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Dealer says he sold LeBron James a Bugatti. LeBron replies: ‘LIARS!’

It’s news in the automobile chat rooms when LeBron James buys a new Bugatti.

It’s news as well when LeBron James doesn’t buy a new Bugatti.

Seems that a California high-end dealership “congratulated” the NBA legend for all to see on Instagram about his “purchase,” bragging that James was their “biggest VIP customer.’’ Turns out none of that was true — it’s the car-dealer equivalent of stolen valor.

“Stop the [cap]!! LIARS!!” James shot back on his own post, aiming his blast at the Effortless Motors dealership in Riverside. “I don’t know y’all and I don’t even have that car. CLOUT CHASERS.’’ James also shared a video posted by the dealer showing a car being loaded onto a truck. No details on that vehicle or on the supercar James purportedly bought.

TMZ Sports said it spoke with Effortless Motors owner Daniel Ubario, who admitted that the uproar was part of a marketing ploy, and that he didn’t expect the angry reaction from James … or from his legion of fans who took to social media to bash Ubario.

Ubario also said that he’d not worked with LeBron in any capacity in the past.

June 18, 2024 / Comments Off

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Second, smashed 1989 Lamborghini Countach from ‘Wolf of Wall Street’ to be auctioned

We’re not sure if we should consider this situation trying to steal someone’s thunder or, as is done in the NFL, trying to ice the kicker. In August, RM Sotheby’s announced that in December in New York it will auction a 1-of-12, white 1989 Lamborghini Countach 25th Anniversary that starred in Martin Scorsese’s “The Wolf of Wall Street.” Resplendent in Bianco Polo, the auction star was one of two cars used in the film. Notably, it was the undamaged car. The second Bianco Polo 25th Anniversary Countach was damaged rather badly as part of filming, victim of the main character driving under severe influence. We said of the second car, “The location and current condition of the other Countach are unknown, but as far as we can tell, no one has attempted to restore or auction it in the years since filming.” We now know the location and condition of the other Countach: Bonhams announced it will auction the other star car this month as part of the festivities around the season-ending Abu Dhabi Formula 1 Grand Prix, the Lamborghini in the same condition as when it was hauled off the set.

In the listing description, Bonham’s calls its offering the “Hero Car.” Then it makes quite a bit of noise about its Lamborghini having been on screen for “approximately 3 minutes and 11 seconds” in the company of Leonardo DiCaprio as opposed to RM Sotheby’s unhurt car being on screen for approximately 16 seconds, part of which was shot by a second unit filming a stunt driver, not DiCaprio. This, we suppose, is like concours judges arguing over whether patina and original condition imbue more value than restored to original condition. Except we’re arguing about a famous, crashed Countach potentially being worth as much or more than a famous, uncrashed Countach.

The auction houses set their pre-sale estimates in the identical range, $1.5M to $2M. Bonhams’ put some sweeteners in the lot, though: A certificate of authenticity, DiCaprio’s costume as character Jordan Belfort, the director’s chair and a clapboard signed by Martin Scorsese, Leonardo DiCaprio, and Margot Robbie, two hoodies like the kind the film crew wore, and two DVDs of the film. Frankly, the strangest twist in this drama might be someone spending $2 million on a wrecked Lamborghini and having to declare two DVDs to customs on the way home.

It’s not the star associations alone that justify the estimates. For some backstory, even though the real Jordan Belfort said he was driving a Mercedes on the cinematic night in question, Scorsese upped the stakes with a Lamborghini. The director tried using a replica, but apparently the imitation stallion didn’t crumple like the real deal. So Scorsese didn’t just buy a Countach, he bought the Silver Anniversary editions. Lamborghini sold 658 units around the world, only 23 in Bianco/Bianco reported to have made the crossing to America. Hagerty values an example in good condition at $440,000.

Bonhams’ On the Grid: The Abu Dhabi Auction happens November 25. Two weeks later, RM Sotheby’s will hold its New York auction. Our guess is one bidder will attempt to win both. That’s what a wolf would do.

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November 5, 2023 / Comments Off

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Musician Wyclef Jean reveals Attucks Apex AP0 electric supercar

Wyclef Jean, the Haitian-born entrepreneur and entertainer best known for his hip hop musical forays both solo and with The Fugees, has launched a new automotive company. The first machine that Wyclef unveiled to the masses at The Amelia in Florida and to his 2.2 million followers in Instagram is called the Attucks Apex AP0 electric supercar.

Now that you’ve seen the car and heard the rap, let’s take a closer look at what makes the Attucks Apex AP0 tick, starting with the name. The company’s name comes from Crispus Attucks, a Black man who was killed by British troops at the Boston Massacre, known as start of the American Revolutionary War. As for the numbers, the AP0 has a claimed top speed of 190 miles per hour and is reportedly capable of running from 0-60 in a scant 2.3 seconds. Power comes from an electric motor at the rear that spins out 650 horsepower and 580 Nm (428 pound-feet) of torque. Power comes from a 90 kWh lithium-ion battery pack of unknown origin. While there are a great many electric cars with a much more powerful motors, the AP0’s performance claims are buoyed by a claimed weight of 1,200 kilograms (less than 2,650 pounds), made possible by a “monocoque carbon chassis, with a modular spaceframe and a central spine for maximum rigidity.” Somewhat shocking is the price, but because in a world of multimillion dollar super cars, it has a comparatively bargain suggested price of $350,000.

Attucks claims the Apex AP0 is the lightest electric supercar in existence. It certainly does look comparatively diminutive in pictures. To put its claimed weight into perspective, the Rimac Nevera weighs in at 4,740 pounds — making it more than twice that of the Apex AP0 — and gets its motive force from a 1,914-hp electric drivetrain fed by a 120-kWh battery pack. Even the Lotus Evija, from a company historically obsessed with weight, comes in around 3,700 pounds. Of course, the Nevera and Evija cost a couple million dollars, too. We’re not sure how Attucks was able to stealthily engineer such a lightweight electric supercar or how it could sell such a machine for such a comparatively reasonable sum, but we certainly look forward to finding out more.

According to the press release announcing this new venture, “Attucks’ future and technology is a platform to voice and create dreams in the community, headquartered in Little Haiti, Miami.” It continues, “This platform will be responsible for discovering, grooming, and developing technology, starting with inventions, technological solutions, sustainability, creativity and design, coding, and web3.” We’re not sure how the company’s platform will translate into future products like the AP0, so like we said in the previous paragraph, we’ll definitely stay tuned.

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March 6, 2023 / Comments Off

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Buy a Ferrari like the one driven by the Sultan of Brunei. It ain’t cheap

A video featuring a very blond blonde and a very red Ferrari? That’s certainly one way to attract some attention.

We don’t have the skinny on the lady, but the Testarossa Spider is straight out of the annals of wretched excess. It goes on the auction block in London next Saturday with opening bids at $1.6 million. The video is a teaser tweet for the event.

According to documentation offered by the auction house of RM Sotheby’s, this 1990 stunner, a “Special Production” Pininfarina-engineered convertible, was part of a custom lot of Ferraris commissioned by a high-roller in the Brunei royalty household. In 2021, when, according to Sotheby’s, it was “revived from its life-long state of static display,” the car was shuttled to two factories in Italy for “restoration.” The cost was 94,300 Euros to repair the top’s latch and repaint the machine. Another 83,170 Euros was budgeted to fiddle with a new clutch and “refresh” the interior. Lay those numbers on your local garage.

It’s believed, the press release goes on to say, that, in the end, Pininfarina made seven almost identical but ultimately unique “Spider” adaptations, “each finished in a different exterior and interior color combination.” And, in addition to these Brunei cars, a very small number of Testarossa Spiders, like the one to go on auction, were built for important clients, including the current consignor, who ordered his (or hers) in 1989. There are a reported 413 kilometers on the clock.

But wait: apparently maestro Pininfarina — perhaps in the throes of an eccentric mood — rebelled back in the Eighties against the convention of assigning just a common 17-digit vehicle identification numbers to his creations, and so identified the car described above with the VIN of “EFG092.” Go figure.

Post Malone’s very white Bugatti Chiron is up for grabs

Rapper and face tattoo enthusiast Post Malone is selling a 2019 Bugatti Chiron. It’s not just any 2019 Bugatti Chiron, either, but one tailored to Mr. Malone’s personal tastes, which is, apparently, white on white on white.

Malone apparently eschewed the Chiron’s available two-tone exterior for a single finish entirely in what Bugatti calls Glacier. Apparently, it’s the hit songwriter’s favorite color, his car collection consisting of a fleet of matching achromatic vehicular baubles. The interior complements it with swaths of bleached leather ensconcing every conceivable surface, from headliner to seats to dashboard to steering wheel. We didn’t realize plain white could look so gaudy, but somehow the Bug makes it happen.

The car is currently listed with DuPont Registry, and photos show the odometer reading just 586 miles. That would explain why the alabaster supercar still looks as unsullied as a pair of collector grade Drake Edition Air Jordan 12 OVOs, or THX 1138’s torture room.

When new, the supercar boasting 1,479-horsepower and 1,180 lb-ft of torque stickered at about $3 million, but Malone opted for a few bells and whistles to set it apart from your more plebeian Chirons. Its black brake calipers, for example, are said to be a $6,400 option. The silver mesh grilles front and rear command another $38,200, a relative bargain compared to the $64,000 Caractere wheels. Inside, the center console inlay aluminum trim adds another $10,900, while contrast-stitching comfort seats are worth another $32,000, or the price of one new Mustang convertible.

That’s over $150,000 in options alone, but that’s probably nothing for Mr. Malone, whose garage consists of a Lamborghini Aventador SV, Rolls Royce Phantom, Rolls Royce Wraith, McLaren Senna, Hennesey VelociRaptor 6×6, 2019 Subaru WRX, 1966 Lincoln Continental, and a 1992 Ford Explorer with Lambo doors.

With all those other sweet rides and a career as a musical superstar, Malone probably didn’t have the time to give the Bugatti’s 8.0-liter quad-turbo W16 regular workouts, but maybe you can. Just don’t eat Chee-tos in it.

March 8, 2022 / Comments Off

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All of the Bond cars of ‘No Time To Die’ (caution for spoilers)

Note: The following overview of the cars in No Time To Die contains spoilers. Read at your own risk, or come back after seeing the film to make sure you caught everything.

No Time To Die picks up right around where Spectre leaves us. James Bond (Daniel Craig) and Madeleine Swann (Léa Seydoux) are driving along in Bond’s restored and iconic DB 5 in Matera, Italy. Things don’t stay all that cheery for long in picturesque Matera, though. As is tradition in Bond films, the first car chase hits us with an explosion of action in what’s a super-long opening scene.

Fourth-gen Maserati Quattroporte: The baddies in the beginning are driving a Maserati and chasing after Bond in the DB5. Specifically, they’re in a fourth-gen Quattroporte, which feels right for a chase scene in Italy. Its squared-off looks are mean enough, and its Italian growl is a good background soundtrack to the DB5’s inline-six.

In addition to the Quattroporte, the chase scene in Matera is home to a couple of the best stunts of the entire movie, including the arch jump done with a Triumph motorcycle seen in trailers — Matera is extremely hilly.

Eventually, Bond and Swann find themselves in the DB5 again together, which is where the famous gatling gun scene from the trailer commences, but not before the bulletproof windows and body of the DB5 are thoroughly tested. RIP to the first-gen Range Rover Classics and Jaguar XFs that joined the Maserati in pursuit of Bond (here’s a list of other Bond cars over the years).

As the DB5 escape scene concludes, we catch a glimpse of what appears to be a Ferrari from the 1970s. However, the view was far enough away that we’ll need a second look to be sure of the exact model.

Land Rover Series III: Next time we see Bond, he’s fishing in Jamaica and driving around a blue Land Rover Series III. It’s yet another of the many Land Rover products featured throughout the film, and unlike most of Bond’s Aston Martins, this one doesn’t seem to have any unique features. The other intriguing vehicle out of Jamaica? An old Chevrolet Bel-Air expertly and effectively piloted by Bond newcomer, Ana de Armas.

Next up, we get a few shots of the new and still-not-for-sale Aston Martin Valhalla mid-engine supercar (also seen in trailers). Bond’s old boss M is in the scene which appears to have been shot in some secret wind tunnel of sorts. Much to our dismay, nobody ends up driving the Valhalla in the film. Could it be a teaser for what the next 007’s car is? There’s a decent chance of that, considering the Valhalla played such a small role in this Bond film.

Aston Martin V8 Vantage: Boy were we happy to see the original V8 Vantage from the late 1970s and 1980s make an appearance. In fact, it made multiple appearances throughout the film. It’s difficult to get a more badass combo than Daniel Craig behind the wheel of a blacked-out Aston Martin Mustang.

Off-road vehicles aplenty: As seen on several trailers, things take a turn to the off-road side of things with flying Land Rover Defenders — Land Rover even made special James Bond versions of the SUV. Bond wasn’t behind the wheel of any of these Defenders, though. Instead, he pilots a Toyota Land Cruiser in the Norway portion of the film as he’s pursued by Range Rover Sport SVRs and Defender V8s with double the horsepower. Plus, Triumph motorcycles are back again for the two-wheel enthusiasts in this bumpy chase scene.

Aston Martin DBS Superleggera: The stunning and still relatively new DBS Superleggera rocks up to the party in Norway, too, quickly showing everybody its bonkers 715-horsepower V12 is nothing to sneeze at. This two-seat Aston is piloted by Nomi, Bond’s 007 replacement, and she’s clearly gone through the same secret agent driving training that Bond did.

And that, ladies and gentlemen, is where we’ll leave you without getting too spoiler-heavy. There are plenty of classic Bond gadgets and gizmos throughout the film. Plus, a bizarre plane/submarine combo vehicle makes an appearance at some point. In short, though, the cars of Daniel Craig’s last Bond film don’t disappoint, and neither do the stunts.

There is plenty for car enthusiasts to ogle at when No Time To Die opens in theaters on October 8.

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September 30, 2021 / Comments Off

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Three of Ken Block’s Hoonigan builds are up for sale, including his RS200

Earlier this year, Gymkhana master Ken Block and Ford announced an amicable and uneventful divorce, with Block declaring himself a “free agent.” This quiet split may have slipped past your scopes, but one bit of fallout from the separation is guaranteed to stir up some interest: Ken Block is letting a few of his fast Fords go.

LBI Limited’s “Ken Block Collection” showcase features two of Block’s rally-prepped Ford Fiesta STs and his Group B Ford Escort RS200. Both of the Fiestas — dubbed GYM3 and RX43 are powered by 2.0-liter turbocharged engines pushing north of 600 horsepower (per the Global RallyCross Supercar Spec, in the RX43’s case) and, thanks to their all-wheel drive and sequential gearboxes, can hit 60 mph in two seconds or less. GYM3 is allegedly capable of 850 horsepower with a different tune, but Block preferred the torque band offered with the less aggressive calibration.

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The RS200 is a different beast entirely. Not only is it a genuine Group B rally car, it’s one of just 24 that were upgraded to EVO spec (more than 500 horsepower from the 2.1-liter version of the Cosworth-tuned 4-cylinder engine), which meant a 0-60 time of 3.0 seconds flat way back in 1986, when such things were virtually unheard of.

Nope, these won’t go cheap, and only the RS200 has a price listed ($550,000 asking, if you’re curious) and we suspect there might be enough interest to push that price higher. If you’re like us and these are well outside of your budget, just remember, you can enjoy them from the comfort of your own home thanks to the countless YouTube videos produced by the Hoonigan team during the Ford era.

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March 30, 2021 / Comments Off

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Roll like His Airness in this Mercedes SLR McLaren previously owned by Michael Jordan

Often called the greatest basketball player of all time, Michael Jordan also has an interest in fast machines, as evidenced by the recent announcement that he would be establishing a NASCAR team, 23XI Racing, together with Denny Hamlin and featuring Bubba Wallace behind the wheel. It’s hardly surprising, then, that he would also be an owner of multiple supercars, many of which could be seen in the ESPN documentary The Last Dance. One of Jordan’s previous supercars, this 2007 Mercedes SLR McLaren, is now up for sale on eBay Motors.

Besides its celebrity provenance, this Mercedes SLR McLaren is special for another reason: It’s the special 722 Edition, built to commemorate the 1955 Mercedes-Benz win at the Mille Miglia. That winning Mercedes-Benz 300SLR racer, piloted by Sir Stirling Moss and Denis Jenkinson, was car #722 (so designated because of its 7:22 a.m. start time).

The SLR McLaren 722 Edition features a 650-horsepower supercharged 5.5-liter V8 engine and is able to accelerate from 0 to 62 mph in 3.6 seconds. Top speed is 209 mph. Good thing the front splitter and rear diffuser are modified for increased downforce at high speeds. The ride height also is lowered and the suspension stiffened compared to the regular car, and larger brake rotors are fitted. The interior brings leather and Alcantara upholstery along with gloss-finished carbon fiber trim. Special black wheels and subtle red “722” badges complete the picture.

This car has 1,038 miles on the clock, so it must not have been in heavy rotation with Jordan’s many other rides. At this writing, the car has a bid of $35,100 with the reserve not met. We’d guess bidding has a way to go before someone has a realistic chance of driving this baby home, since the Buy-It-Now price is $695,750.

January 2, 2021 / Comments Off

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