Ferrari F90
Design Sketches and more from Fumia Design
In our forum thread on the Brunei collection, attention has recently focused on the Ferrari F90. New images and details have surfaced that warrant a definitive article.
This project was one of the first Ferraris that was made for the Sultan in 1988. He specially ordered the car from Pininfarina based on the Testarossa. Enrico Fumia was responsible for F90's design which was more outrageous than anything Ferrari would dare produce. As many know, he ordered his cars in bulk and in this case six F90s were made.
For years only one of the F90 studio shots surfaced on a poster. Today, we have more images and details available than ever before. If you want to see everything we have on this one, including a picture of the black F90, have a look at our thread by Bassman.
700 bhp TechART, 500bhp Atom, 700BHP Carlsson
Tuner GP-winning TechArt GTstreet RS
To win the Tuner GP around Hockenheim, TechArt used the Porsche 911 GT2 as their secret weapon. Being lighter, it was able to upset Gemballa, Cargraphic and other entrants.
The winning TechArt resembled the old GTstreet package, but had minor aerodynamic tweaks, enough to call it the RS. TechArt also boosted the turbocharger to from 19 lbs to 23 lbs. This, along with some exhaust work meant that Jorg Hardt had 700 bhp to the rear wheels.
Another car which benefits from lightweight chassis and an extreme engine is the new Ariel Atom 500. Boasting 1000 bhp per ton, it currently sits second on our power-to-weight list. This is possible thanks to the car's V8 power and aluminum chassis. The 500 will be available in limited edition to both the European and American markets.
We finish in luxury with the new Carlsson S600. Complete with 700bhp engine tuning and a bespoke interior by Aigner, we think this is probably the ultimate Gumball 3000 rally car. Now we just have to muscle up the $120,000 USD entry fee and 390,000 euros for the whip.
2008 British Motor Show
Lotus debut the V6 Avora
While the British Motor Show is trying to broaden its scope with displays of supercars and classics, the main appeal has not been lost. That is the specialty British manufacturers which still have room to display their low-volume sports cars.
Probably the most typical of these is the new Lotus Evora, a refined 2+2 that the company says is the world's only mid engine 2+2. Where the Evora is reserved, the Lightning GT is not. It was also debuted at the show, but as England's first electronic sportscar. It uses in-wheel engines to offer somewhere near 700 BHP! Some might remember that this is actually a development of the old Ronart Lightning from 2000.
These supercars, plus more from the 2008 British Show car be found in our highlights gallery. Below is a list of all the major debuts:
2008 Lightning GT
2009 Lotus Evora
2009 Ford Focus RS
2008 Renault Mégane R26.R.
2008 Subaru WRX STI 380S Concept
2008 IFR Automotive Aspid
2008 Mastretta MXT
Mont Tremblant Ferrari Festival
Two FXX Evoluziones on the last turn
This year the FXX program is extending into its second phase and last week we caught up with them half way through their world tour. In only one of two North American stops, a total of seven FXX Evoluziones were present at Mont Tremblant near Montreal.
Ferrari held the event to coincide with the Mont Tremblant Ferrari Festival, so many other classics were around. A disc-brake class had both a 512 S and the local 512 M Sunoco, while the older drum cars had another nice pairing: two 8C-35 Alfa Romeos that were painted like a match set.
These cars and more can be found in this week's gallery by Richard Owen. The next stop for the FXX Evolution tour is Laguna Seca on August 10th.
2008 Goodwood Festival of Speed
Why Not? Mazda Furai Lights it Up
Among two other prominent events held last weekend, we have finally finished the 18th Goodwood Festival of Speed.
Many different themes distinguish each year, but what we are most interested in is the supercar run. Both the Ginetta G50 and Jaguar XF-R celebrated their world debuts in this class. Bugatti was also kind enough to bring a Sang Noir and Hermes edition Veyron, but sadly neither ran the road course.
Porsche's 60th was celebrated in a massive way. Karl Ludvigsen released his new Ferdinand Porsche biography and the Style et Luxe concours had four Type-S Mercedes which Porsche penned in the prewar era. One of the these, a 710 SSK Trossi Roadster owned by Ralph Lauren, won the concours.
Justin Law set the fastest time of the weekend by hitting 44.19 seconds up the hill in his 1990 Jaguar XJR12. This was contrasted by eight historic cars which celebrated the centenary of the 1908 French Grand Prix.
Resident UK photographer Ilya Holt was at the festival all weekend to capture our comprehensive gallery. He appreciated the Forest Rally Stage, its special tribute to Scottish rallying legend Colin McRae, the 205 T16 E2 and many current WRC machines.
2008 Le Mans Classic
Start of Race 1
Probably the only historic races that run at night are held during the Le Mans Classic. Every two years, six classes each run three heats over a 24 hour period. One race is held in darkness, so many cars are equipped with extra lighting.
The 2008 edition had its usual share of impressive entrants. In Grid 2 was the exact 1957 Aston Martin DBR1 which won LeMans. Some heavy hitters like the Porsche 917 were out in force. These, combined with 100s of entrants and 1000s of corral cars made the LMC a tough choice over the Goodwood Festival of Speed.
It's hard to pick a favorite, but the Ferrari Breadvan was one of the more impressive sights as it powerslided in and around the esses. Each race ran the full 14 km circuit, so drivers had the full opportunity to test their limits.
Our 2008 edition comes to us from photographer Dirk de Jager. The immensity of this gallery shows how well the Peter Organization can run an event. Every field was filled with sports cars and many of those were concours quality. To really get a sense of it all, we encourage you to view our 900-image gallery.
Acura wins Limerock
Brabham defends his pole position.
With a new track layout and surface, Limerock's short ciruit brought excitement back to sports car racing. Last weekend's Northeast Grand Prix included the 5th round of ALMS and finished with unexpected results.
In the final laps, Acura secured their first overall victory. Contact between the Dyson and Penke Porsches put the leading car out of the race, letting Brabham & Sharp win.
The event also celebrated 25 years of Dyson racing. The team wrapped one of their Porsche Spyders to match the 962 which won at the circuit 25 years ago. 962/101 was on display and was the winner at Limerock on May 30th 1985.
The first two customer Aston Martin V8 Vantages were present as well as the first couple Doran-Ford GTs to run in the GT2 class. These and more can be found in our feature gallery by Richard Owen.
SL65 AMG Black Series
SLR or This or Neither?
After months of seeing SL Black Series pictures on tracks like Nurburgring, the final production version is now revealed. AMG have spent considerable time transforming the SL into a wider, more powerful and full-time coupe. What they have made is the best Black Series yet.
Along with the carbon fiber roof comes an integrated roll-bar that replaces the retractable hard top. At the rear is an optional and adjustable wing. Wider flares are inspired by DTM and the huge front intakes make the SL look considerably more menacing.
Under the hood is the SL65 V12 engine with upgraded turbochargers that help the SL achieve 661 bhp and 738 ft lbs of torque. This enormous power is necessary for the car's 4122 lbs of bulk.
The new model is rumored to cost $320,000 USD and will be built in a limited edition of just 200 examples.
Veritas Past & Present
Veritas RSIII hits production
Veritas is no newcomer to Supercars.net. We featured the original concept back in 2001 and now have multiple versions of the original 1940s racecar in our galleries.
Today we have an entirely new supercar from the recently revived company, Veritas AG. They have sent us a press release outlining the production Veritas RSIII. Like the earlier cars, it will use a BMW-sourced engine to power an extremely lightweight race car. In this case either the V10 or V8 in a chassis that's suitable as a track day car.
The original Veritas was conceived as early as 1946. Called the Rennsport, it raced alongside some of the very first post-war cars like Ferrari's first Barchettas. Now, with only a handful of Rennsports left, a good example fetches more than $500,000 USD. After seeing two lap the Monaco Historic races, and 85123 sell for what is probably a record amount, we decided a proper feature is due.
1908 French GP
Tire change in 1908
100 years ago today, on July 8th 1908, German manufacturers took the top three places at the French Grand Prix. While the winning Mercedes and Benz teams were surprisingly delighted, this victory silenced the French organizers.
Christian Lautenschlager drove his Mercedes 140 HP for almost seven hours before being declared winner in this seminal race. He was trailed by two 120 HP Benz models which made the marque's GP debut a resounding success. Not until 1912 was the next major GP event held in France.
To commemorate this outstanding German victory, we feature the exact car which won the 1908 French GP 100 years ago. Mercedes-Benz will also have a copy of the 120 HP Benz which placed second and third in the race at the upcoming Goodwood Festival of Speed.
Saint-Cloud Concours
Coupe De Ville Napoleon Arrives
Until last weekend, Paris didn't have a Concours d'Elegance of its own. Fortunately, a group known as LVA held an inaugural concours to fill the gap. Furthermore, they chose the picturesque Saint-Cloud national park.
The absolute highlight of the area is a waterfall known as the Grande Cascade. It uses a naturally-powered hydraulic system to spread water over a complex masonry structure. This is the kind of impressive backdrop that most other car shows lack.
Starting with a bang, LVA had the priceless Bugatti Royale from the National Collection driven to the event. Undoubtedly, it created a huge buzz on the road and down the main drag in Paris. For next year, the organizers are trying to arrange an even larger convoy of Royales flanked by Veyrons.
Another impressive display was organized by the the Lorraine-Dietrich club. They brought out a LeMans winner as well as 18 other examples of this rare marque. All these and more can be seen in our gallery by Dirk de Jager
