Modern-day Museum Piece
At Classic Driver, we’d like to think we’ve seen our fair share of rare vehicles, one-off prototype royalty and just about everything in between. Yet, there are cars that truly stop us in our tracks, and this time-capsule Murciélago LP 640 Roadster with just 220 km on the clock did just that. Sure, being a 2010 car, you could argue it’s only lived the quiet life for 16 years, but finding a model as desirable as this that’s basically fresh out of Sant’Agata is unheard of. Finished in Giallo Orion over Nero leather with Giallo Q-Citura stitching, this example is just about the hottest ticket item within Lamborghini’s star-studded roster, boasting one of the last properly raw-feeling V12s and all of the theatre that comes with such a supercar!
The Harrods Express
While most optioned their G-Wagens in sleek Silvers and stealthy blacks, there were a few that broke the mould, and this one goes beyond breaking it, it smashes it to pieces. Believed to be one of just four prototype G55s converted to right-hand drive by AMG themselves and created for a significant member of the royal family of Dubai, the boxy beast was intended for use in the UK. it’s finished in Godolphin Blue over Mystic Blue designo leather and has covered an almost offensive 143 miles in 21 years. Not 143,000, just 143. Even for the traffic-loving London, that mileage meant it perhaps only went from Harrods to Sloane Street its entire life. The details are exceptional on this example, though, including poplar wood trim, velour mats embroidered with Mystic Blue AMG logos, a gloriously early-2000s Siemens mobile phone, and even a TV tuner.
Pocket-Sized Explorer
We present to you the automotive equivalent of a well-loved jacket, the Fiat Panda 4x4. Don’t expect power, agility or refinement with this rugged explorer, but what the Panda lacks in Top Trumps stats, it more than makes up for in charm, character and eyebrow-raising ability. No matter the journey, we guarantee you every single trip will feel faintly adventurous, even if you’re just going to buy milk. This example has been treated to a wealth of upgrades by Cartech.ch, including two-tone tan leather, a rugged roof rack, and even a front bull-bar. Make your commute less about the rush, and more about the adventure, and we can be sure you’ll arrive with a smile on your face!
Stately, yet Understated
If you like your collector cars subtle enough to disappear into traffic, but interesting enough to make your friends squint at the paperwork, meet this 2015 Audi A6 Allroad with rather strong provenance. This supremely understated estate was owned by HM King Charles III from January 2015 to October of the following year. It’s the kind of royal connection that won’t get you waved through a roadblock, but it will make an A6 estate suddenly feel like an artefact.
As with a lot of Royal-specified cars, the spec list hints there’s more beneath the sensible shoes. Visually, it’s finished in a special-order Audi exclusive colour unique to the Royal Household, with soft-close doors, BOSE surround sound, double glazing, heated front and rear seats, rear blinds, ambient lighting, and a technology pack, all of which we wonder how much was used during its short stint as a Royal cruiser!
We are the PlayStation Generation
Some collector cars are purchased with the head. The NISMO 400R is purchased with the part of your brain that still remembers unlocking impossible cars in Gran Turismo. Regarded as one of the defining Japanese halo cars, built when NISMO were busy flexing their performance muscles to their absolute limit.
Taking a regular, and now obscenely expensive V-Spec R33-generation Skyline GT-R, the 400R’s party piece is its RB26DETT transformed from 2.6 to 2.8 litres, then fitted with larger N1 turbochargers, with engine work credited to REINIK, known for the motorsport side of Nissan’s legendary cars. The “400” denotes the reported horsepower, where the car is littered with emblems and reminders of this, finished off with stunning Rays NISMO LM-GT1 three-piece wheels, a carbon-fibre hood and rear spoiler, wider fenders, and revised bumpers/skirts. Performance claims? 0–60 mph in 4 seconds, 186 mph top speed, figures that would make even modern performance cars check themselves. NISMO planned 100 examples, but claims to have built just 44, with only 40 verified, making this truly an exclusive opportunity to acquire what is part of the PlayStation-generation Hall of Fame!
