Crazy Competizione
Let’s face it, the Ferrari F40 has rightfully earned its place in motoring history as one of the scariest cars to get behind the wheel of. Lethal turbo lag, a complete lack of driver aids and almost the entirety of its near 1,400 kilograms of weight sitting over the rear wheels makes for a truly unforgettable driving experience, one that should be taken perhaps more seriously than any other Ferrari, or supercar for that matter.
This F40, however, takes it up a notch. One of only an estimated 27 road cars converted for competition use by Martin Shaw's Specialised Cars of Manchester in the late 1990s, and inspired by the Michelotto F40 LM race cars, this F40’s twin-turbo 2.9-litre V8 now produces a staggering 648 horsepower, with 763 Nm of torque heading straight to the rear wheels. This example was raced in period for the 2000 British GT Championship, and now comes with an exceptional spares package including complete front nose, rear deck, spare engine block, three sets of Speedline racing wheels, just in case that power becomes too much to handle!
Take it to the Max
With Morgan recently launching their all-new Supersport, offering drivers everything wonderful about these hand-made machines with a sprinkle of modernity and convenience, it got us thinking of the models from the brand’s previous decades. A standout for many would be the AeroMax, arguably one of the most visually striking cars to be launched during the mid-2000s, and one that now holds desirability all over the world.
Based on the Aero 8 Roadster, the AeroMax featured a unique closed shell roof that resembled a fighter jet more than a road-going sports car. By the time the covers had lifted on the Geneva Motor Show car, all 100 limited examples were snapped up. Many remained in the UK, with just 10 Touring Coupés being delivered to Germany, making this example a true rarity. Boasting stunning coachwork design with its triangular rear windows and a thumping 4.8-litre BMW V8 producing 367 horsepower under its louvered bonnet, the driving experience is both incredibly unique and exciting in equal measure!
Comfortably Numb
“Celebrity owned” is a term sometimes used loosely as a sales tactic to highten the appeal of certain cars. It might be technically true, and a certain celebrity may have taken ownership of the car, but in many instances, the star in question would only own it for a short period of time before moving on to the next shiny new ride. This BMW M1 is an exception, though, and its first owner, a founding member of one of the world’s most successful bands, cherished BMW’s supercar for a staggering 42 years!
During the car’s release, Pink Floyd were rapidly gaining momentum as one of the biggest bands the planet had ever seen. November 1979 would see the release of the album ‘The Wall’, which would rack up over 30 million copies sold worldwide, continuing on from the success of the brand’s 1973 album ‘The Dark Side of the Moon’. Therefore, it’s fair to say the band were riding high on success, and the best way to enjoy that success is to splurge a little. This M1 was the perfect car for this mysterious and understated band, and has been meticulously maintained throughout its life, with this being the first this time true piece of music and motoring history has ever been publicly offered for sale.
The RA-RE One
The humble Subaru Impreza took on dozens of guises during its heyday in the 1990s and 2000s. While it battled the rally stages alongside its lifelong nemesis, the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution, on the public streets, enthusiasts were treating to some of the finest iterations of rally-meets-road cars to ever exist. Arguably the greatest of them all, perhaps bar the 22b of the Impreza’s previous generations would be this, Impreza WRX STi Spec-C Type RA-R from 2006.
Despite its tongue-jumbling name, the ethos of this last-of-the-line was to be the most focused and exclusive iteration of the GD-chassis STi. Developed by Subaru Tecnica International, a mere 300 units were produced exclusively for the Japanese domestic market. The RA-R designation, meaning 'Record Attempt – Racing', reflects its motorsport-influenced development, and was by no means a typical trim level seen by the brand, or any other brand for that matter, but was instead a homologation-style special designed for owners seeking mechanical purity and road-going performance. For those collectors seeking the very best of rallying’s modern wonder years, this is surely the one to cherish!
Tailor Made Tribute
Gianni Agnelli, or “L'Avvocato” as he was nicknamed by some, was a man bursting with presence, style and carefully considered ideas designed to help the motoring industry thrive. Ferrari was already flying high during the 1980s, and while working as the chairman of Fiat, Angelli was able to indulge in his passion for the unusual, many of which we’ve talked about here on Classic Driver before. In 1986, though, he took his flamboyant ideas to another level, commissioning a Spider version of the Ferrari Testarossa as an appropriate commemoration of his 20 years as the president of Fiat.
The result was a fabulously specified drop-top, and one that we thought could never be replicated again, and yet, it seems the 812 GTS makes the perfect canvas for a modern-day interpretation. Painted in the magnificent Argento Nürburgring with a special livery in Azzurro Testarossa, all the exterior plastics were painted in gloss black to allow the 812’s design language to sing. Bright finished wheels complete the look, with the car’s party piece being on the inside. Echoing that of the Testarossa is Connolly’s Blu Vaumol Crushed Grain leather, with other interior elements in Blu Sterling leather, extending to the rear wall and boot. The Glossy Giallo Modena, Blu Ghibli and Glossy Rosso Corsa accents on the central tunnel echo the Testarossa’s climate control temperature cues, showcasing the level of detail and consideration that went into creating this Tailor Made piece of perfection!
