Track-bound SLR
Surprisingly, we now have pictures of the new Mercedes-Benz SLR race car. Somehow slipping through the usual trials of press embargoes and releases, the new 722 GTR was casually spotted at a dealership in Germany.
Photographer HDennis realized how special his spot was when he came across an official AMG plaque that spilled the beans.
The new GTR is aimed at becoming a track-day special or possible FIA GT contender. AMG have lightened the car a remarkable 660 lbs (300kg) which might make it competitive in the sparsely contested GT1 class.
Along with the diet comes an agressive body kit, stripped interior and OZ racing wheels. We wonder what else comes with the 775 000 Euro price tag.
While we wait for more official pictures to surface, we would like to thank HDennis and Basmann007 for making this happen. To celebrate the release, we also updated the classic 300SLR with some pretty studio photographs.
Autumn Supercars
We begin this week with the BF Performance GT 660 - a much more sensible Murcielago than the recently revealed Reventon. Both are based on the LP640, but only the BF version has more performance. Also from the tuning scene comes Roush's Mustang 428R which is supercharged to peak at 435 horsepower.
The newest supercar manufacturer on the block is Farbio. Their updated version of the 2004 Farboud GTS is set to compete directly with the Lotus Exige and might be raced in the FIA GT3 Championship.
Subaru are teasing us with a dark photo of the upcoming WRX STi. Appearing much more aggressive than the base model, we believe the company's 'substantially different' claim will be true when the full details are revealed at Tokyo.
Earlier this month, Forum user Bill Rizopoulos got a rare look inside the Monteverdi Museum in Biningen and posted a fascinating gallery. To coincide, we now feature the rare Monteverdi Hai 450 SS. This is the 1970 Geneva show car that was supposed to revive marque.
RIP Colin McRae
Over the weekend, the world lost Colin McRae. He was one of the greatest drivers and his colorful career spanned the gamut of rally racing. Earlier this year, McRae started a new chapter by launching the R4 Rally Car and debuted it at Goodwood.
Today, we pay tribute to Colin by showcasing his finest moment - that being the 1995 World Rally season in which he raced and won the Driver's championship with this Impreza 555.
Next up, we have a brief report on the SSC Ultimate Aero which has unofficially claimed the record of 'world's fastest production car'. Achieving an average speed of 255.83 MPH, the twin-turbo Aero goes faster than the Veyron (253 mph), McLaren (240.1 mph) and Koenigsegg (245 mph).
We finish with an additional group of Frankfurt releases which didn't fit in the earlier list:
2007 Carlsson CL 600 CK65 Eau Rouge
2008 Wiesmann GT MF5
2007 Edo 911 GT2 R
2007 Mansory Continental GTC
2008 Alpina B6 S
2007 Hamann Thunder
Frankfurt Time
Now that Lamborghini has revealed their supercar ahead of the Frankfurt Auto Show, this is a good time to review everything that will be on display.
Lamborghini's new Reventon is the most outrageous design at the show and many viewers say its styling goes too far. Underneath the Reventon is an LP640 platform with its 640 bhp, V12 engine. Props should go to Lamborghini for keeping this one under wraps until the actual release date.
Here's a running list of everything exciting at Frankfurt. Over the next few days pictures from the show floor will be added.
2008 Lamborghini Reventon
2007 Bugatti 16/4 Veyron Pur Sang
2007 Ferrari F430 Scuderia
2008 Porsche 911 GT2
2008 Aston Martin DBS
2008 Audi RS6 Avant
2007 Brabus Bullit
2008 Maserati Quattroporte Sport GT S
2007 Peugeot Flux Concept
2007 Nissan Mixim Concept
2008 Jaguar XF SV8
2007 Novitec 599 GTB
2007 Aston Martin DB9 LM
2007 Aston Martin V8 Vantage N400
2007 AC Schnitzer GP3.10
2007 Renault Laguna Coupe Concept
2007 Opel Flextreme Concept
2007 Mercedes-Benz F 700 Concept
Postwar Aston Tribute
In 1947, David Brown purchased Aston Martin for 20 000 GBP and revived it into a promising company. His very first product was the DB1 which provided a launch point for many more successful cars.
1959 was the most rewarding year during Aston's David Brown era. During this time, Carol Shelby and Roy Salvadori took the overall victory at LeMans with DBR1/2. Later, the World Sportscar Championship was clinched and David Brown announced his retirement from racing.
The brand became even more famous when Ian Fleming's novel Goldfinger was adapted for the big screen in 1964. 007's ride was a Silver Birch DB5 equipped with all the necessary gimmickry for the movie. This was Aston's most successful marketing scheme and Aston built many replicas to help with promotion.
Aston Martin will start its next chapter when the new owners debut three models at the upcoming Frankfurt motor show. Along with these modern supercars, we take some time to review Aston's exceptional postwar history:
1948 Aston Martin DB1 2-Litre Sports
1956 Aston Martin DB2/4 Touring Spyder
1957 Aston Martin DBR1
1961 Aston Martin DB4 GT Zagato
1965 Aston Martin DB5 James Bond
2007 Aston Martin DB9 LM
2007 Aston Martin V8 Vantage N400
2008 Aston Martin DBS
Monterey Wrap-Up
A long time coming, but we are now done Monterey. By featuring the major shows last week, we can now focus on the auctions and smaller events.
Some of the most talked about action came from the auction houses which sold a total of $133 million dollars in cars. Prices were high due to a low US dollar and that helped two California Spyders reach record levels. Gooding & Co sold the world's oldest running automobile and also snagged the top sale of the weekend with their Boat Tail Bentley. A special mention should go to Christies who sold Steve McQueen's Lusso for a staggering $2.31 million.
Friday was busy, and many were torn between two events. Our friend Stephan Bauer decided to visit the Concorso Italiano and capture everything it had to offer. His gallery includes the sparkling Lamborghini models and many of the recent supercars to hit the streets.
Meanwhile, we spent the afternoon at the Quail and found a delightful collection Cunninghams and Ferrari Series I Cabriolets. Top honors went to a vicious Cunningham C4R, but there were many exciting entries that could have taken the award.
This concludes our Monterey coverage. We would like the thank all the organizers for their hospitality and the volunteers that made these events happen.
