably might I add.

In the case of Jaguar, I’m sure we can all agree on the fact that the E-Type is a collector’s classic these days, and quite frankly the XJS models just haven’t reached that point yet, sure there are owner’s clubs out there for this big coupe from the UK, and some of these might demand a nice premium … but this red sample from 1990 with the original style taillights just won’t, and my guess is this specific one will never become a collectible classic either, sorry.

Personally, I rather like the styling and the idea behind the Jaguar XJS, being a successor to the E-Type, the XJS was intended to be a big, comfortable and luxurious GT, and the V12 engined ones were impressive in their own time, the top-of-the-line version, especially in convertible form like the 1990 model presented here … but that’s where the good news ends for this specific model, as in the long run only factory original cars will become collectible, and this red one has been heavily modified.

While this might have been a great idea when this car was ‘current’, owing an older customized car isn’t always a good idea, in this case, the original, numbers-matching 5.3-Liter V12 got destroyed and has been replaced by a more modern 6-Liter V12 engine, still from Jaguar, but taken from the XJR-S sedan, complete with Jaguar Sport cam covers, further upgraded by Hyper Engineering with a cold-air intake and a custom Zytek ECU for increased performance.

To get even more cool air into that Hyper Engineering intake, the headlight pods on this US-spec Jaguar XJS have been altered, the standard dual headlights have been replaced by single units, the inner headlight units were removed, and two custom-made Hyper Engineering cold air intake were fitted, fully chromed to match the rest of the front, and that was only the start of the customization on this XJS Convertible.

An extensive Lister aerodynamic kit was fitted onto this bright red convertible too, consisting of a deeper front spoiler, side skirts, wider rear fenders, a rear diffuser underneath the chromed bumper, and to complete the looks a rear wing sits on the luggage cover, with an opening for the automatic antenna, a very special touch courtesy of Lister is the new engine cover with dual NACA inlets for even more cool air for that large V12 engine.

Many years ago these 17-inch OZ Racing wheels in multi-piece Futura design were very popular, but today they do look rather dated, tires are impressive Dunlop SP Sport 4000 units in a wide 275/40 size, the brakes have been updated in 2001 by Hyper Engineering together with beefier torsion bars … to make the car sound as good as it looked, stainless steel exhaust manifolds joined the replacement engine, and the original three-speed transmission was replaced with a five-speed manual unit from Gretag … it’s obvious not much of the 1990 XJS remains today.

The interior inside this red convertible looks amazing, finished in tan leather on the seats, door panels, central console … there is soft leather and wood everywhere inside this classic Jaguar, with a period-correct Sony cassette stereo complete with a CD changer in the trunk, naturally this convertible GT comes with air-conditioning to keep cool when you close the black cloth roof, which is power operated as you would expect, a custom MOMO steering wheel matched the black leather on the top of the dashboard.

Chassis SAJNW4845LC172726 now has about 31,000 miles on the odometer, which comes down to 1,000 per year on average, and if you would buy this car today, you should just enjoy it, driving around with the top down under the sun, listening to that V12 engine. This isn’t a future collector’s item you should park in your temperature and humidity-controlled garage and just wait for the value to rise … that will not happen for this car, it’s been modified too heavily to become a classic that will be sought after by collectors in a decade or so, collectors look for numbers-matching samples in good condition, not a personalized interpretation like this … so this one is just about having fun with it while it lasts, enjoy it to the fullest and don’t worry about adding miles … just drive it.

July 27, 2021 / Comments Off

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FOR SALE: 2018 Porsche GT2 RS Weissach

Up for sale on BringATrailer is this beautiful 165-mile 2018 Porsche 911 GT2 RS that was originally delivered to The Porsche Exchange of Highland Park, Illinois. At the time of writing, this Porsche has a bid of just $275,000.

This Porsche GT2 RS is finished in Guards Red over black leather and Alcantara and is powered by a 700-horsepower twin-turbocharged 3.8L flat-six coupled with a seven-speed PDK dual-clutch transaxle.

This car was factory optioned with a Weissach Package ($18K option), the Chrono Package, Porsche Ceramic Composite Brakes, satin black staggered-diameter magnesium wheels. This beauty also features a factory Bose surround sound system – in case you plan on reminiscing to Daft Punk’s greatest hits or the latest revived Fleetwod Mac classic from TikTok.

This GT2 RS will come with the original window sticker, four spare wheels, a clean Carfax report, and a clean Ohio title.

Based upon the contemporary 911 Turbo, the 991 GT2 RS features a carbon-fiber hood, front fender vents, side air intakes, and a fixed rear wing. Weissach Package weight-saving measures include a carbon-fiber roof panel and carbon-fiber anti-roll bars.

Other amenities among the over $40K in options include Alcantara-covered sun visors, a leather-wrapped steering column, and carbon-fiber illuminated door sills.

This GT2 RS was also optioned with the extended range 23.7-gallon fuel tank – perfect for your next cross country rally. The car features a water-injection system that sprays the intercoolers to lower intake temperatures.

The auction is set to close on this pristine 2018 GT2 RS on Thursday, April 1 at 4:07 pm EST. This gives you a couple of days to figure out what you need to sell to make room for this track slayer.

March 30, 2021 / Comments Off

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FOR SALE: 2005 Twin-Turbo Ford GT

BringATrailer has had some true gems pop up over the past few weeks and this 2005 twin-turbo Ford GT is no exception. It’s finished in Mark II Black over an Ebony leather interior – making it one of 237 in this color for its model year.

This 2005 Ford GT came originally from California when the current owner purchased it in 2011. Shortly after purchasing, the factory Lysholm supercharger was removed from the 5.4-liter DOHC V8 and a new Heffner Performance twin-turbocharger system was added.

This example has been fitted with other additions such as BBS forged wheels, slotted front, and cross-drilled rear brake rotors, an onboard fire-suppression system, an aftermarket stereo, and a Turbosmart adjustable boost controller. A ceramic-coated Heffner performance exhaust system was also fitted and designed to work with the rear bumperettes.

The seller of this sub-8K mile Ford GT mentioned that all removed factory parts will accompany the car in the sale. The sale will also include an AutoCheck report, a clean Carfax report, and a clean title.

The auction for this beautiful Ford GT will end Friday, March 19 at 5:51 pm EST. If you would like to read up on this model’s generation, check out our Ford GT article here.

March 19, 2021 / Comments Off

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