2009 Wrap up 2
Updated SSC @ the Dubai Motor Show
With 2009 nearly over, we have some final events to cover. The first of these is Dubai's biannual motor show which makes every other modern show look like a rental car lot. Our feature gallery by Himasha Widyaratne and Benjamin Coutan has an impressive amount of supercars that wouldn't be assembled anywhere else.
Another great event we attended this summer was Gordon McCall's Motorworks Revival. It opened the Monterey weekend with a spectacular display of supercars and airplanes. Among these were the Hennessey's Camaro line, Ferrari Dino Competizione and two Morgans that had 100 years in between them. Supported by the Bonhams auction, Gordon hosts the best jet center party of them all.
As the new motorsport season approaches some teams are on short vacation. Recent releases include the Honda HSV-010 GT, Subaru Legacy B4 GT300 and Ford's Mustang BOSS 302R. Furthermore, the final supercars from the fourth quarter included the Lotus Exige S Type 72, Mansory Cyrus, Superformance MkIII-R Edition and the FAB Design Panamera from Dubai.
Bugatti 100
Centential Display at Brussels
Throughout the year, Bugatti's 100th anniversary was celebrated at classic cars events around the world. The most recent of these is a current exhibition being held in Autoworld Brussels. With all the 18 cylinder prototypes and an impressive prewar collection, it is a highly recommended visit.
Past Bugatti celebrations included a 100 year class at Pebble Beach, four Centenaire Editions from the Villa d'Este Concorso d'Eleganza, an 8 day celebration in France and Mick Walsh's drive up Goodwood in King Leopold III's Type 59. Through it all, the coveted Type 57SC Atlantic was conspicuously absent.
2009 was also a good time cash in on Bugatti sales. The famous Black Bess for 2,427,500 Euros while Bugatti's personal Type 57C Coupe Aerodynamique was sold at David Gooding's Monterey sale. Probably the most original Atalante fetched 3,417,500 Euros at Retromobile in January. With such a tremendous display for Bugatti in 2009, we look forward to the same devotion towards Alfa Romeo next year.
Top 10 Supercars of 2009
Best of 2010: Racecar Luxury
Despite a continuing financial crisis, the supercar was alive and well in 2009. This year was particularly fruitful since many companies debuted production supercars that were planned far in advance of the recession. Of these, the Lexus LFA is currently at the top of our list as it redefines the brand and offers exceptionally elegant design.
Since almost all concept cars from 2009 focus on electric propulsion and compact construction, there are only two on the list. Until batteries can harness as much power as gasoline, the electric supercar is still a product of the future. Without further ado, we present the top 10 supercar releases of 2009 with a single honorable mention for Devon.
1. Lexus LFA (nurburgring racer, V10, great interior)
2. Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren Stirling Moss (ultimate slr, modern barchetta)
3. Lamborghini Reventon Roadster (ultimate murceilago, limited production)
4. Lamborghini Murcielago LP670-4 SuperVeloce (it's either this or the reventon)
5. Chevrolet Corvette Stingray Concept (aka sideswipe, future corvette)
6. BMW Vision EfficientDynamics (new bmw design direction)
7. Ferrari F458 (coming to every event near you)
8. Mercedes SLS (affordable slr, gullwing successor)
9. McLaren MP4-C (mclaren f1's child, all new)
10.Bertone Mantide (coachbuilt zr1, castriota lines)
HM.Devon GTX (coachbuilt viper, mcintosh stereo)
Dubai Motor Show
Three new Veyrons from Dubai
Currently, the Dubai Motor Show is open for the 10th annual show. A highlight of the event is three new Bugatti models, one of which will be made in series. Called the Nocturne, it has new wheels, a polished aluminum body and a 'nanocoated magnesium dashboard.'
The other cars are one-ofs that Bugatti hope to sell from the stand. Kinda like Veyrons with special dealer options, they offer a unique opportunity for someone willing to pay a couple 100,000 more euros over the standard model. Named the Sang d'Argent Coupe and Soleil de Nuit Grand Sport, they are probably already sold by now.
Another launch at Dubai is the Kepler Motors MOTION supercar which is another hybrid design that can achieve great acceleration. Furthermore, the Zenvo ST1 is on display for the first time. If you have any pictures from the show floor be sure to contact us.
Classic Gear
Some of Aston's Best @ Palexpo
Before the year is out, we have to add a couple more event galleries. One of them is Geneva Classics which we've followed since its inception. This year they had a fantastic Aston Martin display with cars from Roos Engineering that are only seen on Swiss roads. These and more can be found in our feature gallery by Julien Giambagli.
Amelia Island Concours have also released details on their star car. It's a dramatic American roadster that was built in 1948 by Norman E. Timbs. Known as the Buick Streamliner, it's a modern interpretation of the prewar record cars.
Another car which will soon be on display is this Type 44. It will be taking part in an impressive 'Bugatti 100 Expo' at Autoworld Brussels, Belgium later this month. Like other Bugs selected for the exhibition, it has local coachwork by D’Ieteren Frères.
Ferrari P540 Superfast Aperta
Aperta laps Fiorano
Today Ferrari revealed their second car to come from the Special Projects program. This supercar is a 599-based, one-of designed from the bottom up as a Spyder. Named Apera, it is also a modern recreation of a long forgotten Ferrari.
Aperta is based off a rare show car that was built by Fantuzzi for a 1968 film directed by
Federico Fellini. In it was 4381SA, a Ferrari 330 LMB converted into a striking spyder. Painted gold and black, it was a star of the film and became a footnote in Ferrari history. When Edward Walson saw 4381SA in the 1968 film, he had Ferrari make a modern interpretation called the P540 Superfast Aperta.
9ff Launch the GT9-R
9ff's newest, a Veyron killer?
For the last few years we have seen the GT9 getting incrementally better and today 9ff have released the definitive production version. With updated styling, 1120 bhp and a top speed of 414 kph we can confidently say the 2009 GT9-R is their best supercar.
9ff are planning a limited production of just 20 cars. If they get enough orders then the GT9-R might become the fastest production car in the world. It can also outrun the similarly-powered RUF CTR3.
Just a few weeks ago 9ff launched their second dedicated car called the Speed9 at Essen. It's essentially a big brother to the recently released Boxster Spyder. As a bonus we also have new images of the 9ff Carrera GT known as the GT-T900.
RM Announces Star Cars
CSX2196
RM's Scottsdale Auction just got a whole lot better. At the forefront of the new announcements is this Cobra prototype which was the first fitted with a 427 and the only one with a flip-top front-end. It has been extensively campaigned in modern historic events and is ready to hit the track.
Another big announcement is a Chrysler Thunderbolt concept from 1941. This was one of Chrysler's very first show cars, described at the time as the car of the future. This particular example was shown at Amelia Island and Pebble Beach this year in its fabulous hue of green with brass accents. It complements the 1954 Mercury Monterey XM-800 also at the sale.
LA Auto Show Gallery 2
Posche Boxster Spyder unveiled in LA
With the release of Buick's 2011 Regal, the LA Auto Show is now done. Most of the attention was focused on new compacts which isn't exactly our first priority. For instance Ford launched the 2011 Fiesta and Mazda 2. Compact concepts included the Honda P-NUT and Volkswagen Up! Lite. You won't find these anywhere on Supercars.net except for our feature gallery from the show floor.
Not everything was small and economical at LA. Audi showed their second e-tron concept, this time in a curious hue of metallic orange. Furthermore, BMW brought the radical Vision EfficientDynamics.
Official world premiers from LA included the Porsche Boxster Spyder, Steeda Mustang Q550 Streetfighter Edition and the 2010 Dodge Viper we mentioned yesterday.
New Viper, Old Ferrari
Viper ACR 1:33 Edition
With premier manufacturers such as Ferrari and Lamborghini absent from the LA Auto Show, companies like Dodge have to fill the supercar void. This morning they announced updates for the last production year of the Viper. Included was the ACR 1:33 Edition, a Viper named after its record-breaking run around Laguna Seca.
Motivated by Essen, we also take a look at the one of the best classic GTs, the Ferrari 410 Superamerica. An original Series III was on display at Essen and is one of five cars we take a close look at. With a production run of just 12 cars and each with unique details, this is a hard model to pin down.
