Author: mark

A 1962 Ferrari 250 GT Berlinetta Speciale to Cause Storm at Pebble Beach Auction! 

The one-off Ferrari 250GT is expected to draw a huge amount of interest at Gooding & Company’s Pebble Beach auction on 15-16 August.

The stunning Ferrari was designed by the great Giorgetto Giugiaro and owned by the famous and most influential Italian coachbuilders Nuccio Bertone.  Since its debut in 1962, the car has been praised as a definitive example of Italian automotive design and a coachbuilt Ferrari of incredible beauty and importance.

The 250GT passed through several owners over the years but in 1980 Lorenzo Zambrano bought the car and remained a jewel in his collection for more than 30 years.

The unique Ferrari was displayed at Geneva Auto Salon and Torino Auto Shows and began its concours career in 1982. In 1996 collected the Luigi Chinetti Memorial Trophy and won twice the Best of the Show award at leading international concours.

Despite restorations, the 250 GT retains its original engine, transmission, and chassis and comes complete with books, tools, and a Massini Report.  As Gooding&Company states the 250 GT SWB “… possesses every special quality sought after by discerning collectors.”

The one-of-a-kind Ferrari will be offered at public auction for the first time in its history and is expected to reach between $14m-$16m. 

Oracle Finance, providing flexible finance for exceptional cars.

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Meet the Stunning Ferrari 488 Spider!

The new open-top Ferrari 488 Spider is revealed ahead of its world debut at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September. 

Considered to be the most powerful mid-engined convertible that the company has ever made, the Spider can accelerate from 0 to 62mph in 3secs, matching the 488 GTB coupe.

Ferrari claims that the 488 offers an uncompromised performance, despite replacing the fixed roof for a reclining hard top, due to its power-to-weight ratio which is only 15bhp down on the coupe at 440bhp/ton.

The supercar is powered by the same twin-turbocharged 3.9-litre V8, as the 488 GTB, and it produces 661bhp and 560lb ft of torque.

The new Spider is the most aerodynamically efficient drop-top that Ferrari has yet made and has numerous visual changes from the coupé, such as the large flying buttresses behind the two seats and an electric rear glass window, which can be adjusted to three positions.

The 488 Spider is due to go on sale in spring next year and even though official pricing has not yet been confirmed, a premium of around £204,000, before options, is expected.  

Oracle Finance, providing flexible finance for exceptional cars.

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TF-X: In Seconds an Airplane Becomes a Car! 

American company Terrafugia has recently revealed details of its TF-X flying car ahead of a planned 2021 sales launch.

The four-seat, plug-in hybrid electric flying car is Terrafugia’s vision for the future of personal transportation. The TF-X is capable of vertical take-off and landing eliminating thus the need for a runaway. Similarly, there is no need for a hanger either to store your personal plane as its wings furled and it will easily fit into a standard single car garage.

The TF-X will be able to drive on roads and highways and power will be provided by a petrol-electric plug-in hybrid system that claims 225kW of power.

Terrafugia states that the flying car will be able to cruise at speeds of up to 200mph and to have a non-stop flight for about 500miles.Its flying operations will be guided entirely by computer, although the driver can override the controls.  

The TF-X will be capable of automatically avoiding other air traffic, bad weather and restricted airspace, and in the event of a failure it will deploy its full-vehicle parachute allowing the car to land safely.

The company reckons that the TF-X should be statistically safer than driving a modern car and it will only take five hours of training to learn how to fly it.

The TF-X will be fully street-legal and is expected to cost about the same as a very high-end luxury car. 

Oracle Finance, providing flexible finance for exceptional cars.

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Mexican-Built Supercar VUHL 05 is Coming to UK!  

The VUHL, which stands for Vehicles of Ultra High Performance and Lightweight, was originally only intended for the Middle-East but the company has now confirmed that its Vuhl 05 will be available in the UK.

Even though the Vuhl has its roots in Mexico, the testing and engineering of the 05 has been conducted throughout the U.S. and Europe. Ford, Multimatic, and Michelin are official development partners in the project and several British engineering firms have already helped with the final set-up, with 40 per cent of the components in the car designed or built in the UK.

The road-legal track car aims to offer pure driving thrills so it comes without power steering and a simple six-speed manual gearbox. The Vuhl is powered by Ford’s 2-litre turbocharged Ecoboost engine that produces 285bhp and 420Nm of torque. Due to the astonishing power to weight ratio, the lightweight supercar is capable of reaching 0-62mph in 3.7 seconds and a top speed of 152mph.

The highly exclusive racer will be produced in limited numbers of just 50 cars a year with prices starting around £59,990. A special “Edition One” model, priced at £69,900, will be offered but the end price tag could be well over £77,000. This depends on the upgrade options available, such, as the ECU upgrade, carbon bucket seats, an all-carbon exterior, larger alloys and a unique finish for the interior and exterior.

The first right-hand drive Vuhl 05’s will be seen on UK roads before the end of 2015. 

Oracle Finance, providing flexible finance for exceptional cars.

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Morgan unveil the AR Plus 4 at Silverstone Classic

Morgan is showcasing a limited-edition racing-inspired version of the Plus 4 at this week’s Silverstone Classic meeting.

The AR Plus 4 commemorates 65 years of the Plus 4 and will be manufactured by AR Motorsport, Morgan’s racing division.

The car will be powered by a 225bhp Cosworth engine – the most powerful 2.0-litre yet produced by Morgan, and the first time the company has used a Cosworth engine in one of its cars.  The AR Plus 4 weighs just 900kg and should reach 0-60mph in around 6 seconds.

Despite its racing pedigree, the AR Plus 4 is a road car, and Morgan will produce a limited run of 50 cars.  A number of upgrades are included over the standard Plus 4, including adjustable shock absorbers, and a new suspension system and brakes.  Styling features include aluminium floor and door panels, 16-inch matt black alloy wheels, footwell lighting, ‘AR Motorsport’ detailing and a black Union Jack badge.

Morgan has also added more insulation to reduce road and wind noise affecting the interior and improve the car’s road usability.  LED headlights and tail-lights are included, and the cabin features a redesigned dashboard, crafted from Morgan’s core materials of ash, aluminium and leather.

The AR Plus 4 will be priced from £54,995, with Morgan reporting it has already taken several orders for the new car.

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Introducing the stunning McLaren 675LT

Based on the 650S, McLaren’s striking new track-focused road car incorporates many improvements over its predecessor.

The 675LT features over 100 modifications, including lighter engine components, carbon-fibre for the body rear of the doors and forged wheels.  Thinner glass has been used, there’s a polycarbonate engine cover, lighter suspension system… the list goes on!

When combined with the improved M838 TL twin-turbo V8 engine, all this translates into much improved performance, with the car lapping Silverstone far closer to McLaren’s £903,000 P1 hypercar than the £195,250 650S.

With 666bhp at its disposal, the car can reach 62mph in a mere 2.9sec, 124mph in 7.9secs and a maximum speed of 205mph.

The 675LT comes with a price tag of £259,500, but McLaren have already sold their full production run of 500 cars. 

Oracle Finance, providing flexible finance for exceptional cars.

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Porsche release images of new 911 2016

Porsche has released the first official prototype images of its new 911 2016.  The latest facelift, dubbed ‘991.2’ by Porsche, will include only minor styling changes, but will feature new interior detailing and turbocharging across the range.

The exterior updates will include a new headlamp design, thinner LED daytime running lights, larger air intakes and tailpipes mounted closer together.

The key change however is an expected switch to new turbocharged flat-six engines across the range (excluding the GT3 and GT3RS), with unconfirmed reports of a 365hp 2.7-litre unit for the Carrera, and a 414hp 3.0 litre engine for the Carrera S.  Outright capacity will be reduced compared with the current 3.4 and 3.8-litre engines, but power is expected to increase by 20-30bhp across the range.  Economy and emissions will also improve, with the base Carrera possibly slipping below 200g/km of CO2.

Interior changes will include a new 918-inspired steering wheel, which for the first time features a driving mode selector, offering four different programmes.  Damping, engine mapping, exhaust noise and even gearshift ferocity (with PDK transmission) will all be adjustable.  The new 911 will also feature the latest version of Porsche’s touchscreen infotainment system.

Porsche is expected to unveil the updated 911 at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September, with the first customer deliveries in early 2016.

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Ferrari 250 GT California Spider expected to fetch $18m!

This beautiful Ferrari 250 GT California Spider is coming up for auction at Gooding’s Pebble Beach sale on the 15^th-16^th August, with organisers expecting the car to fetch an astonishing $18 (£11.5m)!

This example is the short-wheelbase version with covered headlights and a a 3.0 litre V12, one of just 37 of this type built by Ferrari in the late Fifties and early Sixties

According to Gooding & Co, this is the first time since the 1960s that this particular SWB 250 GT has been offered for sale.  It is a completely authentic period example, with no restoration work carried out.

The expected $18m price tag reflects the desirability of this incredibly rare Ferrari – a few years ago another covered-headlight SWB 250 GT Spider sold for $8,580,000.

Oracle Finance, providing flexible finance for exceptional cars.

T: 08450 944 997