Wolfsburgs Fuel-Sipper
Ferdinand Piëch, the late VW Group boss and tireless pusher of engineering boundaries, loved extremes: the Porsche 917, the W16 engine, and the legendary "one-liter car," which reached production as the XL1 in 2013/14. This UK-owned example is number 148 of only 200 customer cars. It still impresses today with its streamlined body and a drag coefficient of just 0.189. Unlike the early concepts, it seats two side by side rather than in tandem. Power comes from a two-cylinder turbodiesel, while the fully charged lithium-ion battery provides an all-electric range of 31 mi. The 10-liter fuel tank stretches the real-world range well beyond 250 mi. We wish the next owner the best of luck in setting new personal fuel-efficiency records.
Panther with a Bull's Heart
What do you get when you combine the design of the iconic 1970s De Tomaso Pantera with the 5.2-liter V10 and underpinnings of a more contemporary Lamborghini Huracán? The answer is the Panther ProgettoUno from Modena-based Ares Design. Call it a reborn icon or an ultra-expensive designer toy for collectors, but this Italian supercar fusion is far more than a retro retread. The Motor Valley coachbuilder has pulled off a harmonious reinterpretation of the past. Its proportions evoke the Pantera, pop-up headlights included, while the technology is thoroughly modern: a carbon-fiber body, all-wheel drive with a Haldex clutch, and a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission.
British Beef
No ABS, no traction control, and certainly no ESP (what's that?). A TVR Griffith is not for the faint-hearted; it is British sports car manufacturing at its most unfiltered. Finished in Rolex Blue (actually purple), this roadster is number six of the 100-car Griffith 500 SE (Special Edition), which TVR built between 2000 and 2002 to mark the end of Griffith production. Like the regular Griffith 500, it is powered by the 5.0-liter TVR-developed Rover V8 making 340 hp. The interior combines the Chimaera dashboard with Cerbera seats, here trimmed in Portland (white) and purple leather. A Griffith 500 SE is highly sought after by collectors and delivers a raw, analog driving experience that tests the driver's limits. But beware: it may bite.
Glamour of a Bygone Era
Before production of the 1900, Alfa's first unibody model, began in 1950, a few remaining 6C models with traditional separate-chassis construction and coachbuilt bodies still reached the market in the immediate post-war years. This 1947 6C 2500 Super Sport Coupé is one of approximately 120 short-wheelbase coupés with coachwork by Touring Superleggera. It stayed with its first owner in Portugal for nearly 60 years. In 2006 it came to Germany, where it underwent a complete restoration finished in 2010. An Alfa Romeo certificate of authenticity confirms the matching-numbers engine, the original light-gray paintwork, and the original blue interior. This stunning 6C made its debut at Pebble Beach in 2019 and is available for viewing in Central California.
Wolf in Golf's Clothing
In 2002, Volkswagen launched the R32, a 238-hp hot hatch based on the Golf Mk IV. Customer response was so overwhelming that around 12,000 units were built instead of the originally planned 5,000. The "32" refers to the 3.2-liter displacement of the VR6 engine, which sends its power to both axles through the 4Motion all-wheel-drive system. This single-owner example is one of roughly 2,000 R32s that came to the UK. It is finished in Deep Blue Pearl Effect paint over a light-gray and black interior with extensive Alcantara trim. It has covered just 390 mi and, after a long period in storage, is now ready for a second owner to gently break it in and, hopefully, finally drive it the way it was meant to be driven.
