CGT in the Valley of Fire
Straight Pipes + Burning Rubber!
With a brief lull in supercar news, we can now focus on something a little different. It is rare when we get one of the best cars of our time on an equally impressive road with stunning backdrops, but this is exactly what happened to us a few months ago.
Specifically, Exotic Cars at Caesar's Palace kindly let us take out VRAlexander's infamous Carrera GT. For those not in the know, this was the first CGT fitted with straight pipes and it has a deafening song that can be heard two miles away.
VRAlexander was keen to show the car's performance potential, so we headed out to one of America's most breathtaking public parks: the Valley of Fire. For any photographer, tourist or driver, this Valley is like a sensational gift from the gods. It has red sandstone formations that have been made from 150 million years of erosion. It is like the surface of Mars with breathable air and some serious driving roads.
This setting alone was more than enough motivation to start taking pictures. After making a few impromptu videos (which can be seen on youtube), Richard Owen and Julien Constans took every artistic liberty to capture the event. Our tribute to the park and the CGT can can be found on our Carrera GT page. Included is a clear photo that shows how the CGT's carbon fiber has a tendency to yellow over time.
Many thanks to VRAlexander and Ben Nef at ECACP for making this possible.
Saleen Supercar & More Debut in NY
Saleen Raptor is a new styling direction
After the second day, New York's auto show revealed many expected cars that made their first impression. The most anticipated of these was the Saleen S5S Raptor which was launched alongside an impressive quartet of production cars. The new concept looks like a clay mockup, but appears to send Saleen in the right direction.
Lamborghini displayed one of their Geneva LP560s and it let us do a thorough study of the new design. Not too far away from it, Porsche had the RS60 Boxster and a 1960 RS60 car.
Suzuki launched the Concept Kizashi 3 which looks subdued compared to the first two concepts having the same name. The focus of this last car is definitely towards a design that is more production worthy.
Our gallery covers everything that made the 2008 NYIAS. It has the concepts, ladies, executives, press hoards and comes to you straight from the show floor.
NY Show Debuts, Rare Iso Daytona
Hennessey makes a rare appearance in NY
The New York auto show starts this week and several interesting debuts are worth taking a look at.
Two new supercars are scheduled for release and the one you see here is a Neiman Marcus-trimmed Hennessey Venom. It's going to cost $179.500 USD and have a specially outfitted interior. The other debut is likely to come from Saleen who might show a clay mockup of their upcoming Saleen S5S Raptor.
Joining the muscle car segment is the Pontiac G8 GXP. This coupe has all the right ingredients: 402 bhp, a small-block V8 and a 6-Speed manual transmission.
A couple concept cars will debut at NY. Suzuki will show their third Concept Kizashi and it will probably be the best of the three. Scion will also have their Hako Coupe Concept.
We finish with an entry on the little known 1965 Iso Rivolta Daytona. This gorgeous coupe was prepared strictly for competition and very few were made.
Double Victory for Porsche at Sebring
Timo Bernhard, Romain Dumas and Emmanuel Collard
Timo Bernhard, Romain Dumas and Emmanuel Collard drove their Porsche RS Spyder to an overall win this weekend at the 56th Twelve Hours of Sebring. The last time a Porsche won the race was back in 1988 when Hans Stuck and Klaus Ludwig took victory in a 962.
Winning driver Emmanuel Collard said ''The key today is that we ran without a problem - gearbox, engine and race strategy, that's why we won this race.''
This victory shamed all the LMP1 class contestants including Peugeot and Audi. It was the first time these teams had shared track space and they battled for the first 131 laps. Eventually both suffered technical mishaps and too much time in the pits.
The E85 powered Corvette C6Rs ran flawlessly in GT1 and made Johnny O'Connell the winningest driver in Sebring history. It was his seventh class victory, a record previously held by Phil Hill. GT2 was a little more contested: Flying Lizard Motorsports took the a 1-2 victory, but only after the leading Risi Competizione Ferrari suffered a collision.
Many of the winning cars, drivers and teams can be seen in our feature gallery.
Amelia Island's 13th Concours
Winning Cars: Ferrari 335 Sport & Duesenberg Model J
The Amelia Island Concours finished up on the weekend and it was a tremendous success. 'Best of Show' trophies went to the ex-Clark Gable Duesenberg and a stunning quad-cam Ferrari 335 Sport.
Two main themes and seminars promoted the event. First of these was for the Great Race-winning 1907 Thomas Flyer. It was described by the driver's son, Jeff Mahl, who had many interesting stories to share.
Second order of the show was Trans-Am. Some of the most important cars were displayed and a major award went to a Penske Camaro which helped Mark Donahue win eight outright victories in one season.
The night before, Iconic released their GTR Roadster. It has a remarkable resemblance to the Cobra, but with many innovative technologies and designs.
Highlights at the show also included two Grand Sport Corvettes, 100 years of GM, a rare Iso Rivolta prototype and a full MG class with our favorite model, the PA/PB Airline Coupe. All these, plus more can be seen in this week's Amelia gallery by Alex Marks.
LMS Test Day, Coppa Milano-Sanremo, Desert Classic Concours
LMS: Vantage GT2 Debuts at Paul Ricard
On the brink of 2008's racing season, many test days are being held worldwide. One of the most recent was the LeMans Series which featured two days of sessions at the Paul Ricard Circuit. Our feature gallery by Dirk de Jager has all the highlights.
Many new cars were tested at Ricard including two new Aston Martins. The first of these is their GT2 contender which will fight in a class with the updated Porsche 911 and successful Ferrari F430. The second car is a Lola-sourced LMP1 car which lapped a couple seconds slower than the Audi R10s in five of six sessions.
Other debuts included the Epsilon Euskadi LMP1 which comes from a masters program at the University of Mondragon. Porsche also celebrated a European debut with their RS Spyder and the updated 911 was also present.
Next, we focus on the Coppa Milano Sanremo, a classic rally that goes from Monza to Sanremo over three days. We have a gallery that comes to us from Matteo TT Stucchi from Swisscarsightings.com. Visit it for more of his excellent work.
We finish with the Desert Classic Concours which was kindly uploaded by user Zinc. Inside his gallery is the hotly debated '1C' Ferrari which has a very early body and chassis with the stamps 1C and 10S.
Geneva Gallery, Hermes Veyron, Geneva Highlights
New Lamborghini has a Direct Injection Engine
With the first day of Geneva over, we are surprised by how many additional supercars are available. These do little to help Geneva's green initiatives, but make our feature gallery entertaining. First the big debuts...
We start the day off with the Bugatti Veyron by Hermes which might seem like just another color combo, but it is actually a thorough upgrade. Hermes has crafted luggage for many classic Bugs in the past, but the Veyron Fbg takes the theme one step further. Included is a bespoke interior, radiator shroud, door handles, custom wheels and fitted luggage.
Lamborghini also have complete details on the new Gallardo 560-4. Its engine is entirely new and adds tremendous efficiency. With direct gasoline injection, the V10 is larger and produces more power than a standard model while offering better fuel economy. Is a 560-2 coming?
Next, we look at Jaguar's fastest road-going car, the XKR-S. With a lighter weight and improved aerodynamics it can reach 174 mph. In a similar vein, Aston has updated their line and is displaying the V8 Vantage RS. Another British treat is the Zagato-bodied Bentley GTZ. Production is confirmed at nine units with a price of 560,00 Euros.
There's plenty of concept cars on hand at Geneva. Audi has an awesome version of the R8 V12 called the Lemans. Unfortunately we still can't figure out what makes it different from the Detroit car other than its striking hue of red. Renault is also showing their Megane Coupe Concept which has some of the oddest doors at the show. Pininfarina is showing the Sintesi, and it seems like the best 4-door on the floor.
All of these cars, plus more can be seen our feature gallery by Dirk de Jager. He relentlessly shot every booth to bring us the entire Geneva experience. Included are some radical Mansorys, special Edition Koenigseggs and all the other cars we've reported on in the last month. Enjoy.
Gallardo LP560, Bertone BAT, V8-powered Seven
This new BAT lives up to Bertone's former glory.
A day before the Geneva Motor Show, it is still unknown if Bertone might make an appearance at least near the show. Their BAT project seems like it was well on its way to the show before financial and executive trouble got in the way.
Today we have the first image of Bertone's work. This new BAT 11 Concept lets us get romantic over the three classic BATS which are currently part of the Blackhawk Collection.
Another big debut for Geneva is the Lamborghini Gallardo LP560. As the spy photos show, this model gets a new aerodynamic treatment which will likely help it in the upcoming GT3 championship.
In other news, Caterham has a new agreement with RS Tuning to make V8-powered Sevens. Their RST-V8 show car has a power-to-weight ratio that puts it on top of our list. Lotus also have details of its face-lifted Europa SE.
More Geneva/Melbourne debuts, rare Fantuzzi Ferrari
Bentley Continental GT Speed by Zagato
Since Zagato announced their Bentley last year, we have anxiously waited for any real pictures to arrive. Now, we finally have three images to offer before the car's debut next week at the Geneva Auto Show.
Also on display will be Giugiaro's Quaranta Concept which celebrates the 40th anniversary of the company. Fittingly, the new car takes cues from Giugairo's first car, the 1968 Bizzarini Manta.
The Melbourne Auto Show opens its doors today. Anyone attending will be happy to know that Holden has a striking new Coupe 60 and HSV is showing the LS7-powered W427.
We finish with a Ferrari rarity. At the 1966 New York Auto Show Luigi Chinetti debuted this Ferrari 250 GT NART Spyder. It's currently for sale at the Pracing Horse garage and you can read all the details in our story.
