Mason Bloom

Articles by Mason Bloom

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Adam Levine singing Fake Maserati Blues, sues dealer

Adam Levine, lead vocalist for pop music group Maroon 5, purchased a $1 Million, one-of-25 Maserati Ghibli 4.9 Spyder in exchange for two Ferraris from classic car dealer Rick Cole in late 2020. Levine filed a lawsuit last Friday against Cole two years after the deal, claiming the ultra-rare Maserati isn’t authentic. The lawsuit accuses the classic car dealer of negligent misrepresentation, intentional misrepresentation, fraudulent concealment, and breach of contract and is asking for at least $850,000 in damages or to undo the $950,000 exchange. Documents obtained by the New York Post claim Cole or those affiliated with his business intentionally faked the documentation, chassis, and engine authentication. Markings on the build plate, VIN, and stampings on various parts of the chassis were shown

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Radical Ferrari LaFerrari successor spied upon

Ferrari’s top-of-the-line hypercars are unveiled once a decade, and the newest addition to the bloodline won’t be hard to miss. Automotive YouTuber “Varryx” uploaded initial footage of a Ferrari test mule wearing full digital camouflage. No amount of camouflage, however, can cover the prototype’s colossal rear wing and other potential styling cues. The public testing comes eight months after Ferrari announced the successor to the decade-old LaFerrari will “arrive soon.” Varryx’s first look is only 40 seconds in duration but provides critical information regarding design and aerodynamics, and the powertrain configuration possibilities. Additional clues can be found in leaked documents published by Motor1 pointing to a LaFerrari successor. The documents state the new vehicle is internally known as the F250

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Lamborghini announces two non-hybrid V12 one-offs

Oops, not so fast, Lamborghini. The automaker announced last September the decade-defining 6.5L V12 engine found in so many of Lamborghini’s supercars would receive a swan song in the Aventador Ultimae. But hold off on the going away party. It now appears the power plant’s demise is premature. Lamborghini has done an abrupt about-face with the recent announcement that two one-off models would instead be the end of the line for the famous engine. Rather than leaving it at the Ultimae, the automaker used the non-hybrid V12 power in the new Invencible coupe and Auténtica roadster. Both highly limited Lamborghinis ride on the Aventador platform that premiered in 2011. They feature the thought-to-be-departing naturally-aspirated V12 synonymous with the brand’s top-tier

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Porsche updates Ferry’s dream car 75 years later

Somewhere Ferry Porsche is smiling. Seventy-five years after Ferry’s dream car — the iconic Porsche 356 No. 1 — was unveiled, the German sports car brand revealed a modern version of the classic dubbed the Vision 357. Porsche revealed the concept car in Berlin at Volkswagen Group’s “DRIVE” Forum. The Style Porsche Team worked to formulate what the automaker’s founder’s “perfect” sports car might look like today. The Vision 357 commemorates the automaker’s first production vehicle, the 356 and uses the 718 Cayman GT4 RS’ platform while echoing a number of the original 356 No. 1 Roadster’s timeless design cues.  Porsche didn’t quite keep the inverted-bathtub shape of the original 356, but the uninterrupted, swooping lines from the headlights to

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Aston Martin bids farewell to DBS with limited 770 Ultimate

Aston Martin unveiled the DBS 770 Ultimate this week and it marked the end of the grand tourer’s production. The 770 Ultimate is the final iteration of the current-generation DBS and the most powerful production vehicle Aston Martin has produced. It’s limited to 499 units between the coupe and Volante convertible and if you want one, it’s too late. The full production has been reserved. The “770” nameplate has been given to this DBS for the 770-ps (759 horsepower), 5.2 liter, twin-turbocharged V12 found under the hood. Torque figures are equally exciting at 664 lbs/ft, and are sent with all 759 horsepower to the rear wheels through a ZF-built eight-speed automatic transmission and a standard mechanical limited-slip differential. Aston Martin

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Hennessey unveils track-ready Venom F5 Revolution

American high-performance automaker Hennessey has dialed up track performance to the proverbial “11” with the release of the Venom F5 Revolution. The 1,817-horsepower hypercar adds large downforce components to the standard, top-speed focused Venom F5 Coupe to maximize its competitiveness on the racetrack. Hennessey says the Revolution will be street-legal and priced at $2.7M. Only 24 units will leave the production line. Hennessey Chief Engineer John ‘Heinrocket’ Heinricy said in a statement the original F5 was designed to be “ultra-light and monstrously powerful, with dynamics to match.” Heinricy stated the Revolution’s purpose is to take Hennessy’s existing hypercar and “create a machine that is the ultimate visceral and emotional driving experience.” Adding new aerodynamics to the most powerful production car

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Only Corvette ZL-1 convertible could fetch $3M

The 1969 Corvette ZL-1 Convertible is one of Chevrolet’s rarest vehicles and it’s heading to RM Sotheby’s auction in Phoenix, Arizona, auction in January. Only two Corvettes Stingrays were equipped with the 7.0L ZL-1 V8 from factory and only one is a convertible. The auction marks the first time a Corvette with a ZL-1 engine has been offered to the public in 30 years, and the only time a convertible with this engine has been available for purchase. This ultra-rare Corvette was never intended for public sale. It’s anticipated to fetch between $2.6- $3 million,  which would make it one of the most expensive Corvettes ever sold. The current record is an L88-powered 1967 example that sold for $3.85M in

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Bugatti-Rimac hybrid hypercar will be ‘totally bonkers’

If you’re a Bugatti fan and have wondered about the successor to the Chiron in the wake of the manufacturer’s merger with Croatian EV manufacturer Rimac, wonder no longer. Mate Rimac, founder and CEO of Rimac Automobili said an interview with Auto Express the Chiron’s successor will be a “hypercar rearranged as a hybrid,” and that the engine powering it is already in development. It will the first time Rimac will use combustion power and Bugatti hybrid technology. For those not sold on the idea of electric power, don’t worry. Rimac, leading the development of the post-Chiron hypercar, told Auto Express the vehicle will be “totally bonkers” and that “everybody will be blown away when they see what we did.”

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Mercedes-AMG debuts most powerful S Class

Mercedes-Benz S Class fans wouldn’t typically associate the historically plush ride with supercar-rivaling performance figures. But that’s what the newly debuted S63 E Performance delivers. Mercedes’ next-generation S63 is equipped with nearly 800 horsepower, four-digit torque figures and sophisticated hybrid technology. All are firsts for the S Class AMG. The S63 also retains the turbo V8 synonymous with top-tier AMG models unlike the recently launched, four-cylinder C63 E Performance. The Mercedes-AMG achieved a 3.2-second 0-60 launch and 180-mph limited top speed. The S63 and its renowned 4.0-liter, twin-turbocharged V8 pump 603 horsepower and 664 pounds/feet of torque. These numbers are boosted to 791 and 1,055 respectively when factoring in the rear-mounted electric permanently synchronous motor (PSM) and 13.1-kWh, 400-volt battery.

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De Tomaso refreshes hypercar standing with new P900

Italian sports car manufacturer De Tomaso is on the comeback trail after financial issues derailed the company in the early 2000s. De Tomaso has introduced the P900 hypercar, one of the few road cars that achieves 1:1 power to weight ratios. It allows  the 900 kilogram (1,984-pound) machine to produce 900 horsepower. The automaker is also passing, at least for now, on the EV future, betting instead on the use of environmentally friendly synthetic fuel in the P900. Only 18 P900s will be built priced at $3M each. It’s a big step for the producer of the famous Mangusta and Pantera models. The P900 is a bold attempt to refresh De Tomaso’s hypercar standing and is using the shortest and

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Porsche 911 Dakar honors rich off-road history

Apparently it’s no longer enough for Porsche 911s to dominate on the asphalt. The iconic German automaker recently modified its flagship to scale a volcano and has now unveiled the 911 Dakar. It’s a multi-purpose sports car said to be “equally at home on loose surfaces as it does on country roads.” No automaker is prouder of its heritage than Porsche; the 911 Dakar is a nod to the company’s off-road racing. The 911 Dakar car pays homage to Porsche’s successful line of Paris-Dakar race cars in the 1980s, but wasn’t developed to race off road. Rather, the 2,500 911 Dakars produced are designed for a less intense off-road experience, albeit powerful and expensive. Porsche has based the $223,000 911

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Volvo EX90 accelerates toward its electric future

Volvo‘s push for an all-electric future ramped up as the Swedish automaker recently unveiled in Stockholm the Volvo EX90, its largest and most expensive electric vehicle to date. The debut of the Volvo EX90 follows the carmaker’s pledge to eliminate all gas-powered vehicles from its lineup by 2030. Volvo currently sells two EVs — the C40 Recharge and XC40 Recharge — yet the electric architecture of the EX90 has been built from the ground up for peak ergonomics. Volvo’s newest model is propelled exclusively by two electric motors sending power to all four wheels. Currently no single-motor option is available but this could change. The standard, Twin Motor model generates 402 horsepower and 568 lbs/ft of torque. Volvo EX90: Engine

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Wildly modified Porsche 911s scale world’s highest volcano

Porsche 911s are usually more at home on the race track than on the side of volcanos — until now. At the direction of Porsche‘s Vice President of Vehicle Architecture Dr. Frank-Steffen Walliser, 992 911 lead engineer Michael Rösler was assigned to work with Romain Dumas Motorsport to devise two 911s to climb the highest volcano in the world. Scaling Chile’s 22,615 foot (6.9 kilometers) Ojo del Salado would require a very different 911, and the teams at Porsche Wiessach and Romain Dumas Motorsport delivered. The result was two wild Porsche 911s Carrera 4S and a 19,708 feet (six kilometers) climb through thick snow, intense slopes, loose rock and temperatures as low as -22 degrees Fahrenheit (-30 degrees Celsius). Ultimately, unavoidable thick sheets

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Ferrari launches first Le Mans Hypercar in 50 years

Ferrari has unveiled its long-anticipated Le Mans Hypercar (LMH) endurance race car, named the 499P, following months of teasers and a 50-year absence from top-class endurance racing. The vehicle is set to compete in the 100th running of the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 2023. The 499P has been in design since March of 2021 and is debuting after several prominent automakers, including Porsche, Cadillac and BMW have announced their own prototype racers. Ferrari is unique because it will compete in the LMH class instead of the Le Mans Daytona Hybrid (LMDH) class, a costlier series due to the powertrains used. Hypercar entrants also have far greater control over their vehicles, as noted by Ferdinando Cannizzo, Ferrari‘s GT track

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WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca repaved for 2023

WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca — one of California’s fastest race tracks — is going to get faster in 2023.  A planned resurfacing and resulting smoother surface should allow the diverse array of competitors on next year’s schedule to blaze through the 11-turn track at greater speeds. WeatherTech’s 2023 Major Events Season boasts an eclectic mix of IndyCar, IMSA, MotoAmerica superbikes, muscle cars, historic cars and motorcycles competing in traditional and untraditional race formats. All events will be held on the track’s first repaving since 2007. Spectators also receive an upgrade in the form of a rebuilt Start/Finish bridge which will improve pedestrian flow from the parking lot to the race paddock area. The upgrades follow a solid 2022 season that

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Velocity Invitational: Mario Andretti, epic races, big crowds

LAGUNA SECA – The Velocity Invitational, a motorsports festival held Oct. 14-16 at WeatherTech Raceway, was a nod to the adage that good things come in threes. First, there was living legend Mario Andretti, 82, behind the wheel of a modern Formula 1 car for the first time. Second was exciting split-second race finishes that thrilled the crowd of more than 15,000. Third was the tens of millions of dollars worth of vintage race and hypercars gracing the track. It made the Velocity Invitational one of the country’s more unique motorsports experiences. While the three-day event featured hundreds of vehicles across 10 different groups and classifications, it wasn’t hard to argue Andretti’s turn on the raceway was the highlight for

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