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Official: Aston Martin V12 Zagato heads from Villa d’Este to the race track

Filed under: Concept Cars, Coupe, Performance, Aston Martin, Misc. Auto Shows, Racing

Aston Martin V12 Zagato

Aston Martin V12 Zagato – Click above for high-res image gallery

Some concepts debut at an auto show and are never heard from again. Some make the rounds of minor local car shows. A small number make it into production. But it’s full speed ahead for the Aston Martin V12 Zagato.

The collaborative effort between Aston Martin and Zagato was unveiled at the prestigious Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the original DB4GT Zagato. A stunning creation, the show car handily won the award for concepts at the Italian lakeside concours. The next step? Racing.

Right from the start, Aston announced that the V12 Zagato would be hitting the race track in no less rigorous a test than Germany’s Nürburgring. And so it will, starting this weekend and returning in tandem next month for a second outing. But before it does, Aston’s released these images of the car.

The car that debuted in Villa d’Este ditched the diamond-finish wheels from the advance pictures for blacked-out ones, but it has kept the front splitter, full roll cage and sliding plastic driver’s-side window. The image above shows an even larger splitter, along with a giant rear wing. Otherwise, the racecar looks essentially the same as the coupe that won the Concorso D’Eleganza Design Award at Villa d’Este, but it’ll likely feature a full competition livery when it makes its race debut this weekend. Check out the updated image gallery and the award announcement after the jump.

Continue reading Aston Martin V12 Zagato heads from Villa d’Este to the race track

Aston Martin V12 Zagato heads from Villa d’Este to the race track originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 25 May 2011 13:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ferrari to unveil unique Super America 45 at Villa d’Este

Filed under: Convertible, Performance, Misc. Auto Shows, Ferrari

Concorso d'Eleganza Villa d'Este 2011

Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este 2011 official event poster – Click above for high-res image

Villa d’Este is a wonderful place. Situated along the shores of picturesque Lake Como in northern Italy, every year the palatial grounds play host to the Concorso d’Eleganza that strips all that is mundane and industrial about a regular car show and lets the sun shine through. The annual show is sponsored by BMW, but mixes the finest concept cars of the year with the most beautiful classics – and will feature an auction for the first time – but there’s always something new in store for the concours.

Last year it was Zagato’s Alfa Romeo TZ3 Corsa – the one-off that preceded the recently-announced TZ3 Stradale. And this year Ferrari and Pininfarina will showcase a new coachbuilt custom at the lakeside exposition, alongside the likes of the Audi Quattro Concept, Infiniti Etherea, Rinspeed BamBoo and James Glickenhaus’ P4/5 Competizione.

Dubbed the Super America 45, it picks up its name from the Ferrari back catalog with models based on the 400, the 410 and most recently the 575M. This latest one-off is tipped to be based on the 599 GTB Fiorano (or one of the myriad variants thereof), commissioned by a New York collector through Maranello’s custom orders department and fitted with unique sheetmetal from Pininfarina.

The press release on the event confirms the Super America 45’s participation, but indicates it’s a six-cylinder car. Since Ferrari hasn’t made a V6 since the Dino 246 went out of production 37 years ago, we’ll chalk that one up to a mistake. As for what the 45 stands for when the first Superamerica was introduced in 1956 is beyond us. One way or another, we’ll find out when the show opens later this month, so follow the jump for the press release and watch this space for more.

Continue reading Ferrari to unveil unique Super America 45 at Villa d’Este

Ferrari to unveil unique Super America 45 at Villa d’Este originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 03 May 2011 13:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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1965 Ford GT40 Roadster crossing the block at Villa d’Este

Filed under: Classics, Auctions, Europe, Ford, Racing

1965 Ford GT Roadster

1965 Ford GT Roadster – Click above for high-res image gallery

A one-of-five 1965 Ford GT40 Roadster will be auctioned off at the Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este in Cernobbio, Italy on May 21. The car was built in 1965 as a prototype by Ford’s Advanced Vehicle Operations center in England, and is one of four surviving examples.

The Linden Green example crossing the block was raced by John Whitmore and Bob Bondurant in the 1965 Targa Florio, running as high as third before it was forced to quit after being damaged. The car, chassis GT/111 was lost after the Targa Florio, waiting to resurface until 2006.

The car was authenticated and restored in 2007, and has made vintage race appearances around the world, starting with the 2007 Goodwood Revival. Given the car’s rarity, blue-chip name and Whitmore/Bondurant prestige, the GT Roadster will no doubt fetch some serious bank when it rolls across the block.

Gallery: 1965 Ford GT Roadster

1965 Ford GT Roadster

[Source: Top Gear | Images: Top Gear]

1965 Ford GT40 Roadster crossing the block at Villa d’Este originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 03 Apr 2011 14:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Crazy collection of concepts from Bertone to be auctioned by RM at Villa d’Este

Filed under: Concept Cars, Auctions, Chevrolet, Lamborghini, Misc. Auto Shows, Lancia

1970 Lancia Stratos HF Zero by Bertone

1970 Lancia Stratos HF Zero from the Bertone Museum – Click above for high-res image gallery

You can’t make an omelet, or so the saying goes, without breaking some eggs. So while it’s unfortunate that the restructuring at Bertone means the dissolution of its museum collection, it also means that its contents are going up for auction. And they’ll be crossing the block at no less fitting a location than Villa d’Este.

Those in the know will recognize Villa d’Este for the Concorso d’Eleganza held there every year, where the most gorgeous and rare of classic cars mingle with the finest concept cars unveiled throughout the year. This year’s concours will mark the first time that RM Auctions will be holding an event at the open-air show on picturesque Lake Como, and in addition to the myriad unspeakably beautiful classics on the docket, RM has just announced the consignment of six concept cars from the Bertone Museum, each one-of-a-kind in its own right and available to collectors for the first time.

The consignment includes the 1967 Lamborghini Marzal, 1970 Lancia Stratos HF Zero, 1963 Chevrolet Testudo, 1974 Lamborghini Bravo, 1980 Lamborghini Athon and 1978 Lancia Sibilo. Each was a seminal design for Bertone, and each is expected to fetch well into the six and even seven figures. The Marzal, particularly, which was driven by Prince Ranier and Princess Grace at the start of 1967 Monaco Grand Prix, and the Stratos, the first prototype for the iconic supercar rally machine of the same name, are expected to sell for between €1,000,000 and €1,800,000… that’s as much as $2.5 million apiece in equivalent American funds.

Have a look at the collection (sans the Lancia Siblio, images for which are en route) in the high-resolution image gallery below, and follow the jump for the full details in the press release. Hat tip to Sea Urchin!

Gallery: Bertone concepts at RM Auctions Villa d’Este

1967 Lamborghini Marzal 1970 Lancia Stratos HF Zero

[Source: RM Auctions | Images: Tom Wood/RM]

Continue reading Crazy collection of concepts from Bertone to be auctioned by RM at Villa d’Este

Crazy collection of concepts from Bertone to be auctioned by RM at Villa d’Este originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 30 Mar 2011 19:24:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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