Taking matters into your own hands
Ford was never going to greenlight the gorgeous Jaguar XK180 concept for production after its reveal in 1998 given that the British firm was still trying to shift XJ220s. A small number of companies, however, have committed to building authentic replicas. This sensational recreation was painstakingly created by a Dutch specialist and looks every bit as good as the original concept. What’s more, the 4.0-litre supercharged V8 coupled with the 1,200kg weight means the roadster will sprint from 0–60mph in 4.5sec and onwards to 180mph.
Teenage kicks
A curious footnote in America’s automotive history, Vector never really fulfilled its goal of beating the European manufacturers such as Ferrari, Lamborghini and Lotus at their own game. What it did do, however, was create a small number of visually audacious supercars arguably even more worthy of bedroom-wall poster space than the Raging Bulls from Sant’Agata or the Prancing Horses from Maranello. This purple car is a 1996 Vector M12, the fifth of just 15 produced and powered by the 5.7-litre V12 from the Lamborghini Diablo. Wild, huh?
The sincerest form of flattery
In order to keep the F1 GTR competitive, McLaren drastically evolved the car’s bodywork ahead of the 1997 season – so much so, that it was required to build a new road-going version christened the F1 GT. More commonly known as the ‘Longtail’ thanks to its enlarged aerodynamic rear end, just three F1 GTs were built, McLaren itself retaining the dark green prototype. When the original owner of this 2016 McLaren 675LT received his build slot, he took the opportunity to pay tribute to the unicorn F1 and spent over £120,000 with MSO making his car as close to the green GT as possible. The list of bespoke factory features is crowned by the carbon-fibre roof scoop, an option that cost an eye-watering £27,000!
Sessanta
Just last week we posed the question of what makes a ‘future classic’ and we used a beautiful grey Ferrari 612 Scaglietti in our bid to find out. The big 2+2 Grand Tourer split opinion when it was launched but we’ve always thought it very handsome. This stunning example is one of the 60 ultra-luxurious Sessanta versions built to commemorate 60 years of Ferrari and everything about the specification, down to the very last detail, screams low-key elegance.
In the pink
With this pink 2005 Maserati 4200 Trofeo, you could take part in two of the most enjoyable events poised to take place in 2020: Challenge & GT Days at the Red Bull Ring and the Endurance Racing Legends demonstration during the Le Mans Classic. This eye-catching chassis raced just once during the 2006 Trofeo Maserati, at Silverstone in the hands of Carlo Romani. It now shows just 1,400km on the clock and, as such, looks to be in exceptional condition. Oh, and if you’re wondering about the colour, its original owner simply didn’t want to go unnoticed…
Photos: DK Engineering, Sports Classics Geneva, Automobilia Franco Lembo, Curated, Classic Youngtimers Consultancy
