Gentleman in a tracksuit
If there is one sports car manufacturer that is directly associated with British understatement, it is probably Aston Martin. Even though large-displacement, powerful V8 or V12 engines work under the long hoods of the creations from Gaydon, the design remains timelessly elegant and intentionally understated, just as it should be for the vehicle of choice of a stylish secret agent like James Bond. Although this option is only chosen by a fraction of customers, the manufacturer does offer aggressive aero kits and striking color combinations for extroverted and performance-minded buyers. This Aston Martin V12 Vanquish, currently in the inventory of the Australian dealership Young Timers Garage, proves just how fundamentally the character of these cars can be transformed.
The factory-fitted aero package combined with the orange accents turns this elegant coupe into a real eye-catcher. The car from 2003 has 35,500 kilometers on the odometer and is therefore barely broken in. The Vanquish of the 2000s was catapulted to over 300 km/h by a 5.9-liter V12 engine producing 460 hp, so aerodynamic fine-tuning certainly cannot hurt. One thing is certain, however: with this flashy and everything but understated look, the Aston would most likely have failed the casting for the 007 movie "Die Another Day".
AI-enhanced track dominator
With the Czinger 21C, which was limited to just 80 units, a small manufacturer from the USA is radically casting aside traditional automotive manufacturing conventions. It is considered one of the first production cars ever in which artificial intelligence was no longer merely a supporting tool but was centrally integrated to lead the entire development process. The result of this AI-driven Bio-Logic design is a 3D-printed chassis paired with a mighty 1,250 hp V8 hybrid powertrain.
In this track-optimized HDF variant, the aerodynamics brute the car onto the asphalt with over 1.5 tons of downforce at 240 km/h. This extreme number secured it five US track records within just five days. The collector's item on offer shines in the striking shade of Artemis Yellow and is adorned with exposed carbon fiber stripes. The hypercar, which RM Sotheby’s will bring under the hammer at its Monterey auction in August, features exclusive optional extras worth over 133,000 dollars, which is approximately 116,600 euros. With a mileage of just 523 miles, it is in mint condition. The auction house estimates the value at 2.3 to 2.5 million dollars, corresponding to roughly 2 to 2.2 million euros.
An Exceptionally European Racehorse
Sometimes cinema serves as inspiration for motorsport and not the other way around. In Claude Lelouch's romance Un homme et une femme, which won two Academy Awards, racing driver Jean-Louis Duroc chases through the night in a white Ford Mustang after the Monte Carlo Rally to be with his great love in Deauville just in time. Inspired precisely by this four-wheeled protagonist, this purebred touring car wears the iconic livery of Ecurie Ford France, lovingly recreated down to the original Parisian license plate from the movie. Yet, the Mustang used as the base is also something special, because the car did not roll off the assembly line in Dearborn in 1966, but at the Ford assembly plant in Amsterdam. Since its initial delivery, it has been continuously registered in the Netherlands.
Beneath the sheet metal of this tribute by Machines with a Mission lies uncompromising yet road-legal racing technology. Following appearances in the Dutch Supersixties championship and at the prestigious Goodwood Members' Meeting, the classic V8 presents itself in absolute top condition. The FIA-compliant competition engine was freshly rebuilt and is currently just broken in.
Colin Chapman Would Have Been Proud
Hardly any other modern Lotus embodies the radical lightweight philosophy that was once the essence of the brand's identity as extremely as the 3-Eleven. The two-seater does completely without a roof or windshield. While the road-going version is already considered an exotic rarity, this track-optimized Race Version takes the concept to the extreme. Behind the driver, a supercharged 3.5-liter V6 unleashes a fierce 466 hp. In combination with a sequential racing gearbox and a curb weight of under 900 kilograms, it achieves a power-to-weight ratio of 517 hp per ton, entering true hypercar territory.
Carmeli Garage is offering an example that immediately catches the eye with its vibrant Solar Yellow paintwork. With a mileage of just 10 kilometers, which are purely due to delivery transport, it is a brand-new driving machine and an absolute collector's item, of which only 311 units were built in total. The Italian dealer is asking 184,900 euros for the spartan racer.
The Last Manual Ferrari V12
The 599 GTB Fiorano marks the end of a glorious era whose beginnings date back to the racing debut of the Cavallino Rampante in 1947. It was the last Ferrari that could be ordered with the brand's signature V12 engine combined with a manual transmission, including the traditional open-gate shifter, of course. According to the manufacturer from Maranello, out of around 4,000 units built, only 30 left the factory as genuine manual cars. This makes this timelessly elegant sports car an incredible rarity and an absolute blue-chip collector's item today.
Beneath the long, gently sloping hood rages the naturally aspirated 6.0-liter engine with 620 hp, which was derived from the Enzo powerplant. In the example offered by GTO Motors with 28,261 kilometers on the clock, this already spectacular base was refined with a breathtaking specification. The exclusive Vinaccia burgundy paintwork from the Ferrari Historic Colours palette, with which the Italians recalled the 1950s and 1960s, Scuderia shields on the fenders, 20-inch Challenge wheels, and a carbon-ceramic braking system make it an exceptionally aesthetic performance car. Inside, the stylish Cuoio full leather upholstery extends from the headliner to the Daytona seats.
