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After almost 18 years, Ferrari acknowledged that the F90 existed, and six were made for the Sultan of Brunei in 1988. A brief passage in the 2005 Ferrari Annual outlined an impressive order of six bespoke supercars, which were much more daring than anything Ferrari would have produced themselves. The project was managed by Enrico Fumia, the head of the Research and Development department at Pininfarina. At the time, the project was top secret, so much so, Ferrari didn't know of the project. Fumia styled the car and said the F90 name reffed to it being a "Ferrari of the '90s." All six F90s used a Ferrari Testarossa chassis which Pininfarina used to sculpt an entirely new body and interior on top of. The engines were stock units, producing 390 bhp to the rear wheels, but the radiators were moved to the car's front. Interestingly, only the wheels and mirrors were left from the Testarossa body. Enrico Fumia described the roof: "The most complicated 'detail' is the roof, still unique. It's a sliding Targa roof that overlaps the rear windshield. He goes on to say, "No doubt that F90 was the most complicated and sophisticated prototype ever built by Pininfarina: a difficult technical exercise mixed with a dramatic style.". Ferrari says one of the most striking design cues was the edge design that flows around the vehicle. Fumia describes this as the elliptical leit-motiv. This theme is extended to the rear light cluster, rear wing, and door accents. A glass greenhouse surrounds the F90's custom interior, and the sunroof can be fully removed. After ordering six F90s, the Sultan and his brother Prince Jefri spent the next ten years ordering custom supercars from Aston Martin, Rolls Royce, Bentley, Dauer, and more. Before they stopped the influx of supercars, six Ferrari FXs were made around the 512M and featured William's F1 electro-hydraulic gearboxes. So far, none of the Sultan's special Ferraris have escaped Brunei. Only once was an F90 spotted in Monaco and was captured for a brief note in Cavallino magazine. When designing the F90, Enrico Fumia also envisioned a front-engine version and a four-door sedan. Unfortunately, these could never be presented to Ferrari. He hopes that one day the F90 might escape the clutches of Brunei to be seen and appreciated by the world. Source: Richard Owen - www.supercars.net Images: Pininfarina; Fumia Design

Before the arrival of the 1993 Dodge Intrepid 4-door sedan, a wedge-shaped 2-door concept called Intrepid was displayed at the 1988 Chicago show. Dodge considered the design an aerodynamic leap into the future. Topped by a full flush all-glass canopy, the prototype used sheet metal panels and was finished in a deep candy apple red. The mid-mounted 2.2-liter 4-cylinder was rated at 225 horsepower and 225 feet pounds of torque. The engine was teamed with a 5-speed manual gearbox called the Turbo III. Built off a Dodge Daytona chassis, Intrepid had a wheelbase of 95.4-inches, stood 45.6 inches tall, and rode on 16-inch front and 17-inch rear cast-aluminum wheels. Except for the roof shape, the Intrepid concept from 1988 was a nearly line-for-line preview of the 1991 Dodge Stealth R/T. Source: www.chicagoautoshow.com Images: Dodge

The Citroën Activa and Activa 2 were two concept cars produced by the French manufacturer Citroën as a means to test and showcase features intended for future use in their production cars. Both were unveiled at the Paris Motor Show in 1988 and 1990. Activa was later used to refer to the production Xantia fitted with Activa suspension. Among the features seen on the Activa models was the electronically controlled hydropneumatic suspension (known as the "Hydractive" system) combined with an active anti-roll bar. This married Citroën's famous hydropneumatic suspension system to sophisticated electronics, enabling the handling of the car to automatically adapt to how it was being driven and virtually eliminating body roll (one of the main criticisms of Citroën's hydropneumatic system was the amount of body roll). The Hydractive system was soon available first in Citroën's XM model 1989 and Xantia model 1993. In 1995 Activa prototypes' active anti-roll bar was introduced in the Xantia Activa, making it one of the few production cars to have an active suspension. The Activa 1 included full hydraulically connected, single wheel independent four-wheel steering, anti-lock brakes, and traction control, which were high-tech for the time, while the Activa 2 was more conventional, except the anti-roll-system and featured a center console keypad instead of a gear lever and a navigation system. In addition, the Activa 1 featured electronically operated doors that could all be opened at once using a remote control. Mechanically, the Activa 1 was powered by a 3.0L SOHC PRV 24 valve V6 engine producing 200 PS (147 kW; 197 hp) at 6000 rpm and 260 N⋅m (192 lbf⋅ft) of torque at 3600 rpm, coupled to a 4-speed automatic transmission. This gave the Activa 1 a claimed top speed of 136 mph (219 km/h). The Activa 2 was considered for production as a successor to the SM. Still, it was eventually decided that Citroën's image would make it too hard to compete with prestigious marques such as Mercedes-Benz and Porsche in the luxury 2-seat coupe market. Sources: "Citroën Activa concept car". www.citroenet.org.uk. Retrieved 2019-11-21; "Activa 1". Citroën Origins. Retrieved 2019-11-21. Images: Concept Car Central; www.citroenet.org.uk

The Venture was smaller than the Caprice but larger than the Celebrity and fit in with the division’s mission of being entry-level but providing more than the customer expects. “The other part of our mission statement is to make sure we don’t do any boring cars, that whatever we do is exciting and youthful,” said Don Lasky, Chief Designer of Chevy 1 Studio. “The Venture embodies that new spirit of exciting, youthful design.” Complete with a removable glass roof. You know, there needed to be more communication between engineering and design. Air conditioning engineers were planning to make A/C compressors smaller. Those big 40-pound A/C compressors installed in ’66 Buicks were going away along with the R-12 refrigerant that made them work so well. All of that glass looks great, but we really needed less glass and thicker roofs with more insulation to compensate for the deteriorating A/C performance. I live near Phoenix, Arizona, so that may influence my thinking. Source: GM Images: Concept Car Central; GM; JOHN LLOYD Collection

As futuristic as the 1988 Cadillac Voyage concept car design was, fans of 1950s cars could detect more than one styling element in the Voyage skin that harked back to that era. For one, the tightly-knit tapered-side grille could have been mounted on a Caddy of earlier vintage without creating a stir. The black exterior paint and the sheer size of the Cadillac Voyage concept car majestically conveyed Cadillac's reputation for bulk and strength. Matching (removable) front and rear fender skirts had never been seen on regulation Caddies, of course, but almost looked like they might have been. Taking advantage of contemporary technology, the front skirts were designed to move outward automatically when the car had to turn abruptly. They weren't stuck on just for show, but to help create an amazingly low drag coefficient (only 0.28) for such a large vehicle. From the base of the windshield to the bottom of the tail lamps, Voyage's upper greenhouse was a single, continuous sheet of tinted glass -- that's visibility! High-intensity tail lamps and turn signal indicators weren't plain old bulbs but then-modern-day Light Emitting Diodes. Forming a continuous strip, the rear lamps were hidden under glass; only the rear-vision video camera was visible, sending views from the back to a screen in the driver's compartment. High-visibility automatic flashers replaced standard reflectors to be sure oncoming traffic would see the Cadillac Voyage if it were parked at the roadside during the night. After all, even a 200-mph electronically-controlled machine might break down now and then. Windshield wipers were tucked away beneath a cover at the windshield base, rising on an elevator when needed. Both inside and outside mirrors were created to dim automatically to protect the driver from glare as bright lights approached. Getting into the car required no keys or locks, only the knowledge of a code for the keyless entry system. Pick the right one, and the doors would open, front windows slid down a couple of inches, and the seat and steering column moved aside to allow graceful entry. Back windows also tilted outward. Shut the door to the Cadillac Voyage concept car, and the seat would shift into the correct position for the driver who happened to be filling its cushion -- having memorized three different settings. And if that position wasn't quite right, more than 20 pneumatic and mechanical adjustments allowed all the refinements anyone could possibly want. Mirrors adjusted themselves, too, for each driver who'd requested a setting. The 1988 Cadillac Voyage concept car development by no means ignored the big sedan's luxurious cabin. The same attention was lavished on the 1989 Cadillac Solitaire concept car's interior. For example, cold wintry mornings could quickly be forgotten once inside the Voyage as the pre-heated seats emitted their warmth to the back and backside. And if that weren't enough, a little massage was available to get the blood going before the day got underway; or get rid of those annoying "pins and needles" feelings during a long drive. Business calls could be handled without even touching the built-in phone since it automatically recognized the driver's voice and dialed numbers. Unfamiliar with where you're going? Not a problem. The ETAK navigation system was ready to display a present location and destination within a map on a color video screen, even picking out the best route to follow. Created under the direction of Vice President Charles M. Jordan, the Cadillac Voyage concept car was more than a mere styling exercise from the General Motors Design Staff. It was created as a working prototype that could hold four passengers. An electronic 4-speed transmission delivered power to all four wheels. Cadillac chief John O. Grettenberger called it "a rolling laboratory designed to evaluate future Cadillac vehicle concepts." If a four-door concept car for the future attracted so many enthusiastic gapers, why not a similarly stimulating two-door coupe? Thus arrived the Cadillac Solitaire concept car, which toured the 1989 show circuit. It's electronic/mechanical features and forms evolved from the prior Voyage. Shifting to a deep maroon color scheme helped disguise the grille, the front and rear movable skirts, and a host of other details were little more than carryovers. An expansive dome of tinted, safety net glass stretched from the Cadillac Solitaire's windshield base to the rear passenger area, intended to provide not only superior visibility but the feeling of a convertible. The windshield automatically darkened as soon as the bright sun came out, while the driver controlled the dome to block out a portion of the sun's rays. That way, the interior could stay cooler on hot, sunny days, and use the sun's warmth to keep the interior warm on cold days. Source: auto.howstuffworks.com Images: GM; Concept Car Central; JOHN LLOYD Collection

First called Riviera, the Lucerne was an attempt to capture the essence of Buick. This silver-blue concept car was introduced at GM's "Teamwork and Technology" exhibition in New York in January of 1988. It was described as a prestige/luxury front-drive coupe with exceptional comfort for four adults in a stylish environment. It features a Navicar computer navigation system developed by GM's Delco Electronics Division. Navicar used advanced "dead reckoning" - through sensors on the wheels and steering - to continually track the car's location from a starting point entered by the driver. The engine is a 165-hp V-6. Two years after its debut, Lucerne was transformed into a convertible. Source: www.welovebuicks.com Images: GM; Concept Car Central; JOHN LLOYD Collection; deansgarage.com

1965 Shelby/De Tomaso P70 Can-Am Sports Racer Photo Courtesy of Bonhams Source: https://www.bonhams.com/auctions/25221/lot/125/ 1965 SHELBY/DE TOMASO P70 CAN-AM SPORTS RACER Coachwork by Fantuzzi - Design by Peter Brock US$ 2,000,000 - 3,000,000 £ 1,500,000 - 2,300,000 1965 SHELBY/DE TOMASO P70 CAN-AM SPORTS RACER COACHWORK BY FANTUZZI - DESIGN BY PETER BROCK CHASSIS NO. P70-001 289ci Hi-Po Gurney-Westlake V8 Engine Est. 350bhp at 6,000rpm 5-Speed Manual Transaxle 4-Wheel Independent Suspension 4-Wheel Hydraulic Disk Brakes *Sports racing prototype developed by Carroll Shelby in collaboration with Alejandro de Tomaso *Intended to compete in USRRC racing series that Shelby had previously dominated with the Cobra *Designed by Peter Brock with coachwork by Carrozzeria Fantuzzi in Modena *Comprehensively restored to current condition *Winner of Best Postwar Racing Car at The Quail – A Motorsports Gathering THE SHELBY/DE TOMASO P70 Carroll Shelby went into 1964 with uncertainties: he needed to assure his Cobras would remain dominant over the Corvettes, he was uncertain if he would be handed the reins to the GT40 program by Ford, and he needed to keep his King Cobras competitive in the face of McLaren's rumored 7-liter cars. Shelby approached Alejandro de Tomaso to build a new car with a new engine to bring the fight to McLaren. With Shelby at the helm, engineering by de Tomaso, and a revolutionary aerodynamic body designed by Peter Brock and constructed by Fantuzzi, the P70 project had the ingredients to be an epic racing program. However, through conflicting egos, misaligned timeframes, and Shelby focusing on the GT40, only one P70 was completed. After the successes of the Daytona Coupe with Shelby, Peter Brock was able to exploit the lenient regulations of USRRC and Can-Am racing- and the more open-minded Italian carrozzerie- to execute the groundbreaking design of the P70, both technically and aesthetically. Brock implemented an adjustable airfoil to keep the rear end squat while minimizing drag, and thanks to the more lenient rules on streamlining and windscreen height, added partially covered rear wheels and a very low wraparound windshield that blends seamlessly with the hand formed Fantuzzi bodywork. The result is a car with subtle curves, ingenious aerodynamic innovations, and beautiful proportions that would impact racecar design from that point forward. Alejandro De Tomaso began racing in his native Argentina in 1951 before moving to Italy to drive for Maserati and OSCA, the latter firm having been founded by the Maserati brothers after they sold up. This experience inspired him to form his own company - De Tomaso Automobili - in Modena, Italy in 1959. Racing was the order of the day to begin with, the fledgling firm building cars for Formula Junior, Formula 3, Formula 2 and Formula 1. De Tomaso's first road car - the Vallelunga - did not appear until 1965. The Vallelunga's ingenious backbone chassis was the same basic principle as the P70, with the V8 playing an integral structural role, with suspension elements anchored directly to the engine and gearbox. De Tomaso was also to provide a 6786cc 526 horsepower engine based on a small block 289 Ford. Though Ford made a 7-liter engine, the racecar could ill-afford the added heft of the cast iron Big Block and Ford was unwilling to produce this engine in an aluminum alloy. Unfortunately, this extensively modified small block never came to fruition and is one of the deciding factors in the project coming to an unceremonious end. After Shelby and e Tomaso parted ways, de Tomaso finished the car and showed it at the 1965 Turin Auto show as the Ghia de Tomaso. The car predictably stole the show and garnered attention for his new roadcar, the Mangusta, meaning mongoose in Italian. It is no coincidence that the mongoose is one of the few natural threats to cobras in the natural world, signaling de Tomaso's desire to best Shelby. After its time as a show car for de Tomaso, the P70 concept was shelved at the de Tomaso factory in Modena, fading into obscurity until 2004. Philippe Olczyk was researching de Tomaso and spotted the body panels of P70, which Peter Brock confirmed. The body and all the components were then purchased and assembled into the very complete - if rough - P70 that was displayed at the 2005 Quail Motorsports Gathering. The P70 was shown again at The Quail in 2013 in the same condition, where it won Octane Magazine's Best of Show award, despite being entered as a display only car! After its unexpected award-winning appearance at its second Quail the P70 was meticulously restored in red with gold wheels, darkened windscreen, and its 289 Gurney-Westlake V8 with its unmistakable intake peeking through a simple mesh cover. This resurrected racecar made its third Quail appearance in 2015 and was awarded Best Postwar Racing Car. The following spring, it was displayed at the Amelia Island Concours d'Elegance and participated in the Eight Flags Tour. As it is presented today, this historically significant racecar is in excellent condition and runs and drives as intended. It is a fortunate survivor of one of the most interesting collaborations of the Can-Am era and would be a focal point of any collection. With the recent launch of the De Tomaso P72, the offering of the original P70 here is quite the opportunity for the astute collector of unique, sports racing cars.

1998 Mercedes-Benz CLK GTR Roadster Photo Courtesy of Bonhams Source: https://www.bonhams.com/auctions/22723/lot/340/ 1998 MERCEDES-BENZ CLK GTR ROADSTER Chassis no. WDB2973971Y000008 Sold for £ 1,513,500 (US$ 2,005,770) inc. premium The Goodwood Festival of Speed Sale Collector's Motor Cars and Automobilia 26 Jun 2015, 14:00 BST Chichester, Goodwood 1998 MERCEDES-BENZ CLK GTR ROADSTER CHASSIS NO. WDB2973971Y000008 *One of only six CLK GTR Roadsters made *The only black-finished example *Owned until 2014 by Mercedes-Benz *8 kilometres from new A legend in its own - relatively short - lifetime, the car offered here is the first example built of the fabulous Mercedes-Benz CLK GTR Roadster, an even more exclusive, limited edition, open-topped variant of the already super-exclusive CLK GTR Coupé with which Mercedes-Benz had re-entered international sports car racing in 1997. At the time of its introduction the CLK GTR Roadster was the world's most expensive 'production' car with a price tag of $1.5 million, a figure exceeded only recently by the Ferrari FXX. Mercedes-Benz's decision to switch from touring to sports cars had been taken at the end of the 1996 season, leaving precious little time to develop a challenger for the FIA's new GT Championship. The latter's regulations stipulated that 'GT1' category cars had to be production based, and although the racer used the same 'CLK' designation as the existing road car, it was in fact all new. Development was entrusted to Mercedes-Benz's official performance division, AMG. Amazingly, just 128 days after design work had commenced in December 1996, the first Mercedes-Benz CLK GTR took to the track at Jarama in April 1997 for its initial test. Like Porsche's 911 GT1, the CLK GTR bore a passing resemblance to its road going namesake - the front-engined CLK saloon - but was mid-engined and powered by an SL600-based 6.9-litre V12 producing 600bhp. Mated to a transverse six-speed sequential gearbox, the engine formed a stressed member of the chassis, supporting the rear suspension. The monocoque tub itself was constructed of a mixture of carbon fibre and Kevlar. Unsurprisingly, M-B failed to get the road version homologated in time, but were allowed to race anyway, a dispensation that angered its rivals. The CLK GTR first won at the Nurburgring in June 1997, going on to win five more of the 11 rounds to take the GT Championship in its debut year. With a new CLK LM (Le Mans) waiting in the wings, the CLK GTR raced just twice in 1998, winning the GT Championship's first two rounds at Oschersleben and Silverstone, before being retired from active duty after little more than a season's racing, but with an impeccable record. During 1998 and 1999, Mercedes-Benz duly completed 25 road going CLK GTRs. These closely resembled the racing version but developed 'only' 550bhp and dispensed with the racer's separate rear wing in favour of a body-integral design. They were also better equipped and kitted out with more creature comforts than the Spartan racer. With a headline-grabbing price tag of over $1,000,000, the CLK GTR's exclusivity was surpassed only by its stupendous performance. In 1999, Daimler Chrysler acquired its long-time collaborator AMG, renaming it 'Mercedes AMG GmbH'. At the same time, AMG co-founder Hans-Werner Aufrecht set up HWA GmbH in AMG's hometown of Affalterbach, Germany to continue the company's racing activities. HWA's first car was the ill-fated Mercedes-Benz CLR sports prototype, and since M-B's withdrawal from international sports car racing the firm has built and runs cars in the Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters (DTM) series. It was HWA that conceived the idea of using six spare CLK GTR Coupé chassis to create the ultimate roadster by the simple expedient of removing the roof and installing two roll-over bars and additional strengthening. The Roadster improved on the Coupé's specification in other ways too, boasting an engine up-rated to 640bhp (40 horsepower more than the racer) and a Formula 1-style, sequential six-speed transmission controlled by paddles on the steering wheel. One of only six CLK GTR Roadsters ever made, this car was owned by Mercedes-Benz and kept in Stuttgart until it was sold to the current owner in 2014. Prior to delivery the car was fully serviced by the factory (new fluids, belts, seals, gaskets, etc) and given eight new wheels and tyres. Presented in effectively new condition, having covered only 8 kilometres, it is the only one of the six roadsters to be finished in black. Accompanying documentation consists of German registration papers. An almost certainly once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to acquire one of the rarest Mercedes-Benz models of modern times.

1997 Gulf Team Davidoff McLaren F1 GTR Longtail Photo Courtesy of Bonhams Source: https://www.bonhams.com/auctions/20322/lot/459/ THE EX-GTC GULF TEAM DAVIDOFF - THE FINAL EXAMPLE PRODUCED, 1997 MCLAREN F1 GTR 'LONGTAIL' FIA GT ENDURANCE RACING COUPE Chassis no. 028R AMENDED FOLLOW Quail Lodge Sale 17 Aug 2012, 11:00 PDT Carmel, Quail Lodge & Golf Club Jim Williams Photos THE EX-GTC GULF TEAM DAVIDOFF - THE FINAL EXAMPLE PRODUCED 1997 MCLAREN F1 GTR 'LONGTAIL' FIA GT ENDURANCE RACING COUPE CHASSIS NO. 028R *6.1-liter BMW V12 *6-speed sequential gearbox *Carbon-fiber monocoque *The final, ultimate F1 GTR *FIA GT points-scoring example *Stunning, iconic Gulf livery *First time ever offered publicly *A Gordon Murray concept Following in the wheel tracks of such charismatic designs as the Ferrari 250 GTO, the Ford GTs and the Porsche 917s, in recent years the McLaren F1 GTR has become absolutely the most desirable endurance racing collectors' car from the 1990s. The compact Gordon Murray-designed all-composite construction three-seat road car design, with its totally distinctive centerline driving position and utterly majestic 6.1-liter 4-cam fuel-injected V12 engine by BMW, emerged as the 'ultracar' with everything. Its active aerodynamics and 550-plus horsepower succeeded in achieving the McLaren company's aim of producing "the greatest driver's car there has ever been, or is ever likely to be" – and it is a measure of the initial production car's 240mph capabilities that once subjected to the restrictions of racing regulations – the resultant F1 GTR actually had to be de-tuned to be acceptable! The 1995 Le Mans 24-Hours race-winning McLaren merely set the foundation for an entire family of more dedicated racing Coupes to follow. The gleaming example we are now privileged to offer here is actually the last example made of the ultimate variant of the entire McLaren F1 series. It is the tenth and last of the 1997-season McLaren F1 GTR 'Longtail' endurance racing Coupes. It is one of the cars campaigned that year by the McLaren F1 GTR racing program's most attractively-liveried and most charismatic teams – the GTC Motorsport Gulf Team Davidoff operation. And with its legendary Gulf racing-blue finish it is a latter-day successor to the revered bloodline of Gulf-Mirage, Gulf-Ford GT40, Gulf-Porsche 917 and 908/3 cars which remain such enduring landmarks of motor racing history. McLaren F1 GTR 'Longtail' '28R' offered here is a veteran of no fewer than eight premier-league FIA GT World Championship-qualifying races – in which it achieved two points-scoring sixth place finishes. It would have been easy for McLaren Cars Ltd to bask in the simple afterglow of its technical achievement in producing what they intended to be the finest "driver's car" ever manufactured in the one hundred yearlong history of the motor industry. But no high-performance car manufacturer can expect to build such a world-beater, without one or two prominent and enthusiastic customers becoming keen to prove its capabilities 'in anger' on the race tracks of the world. Despite design – now Professor – Gordon Murray – having concentrated totally upon producing nothing other than a purebred street car, enthusiastic customers began to persuade McLaren to change their minds through the summer of 1994. McLaren principal Ron Dennis made it quite clear that if some customers wished to go racing then McLaren Cars Ltd would offer the most comprehensive factory back-up and support possible – and would not run a works car against them. Into 1995 the first race-modified McLaren F1 GTR cars emerged. Three made the model's debut in the February, 1995, Jerez 4-Hours race in Spain, and Ray Bellm/Maurizio Sandro Sala won in the former's GTC racing team entry. The same pairing followed up with another victory in the Paul Ricard 4-Hour race in France, then Thomas Bscher/John Neilsen's West-sponsored McLaren made it three in a row for the new GTRs at Monza, Italy. No fewer than seven McLaren F1 GTRs started the 1995 Le Mans 24-Hour race, and five finished, in first, third, fourth, fifth and 13th places. The winning Ueno Clinic-sponsored car was co-driven by J.J.Lehto/Yannick Dalmas/Masanori Sekiya. For McLaren Cars, Le Mans '95 marked the greatest Le Mans race debut in depth ever achieved, by any manufacturer...ever. Not too shabby for a detuned road car! Through the first half of 1996, in its second season of racing, the McLaren F1 GTR maintained its glittering record of success, mainly in the face of Ferrari F40 variants. But the emergence of an all-new tailor-made purebred racing Porsche GT1 and – more controversially – its acceptance in late-season BPR Global Endurance Championship racing, caused little less than shock, disbelief and frustrated dismay amongst the McLaren teams. Amidst considerable grumbling that "Porsche built a racing car and forced us to do it", the McLaren F1 GTR underwent the major revision during the winter of 1996-97 which produced the 'Longtail' model as now offered here. Gordon Murray explained that: "Our pure-bred road-going production-based cars with their long-travel, high camber-change suspension and limited downforce had been leapfrogged by the Porsche GT1. They got away with running Rose-jointed proper-geometry true road-racing suspension on a car which we felt was not genuinely available for sale. We didn't like what had happened, because we didn't feel it was at all within the regulations, but we had to face up to it. "To comply with the regulations as written we had to build a new road car, sell one a month before the first race, have dealers, brochures and parts back-up for it. I went to Ron for a budget to do just that, and actually started the wind tunnel program before I'd got the go-ahead. "We needed big overhangs at nose and tail to achieve competitive downforce and downforce/drag proportions, and really had to re-write our total winter program. Now we had to develop not only a new racing car, but first a new road car model to legalize it! We were determined to do it all precisely to the letter of the regulations, in the spirit their original authors had plainly intended." The frontier-technology all moulded carbon-composite monocoque shell remained absolutely as production while the longer nose and tail were carefully shaped, profiled, under-floored and proven in the moving-ground wind tunnel. Three road-going McLaren F1 GT (Longtail) cars were to be built while the racing 'Longtail' variants were rushed out in parallel. The first was the development chassis – serial '19R' – destined for Team Lark in Japan, completed on November 18, 1996. The GTC Motorsport team – headed by engineer Michael Cane and backed by Ray Bellm – now combined Gulf Oil Livery with David Classic – brought in by German banker and BPR Champion driver Thomas Bscher – to cover a regular three-car entry. The operation became known as McLaren's"British team" – a private entry operation. In Germany Team Schnitzer became the chosen 'BMW Motorsport' operation, fielding what came to be regarded as 'works car' with Fina oil brand sponsorship. Nine 'Longtail' F1 GTR cars followed that 1997 prototype car, including this one now offered here – chassis '28R' – initially as a spare supplied to GTC Motorsport in support of their three race cars, chassis '20', '22' and '26R'. This car, '028R', actually began life plated as '27R' but was damaged in a shake-down testing accident and was replated with its ultimate identity after repair. The FIA GT Championship season of 1997 comprised 11 qualifying rounds, and reached its pulsating climax in the USA, initially at Sebring, Florida, and then one week later at Laguna Seca, California. Two titles were to be awarded, one for the new World Champion GT Team/Constructor, and the other for Driver Pairing. What developed during that year was the closest and most ferociously hard-fought endurance racing World Championship for several decades. These 1997 'Longtail' McLaren F1 GTRs were absolutely the ultimate development of the Woking marque's sophisticated and civilized original road car. They were confronted most ominously by the brand-new, late-announced tailor-made circuit racing Mercedes-Benz AMG projectiles. The 'Longtail' McLarens began the new year's World Championship season with a 1-2-3 defeat of Mercedes-Benz upon home German soil at Hockenheim that April. The McLarens won again at Helsinki, Finland, and – just – at Silverstone in England. AMG Mercedes missed Le Mans to prepare for the Nurburgring 4-Hours in June, where they finally outpaced the 'Longtail' McLarens to finish first and second. An epic race at Spa in Belgium then saw a narrow McLaren victory over AMG Mercedes-Benz, but the three GTC Gulf-Davidoff GTRs were all eliminated in a multiple collision on the opening lap... At the A1-Ring in Austria Mercedes dominated while Karl-Heinz Kalbfell of BMW – manufacturer of the entirely bespoke McLaren F1 GTR's engines – remarked to one journalist "Well, BMW is winning the GT race!" – underlining the Munich company's increasing exasperation with the GT Championship eligibility situation. Mercedes again finished 1-2 in the following Championship race at Suzuka, Japan, showing a performance advantage which was magnified at Donington Park, in England, where the Stuttgart team won again. The 'Longtails' fought back to win at Mugello in Italy, with just the final American rounds to be run. Mercedes took full points at Sebring, McLaren now had to win at Laguna to take the World title. It was not to be, retirements and collisions ceding the Championship at the last gasp – to Mercedes-Benz. McLaren versus Mercedes-Benz – this is the true measure of these cars' significance, and the level at which they were raced as new. This startlingly handsome Gulf Team Davidoff car was called into action during the second half of the 1997 FIA GT Championship season, in which it was co-driven most often by the experienced and capable pairing of Briton Geoff Lees and Swede Anders Olofsson. 'Longtail' McLaren F1 GTR '28R' made its racing debut on June 29, 1997 in the FIA GT Championship-qualifying Nurburgring 4-Hour race in Germany. It was co-driven there by Britain's Andrew Gilbert-Scott and Anders Olofsson as race number '1' but was sidelined by accident damage and did not finish. At Spa on July 20 – shared by the same pairing – '28R' was involved in the opening lap team collision and again retired. A wheel problem caused withdrawal from the A1-Ring 4-Hours in Austria where Geoff Lees joined Gilbert-Scott and Olofsson in the driver team, but on August 4 in Japan's grueling Suzuka 1,000 Kilometer race Andrew Gilbert-Scott/Geoff Lees/John Nielsen qualified '28R' offered here seventh fastest overall, and finished sixth. Back home in England on September 14th, Anders Olofsson/Geoff Lees drove the car to finish seventh in the FIA GT Championship Donington Park 4-Hours, and the same pairing followed up with eighth place at Mugello, Italy. In the penultimate round at Sebring they finished tenth, and in the deciding round at Laguna Seca on October 6 they helped salvage McLaren pride by bringing '028R' home into another sixth place overall. We understand from the vendor that the car remained with GTC after its active FIA career, upon which it made its way back to the McLaren Works in Woking. The car was preserved for several years, and was reportedly sold through McLaren to the Jim Gainer Racing operation in Japan in 2004. According to the vendor, it was imported to Japan in factory-restored condition, reportedly being prepared to Suzuka circuit specification prior to delivery. In 2006, '28R' was acquired by the current owner, who has had the car started and run annually since that time, though to our knowledge it has not been track-tested. We are advised that the engine was run as recently as this past January. Most significantly, McLaren has offered to undertake a full technical inspection of the car free of charge for the new owner following this Sale. In recent years market perception of the McLaren F1 production cars - and their more glamorous F1 GTR racing sisters such as '28R' offered here – has grown with fantastic rapidity. So many superlatives have been justifiably heaped upon this street car design that went racing, that we can hardly add more. The McLaren F1 GTR is the production-based racing model that won Le Mans, and then in its more sophisticated racing iterations – as offered here in this ultimate 'Longtail' variant – took on the giants of Mercedes-Benz and Porsche on unequal terms...and sometimes beat them. Add the extra cachet of Gulf racing heritage, these fabulously futuristic good looks and that simply magnificent bespoke BMW V12 engine – absolutely tailored to McLaren requirements – and the very special nature of this remarkably significant artifact can be fully appreciated.

MAT New Stratos Coupé 2009/2019 Photo Courtesy of Bonhams Source: https://www.bonhams.com/auctions/26005/lot/274/ (translated to English) 2009/2019 MAT NEW STRATOS COUPÉ Chassis no. ZFFKZ64B000166472 Sold for € 690,000 (US$ 777,078) inc. premium The Great Brands of the World at the Grand Palais 6 Feb 2020, 14:00 CET Paris, The Grand Palais NUMBER 1 OF A LIMITED PRODUCTION RUN OF 25 2009/2019 MAT NEW STRATOS COUPÉ CHASSIS NO. ZFFKZ64B000166472 The first example offered at auction Circa 3,000km since transformation Carbon fibre bodywork 540bhp 4.3-litre V8 engine F1-type paddle-shift semi-automatic transmission Registered in Germany Few cars reach such exhilarating status as to be resuscitated decades later, once production has ceased. The Ford GT40 is the example that stands out to which we can now add the Lancia Stratos. A limited-series homologation model, the Lancia Stratos is of historic significance as the first car from a major manufacturer designed specifically for rallying. The spearhead of Lancia's rally team in the 1970s, the Stratos had its origins in an exercise in Marcello Gandini's mid-engine Fulvia style, unveiled on the Carrozzeria Bertone stand at the Turin Motor Show in 1970. The Production Stratos from 1972, also by Gandini and Bertone, took over the astonishing “corner” bodywork of its predecessor, but received the powerful 2.4-liter V6 Ferrari Dino. This was housed in a robust box with a monocoque structure wrapped in a fiberglass body. That such a daring concept could have been put into production is largely due to Cesare Fiorio, co-founder of the HF Corse racing team, which became Lancia's official competition department in 1965. Lancia was already enjoying considerable international success. in rallying with modified versions of the Fulvia, but with the Stratos Fiorio saw an opportunity to create a model designed especially for rallying from a blank sheet of paper. He admired the four-shaft Ferrari V6, having tried a Dino in rallying, and Enzo Ferrari was duly persuaded to become an engine supplier. The mid-engined, stocky Stratos looked nothing like a traditional rally car, but Fiorio knew exactly what he was doing. As a car designed exclusively for all types of rallies, the Stratos received a fully adjustable independent suspension, with double wishbones, coil springs and four-wheel disc brakes. With 190 hp, the standard road version (Stradale) reached 225 km / h. The factory Group 4 rallies were of course much more powerful, but success was slow in coming due to reliability issues. After its first major victory at the Targa Florio in 1974, the Stratos dominated the international rally scene, winning the World Rally Championship in 1975 and 1976. Factory driver Bernard Darniche triumphed twice in the European Championship. rallies, in 1976 and 1977, Incredible as it may seem today, once the 500 cars required for homologation were completed, the majority remained unsold due to a lack of customers. (In fact the crucial figure of 500 was never reached, a widely shared estimate of 492 units built). Yet almost immediately after stopping competition the historic importance of the car was recognized and prices rose. There have been several versions of the Stratos kit offered over the following years, but nothing quite like the re-creation of MAT seen here. The story of what would become the New Stratos began in the mid-1990s when a very passionate young man by the name of Chris Hrabalek bought the rights to the Stratos name that Lancia let slip. Ten years later, Hrabalek, a third year student at the prestigious Royal College of Art in the Vehicle Design section, rather than presenting the usual portfolio of designs as a final study project, decided to build his own version of the Stratos. Ten rich financiers supported him and Hrabalek's Fenomenon Stratos was exhibited at the Geneva show in 2005 where it caused a sensation. Encouraged by the favorable reception to his car, Hrabalek looked for a way to put his creation into production. One of its ten sponsors, German billionaire Michael Stoschek, agreed to finance the project, and the legendary Italian coachbuilder Pininfarina became its technical partner. It was decided to use a Ferrari 430 Scuderia as the basis for the New Stratos. Using the Hrabalek study project as a starting point, Pininfarina reworked the design to fit the 430 Scuderia platform, shortening the wheelbase a good 20cm and using a wind tunnel to check the size. 'aerodynamic. In 2010 the New Stratos was ready. Although the result was well received by Ferrari - its then CEO Luca di Montezemolo particularly enjoyed his test drive of the prototype - they refused to supply parts for the 25 cars considered and Pininfarina was forced to abandon the project. . Eight years later, the Ferrari 430 Scuderia is no longer in production and many used units are on the market. Equally important, Paolo Garella, who was Pininfarina's special projects director during the days of the New Stratos development, now ran his own Manufattura Automobili Torino (MAT) business. Garella resuscitated the project, this time using Ferraris supplied by his clients. The New Stratos has a carbon fiber body and its interior is deliberately spartan, in perfect ideological continuity with the original competition car. With a different exhaust system and modified electronic engine management, the Ferrari 4.3-liter V8 develops 540 hp on the New Stratos, 37 more than the Scuderia and 57 more than the base version of the 430. More powerful and 50 kg lighter than the Scuderia, the New Stratos easily outperforms its cousin Ferrari in all areas. The highly regarded American magazine Road & Track is one of the few and fortunate newspapers to have tried the New Stratos. They were particularly impressed with its handling and cornering behavior: “You would expect a shortened Ferrari on Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2s to generate incredible grip. And that's what the Stratos does. But nothing of us had prepared us for the way it changes direction ... turns like in another world ... without hesitation, without roll, without body movement and without warning. The Stratos literally throws itself in any direction you turn the wheel. »Is this the ultimate driver's car? It's possible. Based on a 2009 Ferrari 430 Scuderia supplied by the customer, the model we are offering is number 1 of the 25 planned. This car was showing around 30,000 km on the odometer when its transformation began, the mechanics being overhauled in the process. The car was completed in 2019 and registered on March 25 of this year. The result is nothing short of surprising and when you inspect the Stratos you are surprised at its quality and precision. Nothing seems cheap or rushed, as is often the case with limited productions. Having traveled 3000 km today and well tuned, the car is sold with its German registration papers where all modifications have been duly listed.

1956 Maserati 300S Sports Racing Two-Seater Photo Courtesy of Bonhams Source: https://www.bonhams.com/auctions/23977/lot/38/ Ex-Juan Manuel Fangio 1957 Grand Prix of Portugal and Brazil Winning, ex-Michel Seydoux 1956 MASERATI 300S SPORTS RACING TWO SEATER US$ 6,000,000 - 7,000,000 € 5,300,000 - 6,200,000 EX-JUAN MANUEL FANGIO 1957 GRAND PRIX OF PORTUGAL AND BRAZIL WINNING, EX-MICHEL SEYDOUX 1956 MASERATI 300S SPORTS RACING TWO SEATER CHASSIS NO. 3069 ENGINE NO. 3058 2992.5cc, DOHC Inline 6-Cylinder Engine 245bhp at 6,200rpm 4-Speed Manual Transaxle Front, Independent Suspension by Coil Springs, Rear, Transverse Leaf Spring, with Houdaille Hydraulic Shock Absorbers 4-Wheel Hydraulic Drum Brakes *Legendary sports racer, raced by legendary driver *Documented in definitive model history by Walter Baumer *Eligible for numerous events on road or track *In the present ownership since 1998 THE MASERATI 300S Stirling Moss – Maserati's number 1 driver in 1956 described the 300S Maserati as "one of the easiest, nicest, best-balanced sports-racing cars ever made..." He would note the 300S in his personal diary as the race car that he had his greatest drive in and one of his favorite cars of all time. It is one of the greatest and most rare 1950s sports racing cars ever made and helped solidify Maserati as one of the greatest race car manufacturers of all time. The Maserati brothers of Bologna founded their racing car manufacturing company in 1926. The company was pure-bred, real racers building real racing cars for a racingorientated specialist clientele. And so they remained for many years. After the Gruppo Orsi organization bought the company in 1937, and the brothers finally completed their service contracts and left in 1947-48 – founding OSCA – Maserati as a marque continued its dedication to competition, with a road car production line only slowly beginning to emerge. Racing customers found Maserati generally more helpful than other manufacturers, more willing to do a deal with its racing customers, and its line of 2-liter A6GCS sports-racing cars earned many friends into the early 1950s. The 6 cylinder twin overhead camshaft engines were powerful within their class and the chassis developed by engineer Vittorio Bellentani – proved relatively light but – most importantly – good handling and nimble. Maserati in fact proved more effective within the smaller capacity classes, up to 2-liters, than their rivals and neighbours, Ferrari at Maranello. But the Maserati management team visualized an entry in the larger capacity class of sports car competition, for in 1954-55 Vittorio Bellentani developed the 300S 3-liter 6-cylinder model – combining in effect the best attributes of the 2-liter A6GCS with those of the latest 2.5-liter Formula 1 Maserati 250F. From 1955 to 1959 at least 26 Maserati 300S sports-racing cars would be manufactured, emerging in three broad variants, each one more effective than its predecessor. Maserati's first prototype 2.5-liter sports car engine building towards the full 3-liter 300S delivered some 240bhp at 7,200rpm on one of the Modena company's dyno test beds. Juan Manuel Fangio and Onofre Marimon co-drove the prototype upon its debut in the Supercortemaggiore Grand Prix at Monza Autodrome. Of the first batch of five 300S cars to be constructed, three were destined for the American market – all ordered by Briggs Cunningham. The first three frames were considered too flexible and so modifications were made to numbers four and five. The definitive Maserati 300S sports-racing cars then emerged with what was rated by many world class drivers as being the best handling of all mid-1950s sports-racing cars. From 1956 to 1958 the British superstar driver Stirling Moss started 13 races in Maserati 300S cars and he took them over in three further races having started in different models. From that total of 16 events, the Maserati 300S gave him nine race wins, three second places, a third and a fifth and only two retirements. He described the 300S as being "...strong and dependable, also quite like an Aston Martin DB3S in its general feel and responsiveness, but it was even better balanced and, in my experience, almost unburstable. Today, people rave about Ferrari's fantastic reliability. True, they used to spread it wider across the board amongst all their customers, but a decently-prepared 300S had a chassis which was infinitely superior to any front-engined sports Ferrari and although it lacked their wonderfully smooth and powerful V12 engines, its 6 cylinder was always man enough for the job...". Stirling Moss wrote in his diary after a particularly challenging Buenos Aires 1,000Kms race in Argentina in which he started in a 450 S Maserati but finished in a 300S when the 450S had mechanical failure: "It had been a wonderful race for me which I enjoyed enormously...This was my greatest drive. Car (300S) fabulous - 6,400rpm and I braked at 250 metres, in 450S braking at 500 metres...". This is a most personal testimonial from one of the greatest drivers of all time which absolutely underlines the fabulous Maserati 300S's stature within racing at that time, and within the Historic and Vintage scene today. If the Maserati 300S was one of Moss's favorites to drive, he is also on record as having described Fangio as the greatest of them all, and this remarkable 60 year old sports racing car brings together all of those characteristics and this mythical driver. Historian Walter Baumer is an acknowledged expert on Maserati sports racing cars, and penned the definitive reference work on the model in 2008. That Maserati book is being updated and Bonhams consulted with Mr. Baumer in advance of the new updated publication in an effort to chart the history of 3069 in its most up to date form. Mr. Baumer feels that it is highly likely that 3069 was a factory works car in 1956, but it has not been possible for him to chart specific results as a result of famously poor record keeping at Maserati at races, nor with its first privateer owner, Italian Armando Zampiero, who bought the car from Maserati in 1957. However the sale of the car in 1957 brought the greatest driver of all time into the cockpit of 3069. The car was upgraded by the factory to the latest and most up to date specifications for the 1957 race season and the factory sold 3069 to Marciello Giambertone, for the use by the legendary racing driver Juan Manuel Fangio. For the 1957 season, Fangio joined the Maserati team for Formula 1, and famously would pilot their 250F Single Seaters, but he was not contracted for the factory for sports racing cars and raced for private teams. In 1957, #3069 won its first documented race at the Mansanto race track in Portugal being driven by Juan Fangio, and entered under Giambertone's Scuderina Madunina. Faced with some formidable competition including Masten Gregory in a Ferrari 290MM, Fangio not only won the race he took fastest lap. By the fall, Giambertone exported this Maserati to South America, where it would be used again by Fangio. On successive weekends at Sao Paolo and Interlagos in dual heats, the team of Fangio and #3069 proved undefeatable... despite a one minute penalty for jumping the start of the second heat! Not surprisingly, the locals loved the sight of their home driver winning on his own continent and the event itself generated some $751,000 of income, a vast amount of money for its time. The win was good for Maserati too. It is likely that its original engine which today resides in chassis 3062, a 300S also then owned and shipped to Brazil by Giambertone was switched in this period of its life. At this point the team parted with the car and it would begin a series of ownerships by wealthy South American privateers. Fangio's wins in #3069 had drawn the attention of Brazilian playboy Severino Gomez-Silva who acquired it from Giambertone, he was famously proud of owning 'Fangio's car' in addition to the 200S he already owned (#2408). Industrialist and racing Privateer Henrique Casini exercised it at the inaugural Barra da Tijuca race in September 1958, where he again showed its prowess and won. Fernando Barreto was the next to saddle up, running it at the Triangular Tournament in Interlagos and 1000km of Buenos Aires among other races. Amazingly, its career would continue throughout the 1960s and into the 1970s, giving it one of the longest careers of all 300S Maseratis. The car's long racing life saw its body reconfigured a number of times, latterly resembling a 330TRI. In the 1970s the car came to the attention of noted car historian and restorer Colin Crabbe. He was well known for car forays into the Southern Hemisphere and he retrieved numerous important racers. Crabbe acquired the car in August 12, 1978 from a Brazilian named Adolfo Netto for $13,700. The Brazilian export documents and the UK import documents describe a car Chassis #3069, less bodywork skin but with original chassis, body hoops and frames, engine, gearbox and wheels. By 1983 it was fully restored and would pass through the hands of a series of noted UK and European racers. Ultimately, it would arrive in the stable of Michel Seydoux. From Seydoux the car was sold publicly at auction to noted racer Lord Laidlaw in the UK. The present owner, who is an excellent driver in his own right and a two time class winner of the 24 Hours of Le Mans, acquired #3069 in 1998. He used it extensively in historic racing and particularly to compete in the Ferrari/Maserati Shell Historic Challenge, which from the late 1990s allowed Maseratis to race alongside Ferraris. In this race car the current owner acquired the perfect vehicle to compete at the highest level and #3069 became a regular sight on many of the grids of European historic races in this period. Over the course of the next 10 years, the Maserati won and competed in a great many races and enjoyed another wonderful chapter in its racing career, including being raced at the Le Mans Classic, winning numerous Ferrari/Maserati historic races as well as being raced at Goodwood, Laguna Seca, Monza, Silverstone, Pau, Nuremburg as well as campaigned in numerous Mille Miglias. It was restored by the current owner at DL George & Son in Pennsylvania and the engine was rebuilt by the brilliant engine builder Paul Lanzante in England. Recently, the car's use has been more limited, leading to the decision after some 19 years of ownership to part with it. 3069 is presently refitted with Maserati original engine # 3058, numero interno 31, which has been with the car for probably 50 years at least, which according to Baumer was the first engine fitted to Parravano's 3058 car, prior to the factory supplying a spare, which is also correct and resides in 3058 car today. One of the great definitive sports racing cars of all time, a 300S offers eligibility to almost every major retrospective historic event, including the desired tickets of circuit meetings including Goodwood Revival, endurance events such as the Le Mans Classic, and of course, the Mille Miglia, thereby enabling it for spinoffs such as the Colorado Grand. 3069 presents a fabulous opportunity to compete and to be competitive as proven by an active racing career for almost all of its life. That journey began with Fangio, has been continued passionately by others including its current custodian and you could be the next person on that join that roster... $6,000,000 - 7,000,000

Lamborghini's line-up consisted of just one model for nearly two decades after the V8-engined Jalpa was canceled in 1988. The void in the Italian manufacturer's range was finally filled in March of 2003 when the Gallardo was launched. It could have been very different as at least twice prototypes were constructed for a 'small' Lamborghini. These never got beyond the prototype state for various reasons like a poor economy and new ownership. The first serious effort to replace the Jalpa was made immediately after its production ceased. It was a busy time in its R&D department; the range-topping Countach was also due to a replacement. Much emphasis was placed on the styling of both new cars, and Lamborghini asked various companies to pitch ideas. Eventually, the services of Marcello Gandini were selected for both new cars. That was hardly a surprise as Gandini had a long-standing relationship with the company and, while at Bertone, penned most of Lamborghini's most iconic models. Manufacturers from other countries had bridged the performance gap to the Italians in the 1980s. Lamborghini believed they had to combine advanced engineering with superior styling for them to distinguish themselves. For the smaller model, Gandini combined influences from the angular Jalpa and its predecessors with the new curvy shapes he penned for the Countach replacement, the Diablo. Although not very obvious, the combination of curves and straight lines worked remarkably. Among the more striking features are the shapes of the wheel wells, which follow the lines of the triangular side air-intakes. Under the carbon fiber body panels, the new Lamborghini was even more impressive. The chassis was constructed from bonded aluminum sections, providing rigidity and lightweight. Suspension was by double wishbones all around. The really interesting part was the brand new V10 engine. It was based on the V8 from the Jalpa. Developed in a mere seven months, it displaced just under four liters, had twin overhead camshafts, and was equipped with four valves per cylinder. The all-aluminum unit put out a very competitive 372 bhp, which placed it well ahead of engines used in similar Ferraris and Porsches at the time. In 1989 one example was constructed with the code name 'P140.' The new 'baby Lambo' was not shown anywhere as Lamborghini concentrated all efforts on the debut of the top of the range Diablo. By the time the Diablo roll-out was completed, the market had hit a slum, and expanding (or completing) the line-up did not seem like a good idea. In 1995 the P140 made a much-delayed debut, now clothed in a brand new body designed by Giorgietto Giugiaro. Dubbed the 'Cala,' it remains one of the most beautiful Lamborghinis ever built. Sadly production was again postponed. This was the end of the P140 project, which deserved more. The V10 engine in the Gallardo bears no relation with the V10 in the P140 / Cala. Today all that remains of the original P140 is a 1:1 styling mock-up. In 2008 it was brought from the Sant'Agata, Italy-based factory to California for the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance, where Lamborghini featured marque. Nearly 20 years after its inception, this was the first and possibly the last opportunity for the public to admire its lines. There was just one conclusion to draw; the P140 or Cala would have been a welcome addition to the Lamborghini and a most worthy competitor for its contemporaries like the Ferrari 348 or the Porsche 911. Source: UltimateCarPage Images: GTplanet.net; OldConceptCars

It’s not surprising that the Dakota Sport V8 grabs the eye as dramatically as it tackles the terrain. The professionals at Chrysler Design Jeep and truck Studios set out to prove that off-roading’s added excitement doesn’t require a truck with that familiar ‘add-on’ look. The Dakota Sport V-8 is their striking response to that challenge by integrating the latest off-road features into one aerodynamically refined shape. Poised beneath a fully integrated brush guard, a front air dam seems to pull the Sport V-8 down into its raked wind-defying stance. Nestled below a contour-hugging aero light bar are high-intensity halogen driving lamps. Topped by a fixed spoiler, a honeycombed “Baja” tailgate improves airflow and punctuates the Sport V-8’s dramatic styling. Crouching on its unique cast-aluminum wheels and Dakota tread tires, the Dakota Sport V-8 promises to deliver 4X4 excitement on-road and off. To keep and even surpass this promise, the Sport V-8 couples its advanced aerodynamics with a 5.2 liter, electronically fuel-injected V-8 that delivers 170 horses at 4000 RPM and 260 pound-feet of torque at 2000 RPM. Bringing a new dimension to the phrase “the more, the merrier,” the Sport V-8 showcases a feature that will soon expand the fun and excitement in Dakota territory: the extended cab. Four tube frame bucket seats provide ergonomically enhanced comfort front and rear in a custom interior designed to combine good times and good looks. Source: https://testdrivejunkie.com/ Images: OldConceptCars

The aesthetic of the Lamborghini Countach heavily influenced it, but the strangely named 1989 Fact BiTurbo concept from tuning company Zender was much more of a homespun phenomenon. Using a carbon fiber shell and casing a turbocharged V8 from Audi, the ugly bug Zender Fact BiTurbo would have easily punched through the five-second pull-away barrier. If it had ever lapped a circuit, it might have been rather svelte, too, having tipped the scales at only a shade over 1000KG. Able to produce around 450 horsepower, it would have been a beast - and recalls the bug-eyed intensity of a Pagani in its hand-wrought magnificence. There was a spyder version too - but neither made it to full-time production. We reckon the dream of privateer success on the streets of the eighties would have been harpooned by rising interest rates! Source: www.influx.co.uk Images: Zender; www.shorey.net

The Volkswagen Futura Concept was introduced in 1989at the Frankfurt Motor Show as a vision of the automobile of the year 2000. It was a condensate of the current Volkswagen technology in ar design and technology. The Volkswagen Futura is a "one box" design, that is, the bonnet forms a continuous line with the windscreen. The compact car, presented as a 2+2 seater, has gull-wing doors extending into the roof with removable windows. The novel insulated glass blocks 60 percent of heat without impairing visibility. The shaped rear glass panel can also be removed, turning the Volkswagen Futura Concept into an open leisure vehicle. The drive unit of the Volkswagen Futura research vehicle is revolutionary. The 1.7-liter petrol engine has a new type of direct injection, which makes it as economical as a Diesel while having characteristics of a petrol engine. Evaporation cooling and an oxidation catalyst reduce hydrocarbon emissions. All four wheels can be turned on the Volkswagen Futura with electric power-assisted steering, lighter and cheaper than hydraulic systems. At the touch of a button, can park automatically in the smallest space. Side winds and road surface effects are automatically compensated. Using the signals from a series of sensors that constantly monitor the distance from vehicles and obstacles in the vicinity, the Volkswagen Futura warns of too-close proximities. The Volkswagen engineers believed that traditional instruments were called to disappear; instead, the driver would get his information via LED screens. Safety information such as speed, engine revolution, and distance from the vehicle in front is displayed constantly. Further information can be called up at the touch of a button. The Volkswagen Futura is 3780 mm long and weighs just below 1000 kg. The engine produces up to 82 hp. Source: http://www.autoconcept-reviews.com/ Images: Volkswagen; Concept Car Central

Meet the 1989 Toyota RAV-FOUR Concept, which debuted at the Tokyo Motor Show next to the production Toyota Sera (with gullwing doors) and the 4500GT Concept (which went nowhere). Toyota called the RAV-FOUR a "neo-urban 4WD car"—unusual verbiage for a crossover and SUV era that was about to begin. Like most bonkers cars of its vintage, the real history of the RAV-FOUR begins with the Japanese economy, which was so flush with cash in the 1980s that companies didn't know what to do with it all. They greenlit the wildest cars. Multi-activity vehicles were all the rage, and the Suzuki Samurai was doing gangbusters in America riding on a little truck chassis. Toyota already had years and millions of dollars of experience with car-based all-wheel-drive vehicles in the All-Trac line, including the rally-bred Celica All-Trac Turbo. So what it built was maybe sensible, given the context. The RAV-FOUR concept was far more Samurai-like than the eventual production car—much more 1980s than 1990s. According to official Toyota history, the idea dated back to 1986 when artists started sketching its wild shape. Aside from perhaps the rear side windows on two-door models, the deep strakes on the high side cladding were the most obvious styling characteristic to carry forward—albeit toned down—into production. The overall idea of a higher-riding but car-based vehicle built for fun and not hard-core off-roading survived and thrived in the market. In retrospect, many RAV-FOUR details we think are particularly cool did not reach dealerships in the RAV4, which is a shame. By contrast, the production car's blobular headlights were arguably better suited to early 1990s tastes but much less charismatic. The front end of the RAV-FOUR concept has a lot of Honda City Turbo II flavor, with an asymmetrical grille, cheerful round headlights, and fender flares. Within that asymmetrical grille was a winch under a cover labeled "Emergency Only"—a really neat detail but one that'd be wasted on the eventual production car, with its very limited off-road chops. Other sweet details abounded. The skinny, knobby tires wrapped around steelie-look rims are pitch-perfect, the freestanding fender-mounted side-marker lights had a whiff of Mercedes G-wagon about them, and the interior had netting on the dash to hold stuff down. At the same time, you launched it off a giant dune on a desert rally—or at least, it might have if the RAV-FOUR had been translated more directly to production. The RAV-FOUR, essentially, looks like something you'd want to drive and hard. More three-quarters scale rally truck than a Corolla wagon on stilts. It's not the RAV4 we ended up with, but it's the RAV4 we still deserve. Specs: four-cylinder 2.0-liter engine 4-wheel drive, rear limited-slip differential four-wheel ABS 3695 millimeters (145.4 inches) long 1695 mm (66.7 in) wide 1660 mm (65.3 in) tall Source: https://www.motortrend.com/ Images: Toyota

The Toyota 4500GT concept debuted at the 1989 Frankfurt Motor Show. A 2-door, 2+2 coupe signaled Toyota's entry into the competitive upper-level luxury coupe class. Although the show-goers almost universally disliked the car's controversial styling at the Frankfurt show, its mechanical components were far more relevant, as they carried over much more closely to its production offspring than the styling did. Toyota claimed the 4500GT could transport four passengers and their luggage comfortably at a speed of 300 km/h (186 mph). The car had to be both efficient and powerful to achieve this. The body's unusual shape (dropping snout, flat and abrupt rear end) yielded an extremely low drag coefficient for the time of Cd=0.29. The power plant was quite impressive. A derivative of Toyota's then-new 1UZ-FE V8, the 4500GT boasted an additional 500 cc of displacement over the production unit, twin overhead camshafts per cylinder bank, and five valves per cylinder. This alloy V8 was mated with a six-speed manual transmission, which was mounted at the rear with the differential to even out the front/rear weight balance. This high-tech masterpiece produced 220 kW (295 bhp) at 6600 rpm and 390 N⋅m (288 lb-ft) at 4800 rpm. The suspension used double control arms front and rear. The front utilized upper A arms and lower L arms, and the rear used upper L arms and lower A arms for increased camber to promote stability in high-speed corners. No acceleration testing was ever done on the car, but with 220 kW (295 bhp) and a curb weight of 1,450 kg (3,197 lb), the rear-wheel-drive 4500GT could be reasonably expected to achieve 0–97 km/h (0–60 mph) in less than 7 seconds. The 4500GT never made it directly to the showroom; however, it was the predecessor to the third generation Toyota Soarer (also known as the first-generation Lexus SC). The Soarer/SC400 utilized a milder production version of the 4500GT's V8, a 4.0 L with 250 hp (186 kW). In the eyes of many, the styling of the Soarer/SC400 was much more cohesive and attractive, and it went on to great commercial success on the mechanical backbone of the 4500GT concept. Source: wikipedia Images: www.2000gt.net; eye-love.jp

The 1989 Tokyo Motor Show theme was "Freedom of Mobility - A Taste of Real Life and Luxury," and the Japanese were sure ready to party. Passenger car sales grew by 30.7 percent in that year alone. While the western world was slowed down by Hong Kong's Black Monday of 1987 and the European and American stock market crash that followed, the Japanese economy was in a pleasant bubble, with annual GNP growth close to five percent since the mid-seventies. The 1989 show represented the peak of this new prosperous era in Japan, announcing the good times with a poster as weird as one would expect coming from Tokyo: Suzuki was one of the 332 exhibitors fighting for the crowd's attention, and it managed to grab it with the Cappuccino roadster, its new kei sports car. However, its second major concept, the Quad Raider Constellation, got lost in history. Advertised as "a stylish sports sedan in the city streets and a versatile cross-country car over snow and off-road routes," the Quad Raider Constellation was pretty much the perfect crossover, featuring full-time all-wheel drive with Suzuki's hybrid air/hydraulic suspension. This allowed its ride height to be lifted by almost four inches on demand. Under the hood was Suzuki's twin-cam three-liter V6 producing 220 horsepower, connected to a four-speed automatic gearbox. Since the crossover was weighing 3640 lbs. dry, the stopping force was provided by four ABS-enhanced ventilated disc brakes. That was pretty impressive for 1989, but nothing compared to Constellation's high-tech interior. Occupants could feast their eyes on a total of three screens–a CRT in the instrument panel, two LCDs in the center console, and the rear-facing seats. The driver also got a mouse to play with "during high-speed driving." At the same time, the Constellation ticked the safety box by having projector headlights, four airbags, and a CCD video camera to monitor the kids. Who were probably expected to start misbehaving at the back the moment they got bored by their luxurious leather bucket seats or the "fuzzy control" option of the automatic A/C. In true late eighties Japanese concept fashion, Suzuki's pink wonder also had a multi-media system capable of handling DAT, compact audio, and 8mm video cassettes, as well as CDs and a TV feed. What more could one ask for? Looking back today, it's easy to see why the Tokyo Motor Show visitors got too busy to care about Suzuki's vision for the perfect family car. Source: https://www.roadandtrack.com/ Images: Suzuki

The prototype Cappuccino was finished in white and featured two piece roof rather than the three-piece on the final production model. In 1989 a concept for the Suzuki Cappuccino was shown. It was a two-seat convertible that had a mid-front mounted engine. It also had a backward opening bonnet. The final production model remained almost identical to the concept. Source:https://www.carthrottle.com/ Images: Suzuki

The Subaru Alcyone SVX first made its debut, as a concept car, at the 1989 Tokyo Auto Show. Italian automobile designer, Giorgetto Giugiaro of ItalDesign, designed the slippery, sleek bodywork, incorporating design themes from many of his design concepts, such as the Ford Maya and the Oldsmobile Inca. Subaru decided to put the concept vehicle into production and retain its most distinguishing design element, the unconventional window-within-a-window. Subaru called this an "aircraft-inspired glass-to-glass canopy," borrowed from the previous model Subaru Alcyone with an additional extension of glass covering the A-pillar. The decision to release this car for production would give the public the first opportunity to drive a "concept car" as originally conceived. In stark contrast to the boxy, angular XT, the SVX had curvy lines designed by Giugiaro and an unusual, aircraft-inspired "glass-to-glass canopy" with two-piece power side windows. The windows are split about two-thirds of the way from the bottom, with the division being parallel to the upper curve of the door frame. These half-windows are generally seen on exotic vehicles with "scissor," "gull-wing," or "butterfly" doors, such as the Lamborghini Countach, De Lorean DMC-12 (another Giugiaro design), and the McLaren F1. The SVX's aerodynamic shape allowed it to maintain the low drag coefficient of Cd=0.29, previously established by the XT coupe it replaced. In 1991-1992, Subaru displayed the Amadeus, a prototype shooting brake variation on the SVX, considered for production. Ultimately the Amadeus was not produced. Source: https://classiccars.fandom.com/wiki/Subaru_SVX Images: www.subaru-impreza.de; ItalDesign