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The pair of Ferrari classes (for Competition and Grand Touring) are a set fixture at the Pebble Beach. One of the stars at this year's Concours d'Elegance in the Ferrari Competition class was this unique 212 MM Vignale Berlinetta. This is the only 212 MM produced as the subsequent 212 competition cars received the moniker 'Export' and it has a rich contemporary racing career, highlighted by a victory in the Coppa InterEuropa at Monza with Luigi Villoresi behind the wheel. Following a crash very early in its life, the car's body was rebuilt in a more modern style by Vignale. This has finally been rectified through a ground up restoration and Pebble Beach was the first time for the world to admire the one-off 212 MM Vignale Berlinetta in its original glory since August of 1951.
Lamborghini was one of the featured marques at Pebble this year, and our eye was particularly caught by two special Miura P400 SVs. The first was one of just ten fitted with a limited slip differential and after being stored in 1981, it has survived in remarkable original condition. The other was the very last one built and actually the first Lamborghini tested by the now legendary test driver Valentino Balboni exactly forty years ago. Both remarkable Miuras are pictured in this 18-shot gallery both on the lawn at Pebble and on the Tour d'Elegance.
With just a few days to go until the show opens, more and more manufacturers offer a first glimpse of what is to come in Frankfurt. Both Citroen and Smart will launch funky concepts in the form of the Cactus and Fourjoy respectively. Mercedes-Benz will take the wraps off the CLA 45 AMG Racing Series. Built to compete in a series for two-litre turbocharged cars, it is designed to be able to race as both a front-wheel or all-wheel drive car.

2013-09-04: Audi Sport quattro at 30 and further IAA news ...

At next week's Frankfurt Motor Show or IAA, Audi will celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Sport quattro with the all new 700 hp Sport quattro concept. The sophisticated machine boasts a plug-in hybrid drivetrain that consists of a twin-turbo V8 and an electric motor, good for a combined 700 hp and 800 Nm of torque. In addition to its high performance credentials, the Sport quattro concept is also capable of running 50 km on the electric motor alone. To put today's concept car in perspective, we have also redone our Sport quattro article with images of one of just ten examples sold to the United States.
Also using what is basically the same V8 as the Audi sport quattro concept is the Bentley Continental GT V8 S. In this application, the twin-turbo V8 produces 521 bhp. The GT V8 S will be available as both a Coupe and a Convertible.
Meanwhile Porsche is continuing to test the LMP1 racer ahead of its competition debut in 2014 when it is due to race in the FIA World Endurance Championship including the 24 Hours of Le Mans. We continue to keep tabs on the program and have expanded our article with the latest images and also a video of the camouflaged machine.

2013-09-02: Monterey Auctions and new Jaguar Concept ...

Among the most highly anticipated events of the Monterey Car Week were the various collector car auctions where as many as 100 cars were expected to sell for over $1 million. The neutreal observers were certainly not disappointed as no record was safe. Each of the three auction houses we visited, Bonhams, RM Auctions and Gooding & Co., had reason to look back at their respective sales with great satisfaction. Particularly Bonhams had a reason to celebrate as the British company bounced back from their dismal sale in 2012. It was, however RM Auctions, that grabbed most headlines when they sold a Ferrari 275 GTB/4 Nart Spyder for a staggering $27.5 million with all proceeds going to charity. The result of our visits to the respective auctions is this concise report, illustrated by a 200-shot gallery of all the highlights. At the bottom of the article, links to the complete results are posted.
With little over a week to go, the latest addition to the list of releases due in Frankfurt is the Jaguar C-X17. Although we have only been handed a teaser image, we do know that the compact hatchback will feature Jaguar's new modular aluminium architecture.

2013-08-29: 2013 The Quail, a Motorsports Gathering report and 220-shot gallery ...

Among the most exclusive events of the Monterey car week is without a doubt The Quail, a Motorsports Gathering. Hosted by the Quail Lodge, the unique concours d'elegance has a relatively small capacity and the tickets do not come cheap. Those who do manage to get their hands on the hard-to-come-by tickets for the 10th anniversary edition were once again treated to a fantastic array of sports and racing cars from almost every era. In addition to the familiar classes, there were special classes this year for among others the Aston Martin Centennial, 50 Years of Lamborghini and Pete Brock Designs. An integral part of 'The Quail' is the superb food and drinks served all around the show field, which this year was slightly larger. One of our favourite events of the week, we spent a great day in the Carmel Valley. The end result is this detailed report, illustrated by a 220-shot gallery.
While we continue our coverage from the Monterey car week, new cars due in Frankfurt do also keep popping up. Today, Volvo revealed the Concept Coupe, which is the spiritual successor to the P1800. In addition to the striking two-door body, the Volvo show car also boasts the company's new 'Scalable Product Architecture' and a 400 bhp hybrid drivetrain, which includes a four-cylinder engine equipped with a turbocharger and a supercharger. Whether the Concept Coupe will evolve into a production car is still a mystery but we certainly expect some design cues, the chassis and drivetrain to be used for future models.

2013-08-28: STI tweaked Subaru BRZ, more IAA news and a sneak peek at the Corvette C7.R ...

Subaru Tecnica International (STI) have worked their magic on the BRZ for the first time to create the BRZ tS. Although the tweaked machine does not (yet) feature a turbocharged version of the flat four engine and will only be available in Japan, it nevertheless looks like a very capable car, especially considering how good the base model is. With the engine off limits, the STI engineers instead focused on the suspension, brakes and aerodynamics to make the Subaru BRZ tS handle even better. Production is limited to just 500 examples while a GT Package with additional goodies is available on just 250 of those.
Although it may look a little inconspicuous, the Toyota Yaris Hybrid-R Concept may very well be among the most interesting cars due in Frankfurt in a fortnight. It boasts a hybrid system similar to that of the TS030 Le Mans racer complete with the supercapacitor storage system and more importantly also uses the all-new Global Race Engine (GRE). This four turbocharged four cylinder engine is built to the latest specifications and will be used in a variety cars, most likely including the TS030's all-new replacement. Another 'R Concept' on show in Germany will be this Peugeot 308 R. Powered by a 270 hp four cylinder engine, it could offer a first glimpse of a hot version of Peugeot's large hatchback. Also previewing an upcoming production model will be the Infiniti Q30 Concept of which the first image has been released this week.
One of the highlights of last week's Monterey Motorsports Reunion was the surprise debut of the Chevrolet Corvette C7.R. It is expected to make its competition debut early next year at the inaugural USCR event; the Daytona 24 Hours.

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