monterey Archives | Page 4 of 5

Monterey 2010: McLaren MP4-12C makes North American debut, ushers in new McLaren order

Filed under: Coupe, Performance

McLaren MP4-12C North American debut – Click above for high-res image gallery

With a burst of light and a swoosh of its car cover, the McLaren MP4-12C made its North American debut this evening in Pebble Beach. Gooding auctions unveiled the new supercar at its preview reception, the same locale that has seen the debuts of other significant vehicles from the past few years – namely the Rolls-Royce Hyperion and the Pininfarina P4/5. But tonight McLaren was definitely the star of the show. Besides giving Americans their first glimpse of its latest model, McLaren also talked a bit about the new company they are introducing to build and sell not just the MP4-12C, but a whole range of road vehicles.

This isn’t like the way things were done with the F1, where it was basically a special project inside the technical and racing operations…no, it’s a whole new passenger car company that will have an assortment of vehicles apparently. In fact, McLaren Automotive has already announced the list of 35 cities that will be hosting McLaren dealerships, and the rumor mill is in full swing telling us that a successor to the big-daddy F1 is in the cards for as early as 2012. The last bit of info we gleened from the presentation was that they seemed to talk a lot about their winning history in both Formula 1 and sports car racing and how they love to win. Perhaps a not-so-subtle hint that a racing version of the MP4-12C will be built? Makes sense to us. While we’re waiting for spy shots of that project, do yourself a favor and check out the hot new McLaren in our gallery below.

Gallery: McLaren MP4-12C North American debut

Monterey 2010: McLaren MP4-12C makes North American debut, ushers in new McLaren order originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 13 Aug 2010 23:47:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Continue reading “Monterey 2010: McLaren MP4-12C makes North American debut, ushers in new McLaren order”

Monterey 2010: Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Super Sport makes North American debut

Filed under: Coupe, Performance, Bugatti

Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Super Sport – Click above for high-res image gallery

Bugatti made big news last month when it unveiled the Veyron 16.4 Super Sport. The 1200-horsepower supercar smashed the production car speed record by reaching nearly 268 mph at the Volkswagen proving grounds, and it even made the fastest ever lap around the Top Gear test track in the hands of the Stig.

We’ve previously only seen pictures of just one Super Sport model – the record-setting car with the polarizing orange and black paint scheme – but now we know that the Bugatti factory has spewed out at least two examples. The Super Sport made its North American debut at the Quail Motorsports Gathering earlier today with gorgeous blue carbon fiber paint. We have to say we much prefer it over its counterpart.

We’ve heard the record-setting Super Sport is also in town and will be at Laguna Seca, so we’ll hopefully be able to bring you more photos of that car, and expect plenty more coverage from the Quail Motorsports Gathering throughout this weekend.

Gallery: Monterey 2010: Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Super Sport

Monterey 2010: Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Super Sport makes North American debut originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 13 Aug 2010 20:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Continue reading “Monterey 2010: Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Super Sport makes North American debut”

Monterey 2010: Blue Oval bargains kick off RM auction

Filed under: Classics, Auctions, Ford

Mercury Messenger Concept

RM Ford-Themed Monterey Auction – Click above for high-res image gallery

The Monterey auctions kicked off last night with a special Ford-only sale put on by RM. Despite an offering of significant race cars and a slew of concept cars, bidding was sluggish and many of the final sale prices were well below the pre-auction estimates. Some of the concepts like the 2000 Ford Prodigy Concept and the 2002 Lincoln Coninental Concept Shell sold for just $14,000 each, while many of the high profile cars sold for less than half the estimates. The 2003 Ford Supercharged Thunderbird Concept went for $60,000, the 2004 Lincoln Mark X Concept sold for $92,500, and the 2004 Ford Mustang GT-R Concept went to a bidder who only had to fork over $100,000.

The top sales of the day were actually a pair of Lincolns, one a 1962 Continental “Bubbletop” Kennedy Limousine ($429,000) and the other a 1933 KB Custom Dietrich Convertible Sedan ($385,000). Some most significant cars were no-sales, including a 1903 Ford Model A that is the oldest existing Ford ever sold (high bid of $325,000) and a 1964 Cooper Ford “King Cobra” that didn’t meet the reserve at $450,000.

You can see the Ford concept cars and many of the other vehicles at RM’s Thursday night auction in the gallery below, and be sure to check back for more auction photos and results this weekend.

Gallery: RM Ford-Themed Monterey Auction

2004 Lincoln Mark X Concept 2001 Ford Forty Nine Concept 2001 Lincoln MK9 Concept 2005 Ford Explorer Sport Trac Adrenalin Concept 2001 Ford EX Concept

Monterey 2010: Blue Oval bargains kick off RM auction originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 13 Aug 2010 19:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Continue reading “Monterey 2010: Blue Oval bargains kick off RM auction”

Monterey 2010: Pebble Beach Tour d’Elegance creates ultimate photo-ops

Filed under: Classics

2010 Pebble Beach Tour d’Elegance – Click above for high-res image gallery

While the skies were gloomy and even a bit weepy this year, at least we didn’t have fog like last year. The Pebble Beach Tour d’Elegance is one of our favorite events in Monterey every year, and it’s nice to actually see the cars. The Tour, if you’re not familiar, is an event that includes a large portion of the entrants in Sunday’s Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, but as its name implies, the cars are moving. The best part is that it’s free to anyone with a lawn chair.

The cars leave the Pebble Beach grounds around 8:30AM and snake through 17-Mile drive, loop through Monterey and then head down Highway 1 to Big Sur before turning around and coming back up into Carmel for lunch. Mercedes-Benz was the sponsor this year so there were plenty of SLS, SLK, S Class, GL, ML… LMNOP models on hand to serve escort duty for the “real” media, VIPs and racers like Sir Stirling Moss, who led the whole parade in an old Gullwing. Nice cars for sure, but the Tour is also our first glimpse at what’s going to be vying for Best of Show on the 18th fairway at Pebble on Sunday.

Unlike last year when the Horch just shown like a freshly polished diamond in a coal pile, we didn’t spot any clear favorites this year. That’s not to say there aren’t a ton of great cars here this year – just not one superstar. Several cars did manage to stand out as the entries chugged past us along PCH though.

That’s the magical part of the Tour, the cars careening down the coast with hundreds of spectators and photographers lining every turn-out. All five of your senses are involved here, with everything from horseless carriages to 1950s dream cars whizzing by, spewing an intoxicating mix of fuel vapor, oil, exhaust, brakes, clutch and various other overheated material scents as the ground rumbles under your feet, particularly with the race cars. And come on, how often do you get to see GP cars on the street?

Check out the amazing gallery of 109 high-res images by clicking below. We’re still in the process of labeling them all, so shout it out in the comments if you can identify any of the ones we’re missing.

Gallery: Monterey 2010: Pebble Beach Tour d’Elegance

Mercedes-Benz 300SL driven by Sir Stirling Moss

Monterey 2010: Pebble Beach Tour d’Elegance creates ultimate photo-ops originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 13 Aug 2010 14:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Continue reading “Monterey 2010: Pebble Beach Tour d’Elegance creates ultimate photo-ops”

Monterey 2010: Moal Coachbuilders debuts Ferrari-powered Gatto

Filed under: Concept Cars, Classics, Coupe, Performance, Ferrari, Luxury

Moal Coachbuilders Gatto – Click above for high-res image gallery

Moal Coachbuilders, the shop that brought us the likes of Tim Allen’s one-time Licorice Streak Special, showed up in Monterey with not only that Tool Time-worthy hot rod, but also its new Gatto retro sports car. The bright blue coupe reminds us of something in the vein of an Aston Martin DB4 GT or a Maserati A6 GCS. It’s a beautiful shape that looks like it just stepped out of a ten year restoration… but it’s brand new. Well, most of it is.

Under the hood resides a very special V12 engine – a 300-horsepower V12 derived from a Ferrari 250 GTO. Don’t ask us how that came about, all we know is that the car was created for a wealthy California investment manager, and was built to his specifications. Besides that lustful engine under the bonnet, the Gatto also features a hand-built monocoque chassis, aluminum panels crimped directly onto the subframe to save weight, a Tremac five-speed gearbox, custom Borrani wheels, custom-fitted leather seats and straightforward analog gauges. One of the only modern touches is air conditioning.

It’s a gorgeous car, but the funny thing is, we almost walked right past it, thinking it was another of Bonham’s auction items or something. That’s the nature of McCall’s Motorworks Revival – so many great cars that sometimes things get lost in the shuffle. Thankfully not this time. Too bad we couldn’t get anybody to open the hood… Click below to see our high-res image gallery.

Gallery: Monterey 2010: Moal Coachbuilders Gatto

Monterey 2010: Moal Coachbuilders debuts Ferrari-powered Gatto originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 12 Aug 2010 18:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Continue reading “Monterey 2010: Moal Coachbuilders debuts Ferrari-powered Gatto”

Auction Action: Steve Saleen’s pre-pro Ford GT up for grabs in Monterey

Filed under: Classics, Coupe, Performance, Auctions, Ford, Celebrities

Steve Saleen’s Ford GT Prototype – Click above for image gallery

Steve Saleen has apparently gotten it in his mind to auction off his personal Ford GT. While we’re not exactly ones to go all star-crossed over a vehicle’s ownership history, this particular car is more than a plain vanilla GT with Saleen’s name on the title. In fact, the car was never titled at all because it’s the fifth of nine prototype vehicles built before GT production got off of the ground in 2005. The car started life dipped in yellow, but received the blue on white treatment at some later point in history.

If the paint doesn’t do anything for you, the fact that the car reportedly wears a hand-built twin-screw supercharger should. Supposedly, Saleen’s GT was the only of the nine prototypes to receive the blessing of forced induction. The car currently has 4,000 miles on the odometer thanks to a lengthy stint in PR and a few movie appearances in the likes of The Fast and the Furious and Rocky Balboa – that’s got to be worth something, right?

If Saleen’s supercar sounds like something you wouldn’t mind sticking in the garage, you’ll need to check out the Russo and Steele auction at Monterey this weekend.

Gallery: Steve Saleen’s Ford GT Prototype

[Source: Russo and Steele via Automobile]

Auction Action: Steve Saleen’s pre-pro Ford GT up for grabs in Monterey originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 12 Aug 2010 17:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Continue reading “Auction Action: Steve Saleen’s pre-pro Ford GT up for grabs in Monterey”

Monterey 2010: Lotus Evora Cup GT4 has us shaken and stirred

Filed under: Motorsports, Coupe, Lotus, Racing

2010 Lotus Evora Cup GT4 – Click above for high-res image gallery

While the Lotus booth at the Jet Center Party in Monterey had several outstanding cars on display, two of them had us drooling more than the rest. The first was the all-new, million-dollar Lotus Exos T125 single-seat racer and the other was the car you see here – the Lotus Evora Cup GT4 car. The Evora’s shape is pleasing enough in stock form, but add a few wings and scoops and it is totally bad-ass…especially in British Racing Green.

This Evora will be used in a new single-make series along the lines of the long-running Porsche Cup. The car is also eligible for GT4 class racing against the likes of the Audi R8 LMS and Porsche 911s. While the 4.0-liter, Toyota-based V6 has been bumped up to 400 horsepower and 295 pound-feet of torque, that’s still not earth-shaking power. It’s hoped that the Evora’s relatively light weight and Lotus’s handling expertise, however, will be enough to keep it in the hunt against those more powerful machines.

Lotus hinted it will be lapping Laguna Seca in this puppy later in the week, and we’ve already penciled it in. If that happens we’ll be sure to bring you more pics, but for now, check out the gallery of photos from Wednesday night’s Jet Center Party below.

Gallery: Monterey 2010: Lotus Evora Cup GT4

Monterey 2010: Lotus Evora Cup GT4 has us shaken and stirred originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 12 Aug 2010 15:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Continue reading “Monterey 2010: Lotus Evora Cup GT4 has us shaken and stirred”

Monterey 2010: Lotus Exos Type 125 debuts in front of crowd that can afford it

Filed under: Motorsports, Lotus, Racing

2011 Lotus Exos T125 – Click above for high-res image gallery

Our first stop during the annual classic and exotic car feast up in Monterey every year is always the Jet Center Party, more formally known as McCall’s Motorworks Revival. This year was no exception and aside from the copious amounts of food and drink available, there were of course some cars to sate our appetites.

One that immediately caught our eye was sitting right in the middle of the centerpiece Lotus display. It was the just-announced Lotus Exos T125 single-seat racer. Even alongside Takuma Sato’s current Indy Racing League Lotus Dallara, the Exos draws a huge crowd.

This customer car will be available to a select few enthusiasts who wish to part with a million dollars or more to experience the thrills of Formula 1 racing for themselves – or at least a reasonable fascimile. The 650-horsepower Cosworth engine is limited to just 10,300 RPM for longevity, but that should be more than enough to keep the 25 projected customers happy.

We’re hoping Lotus takes this Exos out on the track this week so we can see it in action. If that happens we’ll be sure to bring you more pics, but for now, check out the gallery of photos from Wednesday night’s Jet Center Party below.

Gallery: Monterey 2010: Lotus Exos Type 125

Monterey 2010: Lotus Exos Type 125 debuts in front of crowd that can afford it originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 12 Aug 2010 12:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Continue reading “Monterey 2010: Lotus Exos Type 125 debuts in front of crowd that can afford it”

Monterey 2010: McCall’s Motorworks Revival kicks things off

Filed under: Concept Cars, Motorsports, Classics, Misc. Auto Shows

Gordon McCall’s Motorworks Revival at The Monterey Jet Center – Click above for high-res image gallery

The annual Monterey classic and exotic car festivities may culminate in the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance on Sunday, but there are literally dozens of events during the week to keep everyone happy. Check out our official Autoblog Monterey Calendar if you doubt us. Our favorite way to kick off the week is always Wednesday night’s McCall’s Motorworks Revival at The Monterey Jet Center. The Jet Center Party, as it’s more informally known, brings together some of the most significant cars from all of the other events, along with many of the celebs and VIPs, lots of fabulous food and beverages, and an awesome assortment of classic warplanes and new jets for sale. It might sound like an odd mix, but it makes for a perfect start to our week in Monterey every year.

While the Lotus booth was truly a worthy centerpiece this year, with its all-new, million-dollar Lotus Exos T125 single-seat racer, Lotus Evora Cup GT4 car, Takuma Sato’s Indy Racing League Lotus Dallara and a production Lotus Evora, there was plenty more to see as usual. Bonham’s brought over several of their top offerings; a few race cars made it over from the track, some vintage Jaguars snuck over from Quail, and Bentley, Jaguar, Audi, Porsche; and several other manufacturers had their usual grand displays. There were even a few oddball, one-off and fledgling builders on hand, like the Singer 911 and Morgan.

Highlights included the Jaguar XJ13 and XK-SS, Audi Sport Quattro and R10, Lola T220, the bare metal Aston Martin DB4 GT Zagato, Maserati A6GCS, Porsche 550 and 917 Spyders and that super rare drag pack Shelby GT350 Mustang. Heck, we even got to hang out with Takuma Sato who said he’s really enjoying his rookie season in IndyCars and that ovals are a real test of your concentration. He also said he loves the way the Lotus Evora Cup GT4 car feels. Real nice guy.

Click below to check out our gallery of photos from Wednesday night’s Jet Center Party.

Gallery: Monterey 2010: McCall’s Motorworks Revival

Jaguar XK-SS Ford GT in Gulf livery Audi R8 2011 Bentley Mulsanne Mercedes-Benz 300SL

Monterey 2010: McCall’s Motorworks Revival kicks things off originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 12 Aug 2010 11:53:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Continue reading “Monterey 2010: McCall’s Motorworks Revival kicks things off”

Autoblog Monterey Classic Car Week Calendar

Filed under: Motorsports, Classics, Auctions, Event Alert

As you’re reading this, several of us are on the way to Monterey, California, ready to provide tee-to-green coverage of the annual classic car week festivities. The real action starts with Gordon McCall’s Motorsports Revival – aka The Jet Center Party – tomorrow evening and with the festivities bookended by grand-daddy of them all: The Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance. In between there are enough other concours, races, auctions and miscellaneous car events in the mix to keep any type of enthusiast happy. While we plan on covering as much of the proceedings as possible, we hope some of you will be in attendance as well. To that end we’ve compiled a schedule of events with brief descriptions and links to keep you in the know up on the Monterey peninsula. Follow the jump to read our complete Autoblog Monterey Classic Car Week Calendar.

[Sources: See Monterey and About.com]

Continue reading Autoblog Monterey Classic Car Week Calendar

Autoblog Monterey Classic Car Week Calendar originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 10 Aug 2010 14:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Continue reading “Autoblog Monterey Classic Car Week Calendar”