Ford & Porsche win Daytona 24
Michael Shank Racing with Curb-Agajanian win Rolex 24
Earlier today Michael Shank Racing with all-American drivers AJ Allmendinger, Ozz Negri, John Pew and Justin Wilson won the 50th Rolex 24 at Daytona in their #60 Ford-Riley DPG3.
Only 7 seconds behind was DPG3 of Starworks Motorsport making it a great debut for the third generation Ford-Riley Prototype.
In the GT class, Magnus Racing won with their Porsche GT3 Cup ahead of four other contenders on the same lap. Driver Andy Lally described the race as ''the 24 hours of quailifying'' after matching their quailifying pace for much of the race.
Before the 24, the Continental Tire Series had their BMW Performance 200. It was won outright by the Roush Boss Mustang of Billy Johnson and Jack Roush Jr.
Le Mans-Winning Mercedes
1989 Sauber-Mercedes C9
At the upcoming Rétromobile show in Paris, Mercedes-Benz will present three of their Le Mans-winning designs including the Sauber C9 which dominated the 1989 World Sports Car Championship.
In recent times only one of the six C9s has been used, so Rétromobile might be a rare chance to see one of the three that Mercedes-Benz have stashed away.
Also at the show Mercedes plan to showcase a 1952 version of the 300SL and a prewar SSK. If you will be at Rétromobile with a camera, please let us know.
Toyota Gearing Up for Le Mans
2012 Toyota TS030 HYBRID
After a shakedown at Paul Ricard last weekend, Toyota Motorsport has now revealed the TS030 HYBRID. It's an all-new Le Mans Prototype that could become the first hybrid to win Le Mans outright.
Many websites are saying that Toyota will replace Peugeot's complete departure from endurance racing in 2012, but this project will likely take years to reach fruition. Translation: our money is on Audi at Le Mans.
The TS030 is the third Le Mans prototype from Toyota and a successor to the Toyota GT-One from 1998 and the Toyota TS10 Le Mans. Although they share names, these cars have little in common.
With the Toyota, we have an extensive list of LMP1 cars in the supercars.net database. One of the first Hybrid race cars was this 2006 Vemac RD408-H. Does anyone know what happened to this car?
Loeb wins sixth Monte
Winners Sébastien Loeb and Co-driver Daniel Elena
Today Sébastien Loeb won the 80th Rally Monte-Carlo by nursing a healthy lead after Jari-Matti Latvala crashed out on the second day. This is Loeb's sixth Monte-Carlo victory which positions him well to become the World Rally Champion for the ninth time in 2012.
In second place was the MINI Countryman of Dani Sordo. His podium finish is the first for MINI since Rauno Aaltonen took the overall victory in 1967.
This year's Monte was regulated by the FIA after a three year hiatus. With them came the three big WRC teams and little focus was paid to the S2000 and SWRC classes that filled out the rest of the rally in previous years.
Big Money @ Barrett-Jackson
$220,000 Devon GTX
Today Barrett-Jackson had a tremendous show and sold all but one of their top cars. A record $2,915,000 USD went to the 1948 Tucker Torpedo from Ron Pratte and his Franay Bentley wasn't far behind at $2,750,000 USD.
The Blackhawk collection was in top form, getting $2,200,000 USD for their 4,149-Mile Mercedes-Benz 300 SL. Their low-milage Isotta Fraschini Tipo 8A sold for $1,100,000.
For Barrett-Jackson, Both Ford and Chevy sold cars to benefit charity. Ford sold a 2013 Shelby GT500 test car while Chevrolet got $600,000 for their Chevrolet Corvette 427 Convertible 60th Anniversary.
4.6 Million 300SL
1955 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Alloy Gullwing
Earlier today Gooding & Company sold this Alloy Gullwing for $4,620,000 USD. It smashed the world record for a 300 SL at auction and now sets an impressive precedent for the alloy-bodied cars.
Only 29 of the 300 SL Coupes were done in alloy which made them a rarity among the 1500 or so made. Before the auction, we only documented three alloy gullwings and what we assume is a one-of alloy roadster.
Surely, the car sold by Gooding isn't the most expensive 300 SL. That title would have to go to the 300 SLR which won the Mille Migla or the Uhlenhaut Coupes.
Barrett-Jackson's 5000 Series
1947 Bentley Mark VI Franay Cabriolet
Back in 1971 Barrett-Jackson started the auction craze in Scottsdale, Arizona. This year they affirm their position among the growing competition with live coverage on the Speed channel and 32 cars known as the 5000 series that will be offered on Saturday.
Among the 5000s are several cars worth paying close attention to. For instance they will offer the Franay Bentley which they sold in 2006 for 1.7 million. Not only is this the most expensive post-war Bentley, but it is also the most extravagant.
Also on offer is the Desoto Adventurer II which is a concept car by Ghia. It was retained by the Blackhawk collection for a considerable time and shown privately at the 2010 Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance.
Finally we highlight the Flajole Forerunner which Mark Hyman bought for $188,500 USD at Bonham's 2009 Quail Lodge Auction. It will be interesting to see how much Barrett Jackson gets this upcoming Saturday. The entire list of 5000 series cars can be found here on barrett-jackson.com.
Reference Challenger from RM
1971 Mr Norm's Hemi Challenger R/T
At their upcoming Scottsdale auction, RM have a 5000-mile Hemi Challenger which was modified by the famous Norm Kraus at Grand-Spaulding Dodge.
Less than 100 Hemi Challengers were made in 1971 and this one received specific treatment by Mr Norm's for top outright performance.
Put into long term storage, the car was recovered in 2006 with only 5,400 miles on the odometer. Surely this makes the Mr Norm's Challenger one of the most desirable Mopars in existence. RM hope to achieve somewhere from $300,000-$475,000 USD during their sale on Friday, January 20th.
Mercedes Sweeps Dubai 24
Start of the Dunlop 24H of Dubai
Earlier today three privateer teams driving Mercedes SLS GT3s swept the podium at the Dunlop 24H of Dubai. It was a resounding success for Black Falcon and Heico Motorsports who fended off the Schubert BMW Z4 GT3s and a gaggle of Porsche Cup cars.
The Dubai 24 is regularly becoming the first race of the year, although it finished just one day ahead of the Dakar Rally in Peru. Many teams were able to participate due to the flexible entry regulations which were similar to the ADAC Masters series.
The Mercedes teams were able to take advantage of a crash between the pole-sitting sole AF Corse Ferrari and a Dodge Viper. Down the order in SP3, Optimum Motorsport won their class with a Ginetta G50.
3rd Generation Boxster
2012 Porsche Boxster S
Today Porsche kindly revealed the 3rd Generation Boxster to the internet. Both the Boxster and Boxster S will be available worldwide on April 14th.
On paper the new model is slightly more superior than its preceding model, but the outward body gets a complete makeover. The new version has shorter overhangs, reshaped front headlights and a new spoiler that splits the rear taillights.
One of the best new features of the Gen III is the side intakes which extend well into the doors. These add a muscular stance which has been absent from the range since its introduction in 1997.
Unique Offerings from Gooding
1969 Iso Grifo 7 Litri
In just over a week all the major auction companies will be in Scottsdale, Arizona for the annual auction marathon.
Gooding & Co. have a particularly impressive roster of cars on offer including this Viola Negro 1969 Iso Grifo 7 Litri. Less than 10 of these cars were imported to the USA making this a rare lot.
Our second car is even more scarce: it's a 1952 Morgan +4 Dellow Roadster that is the only surviving example of two made. Unlike the factory cars, it has an entirely metal body and suicide doors.
Both these cars are part Gooding's Arizona arsenal which also includes a Ferrari California, an alloy-bodied 300SL and a dark blue BMW 507. The auction will stretch over two days on January 20th and 21st.
New NSX Lands at Detroit
2011 Acura NSX Concept,
Without a doubt, the biggest surprise at today's North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) is the NSX Concept from Acura.
Honda R&D Americas have committed to developing and producing the supercar stateside in Ohio. Unfortunately the concept at Detroit is just a mock-up with no real interior which typically means drastic changes for the upcoming versions.
The next generation NSX will include a hybrid drive line with a dual-clutch transmission and in-wheel electric motors. Acura expects the production version will be ready in three years.
The last NSX added on supercars.net was the Mugen NSX RR Concept from the 2009 Tokyo Auto Salon.
Chevrolet Concepts at NAIAS
Chevy Code 130R & Tru 140S
This morning Chevrolet released two new concepts that show the future design of their compact cars. Both use a 150 bhp version of the Ecotec Inline-4 and could retail for less than $20,000 USD.
The first is called Code 103R and looks like a direct competitor to the BMW 1 series. It's a two-door, four seat coupe that delivers power to the rear wheels.
Tru 140S uses the same engine to power the front wheels, but features a 3-door sport coupe body in a cab-forward design.
NAIAS in Pictures
2012 Lexus LF-LC
With the first press day finished in Detroit we can present a gallery of the unveilings.
As predicted, Lexus stole the show with the LF-LC, but BMW and Acura had equally interesting concept cars.
Some of the major debuts included the 2013 Ford Fusion, 2013 Cadillac ATS, 6th generation Mercedes-Benz SL and the all-new BMW 3 series.
Almost all the major supercars were displayed before the NAIAS at a show called The Gallery. It included the new Aston Martin One-77, Aventador and other cars which should have been at Cobo.
Lexus in Detroit
2012 Lexus LF-LC
It appears that Lexus and their Calty Design Research studio in Newport Beach, California will steal the upcoming North American International Auto Show with the LF-LC.
This 2+2 looks somewhat like a four-seat LFA with very agressive contours. It could be a great stablemate to the Lexus Project GS F SPORT by Five Axis released at SEMA
Full details on the LF-LC will be available after the cars launch at the Lexus press conference on January 9th. Early reports are saying this one is equipped with a hybrid drive system probably from the GS 450h.
Camaro GT to race Europe
2012 Sareni United Camaro GT
Developed by the capable crew at Reiter Enginering, this Camaro race car is being offered by Sareni United as a possible GT3 and ADAC Masters contender.
Using their expertise in Lamborghini development, Reiter Enginering transformed the Camaro using a 7.9L Katech motor that is probably too powerful for the current run of GT3 cars. Inside, the car is equipped with Reiter's control array and an iPad for various displays.
The Camaro is planned to make only a few appearances in 2012 beginning with the Nogaro GT3 races in April.
