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The Pagani Huayra R

The new track-focused Hypercar from Pagani combines the highest level of automotive engineering and aerodynamic know-how with unprecedented aesthetic sensitivity in an exercise of style that represents the full expression of Pagani Automobili’s technological development. The Huayra R is a celebration of passion – an extreme, untamed car, developed free from rules except for safety, with the sole aim of offering uncompromising performance. But first and foremost, it was designed to excite.

“Le Mans cars had extremely attractive lines, which are still a huge source of inspiration for our cars today. The Porsche 917 is my favourite, with its romantic yet bold shape, which gives the impression of a very fast car. It is beautiful, elegant, and timeless. From this desire for freedom, and from the experience of the Zonda R and the cars of the past, came the idea of the Huayra R, like a breath of fresh air.” Horacio Pagani

Towards the end of the 2000s, an exciting new project landed on the Atelier’s doorstep and triggered an unprecedented journey of research to create the first Pagani track car, a car that Horacio Pagani thought should incorporate the best racing technology of the time, combined with the beauty and attention to detail typical of all of the brand’s creations. The Zonda R, created with cutting-edge materials derived from the aerospace industry and from F1, was presented at the Geneva Motor Show in 2009 where, under its refined, but bare natural carbon fiber surface, it embodied the pinnacle of Pagani Automobili technological development, combined with unprecedented attention to aesthetics for a track car.

“In 2008 we were working on the Huayra, a very challenging and demanding project from an engineering and stylistic point of view. After so many years, I felt an overwhelming desire for freedom and that’s how the Zonda R came about, a track car, free from constraints and regulations. Beautiful, high-performing, and safe. The Huayra R, just like the Zonda R, is the freest, most extreme, and performance-oriented Pagani car of all time.” Horacio Pagani

The Pagani V12-R – the beating heart of the Huayra R – is a 12-cylinder, 6-litre, naturally aspirated racing engine, designed from the ground up in partnership with HWA AG specifically to meet the Atelier’s need to equip its new creation with the lightest, most powerful and efficient track-ready V12 ever created. This need emerged to address the strong desire of Pagani’s customers, who dreamed of an incredibly powerful high-performance, naturally aspirated V12 engine for their new projects.

The Huayra R was created to offer the ultimate experience for anyone who wants to enjoy peak performance on the track up to the red line of 9000 rpm. For the engineers at HWA AG and Pagani, this objective meant not only focusing on increased power as a key element of research but also prioritizing lightness. This challenge was embraced by Affalterbach engineers without hesitation and after more than two years of design and development, the powerful Pagani V12-R tipped the scales at a total weight of 198 kg (436 lbs), placing it at the top of its category.

The cutting-edge components specifically created for the Huayra R include the brand new six-speed sequential gearbox which has been designed, along with the Huayra R’s engine, in collaboration with HWA AG to complete a tailor-made powertrain, this unit offers extremely reduced shift times and a total weight of just 80 kg (176 lb).

The new exhaust is made from Inconel 625/718 alloy, with tubes one-third the thickness of those normally used in road car equipment, and coated in ceramic to protect the engine bay and ensure better heat dissipation directly to the outside, the entire system boasts an extremely lightweight construction, developed not only to guarantee maximum aerodynamic performance but also to give the Huayra R’s occupants an unprecedented acoustic experience. The Huayra R still comes with mufflers that can be fitted as required, ensuring that noise emissions are reduced to within the FIA limit of 110 decibels for noise restricted tracks.

HWA’s vast experience in fine-tuning and production of racing cars and components, together with Pagani Automobili’s 30 years of know-how in the development of advanced composite materials, made it possible to apply structural principles and innovative engineering solutions from the world of motorsport to the Huayra R chassis to produce a safe structure suitable for track use.

Completely made from Carbo-Titanium HP62-G2 and Carbo-Triax HP62, the new monocoque incorporates the seats fully, guaranteeing maximum protection together with specific shock-absorption side structures and the roll-bar while maintaining easy access to the cockpit. The combination of new structural principles and materials specially developed for the Huayra R design, together with the resulting enhancement of the mechanical properties of the structure, means that the new car tips the scales at a dry weight of 1,050 kg.

Careful design and meticulous research conducted on the materials, bodywork, and roll bar structure were central to the development of the Huayra R in order to give customers not only the most thrilling track driving experience but above all, to provide a safe car that meets the most stringent FIA requirements for GT vehicles. Inside the passenger compartment, the extinguishing system is activated automatically in the event of a fire, while the seats, which are fully integrated into the carbon monocoque, are equipped with six-point safety belts and covered in Nomex flame-retardant material.

Every line and surface of the Huayra R is, in fact, designed to generate maximum aerodynamic load, with an initial development target of 1000 kg of downforce at 320 km/h (2204 lb at 199 mph) and the ground clearance that allows maximum aerodynamic performance to be achieved, guaranteeing safe and predictable behavior under all conditions. An ambitious goal, but one that was quickly achieved with excellent results right from the first aerodynamic tests, during which the car showed great stability and balance in line with the set target of 46%-54% downforce distribution throughout the entire speed envelope while maintaining reduced sensitivity to ground clearance.

Contributing to the reliable performance of the car, there are two new side air intakes at the front to ensure maximum cooling efficiency for the front wheel braking system, as well as channeling the outgoing airflow towards the side of the car, minimizing turbulence and helping to generate maximum downforce. The new roof scoop, with its integrated center fin, guarantees maximum intake efficiency for the Pagani V12-R. The flat bottom, in combination with the rear diffuser and the distinctive wing, help to generate maximum downforce.

With suspension made of forged aluminum alloy, independent double-wishbone with helical springs, and electronically controlled active shock absorbers, the entire configuration of the new system with rigid mounting points, not only allows all the power and the extraordinary torque of the Pagani V12-R to be transferred to the ground but also offers unprecedented driving precision. In fact, the Huayra R’s advanced and refined elasto-kinematics allow for greater camber recovery and optimized dynamic bump steer correction to guarantee ideal grip for the slick tires in every situation and allow the driver to attack the ups and downs of Eau Rouge without losing a single millisecond.

The Huayra R boasts world-class braking power thanks to the brand new Brembo CCM-R self-ventilated carbon-ceramic discs coupled with racing pads. Specially developed to allow the new car to exploit the best available technology, the new CCM-Rs have significant advantages in terms of thermal conductivity and maximum braking power, typical of carbon used in competitions.

The long process of research and development carried out in partnership between Pirelli and Pagani Automobili resulted in a slick version of the P Zero tires that offer maximum precision and a feeling of total control even to the non-professional driver, ensuring exceptional braking behavior and optimal traction.

To perfectly match the driver’s ergonomics, the adjustable pedal set has been custom-designed in partnership with AP Racing exclusively for the Huayra R and incorporates the principles of lightness and style that are at the essence of this car. Crafted with the quality of finish and aesthetic attention typical of all the Atelier’s creations, the Huayra R’s cockpit cannot fail to impress thanks to the meticulous design of every screw, lever, and surface, making its extraordinary concentration of speed-focused technology an ideal driving environment, tailor-made for each driver.

With Arte In Pista (“art on the track”), the Pagani Atelier seeks to take the experience to a new level, offering a calendar packed with personalized events that will allow Huayra R owners to enjoy the full excitement of driving a Pagani Hypercar, pushing it to its maximum performance, with the dedicated assistance of the Pagani Team and the support of professional drivers. From individual track days at internationally renowned circuits to group events, tailor-made for customers in North America, Europe, Asia, and the Middle East: each occasion combines moments of leisure in beautiful locations with the raw excitement of driving one’s own Pagani on the track.

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

ENGINE: Pagani V12-R – 6.0 litres – naturally aspirated 12-cylinder V
POWER: 850 HP (625 kW) at 8250 rpm
TORQUE: 750 Nm from 5500 to 8300 rpm
TRANSMISSION: Rear-wheel Drive
GEARBOX: 6-speed sequential, non-synchronized dog ring gearbox
BRAKES: Brembo CCM-R ventilated discs: Front 410×38 mm with monolithic 6-piston calipers; Rear 390×34 mm with monolithic 6-piston calipers
WHEELS: APP forged monolithic aluminum alloy: Front 19 inches; Rear 19 inches
TYRES: Pirelli P Zero slick version – Dry and Wet: Front 275/675 R19; Rear 325/705 R19
SUSPENSION: Forged aluminum alloy independent double wishbone with helical springs and electronically controlled shock absorbers
CHASSIS: Monocoque in Pagani Carbo-Titanium HP62 G2 and Carbo-Triax HP62 with front and rear tubular subframes in CrMo alloy steel
DRY WEIGHT: 1050 Kg (2314 lb)

March 18, 2021 / Comments Off

451

McLaren 720S GT3X

We all know there are a lot of restrictions when it comes to road cars, but also purebred racecars have limits imposed on them, when McLaren Customer Racing created their 720S GT3, it had to comply with FIA GT3 regulations … but what would happen when you can create a track car with no limits?

Then you get the McLaren 720S GT3X, where the X comes with no motorsport restrictions whatsoever, this is a new, track-only car based on the 720S GT3, but she isn’t homologated for racing, the hand-built, 4.0-Liter V8 twin-turbo engine delivers 750PS in this ‘X’, while taking advantage of the chassis and aerodynamic characteristics of its latest-specification, race-winning 720S GT3 to optimize the owner’s driving enjoyment on circuits during track days for instance.

A six-speed sequential motorsport transmission is fitted to a bespoke M840T engine that comes with a blueprinted cylinder head, strengthened pistons, ‘Diamond Like Carbon’ (DLC) coating, add the lightweight performance exhaust system and the result is an overall weight of only 1,210kg (2,668lbs) for this stripped-down track car, with the ‘push-to-pass’ button on the steering wheel, an extra 30PS over the available 720PS boosts power to an impressive 750PS.

Development of the GT3X saw a focus on pure engineering, innovative aerodynamics, and efficient design, taking the car for many thousands of kilometers on tracks all over Europe and the Middle East. Without having to deal with regulations, the 720S GT3X is a true performance-optimized evolution of the bespoke GT3 racecar. The aerodynamically optimized body has been developed using ‘Computational Fluid Dynamics’ (CFD) combined with F1 wind tunnel testing.

On this new McLaren 720S GT3X the body gets hand-finished in metallic MSO Carbon Black paint, a pinstripe in heritage McLaren Orange (reminding is of the famous winning McLaren Formula 1 cars in the 1960s) is added to the lower edges of the ground-hugging body shape and the outer rim of the gloss black center-locking wheel rims, a really nice touch is the large ‘X’ on top of the canopy.

While there was no requirement to do this, McLaren did install an FIA-approved race seat made from carbon fiber and Kevlar, in the GT3X the pedals and steering wheel can be adjusted for the driver, and to share in the fun of taking a racecar around the track, there is an option to fit an extra safety-compliant passenger race seat complete with a six-point harness, McLaren even altered the roll cage to accommodate this second seat.

“Due to GT3 balance of performance requirements, the 720S GT3 car has to run with a considerably reduced power output than the road-going 720S Spider and Coupe variants. The brief for the GT3X project was to unleash the full potential of the 720S GT3 car using a massively increased power output to fully exploit the aerodynamics and chassis dynamics of the car. Additionally, the car is now able to carry passengers for the first time, thanks to the re-design of a new bespoke roll-cage and passenger seat installation. Brake cooling has also been improved to cope with the additional demands of increased speed and the mass of a passenger.

The 720S GT3X now offers a unique opportunity to experience a fully-fledged GT3 car. The lap time is significantly reduced from the GT3 benchmark through both the huge standard power increase and the additional 30bhp from the push-to-pass button. The end result is a car that offers a truly unique experience.”
Ian Morgan, Director, McLaren Customer Racing

Do keep in mind this amazing McLaren 720S GT3X can’t be ordered at a regular McLaren dealership, you will have to turn to one of only 11 official McLaren Motorsport Retailers worldwide, as part of the purchase and ownership package, McLaren Automotive can provide dedicated technical track support for each owner. This program is carried out by the customer support engineers from the in-house McLaren Customer Racing division – the team that has designed and developed the model alongside the 720S GT3 global customer race program.

March 18, 2021 / Comments Off

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Kincsem Hyper-GT

New digital luxury brand Kincsem has appointed CALLUM, led by Ian Callum CBE, recently named GQ’s Car Designer of the Year, to deliver the design of an all-new electrified hypercar.

Kincsem is digital-first in every facet and truly without constraint. Hungarian founder Tibor Bak’s vision is to fuse the world’s best talent with the latest technology to develop beautifully designed, high-performance products. From finance, agile manufacturing, and A.I. design the brand is pioneering the integration of digital in every aspect. Bak is bringing all of his considerable industrial experience and skill to innovate new and previously untapped partnerships and methodologies to deliver the brand’s diverse product portfolio, of which the Hyper-GT is the first launch.

“The story of Kincsem the horse is the inspiration behind the brand; the ethos behind her training was pioneering and as a result, her achievements remain unsurpassed. Our pioneering approach to digital technology allows us to create without constraints and place the individual at the center of the design process. Our customers will experience new levels of dynamic personalization that has never before been possible,” comments Tibor Bak.

“The Kincsem Hyper-GT, designed by Ian Callum, will bring together new modes of digital integration into development, design, manufacture, and ownership. The possibilities presented by the new augmented, digital age enable us to help our customers enter a ‘flow state’, which athletes call The Zone, offering a level of dynamic personalization and control that has never before been possible”.

Kincsem, the world-famous Hungarian racehorse was unbeaten over a career of 54 races. The new Hyper-GT applauds her legacy by creating just 54 UK-manufactured luxury vehicles. These feature a revolutionary high revving F1-derived hybrid powertrain, with delivery commencing in 2023.

Eclipsing the options for customer personalization currently available, the Hyper-GT will introduce a new ‘Personal Engineering’ experience for each owner in a car combining driver responsiveness with zero-emissions capability. Price is yet to be confirmed but will compete at the highest echelons of luxury automotive.

The CALLUM appointment is the first of a number of high-profile partnerships to be announced that draw on the pinnacle of design, engineering, and production talent across the globe. CALLUM’s inclusion brings an unrivaled pedigree to the project, due to be unveiled in full in late 2021, and the new car represents an empowering and open brief for the design team.

“With Kincsem, we have that rare privilege to not only create a beautiful car but also form a design language for an innovative luxury brand,” says Ian Callum, who leads the CALLUM design team.

“Refreshingly, Kincsem has said there are no rules, enabling us to pose the question ‘If we could do whatever we wanted, what would we do?’. That’s one of the most invigorating opportunities for any designer. The team at CALLUM is extremely excited to start work.”

The Kincsem ethos of unrivaled customer involvement will manifest across multiple products, services and experiences as the future unfolds. This will include the launch of a luxury performance SUV featuring the same drivetrain and Personal Engineering possibilities as the Hyper-GT.

March 18, 2021 / Comments Off

301

Bugatti Chiron Pur Sport

There will be only 60 units of the Bugatti Chiron Pur Sport in the entire world, and while this latest production model from the company in Molsheim hasn’t been available in the United States of America for long, she hasn’t failed to impress some of the most important automotive publications during their test drives.

“The Bugatti Chiron Pur Sport is the best car I’ve ever driven. Period. Full stop. End of story. It just is.” from Motor Trend

“Less weight, more grip, and shorter gearing make the Pur Sport an even wilder Bugatti Chiron.” from Car and Driver

“The Bugatti Chiron Pur Sport Is Worth Every Penny. Your $4 million car better be good, and this Bugatti delivers.” from Autoweek

“The Pur Sport offers U.S. customers a new dimension of the Chiron that doesn’t require the Autobahn to fully experience,” said Cedric Davy, Chief Operating Officer of Bugatti of the Americas. “We now have the car for those customers who have been waiting for a Chiron geared more towards agility and dynamic cornering.”

Even 24 Hour of Le Mans class winner and longtime Bugatti test driver Butch Leitzinger was impressed with the Chiron Pur Sport during extended testing in Southern California, he stated: “The seamless marriage of agility and brute force give the Pur Sport abilities that are unmatched, not only by any other car, but also by any other Bugatti.”

March 18, 2021 / Comments Off

491

Taycan by TECHART

If a factory standard Porsche Taycan with options just isn’t special or impressive enough for you as a customer, fear not, get in touch with TECHART and you will end up with a completely bespoke, one-of-a-kind bespoke TECHART Taycan, and I have to admit … she looks great, both on the outside and on the inside.

To create the new aerodynamic kit for the Porsche Taycan, TECHART combined the old with the new, the styling package was designed in virtual reality, but they still made an artisan clay model, finalizing details in state-of-the-art 3D modeling before taking the design into the wind tunnel and real-life track proving ground.

TECHART calls it their ‘Premium Individualization’ program, and while they offer their new front bumper, side sills, and rear diffuser, which alter the styling of this all-electric Porsche only mildly, their press release states the customer can specify bespoke options for the new TECHART Formula VI forged aluminum wheels.

The TECHART Formula VI wheels come in 10.0 x 22-inch (front) and 11.5 x 22-inch (rear) and boast slender spokes with low weight, they are available in a two-tone grey with polished spokes, black with polished spokes, but also any custom color the customer specifies, and in case you are wondering, there is also a TECHART Formula VI Race version … with a central locking system, but that’s not available for the Porsche Taycan.

While the aero package from TECHART has a very subtle look on the Porsche Taycan, their interior modifications lift this car into a totally different segment, the factory standard cockpit looks beautiful as is, but a TECHART interior takes it into a class of its own with special leather and Alcantara, custom stitching, special piping, and the most impressive embroidery and embossing seen on a Taycan.

This truly is a Tailor-made interior, TECHART manufactory and saddlery offers the owners of the all-electric sportscar a wide-ranging and handcrafted individualization program, with high-grade leather interior or a combination of sporty Alcantara and leather, the demo car they created comes with a stunning combination of perforated leather and Alcantara combined with contrasting piping.

But there is a fascinating ‘shimmer’ effect visible on these seats, TECHART will fit a contrast color underneath the perforated honeycomb pattern that will show through in a very impressive manner, the iconic TECHART logotype is not only embroidered on the seats in matching colors but even more impressively it’s also embossed on the door trim, in the headrest, and on the floor mats … which looks magnificent.

This demo car comes with a honeycomb perforation on an all-black upholstery, but TECHART offers an endless variety of customized perforation structures of the leather which can be specified in a plethora of different colors too, while the signature feature for the TECHART interior in the Porsche Taycan is a bespoke steering wheel.

The TECHART sports steering wheel comes with a top-center ring, the driving mode switch at the lower-right, and the fitting screws in a contrasting color, and you can still custom order any combination of painted spokes, leather on the rim combined with Alcantara. But again the option of carbon fiber is also possible, as is matching pipings and stitching on the steering wheel. To make it really stand out you can even get the perforation pattern from the seats applied to the steering wheel too, all while retaining the factory standard features such as multifunction, paddle shifts, and steering wheel heating.

March 17, 2021 / Comments Off

496

Bentley Continental GT Speed

Designed, engineered, developed, and handcrafted in Bentley’s carbon-neutral luxury automotive factory, the new third-generation Continental GT Speed is the ultimate performance-focused interpretation of the world’s benchmark luxury Grand Tourer.

With highly advanced chassis technology, and styling cues specific to Continental GT Speed, the extraordinary journey continues at 16:00 GMT, 23rd March 2021

March 16, 2021 / Comments Off

422

Gordon Murray Automotive’s T.50 XP2 Prototype First Drive

The Gordon Murray Automotive T.50 XP2 prototype with limited revs was driven for the first time at the Top Gear test track at Dunsfold, Surrey, UK, and just meters from where the T.50 will begin full production in 2022. Its first test drive was personally undertaken by Professor Gordon Murray.

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Gordon Murray Automotive’s T.50 supercar has had its first development test drive, marking a major milestone for the world’s most driver-centric supercar.

Professor Gordon Murray CBE: “The XP2 prototype is currently running at considerably less revs than its 12,100rpm limit, yet the T.50 felt fantastic on my first drive. The car was responsive, agile and rewarding to drive. It was a fantastic experience to be sitting in the centre of the car once again with great all-round visibility and I can see how much the owners will enjoy this experience. Obviously, there’s still a lot of development miles to be completed and many more prototypes to build. But the trajectory of the T.50 development is where we want it to be.”

The new T.50 supercar will be the most driver-centric supercar ever built. It will be powered by the world’s highest-revving, lightest, naturally aspirated road car V12 engine, developing 663ps. It weighs just 986kg, a third lighter than most typical supercars and features the most advanced and effective aerodynamics ever seen on a road car. Just 100 will be made and the first customer deliveries will be in 2022.

March 16, 2021 / Comments Off

430

Shelby Super Snake Speedster

The 2021 Shelby Super Snake comes with 825 hp from the supercharged 5.0-Liter Coyote V8 engine and is listed from $133,785 with a base model from Ford, the Mustang GT with a manual transmission … if you get in touch with the Shelby Sales team you can even buy a $79,995 package to fit on your existing Ford Mustang GT (from the 2018 model on), but for the Shelby 2021 edition of their Super Snake they’ve come up with something new: a limited edition ‘Speedster’ option.

If Carroll Shebly would still be alive today, he would be celebrating his 98th birthday, to celebrate this, there will be only 98 units of the Shelby Super Snake built in the United States, but only 25 Speedster versions will be available, each branded with a unique CSM number, and all of them will be included in the Official Shelby Registry.

Not only will you get a supercharged Ford 5-Liter V8 engine capable of reaching 60 mph in 3.5 seconds, but the modified Shelby suspension and Brembo sourced brakes allow this car to be driven at higher cornering speeds with improved stability, Shelby even offers a caster camber kit to get behind those amazing 20-inch monoblock forged wheels.

The Shelby Super Snake Speedster can be built with either a manual or an automatic gearbox, while a Borla exhaust made to Shelby specifications allows you to listen to the music while driving topless and being seated in some amazingly detailed seats, complete with ‘Super Snake’ embroidery, naturally the interior features the bespoke CMS badge.

While a factory Ford Mustang GT already looks good, after a stint from Shelby she looks amazing, thanks to aluminum front fenders, naturally in a wide-body version, a ram-air hood to keep that supercharged V8 cool, a different front bumper and air intake, new side sills and naturally the rear gets a bigger wing, a new tail panel that proudly shows ‘Shelby’, and an aggressive diffuser to suit the sound from the big-bore exhaust.

“The new Speedster is stunning, from a styling perspective, there is simply nothing like it on the road. With the widebody option, it’s a rare combination of sleek elegance and American muscle machismo. This is the automotive equivalent of a powerful heavyweight boxer fitted into a stylish, fine suit. And with only 98 available in the US, it will be ultra-rare.” Gary Patterson, president of Shelby American

To create the Shelby Super Snake Speedster limited edition you’ll need to start with a Ford Mustang GT Convertible, onto which Shelby fits their custom Speedster Tonneau, she will also come with a striping package unique to the Speedster version, and naturally the obligatory floor mats and door sill plates with the ‘Speedster Edition’ logo.

March 16, 2021 / Comments Off

444

1999 VECTOR M-12

I still remember watching a movie called ‘Rising Sun’, where one of the lead characters was driving a red Vector W8, I absolutely loved it, and at that time didn’t know too much about that car, so I researched it, turns out this futuristic-looking car was the brainchild of Gerald Wiegert, who founded Vector Aeromotive Corporation and built 17 customer cars of his Vector W8 between 1989 and 1993.

Powered by a 6.0-Liter Rodeck twin-turbocharged (Garrett) V8 engine coupled to a GM 3-Speed Turbo-Hydramatic gearbox, the 625hp at 8 psi could be raised to 1,400 hp with a dial in the interior that set the psi at 14 … the prototype reached a top speed of 242 mph (389 km/h) on the Bonneville Salt Flats … and that was in the Eighties!

1999 VECTOR M-12 – photo courtesy Barrett-Jackson Auctions

Vector Aeromotive Corporation went into receivership in 1993 but emerged as Vector Motors Corporation in 1995, complete with a new car, the Vector M12, and here is where things get interesting in history. The Vector W8 used the W from Wiegert’s own name, and the 8 for the V8 engine, but by 1995 Gerald Wiegert no longer owned Vector Motors, a group called Megatech, from Indonesia, took over, they even moved the entire operation from Wilmington, California to Green Cove Springs, Florida, where Megatech also housed the US branch of Automobili Lamborghini SpA.

So the M12 name comes from Megatech and the fact there’s a V12 engine behind the occupants, severing the connection with Gerald Wiegert, and that massive V12 was sourced from none other than Lamborghini! That’s right, the Vector M12 came with a Lamborghini Diablo engine, which shouldn’t be a big surprise, because at that time Megatech also owned Automobili Lamborghini SpA, they bought the Italian supercar company from Chrysler in 1994, only to sell to Audi AG in July of 1998, who still own it today.

The Vector M12 was a redesign by Peter Stevens of the Vector AWX-3, and used mainly Lamborghini Diablo sourced mechanics, most importantly the V12 engine, 5,707cc with 492hp and 576 Nm of torque, which was the Diablo VT unit, not the more powerful Diablo SE30 or Diablo SV engine, still the Vector M12 could reach a top speed of 304 km/h (189 mph) with an acceleration from 0 to 60 mph in 4.8 seconds, for comparison, the 1994 Diablo VT would reach 328 km/h (204 Mph) and get to 100 km/h in 4.09 seconds.

It seems Megatech managed to ship several Diablo engines from Italy between 1995 and 1998 before they sold the company to Audi AG, so they made three pre-production prototypes for development and preparation for a production run of 14 customer cars, the car coming up for auction later this month seems to be #12 of only 14 ever made, being a 1999 model is was built when Megatech didn’t own Lamborghini anymore, so their source for V12 engines dried up and production of the Vector M12 would be halted shortly after this black on red unit was finished.

The current owner of Vector M12 chassis #1V9MB1224X1048010 states this car was ordered by none other than the Prince of Brunei, who we all know has a vast car collection, finished in an intimidating black paint combined with a bright red leather interior, it is unclear if the car was ever delivered to Brunei, but today this rare supercar is located in the United States, in late 2019 Scuderia Automotive Service performed an engine-out service on the V12, complete with an upgraded ceramic flywheel.

The listing also mentions the interior was modified to offer more room for a taller driver and passenger, while they added a more Italian supercar-style look-and-feel while still retaining the original layout and design, and while not original anymore, it does look amazing nonetheless.

With only 14 Vector M12 ever made, and the fact they rarely change hands on the open market, chances are this black US-made supercar from the late Nineties will not go cheap, if you are interested in adding this rare car to your collection, make sure to follow the Barrett-Jackson auction.

March 15, 2021 / Comments Off

377

JOTA McLaren 720S GT3

McLaren Customer Racing today confirms that renowned Sportscar racing team JOTA will contest a McLaren 720S GT3 in this year’s Fanatec GT World Challenge Europe Powered by AWS championship with an all-McLaren Factory Driver line-up of Ben Barnicoat, Rob Bell and newly-promoted Oliver Wilkinson.

JOTA has a strong reputation in Sportscar racing, with two LMP2 class wins at the Le Mans 24 Hours. In 2017 the team challenged the factory LMP1 entries for victory, eventually finishing second and third overall. The 2021 GT World Challenge Europe campaign marks a return to GT competition for the UK-based team.

The JOTA McLaren 720S GT3 – image courtesy of Khyzyl Saleem

JOTA will field a McLaren 720S GT3 in the GT World Challenge Europe Endurance and GT World Challenge Sprint categories, both of which qualify as points-scoring rounds for the overall championship. The 720S GT3 made its debut in the series last year and enters the 2021 season in world-class form, having won the Gulf 12 Hour race in January.

Wilkinson made his debut as a McLaren Professional Driver in 2020, scoring a string of outright and Silver Cup podium finishes, leading to a top ten placing in the standings alongside Lewis Proctor at McLaren Customer Racing team Optimum Motorsport. In addition, he contested selected GT World Challenge outings with Bell and Joe Osborne in the Optimum 720S GT3. Earlier this year he received full British Racing Drivers’ Club member status in recognition of his efforts, a hugely prestigious honour for British racing drivers.

Wilkinson will now join Barnicoat, fresh from his victory in the Gulf 12 Hour race with a McLaren Customer Racing team 2 Seas Motorsport 720S GT3 and is reunited with Bell, who finished third in the 2019 British GT Championship with the McLaren Customer Racing team Balfe Motorsport 720S GT3.

“It’s tremendously exciting for us to have JOTA onboard for 2021, with three McLaren Factory Drivers also involved in the programme. The team’s vast experience and success in endurance racing and professionalism will, I’m confident, allow them to compete at the highest level throughout 2021 in the 720S GT3. I’m also delighted to see Oliver Wilkinson step up to a full McLaren Factory Driver programme this year, supported by both Rob Bell and Ben Barnicoat, and I look forward to watching his progression.”
Ian Morgan, Director, McLaren Customer Racing

“The last time I was involved with a McLaren motorsport program was as a director of McLaren Cars from 1994- 97. It was the era in which we famously won the 24 Hours of Le Mans at our first attempt. We also took multiple race wins and two titles in the BPR Global Endurance championship. I am an enormous fan of the McLaren brand and thrilled to return with JOTA for the 2021 season. Both McLaren and JOTA have similar DNA in the sense of a great depth in engineering capability and a winning mentality. Both my partner, Sam Hignett, and I have worked enormously hard to make JOTA not just a winning team but also a fun one to be around, so I think the collaboration between McLaren and JOTA together with three Factory Drivers will become a major force in GT racing.”
David Clark, Co-Owner, JOTA

“I’m extremely happy with my new appointment as a McLaren Factory Driver. It’s been my goal since starting my driving career, so a big thank you to McLaren for believing in me. The season should be brilliant and I’m extremely excited about teaming up with JOTA.”
Oliver Wilkinson, McLaren Factory Driver, McLaren Customer Racing

The Fanatec GT World Challenge Europe Powered by AWS season gets underway at Monza in Italy on April 16-18.

March 14, 2021 / Comments Off

397

Arrera Automobili SD+

We’ve heard about Arrera Automobili before, and unlike what the name might suggest, this isn’t a company locate in Italy, Qendrim Thaqi is from Albania, and he introduced his Illyrian Pure Sport project late last year, in December 2020, a car that would become the first Albanian supercar built to international standards, with a 6.2-Liter V8 engine delivering 850 hp … top speed should be 375 km/h and acceleration from 0 to 100 km/h (62 mph) in only 2.7 seconds.

But it seems the Arrera Automobili Illyrian Pure Sport got stuck in the 3D render stage for now, as Thaqi now set his sights on the SD+ … with even more radical styling and a monstrous powertrain, just note both the Illyrian Pure Sport and this new SD+ are both designed by Thaqi himself.

For the Arrera Automobili SD+, Thaqi was inspired by Formula One cars, especially in terms of aerodynamic efficiency, perhaps that’s why there is a rather narrow rear wing on top of the vertical fin at the rear.

The intention is to build the Arrera Automobili SD+ completely from carbon fiber to keep the weight down, power will come from a bespoke 7.0-Liter V8 90-degree engine built by Wolfgang Kizler just for the SD+, Arrera lists 1,800 hp (1,342 kW) of power with 1,500Nm (1,106 lb-ft) of torque on normal octane fuel.

This engine combined with the low weight of 1,230kg (2,712 pounds) should propel this Albanian hypercar to a top speed of over 500 km/h (310 mph) making it the fastest car in the world, and that’s also where the name SD+ came from.

The ‘S’ stands for Skanderbeg, an Albanian military commander, while the ‘D’ comes for the Roman number 500, for the top speed this car should reach … but it gets even more interesting with the ‘+’ sign, Thaqi added that because he wants to be even faster than 500 km/h.

At the moment we only see a few virtual renders of what should become the Arrera Automobili SD+ later this year, an interior is visible thanks to a mostly glass roof, but nothing about pricing or production numbers has been published.

Let’s first see an actual production prototype being tested with that 1,800 hp V8 engine reaching anything near 500 km/h, and then Thaqi can talk about pricing.

March 14, 2021 / Comments Off

459

Pagani Huayra R

It seems Horatio Pagani and his team are almost ready to finally take the covers of the track-only ‘R’ moniker, just as they did with the impressive Pagani Zonda R, the Huayra R will not be legal to drive on the road, but I’m sure the select few that will be able to acquire this ‘ultra’ version of the already amazing Pagani Huayra won’t mind too much.

The Huayra R will still be immediately recognizable as a Pagani, but it will come with the required massive rear wing and what seems like a more prominent roof-mounted air intake, together with the obligatory aero add-ons for a track car, the Huayra R will come with a naturally aspirated V12 engine from AMG and could pump out 900hp or more with the rev-counter going all the way up to 9,500 rpm … this car will scream for sure.

Horatio himself announced he was building a successor to the now 13-year-old Zonda R back in October 2020, but today we still don’t have an official date, nor a price for this track-only Huayra R … and just how many Pagani will be building this time, keeping in mind he only built 15 Zonda R and one single Zonda Revolución, I guess we won’ be seeing many Huayra R either.

March 13, 2021 / Comments Off

475

New Mercedes-AMG SL

Let’s go back to March 12, 1952, at that time a company named ‘Daimler-Benz AG’ sends out a letter to important magazines with the following content:

“Dear Editor!

The new MERCEDES-BENZ “300 SL” (super-light) sports car model will be undertaking road trials in public for the first time this week. We are therefore delighted to enclose the technical data for this vehicle, together with a photo.”

Photo of the press presentation on the motorway near Stuttgart on 12 March 1952

This single line of text would announce a global sensation, the iconic sports car, and a sensational race car, the 300 SL would be driven on the open road for the first time in history, setting the stage for one of the most important models from Mercedes for the next decades.

Development vehicles of the new Mercedes-AMG SL (Model 232) at the final winter test in Sweden.

Fast forward to March 2021, and the eighth generation of the Mercedes SL range is going into the final stages of development, and while we no longer see many prototypes being tested on the open road as they did in 1952, the new Mercedes-AMG SL is taken to Sweden to be tested in extremely cold conditions.

We all know these days a new car is being developed ‘virtually’ on a computer before the first mock-up is built, and only after several more months of simulations, they finally build a rolling prototype, which usually hides underneath the previous generation at first, to make sure the chassis, suspension, engine, and brakes are good to go, and then we get pre-production prototypes only in very final stages of development.

And while the virtual world and all those simulations might save a lot of money and time, nothing beats getting into a seat behind an actual steering wheel and taking a prototype into the real world, in real-world driving conditions like heat, rain, cold, and snow … still in those final stages of development for a new model, the testing is usually done on enclosed tracks with a lot of security, to keep the new car a secret for as long as possible.

The final tuning of the fully variable 4MATIC+ all-wheel-drive system, for instance, now offered for the first time in the SL, is undertaken in wintry regions. The redesigned soft top, too, has to prove itself in the harsh conditions that prevail near the Arctic Circle. The handling dynamics of this iconic Roadster, set to make its debut later this year, will soon undergo final refinement on the north loop of the Nürburgring, amongst other places. On the most challenging racing circuit in the world, specialists from Mercedes-AMG will ensure that this latest iteration of the SL draws more than ever on its sporting roots.

When this new Mercedes Roadster becomes available, the different models will all be named Mercedes-AMG name, but the almost 70 years of history of the ‘SL’ name will still retain the core values from so many decades ago: a unique design, exclusivity, and exceptional levels of quality and luxury. The story started in 1952 but it continues to be written into the future.

March 13, 2021 / Comments Off

447

Gianni Agnelli and Ferrari

“Gianni Agnelli and Ferrari. The Elegance of the Legend” is an homage by the Maranello marque to one of its greatest touchstones, first and foremost as a loyal client and later as close confidant and partner, on the 100^th anniversary of the latter’s birth tomorrow. The official online opening of the exhibition takes place on March 12 on the Ferrari Museums’ social media channels and website. As we wait for new government regulations to allow us to reopen the MEF’s exhibition halls to the public, we will be organizing two free virtual live tours of around 30 minutes each day until April 1.

A Prancing Horse enthusiast from a young age, Gianni Agnelli was consistently courteous and respectful in his proposals for highly customized special versions of certain models. For his part, Enzo Ferrari was aware that the influence, aesthetic tastes, and personality of a client who was both very close to the factory and familiar with working on exclusive projects, might lead to successful and farsighted choices. The duo’s close relationship produced a collection of peerlessly beautiful and seductive cars, which Gianni Agnelli drove with rigorous understatement.

One such car is the essentially elegant Ferrari 166 MM. Agnelli was so captivated by it at the 1948 Turin Motor Show that he coined a whole new term to describe its sleek lines. The word “Barchetta” (little boat) has ever since been used in the sector to describe open-top racing cars. Finely customized in green and blue and with a bespoke cabin, the 166 MM was Ferrari’s first one-off for the Avvocato (the Lawyer) as Agnelli was affectionately known.

The next car to be tailored to the personality of this very special client was the 1952 Ferrari 212 Inter, which was given sophisticated detailing and styling cues that set a whole new trend. Two-tone “family” 456 blue was paired with a magnolia white roof, while two imposing headlights were designed to make high-speed driving a pleasure at night as well as during the day.

The exhibition continues with the stupendous and timeless 375 America, a coupé built by Ferrari in 1955 thanks to its symbiotic creative relationship with Battista “Pinin” Farina. The Avvocato was instantly smitten and customized his car with uniquely sophisticated interior trim that included a beautifully-made clock at the center of the tunnel.

The now well-established relationship between Agnelli and Enzo Ferrari produced yet another masterpiece in 1959 in the form of the Ferrari 400 Superamerica. Bodied and fitted out by Pininfarina, this one-off on show at the MEF opened a whole new chapter in Ferrari grand touring styling.

Also exhibited at the MEF is the 1966 365 P Speciale, the lines of which had been sculpted by the racing world. Pininfarina brilliantly interpreted the car in two three-seater prototypes with a central driver seat. The version commissioned by Gianni Agnelli sports a uniquely elegant silver livery with a slender strip of black molding running along the beltline.

In 1984, Ferrari unveiled the legendary Testarossa, a car for which no open-top version was planned. However, two years later, the Avvocato commissioned a spider version of the famous model from Pininfarina with some highly sophisticated details, such as a newly designed engine lid and his signature livery colors: magnolia white for the soft top, Nürburgring grey bodywork, and navy for the cabin.

Another ground-breaking icon that proved a must-have addition to Gianni Agnelli’s collection was the Ferrari F40. The Avvocato ordered a special version in 1989 with unusual black fabric seat upholstery and a Valeo electronic clutch.

In 2000, Agnelli once again commissioned Pininfarina to create an extreme one-off Barchetta, this time using the 360 Spider as the stylistic starting point. Clothed in a silver-grey livery paired with elegant blues, this particular car was a wedding gift for Luca di Montezemolo, who was then Ferrari Chairman.

The exhibition concludes with the 2003 Formula 1 car, the culmination of an extraordinary technological and racing journey. It was unveiled by the Scuderia on 7 February 2003 and dedicated to Gianni Agnelli, who had passed away on 24 January. This was a genuinely heartfelt gesture from the whole Ferrari community in memory of an unforgettable partner, client, and a refined, discreet, and pivotal companion on its long journey.

Ferrari Chairman John Elkann declared: “The exhibition we are opening tomorrow tells of an extraordinary encounter. It combines, on the one hand, the excitement that the most beautiful cars in the world evoke in people who love driving, and on the other, the enormous respect and real passion that my grandfather had for Maranello cars. A passion that led him to make every Ferrari he owned special and which we are happy to share with all the enthusiasts”.

Deputy Chairman Piero Ferrari remembered the mutual respect and esteem the two great entrepreneurs shared: “My father was impressed by the Avvocato’s power, acumen and ability in business. They understood each other intuitively and that relationship consolidated over the years, culminating in the agreement in 1969 that created one of the strongest partnerships in the automotive world. I was with my father on that historic day when I had the pleasure of meeting Agnelli. From then on, with FIAT by his side, we felt that our company had a guarantee of continuity and development”.

March 13, 2021 / Comments Off

441

Top Gear’s Chris Harris Attempts to Tame Raging Bull

In a short clip released on Top Gear’s YouTube channel, presenter Chris Harris is seen attempting to take on Lamborghini’s latest hybrid supercar on the track.

The clip starts off with joyful screams coming from the Sian’s tires and V-12 engine as Harris launches the 807 horsepower super-hybrid down a straightaway. The scene then cuts to Harris sliding the 3.6 million dollar supercar around the track while burning rubber and expectedly – a ton of fuel.

The Lamborghini Sian is not your average hybrid. Instead of utilizing a Lithium-Ion battery, it uses a Lamborghini-developed supercapacitor. The Sian’s braking generates power to the supercapacitor and allows it to provide an instant power boost when accelerating. It is also one of the fastest Lamborghini’s produced with a top speed of 217 miles per hour.

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The Lamborghini Sian was also used as an example recently to develop the new Ducati Diavel 1260 Lamborghini motorcycle. The Italian motorcycle comes sporting livery taken from Sian DNA. Like the Sian, the Diavel 1260 Lamborghini comes with a limited production of just 630 units where Lamborghini had 63 Sians produced.

The teaser footage comes from an episode from Top Gear’s 30th season which is set to premiere on BBC America and AMC+ on April 25th. Harris will be giving a full review of the Sian in the new season and we couldn’t be more excited.

March 13, 2021 / Comments Off

470

Daytona Shooting Brake Hommage

There was a time when coachbuilding was common on cars, albeit reserved for the rich and famous, it wasn’t uncommon to buy a Rolls Royce chassis complete with engine and drivetrain, and have someone else design and build a body for it, today this is still possible, but it seems to be much less widespread, and companies like Rolls Royce, Bentley, Mercedes, Ferrari, McLaren, Porsche, or Lamborghini all have in-house departments now to cater very special requests from their customers.

But the traditional coachbuilding is still possible, companies that take a ‘base’ car from an expensive make and redesign the body, and we’re not talking about the likes of for instance Mansory that replaces a body with their own carbon fiber version, complete with an aggressive aero design … when we look at Niels van Roij Design from London in the UK, he has returned to the classic meaning of coachbuilding, I’m sure you’ve read my earlier article on the 1962 Ferrari 250 GT ‘Breadvan Hommage’ he created at the request of a customer, taking a Ferrari 550 Maranello and turning her into a modern version of the Breadvan.

Breadvan Hommage – photo copyright Niels van Roij Design

And that wasn’t even Niels van Roij’s first car in this ‘estate’ style, previously he also created the Silver Spectre Shooting Brake, limited to only 7 units worldwide, Niels takes the two-door Rolls Royce Wraith and converts that one into a Shooting Brake inspired by those cars from the 1930s, the longer roof is created in one-piece from light-weight carbon fiber and naturally the headliner features the sparkling star ceiling.

The Silver Spectre Shooting Brake by Niels van Roij Design

Niels van Roij Design even made a one-off Tesla Model S Shooting Brake for a Dutch customer, painted in a stunning green metallic shade that even used gold particles to create a very special shade, but you can also request them to create a two-door version of cars that don’t come from the factory in this configuration … like the Range Rover, at Niels van Roij you can opt for their Adventum Coupe, based on the large four-door Range Rover, van Roij turns her into a coupe, inspired by the actual two-door Range Rover that was available in the Seventies, there will only be 100 units of the Adventum Coupe made.

1975 Ferrari 365 GTB/4 Daytona Shooting Brake – Photo Credit: Gooding & Company

Niels van Roij confirmed on his Social Media channel they are now working on a second, bespoke Ferrari based conversion, taking inspiration from the unique 1975 Ferrari 365 GTB/4 Shooting Brake and creating a similar car today, starting from a modern Ferrari 599 GTB, Niels and his team of craftsmen will completely modify the 599 GTB into an homage for the Daytona based Shooting Brake.

They intend to design new headlights to fit a different bumper and front bonnet design that reminds us of the car from the Seventies, but the most prominent change will be visible at the rear naturally, where a completely different roofline will be featured, but also new fenders and bespoke taillights … in the end, there will be not much left of the original Ferrari 599 GTB bodywork.

At this time we only have a few design sketches available for this new Daytona Shooting Brake Hommage from Niels van Roij Design, but they do show a very interesting, contemporary interpretation of the original car, most likely the hommage will also be finished in black, and just like the classic car, come with butterfly rear windows to access the space behind the seats.

This modern recreation of the Daytona Shooting Brake will take some time to develop and subsequently build, Niels van Roij Design will feature the process from design over construction to finalizing of this new hommage build on his social media accounts, I can’t wait to see what they will do for the interior, and if this new version will have a similar layout on the central console as the original.

March 12, 2021 / Comments Off

388

BBC America Announces Top Gear’s Return Date!

Chris Harris, Freddie Flintoff, and Paddy McGuinness will be on BBC’s Top Gear as they will be premiering the show’s 30th season on April 25th. A trailer of the expected mayhem to come was recently released in the form of a minute-long video.

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The presenter trio will be entering their fourth year and will be will behind the wheel for four action-packed episodes for the 2021 season. The trailer released gave a glimpse into the high-speed, jet-packed, James Bond tributed, and good times to be had this season.

Though this season’s challenges heavily revolved around the global pandemic the Top Gear crew has committed to releasing quality content as they always have.

The first episode of the 2021 Top Gear series will be very calm in fashion as they all drive cars that their fathers drove. This episode will be filled with great laughs and heart-warming nostalgia.

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Amongst the action-packed insanity that typically takes place on Top Gear, the trio will also be giving reviews on the Toyota GR Yaris, Ferrari Roma, and Lamborghini Sian. This ensures viewers will be able to learn about the latest and greatest cars while being glued to screens as the trio pushes the limits to give viewers a great show.

You can catch the first and following episodes on BBC America or AMC+ starting Sunday, April 25th 2021.

March 11, 2021 / Comments Off

364

Falcon F7

I have to admit, I never heard about the Falcon F7 supercar from the USA, so I had to look into this one to get the full picture. It seems Jeff Lemke founded his company, Falcon Motorsports, in Michigan, near Detroit to bring back the supercar to America, the Falcon F7 was unveiled in 2012 and came with a price tag of $250,000.

In total only 7 units of the Falcon F7 would be made, one was lost in an accident and the car seen in these photos is production number 3, made in 2014, this specific car was used at the Detroit Auto Show of that year, in March 2015 they used the same car for How it’s Made: Dream Cars season 2 on television … this car is a TV celebrity.

By using lightweight materials like aluminum, carbon fiber, and even kevlar, the total weight of the Falcon F7 is around the 2,800 pounds mark, the mid-mounted V8 engine is sourced from the Corvette Z06, after a tune-up of this 7-Liter unit by Lingenfelter, the power output is 620 hp with 585 lb-ft of torque and goes to the rear wheels only via a 6-speed manual gearbox, acceleration from 0 to 60 mph is listed at 3.3 seconds.

The seller states this car was bought by his father in 2014, brand new, and comes with 20-inch Forgeline wheels, a Penske coilover pushrod suspension system, leather sport seats, climate control, a removable roof panel to turn her into a convertible, and there’s even an iPad mounted on the dashboard.

After seven years, this Falcon F7, chassis #FMS08212013F7M003, only shows 3,300 miles on the odometer, comes in a nice, dark red metallic paint over a black and tan interior, the clutch and axle shafts were recently replaced, and the massive engine received a tune from Falcon Motorsport not too long ago either … do note that there are no service records with this car.

It seems this 2014 Falcon F7 is probably the rarest car ever to be listed on Cars&Bids … if you’re interested in adding it to your collection, at the time of writing the high bid sits at $81,000 …

March 11, 2021 / Comments Off

544

Copper Cobra

I don’t know about you, but I rather like the idea of shoehorning a massive V8 engine into a small, lightweight car to create a supercar, and that’s exactly what happened when Caroll Shelby created the 427 S/C Cobra Semi-Competition model back in the Sixties, we’ve covered a few of these cars earlier already, but now we came across something a bit different.

1965 Shelby 427 S/C Cobra ‘CSX 4602’ ©2021 Courtesy of RM Sotheby’s

You might wonder about the chassis number listed here, CSX 4602, that seems a bit high no? Well, it isn’t, because in the 90s Carroll Shelby started building ‘continuation’ cars, new Cobra models that came with a CSX 4xxx chassis to distinguish them from the classic 1960s originals, but still recognized as ‘real’ Shelby Cobra cars.

These continuation Cobra were built in Las Vegas, Nevada, on brand new frames to be fitted with either a fiberglass or an aluminum body, before being painted and usually fitted with those trademark racing stripes running from the front to the rear … but there were exceptions, as is evident on chassis CSX 4602 we see here.

This one is made strictly on commission by Kirkham Motorsports of Provo, Utah, which takes a rolling chassis from Shelby and builds his own body, still in the style of the original 60s cars, but made from copper instead of the usual aluminum … painstakingly hand-formed, this Copper Cobra uses 17 panels joined together to create this famous shape, and it’s done at such a high level of craftsmanship you can’t even see the seams anymore.

Chassis CSX 4602 is finished in a high-gloss, polished copper body, but Kirkham had the famous pair of LeMans stripes brushed to offset them from the glistering body, extremely nice, this is also known as ‘ghost stripes’ I’ve been told, and while your fellow drivers on the open road might not like you very much on a sunny day, this is a stunning car nonetheless.

Naturally, the car rolls on the classic, 15-inch Halibrand-style wheels with the required knock-off fitting, and to make the classic look complete, a set of ‘billboard’ Goodyear Eagle tires with the massive scripting on the side, this isn’t a restomod look, this is the original 1960s look they are going for here.

But there is nothing ‘1960s’ about the engine, chassis CSX 4602 comes with a brand new Carroll Shelby Engine Company, hand-built 468-cubic inch ‘427 FE’ V-8 engine that delivers 550 hp (580 lb-ft of torque) via a 5-speed transmission to the rear wheels, given this Copper Cobra weighs in at only 2,400 pound, you are happy to learn they fitted some strong disk brakes to help master that much power on so little weight.

This amazing, shiny Copper Cobra is currently listed for private sale via RM Sotheby’s at $475,000, located in New York.

March 11, 2021 / Comments Off

494

Chris Harris Gives His Take on BMW’s New M3

Top Gear UK’s, Chris Harris recently reviewed the 2021 BMW M3 Competition. His thoughts came from his experience with the M3 on a closed track.

The new 2021 BMW M3 comes with a fresh redesign that been talked about for the past few months prior to its release. BMW has been getting teased about the massive grille on the front of the car – these comments are coming from everyone including BMW enthusiasts.

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Chris Harris was not only puzzled about the animated and obnoxious grille affixed to the new M3 but also the lack of fitment and stance of the car. He compared the new G80 M3 to the previous generation (F80) and his comments were spot on. He pointed out that the previous generation looked perfect in almost every way especially how the body appeared to have been “wrapped” around the wheels. This was not the case for BMW’s new M3 – it lacks wheel fitment, fancy-looking mirrors, and an attractive front end.

The G80 M3 comes with a twin-turbo inline-six capable of 510 horsepower and 480lb-ft of torque. It also comes sporting a ZF automatic transmission instead of the previous generations’ DCT (Dual Clutch Transmission). Harris felt there was a bit of transmission lag during his time on the track but surprisingly mentioned there was virtually no turbo lag.

Looks aside, Chris Harris thought the new M3 was fantastic. The chassis was nice and tight, the handling and steering inputs were precise, and the carbon fiber seats were absolutely perfect. The news M3’s steering wheel looks to be packed with buttons resembling a calculator but now we’re getting picky.

The BMW R&D team appears to be fans of arcade games as they have incorporated an “M drift analyzer” into the car giving the driver statistics on distance, time, and speed of drift. This sounds like fun until you get busted for attempting to beat your “high score” on your way home from the race track.

Chris was impressed overall with BMW’s new M car but felt it was less “raw and angry” than that of previous generations. But BMW did not miss the mark, they just changed its destination with the new G80 M3.

March 10, 2021 / Comments Off

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