BMW's Electric 8-Series
BMW i8 Concept study
Today BMW made a larger commitment to electric propulsion by announcing the BMW i3 for 2013 and the 2014 BMW i8. Taking cues from the 2009 BMW Vision EfficientDynamics, both cars are leap forward in style and engineering.
The i8, which we presume will become the top-of-the-line 8-series, boasts figures close to 80 mpg which is well on target for Obama's new CAFE standards in the USA. It achieves this by using electric motors and a single three-cylinder petrol engine.
With this hybrid system, the i8 makes around 350 bhp and can reach 100 kph (62 mph) in around 5 seconds. In fully electric mode, the car can go 35 km or 20 miles.
4th Black Series AMG Released
C 63 AMG Coupé Black Series
Whenever AMG releases a black series car we take notice and the new C 63 AMG Coupé is no exception. As the fourth Black Series car, it's the most powerful C-class Mercedes and also the most expensive.
Performance comes from an engine which is straight out of the SLS AMG. This means the car has more than enough performance, but retains the useability of the C-Class platform with a rear seat delete.
Probably one of the best features about the model is its agressive bodykit which isn't too far off the same look from the SL 65 Black Series. It's also a shot at the BMW M3 and Audi RS5 crowd which is spurred on by DTM.
Gooding set to Break Auction Record
1957 Ferrari 250 Testa Rossa Prototipo
On Monday Gooding & Company announced the prototype Ferrari 250 Testa Rossa for their Pebble Beach Auction in August. They said “If this Testa Rossa sells next month, it will be the most valuable car ever sold at auction in the world.”
Reading between the lines, we can assume that the reserve is higher than the €9,020,000 achieved for Ferrari 250 Testa Rossa 0714TR in 2009. That car currently tops our Top 100 Cars at Auction list which should look different after Monterey.
In recent times the Testa Rossa on offer has been fully prepared by Butch Dennison for its caretaker and driver Jon Shirley. We've seen it at Pebble Beach, at Cavallino and on the track at Laguna. The results of which can be found here on Supercars.net.
GTO Race at Laguna Seca
6 GTOs and friends on the corkscrew.
The upcoming Montery Motorsports Reunion will host a race in honor of the Ferrari 250 GTO on Saturday, August 20th. For many this will be the highlight of the weekend and reason enough to travel to Monterey.
However, it won't be the first such race. Back in 2004, the Monterey Historic Races (as they were known) celebrated Ferrari as a feature marque and put together the most Ferrari GTOs, 20 to be exact, in a single race.
Today we can present the 2004 edition of the GTO race which Ferrari valued at over $250,000,000 dollars. Looking ahead we wonder which new cars might show up to also celebrate Pebble Beach's 250 GTO class. If you will be at Laguna, please let us know, we would love to get more angles of this upcoming race.
SSC names Supercar ‘Tuatara’
SSC Tuatara
Today SSC names the supercar that was first previewed at Monterey almost a year ago. Now called Tuatara, it was previously known as the Ultimate Aero II and was a huge step forward in design for SSC.
Jason Castriota is responsible for the new car's style. It has details that remind us of the 2009 Bertone Mantide and 2006 Ferrari P4/5 by Pininfarina, but it is much more radical in concept.
There are no real details of the car being officially announced at the moment, but we expect to see it at at the upcoming Monterey festivities in August.
DTM in 2012
2011 BMW M3 DTM Concept Car
Today both BMW and Audi gave us a glimpse of what the 2012 DTM season will look like. BMW will contest the series for the first time since they campaigned the mighty E30 M3 over 20 years ago.
The first step towards BMW's 2012 season is this prototype M3 DTM with a blacked-out interior and flat black paint. The car is being shown as an indicator to what the 2012 car might look like.
Audi also released details of their upcoming A5 DTM R17 coupe which will replace the 4-door 2009 Audi A4 DTM R14 plus. There is still no word from Mercedes-Benz.
Seller Submission: The Most Winning E-Type
Gran Turismo Jaguar's Ole 19
Following the popularity of sites like Bring a Trailer, we decided to make this remarkable Jaguar E-Type our first “exclusive.” Unearthed after 29 years, we can present the ‘Ole 19’ which humbled C Production competition in the early 1980s.
This roadster was developed in Ohio by Fidanza Engineering and raced under the Gran Turismo Jaguar banner against cars like the Datsun 280ZX and Triumph TR8. Throughout eight years of racing the car racked up an impressive list of outright victories; enough to call this the most winning E-Type of all time.
The car is for sale and you should let us know if you're seriously interested (at least 6 figures). Otherwise the owner hopes to have it available in Monterey as part of the 50th-anniversary celebrations.
The Mercer-Cobra
1965 Mercer-Cobra
One of the more controversial Shelby Cobras is this Mercer-Cobra. Built to promote the American Copper Development Association, it has an abundance of copper decoration and a custom body by Virgil Exner.
A product of Italy, the Mercer-Cobra is an odd shape for the potent Cobra platform. It's pre-war, art-deco styling is resurrected from past marques and a direction that Virgil Exner chose for his Revival Series. Of the five proposals this was one of the few that were realized in metal.
Called a “true piece of automotive art,” RM auctions will offer the Mercer-Cobra at their upcoming Monterey sale. It comes from the esteemed William Lyon Collection and is joined by several other prewar Mercedes.
800 BHP Brabus Cabriolet
2011 Brabus 800 V12 Biturbo
Brabus are extending their range by fitting the 6.3-liter, twin turbo V12 in the Mercedes-Benz E-Class Cabriolet.
This engine, called the 6.3-R, was first shoehorned into the W212 platform in 2009 for the 'one of ten' Black Baron. The cabriolet is unique because it doesn't directly compete with an AMG alternative.
The show car is fitted with all the Brabus upgrades to the brakes, suspension, body, wheels, tires and interior. A complete car is worth €478,000 or $677,000 USD! For a comparison, you can see Carlsson's kit on the same car.
Unrestored Ferrari Announced
1956 Ferrari 410 Superamerica Series II
This week Gooding & Company are announcing 0715SA among five Ferrari show cars for their upcoming Pebble Beach Auction in August.
0715SA has the distinction of being the sole surviving unrestored Ferrari of its kind with just 19,000 miles from new. At events like Pebble Beach we poured over the many original details including the interior leather and spare tire.
In recent times original examples such as this have been commanding a premium over fully restored counterparts. Earlier this year Gooding & Company sold the 7,367-mile 1962 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Roadster for a record $951,500 USD.
2012 Goodwood Festival of Speed
Jaguar E-Type Celebrated at Goodwood
This weekend the Goodwood Festival of Speed is acknowledging the iconic Jaguar E-Type and the 50 years since it was first launched at the Geneva Motor show. This is being celebrated with a grand sculpture in front of Goodwood House depicting a Coupe and several real e-types are being presented up the hill every day.
Other features of this year's Goodwood include a tribute to the The Indianapolis Motor Speedway, a Forest Rally stage and Super Touring cars of the BTCC. A new supercar called the BAC Mono also got previewed for the first time.
Our gallery has many highlights from this year's event. If you have anything more to contribute, please let us know. UPDATE: We have included many terrific shots by Andrew Coates of globalsupercars.co.uk.
The Porcelain Veyron
L'Or Blanc's Engine Bay
At the end of June, Bugatti released this Veyron ‘L'Or Blanc’. Part art, part supercar, it is a Veyron Grand Sport with an abstract livery more suited for the track than the road.
The ‘L'Or Blanc’ is part of a collaboration with Königliche Porzellan-Manufatur Berlin (KPM) who have been in the porcelain business since 1763. While the body isn't made of porcelain, the design is inspired by it.
Aside from the striking livery, the theme is extended to porcelain inserts in the interior. Only one L'Or Blanc is planned and will be sold to a customer for €1,650,000.
