Autos

RM Sotheby’s is offering what is thought to be the fastest, ‘most radical’ road-going Ferrari F40 ever constructed. The 1989 ‘non-cat, non-adjust’ F40 was converted to ‘Competizione’ spec in 1993 by Cavallino Tuning in Holland, with work carried out on the suspension, brakes and bodywork, including a respray in yellow before being raced in 1993 and 1994. Then, in 1995, an upgraded roll cage and full suspension upgrade was carried out by G-Tex in the UK in collaboration with Michelotto, which also saw the addition of a Stack instrumentation system and air jacks as well as engine work that pushed its output to well over 700 bhp. The car was sold again in 1997 to Ferrari collector and racing driver Michel Osprey, who raced it until 2006. Its current Grigio Nardo livery was added during a €123...

Harley-Davidson has revealed a new 2022 factory paint option for its Grand American Touring models, reflecting the brand’s success in competition. The Apex paint scheme, which starts with a base of Vivid Black upon which Gauntlet Gray ‘Bar & Shield’ graphic panels are applied and framed by Jet Fire Orange stripes. The fuel tanks receive “a graphic outline on the fuel tank which mimics the shape of the tank on the legendary Harley-Davidson XR750 flat track racing motorcycle.” Models with fairing feature graphics sweeping back to align with the tank graphic, while the lines on the front fender flow visually with those on the side covers and saddlebags, creating the illusion of motion. The Apex custom paint option celebrates the marque’s competition history in hill climbs, enduros, and fa...

Maserati has just announced that it is bringing its limited edition Grecale PrimaSerie to North America. Part of the Fuoriserie customization program, the performance SUV will arrive in PrimaSerie – or “first” – editions with the first being a 523-horsepower V6 Grecale Trofeo in Giallo Corse yellow quad-coat paint. This edition sees 21-inch Crio wheels, 3D carbon trim, custom headrest stitching, yellow stitch trim, a 21-speaker Sonus Faber audio system, and red-gloss brake calipers. The second version is the four-cylinder, 325-horsepower Grecale Modena. Available in Bianco Astro, Blu Nobile and Grigio Cangiante, each of these features sport power seats, custom interiors, piano black trim, ventilated and heated front and rear seats, a heated steering wheel, and sport pedals. Each PrimaSerie...

Paul Walker died in 2013, leaving behind a legacy as the protagonist in the Fast & Furious film franchise as well as plenty of cars that he had collected over the years, such as a BMW M1, BMW M3 E30, various other personal cars, and of course the iconic Toyota Supra that he drove in the formative movies, and now another rarity that belonged to Walker is heading to auction — a 1973 Porsche 911 Carrera RS 2.7. The classic Porsche is rare in its own right, being one of just 1,580 produced. With Walker’s ownership attached to the car, it’s expected that this machine will fetch more than the general market price which ranges from half a million dollars to $1,000,000 USD on average. As Mecum Auctions, the platform selling the car, notes: “Walker recounted the story of...

Mercedes-Benz is teaming up with ONE PIECE for the launch of its upcoming ONE PIECE FILM: RED movie. Celebrating Mercedes-Benz’s EQB electric vehicle, the two have created a special cafe, exhibition and ONE PIECE version of the EQB. The EQB comes wrapped in a special ONE PIECE graphic of Luffy and members of the Straw Hat Pirates. The exhibition will see original works from Eiichiro Oda featuring costume design panels used in the animated film. For those looking to indulge in some ONE PIECE-themed food, the cafe will have items like the Sea K​king Fish Burger, Uta’s White Sandwich, and a Pirate Hamburger with Bones Wrapped in a Straw Hat on its menu. Head over to the dedicated website to learn more. In other automotive news, Porsche unveils the 2023 911 GT3 R. Read more at HYPE...

Porsche has officially unveiled its 2023 911 GT3 R which will soon appear at GT3-compliant worldwide motorsports events such as the North American IMSA series, FIA WEC World Endurance Championship, and 24-Hour Le Mans in 2024. Based on the 992-generation 911, the new track-only coupe will feature a flat-six engine that’s five percent bigger than the last model, better aerodynamics, and optimized vehicle balance. “The new 911 GT3 R has big shoes to fill,” says Michael Dreiser, Sales Director at Porsche Motorsport, in a press release. “Its forerunner has won almost everything there is to win in the GT3 scene in four seasons since 2019. Its stand-out successes include overall victories at the 24-hour races at the Nürburgring and also here at Spa-Francorchamps. Raced by...

After previewing its newest GT3 contender back in March, Italian supercar maker Ferrari has now unveiled a full look at the 296 GT3. Built on the road-going 296 GTB model, the new racer from the Prancing Horse will take over from the current 488 GT3 starting in 2023 and move from the existing V8 engine to a 3.0-liter twin-turbo V6 that’s capable of pushing out 600 horsepower and 524 pound-feet of torque. To comply with racing regulations, Ferrari obviously had to remove the motor element of the originally-hybrid powertrain, but it managed to keep most of its performance, losing just 43 horsepower compared to the GTB model. To further enhance the car’s competitiveness, the new 296 GT3 also positions its engine further forward and lower down to give more reliability and driveabil...

Apple has hired a former Lamborghini executive to helm its long-rumored electric car, according to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman. The reported hire, Luigi Taraborrelli, spent 20 years at the luxury automotive company and was most recently its head of chassis and vehicle dynamics. Taraborrelli joins Apple’s EV team as one of its most senior managers, thanks to his years of experience, Gurman reported. While at Lamborghini, he worked on the development of models including the Urus, Huracan and Aventador, alongside some concept cars. Gurman noted that Apple hired a former longtime employee of Ford and the former chief of carmaker Canoo earlier this year, as well as the former chief of autopilot at Tesla. As it builds out an accomplished team for its forthcoming EV, which first sparked rumors in 201...

The new Maserati MC20 Cielo made its dynamic debut at Goodwood’s 28th Festival of Speed, taking the famous First Glance Run racetrack where new models are often premiered. With a passion for Italian design and automotive innovation, Maserati calls on global brand ambassador David Beckham to experience the spyder sports car at the auto-lovers event. Developed at the Maserati Innovation Lab and produced at its historic plant in Modena, the MC20 Cielo spyder is made in Italy just like its revolutionary F1-derived V6 Nettuno engine, offering a perfect mix of sportiness and luxury. In its state-of-the-art design, the brand combines the best parts of the coupe with an updated electrically retractable rooftop that drops down in a record-breaking 12 seconds – affirming its street-to-sky ‘Cielo’ na...

While Honda fans have been busy guessing some of the performance numbers of the new 2023 Honda Civic Type R, Touge Kult’s Bruno Dias has taken it a step further in imagining what a Spoon Sports version of the new FL5 would look like. Giving the Type R a more aggressive stance, Dias lowered the 2.0-liter sports car first using settings found in past Spoon coilovers. He then added Spoon’s carbon fiber lip, wing, diffuser, side skirts, and mirror caps. Further paying homage to Tatsuru Ichishima’s tuning house are the five-spoke SW388 wheels, dual N1 style exhaust system, and monoblock big brake kit. A great little throwback detail can be seen in the ADVAN and Crane decals that Dias included. Check out Bruno Dias’ full render for what a 2023 Spoon Sports Honda Civic Typ...

Chinese tech giant Baidu just unveiled a new self-driving taxi design over at its annual conference, Baidu World 2022, and the company claims it can cut commuting fairs dramatically. Called the “Apollo RT6,” the company’s futuristic creation is fully autonomous with a Level 4 system that utilizes its array of 38 sensors including 12 cameras and eight LiDAR sensors to bring passengers from point A to point B. By designing a taxi from the ground up instead of its previous retro-fitting and conversion projects, Baidu has also placed a greater emphasis on passenger comfort, implementing a flat floor design with automatic sliding doors and a high-tech interior complete with a removable steering wheel to make more space. On top of being technologically advanced, one of the main...

Volkswagen Group CEO Herbert Diess previously revealed that two of its subsidiary brands, Audi and Porsche, will be entering Formula 1 without revealing specific details. According to documents uncovered by Motorsport.com, Porsche has now notified Morocco’s Conseil de la Concurrence of its plans for a 10-year partnership with Red Bull Racing, which includes a 50 percent stake in Red Bull Technology as well as its Formula 1 team. Porsche and Red Bull are expected to co-develop a power unit that will likely also be used by Red Bull’s sister racing team AlphaTauri. While Honda exited F1 at the end of 2021, the Japanese automaker is still set to supply Red Bull with complete engines until the end of 2025, leading some to believe that the Porsche partnership will officially begin in 2026....