2011 Salon Privé
Henry Pearman's 956/962 Collection
Last weekend Salon Privé held their annual concours and supercar display at Syon Park. Centered in front of the Grand Hall was a display of Porsche 956/962 racecars from Henry Pearman who has collected them over the last 10 years.
The concours d'elegance was won outright by an ex-Mussolini Alfa Romeo 6C 2500 S. Not too far away was the Ferrari 250 GT class with a rare 250 SWB California Spyder Competizione and the ex-Rob Walker SEFAC Hot Rod.
Today, we can present Dirk de Jager's gallery with all the cars from Salon Privé and its corresponding auction by RM. In just a few days, the Goodwood Festival of Speed will begin. If anyone will be at the event with a camera, please let us know.
Manthey wins N24 Again
Winning Manthey Racing Porsche 911 GT3 RSR
This weekend Manthey Racing secured their fifth 24 Hours of Nürburgring victory in six years. Drivers Marc Lieb, Timo Bernhard, Romain Dumas and Lucas Luhr piloted their Porsche RSR to victory ahead of the chasing factory BMW.
2011 was marked by the introduction of the factory Mercedes-Benz teams and the sole P4/5 entrant by James Glickenhaus based on the Ferrari P4/5. The P4/5 managed to climb back up to 39th place overall from 110 after a shifter problem.
Our gallery features almost all the factory teams and a few of the independent teams from what is probably the best 24 hour race on the planet. Enjoy.
Lexus Landaulet
Lexus full hybrid LS 600h L Landaulet
Today Lexus celebrated itself as the official supplier to H.S.H. the Sovereign Prince of Monaco with this one-of LS 600h L Landaulet that will be used at the upcoming royal wedding.
Built with a one-piece polycarbonate roof, the Midnight Blue LS is remarkable for having no rear pillars. Fit and finish of the roof and the rest of the car was completed over 2 weeks by 10 craftsman.
His Serene Highness Prince Albert II of Monaco will marry Ms. Charlene Wittstock on July 2nd. During the festivities, the Lexus will be run in fully electronic mode.
The Ultimate E92
BMW CRT for Carbon-Ribre-Reinforced Plastic
Today BMW announced the BMW M3 CRT in anticipation of the upcoming ADAC Zurich 24h-Rennen Nürburgring. The new model is similar the the M3 GTS, but modified into a track-day special.
One of the most important upgrades is the larger 4.4-litre engine which produces 443.9 bhp. Beyond straight power, BMW have fitted this car with a stiff suspension that is upgraded with solid subframe mounts and larger brakes.
BMW says nearly 150 lbs is trimmed off the curb weight of the car which means this CRP limited-edition should be the fastest M3 around the Nürburgring. Only 67 will be made and the carbon fiber front seats are worth checking out.
Spezial-Roadster Headlines Monterey
For Sale: Sam Mann's 540K Spezial-Roadster
To celebrate the opening of their Manhattan dealership, Mercedes-Benz partnered with RM Auctions who displayed the title car for their upcoming Monterey sale. Specifically they showed off the 540K Spezial-Roadster from the Sam & Emily Mann collection.
Formerly an Amelia Island Concours d'Elegance Best of Show and 2004 Pebble Beach award winner, chassis 154140 has the most desirable bodystyle offered on the Mercedes-Benz 540 chassis.
The last Spezial-Roadster to sell by RM Auctions fetched £3,905,000 or $8,252,201 USD. With these kind of numbers, the car on offer in Monterey is expected to break records among a significant collection of supercharged Mercedes from the 1930s.
MINI's New Coupe
MINI John Cooper Works Coupe
Today BMW launched the MINI Coupe by revealing this John Cooper Works-trimmed version. With 208 bhp, it's the fastest model available alongside the Cooper S Coupe and 121 hp Cooper Coupe.
Unlike anything else with a MINI badge, the Coupe has an active rear wing that deploys above 80 kph. The rear trunk opens much like hatchback, but the cargo space is fully enclosed.
Naturally, the wide array of accessories and individualization are available on the Coupe such as the twin stripes which can now run the extent of the body.
5th-Generation BMW M5
560 BHP BMW M5
Today BMW released details and images of the fifth-generation BMW M5. Included are many new M-specific parts in a package that closely follows the 5-series stepwise evolution.
New to the model is a 4.4-liter V8 engine that uses a twin scroll turbocharger setup to produce 560 bhp. With direct gasoline injection, BMW can also show off some impressive fuel consumption figures.
Another treat is the 7-Speed gearbox with double clutch transmission. It has a very short 4.806:1 first gear and stretches out to 0.671:1 in 7th. There is no mention of pricing or availability, but the car should appear at all the upcoming motor shows.
Audi Win Le Mans
Marcel Fässler, André Lotterer and Benoit Treluyer
Earlier today the #2 Audi of Marcel Fässler, André Lotterer and Benoit Treluyer won the 24 Hours of Le Mans with just a 13.854 second lead over the chasing Peugeot. This was the last Audi left in the race after dramatic crashes that put the Audis of McNish and Rockefeller in the wall.
Corvette Thunder prevailed in the GTE class with Olivier Beretta, Tommy Milner and Antonio García leading the AF Corse Ferrari which was on the same lap. This marks Garcia's 5th victory at Le Mans. The other sister Corvette led the race for 16 hours until a collision with a Porsche.
Our gallery has all the best moments from Le Mans organized by team and car. Enjoy.
Le Mans Preview
Team Peugeot
With just a few days to go before the 79th running of the 24 Hours of Le Mans, we have prepared a preview gallery. Included is the scrutineering, free practice and qualifying sessions leading up to Saturday's start.
This year, both the LMP1 and GT categories will be hotly contested and much of the race will be Audi vs Peugeot. Each have three cars and an exemplary team of drivers and support staff. Benoit Tréluyer secured pole position earlier today by driving Audi R18 #2 less then one second faster than the three Peugeots.
Newcomers in the GT classes include the Doran GT40 and Jetaliance Lotus Evora. These will compete with the best from Ferrari, Porsche and Corvette. Another new sight on the track is the Aston Martin AMR-One which was developed by Prodrive as their first sports prototype. These and more can be found in our gallery which will updated throughout the race.
The Fiat Museum
Fiat 525 SS
Today we take a look at Fiat's own museum called Centro Storico Fiat. It's used to showcase the rich heritage of Fiat in both their automotive and industrial applications dating back to 1899.
A centerpiece of the collection is the two-tone Fiat 525 SS. It's a competition model built in very low numbers for Fiat's best clientele. The 525 SS wouldn't be out of place in a Concours d'Elegance and isn't too far off an OM or Alfa Romeo of the period.
Sadly, the museum is missing some key points in Fiat history such as their early Grand Prix efforts which were copied wholesale by other manufacturers. None the less, our gallery of Centro Storico Fiat has some great oddities and key points from the passenger car range.
R8 GT Spyder
Audi R8 GT Spyder
Almost as a response to the SLS Roadster launched earlier this week, Audi have announced their R8 GT Spyder.
With a suspect rear wing, Audi is aiming at the wannabe racer crowd much like the CLK DTM Cabriolet of Mercedes' past. Even the E30 M3 lost its rear wing in drop-head guise, so what's going on here?
Audi have found areas to lighten the car which include more magnesium in the chassis, lighter seats and carbon fiber panels. A total of 80kg is lost from the standard R8 Spyder, but it's still heavier and slower than the R8 GT Coupe which is to be expected from almost any convertible.
Mecum's Indy Spring Classic
Shelby Cobra CSX2096
Not long ago Dana Mecum held his feature auction at the Indiana State Fairgrounds. With over 2000 cars on offer, it was the world's largest collector car auction and totaled sales of $50 million.
The weekend was topped by the 1971 Plymouth Hemi Cuda which sold for $550,000 USD. Another notable car was this Shelby Cobra demonstrator which traded hands for $490,000 USD.
We have assembled a gallery of highlights from Mecum including the top 10 sellers. Almost every flavor of muscle car was on offer including some COPO Camaros and Pontiac GTOs which aren't seen anywhere else.
