Sports Cars

Driving the Tour de France: Skoda to Renault to Peugeot

CAP FREHEL, France — Bugatti, Citroën, Peugeot and Renault are current major car automakers in France. And with the exception of Bugatti, the French highways and country roads are often crowded with offerings from the other three carmakers now all more than 100 years old. Skoda, the Czechoslovakian carmaker, is the official car supplier of the Tour de France. But other than official race vehicles, Skoda models are scarce in the country, although, of course, not as scarce as Bugatti models. In the early years of the Tour de France, cars traveling with riders were loaded down with spare parts, not only for cyclists’ bikes but extra car equipment for the rugged journeys negotiating the snow-covered roads of the Alps and

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Bugatti Veyron: So long, farewell as last of 300 sold

Bye-bye Bugatti, the Veyron and Super Sport, that is. The last of the 300 $2 million exclusive, fast, record-setting supercar and its sibling Super Sport, has been ordered in Europe. The Bugatti Veyron set numerous records, including fastest convertible at 223 mph (top up) and 253 mph (top down). The Super Sport version is the fastest road-legal car in the world, with a top speed of 267.85 mph. Designed and developed by the German Volkswagen Group and produced by Bugatti Automobiles SAS at their headquarters in Château St. Jean in Molsheim, France, the Veyron’s chief designer was Hartmut Warkuss. The exterior was designed by Jozef Kabaň of Volkswagen. The car is named after French racing driver Pierre Veyron, who won

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Tesla pulls plug on pricey Roadster, focus shifts to sedan

The Tesla Roadster electric car can now be considered a collectors’ car. The much-touted California start-up manufacturer has announced it will stop taking orders for the $109,000 vehicle at the end of July 2011. The reason: The Telsa Roadster didn’t sell particularly well. Further, the innovative company is focusing on its less expensive Model S electric car, a four-door sedan. Now in version 2.5, the Tesla Roadster is a two-seat coupe. It’s fast (3.7 seconds, 0-60 mph), features a carbon-fiber body designed by Lotus, and a 245-mile-rated range. Powered by a liquid-cooled battery pack made up of 6,831 lithium ion cells (similar to those found in laptop computers), the Tesla Roadster delivers 295 lb-ft of torque and has an electronically

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Legendary rare Hollywood Ferrari set for Monterey auction

RM Auctions, the collector car auction house, will return Aug. 19-12 to  Monterey, California, for its annual sale held during the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance weekend. This year’s sale will feature a vast selection of vehicles, including the matching-numbers, race-winning 1955 Ferrari 750 Monza Scaglietti Spider, s/n 0492M. It had a starring role in the film On the Beach, featuring Gregory Peck, Ava Gardner and Fred Astaire. The 1955 Ferrari 750 Monza Scaglietti Spider, s/n 0492M will be among 20 Ferraris auctioned. The eighth of 35 built, 0492M began its career on the Ferrari stand at the Brussels Motor Show in January 1955. One of the first cars with the improved coil spring front suspension, it was delivered to importer

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Audi TT 2011: fast, quiet and turns heads

Few of my test cars turn heads or draw compliments, but the bright red 2011 Audi TT coupe I drove attracted an unusual amount of attention. I expected stares I got from young guys, but was surprised when a middle-aged lady, who looked like the Toyota Camry type, glanced at the zoomy TT and said “Nice car!” The TT is offered in a variety of trim levels, including a top-line $50,000 convertible. But I tested the base, well-equipped $38,300 TT model, which should satisfy most TT buyers. The latest TT has minor styling revisions, including redesigned front and rear bumpers and radiator and fog light grilles. But watch out for the car’s low front end when approaching low objects. The

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New royal couple take dad’s vintage Aston-Martin for a spin

In addition to inheriting his father’s appreciation for captivating women, Prince William also apparently shares family’s interest in vintage automobiles, like the Aston Martin DB6 his father owns. After his pending bride Kate Middleton arrived for the Royal Wedding in her future grandmother’s 1977 Rolls-Royce, her husband took her for a spin after the couple’s wedding reception and to the greetings of well-wishers in a pristine Aston Martin Volante DB6 MKII. The Seychelles blue convertible has been owned by his father, HRH The Prince of Wales, since 1969. The pictures included in this post don’t represent the Royal Family’s car, but are the same vintage, with the exception left versus right-hand drive. Reuters, the international news service, has posted a

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Kate Middleton will rely on The Queen’s 1977 Rolls-Royce Phantom to get to the Royal Wedding on time

After all the traditional considerations — the proper dress to the guest list to the perfect tiara — a pending princess has to get to her wedding on time. For Kate Middleton, that means more tradition — a 1977 Rolls-Royce Phantom. Middleton will arrive at Westminster Abbey with her father in the Queen’s most famous car. It’s one of the only 374 manufactured. According to report in USA Today, the 34-year-old Rolls Royce was given to the Queen in 1978 as a gift for the 25th anniversary of her reign the British auto industry, a collective called the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders. The Rolls Royce Phantom VI is equipped with a 6.7-liter, 200-horsepower engine, the same as in

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Volvo P1800, 1961-1973 car review

The Volvo P1800 sports coupe seemed to come out of nowhere. It took everyone by surprise when it arrived in 1961 because Volvo was considered a sober Swedish automaker known to most Americans for plain-looking, rugged family cars. Volvo actually had made a few fiberglass-body sports cars called the Sport in the 1950s, but they came and went so fast you missed them if you blinked. Volvo actually was far more adventuresome than most Americans thought. Assar Gabrielsson, Volvo’s founder, had come to the United States in 1953 to study the market here and to examine the then-new fiberglass-body Chevrolet Corvette at its Flint, Mich., assembly line. He felt money could be made with a fiberglass body sports car. Volvo’s

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Ferrari formerly owned by Charlie Sheen 'winning' on eBay

Charlie Sheen apparently took better care of the Ferrari he once owned than he has other possessions in his volatile life of fame, fortune and misfortune. The controversial actor purchased new a 1997 Ferrari 550 Maranello. But Sheen sold the car, according to Internet reports, to pay for his wedding to former wife Denise Richards. Now the current owner of the car has placed it for sale on eBay. Sheen’s former Ferrari, according to the eBay listing, has been driven 25,725 miles and features, among other options: leather seats, CD player, anti-lock brakes, driver airbag, passenger airbag, air conditioning, power lock, power windows and power seats. The images of the car portray it as in pristine condition. One images appears

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New green, lots of green, Porsche hybrid will debut in 2013

Porsche has announced its 918 Spyder hybrid sports car, the carmaker’s most expensive model ever, will be priced at $845,000 in North America and will be available to buyers in November 2013. The vehicle, which will be priced at $1.09 million in Europe, will have appropriate production number, 918. The two-seat Porsche plug-in hybrid will accelerate to 62 mph in 3.2 seconds. It features a 500-horsepower V8 engine and 218-horsepower electric drive system. The car’s lithium-ion battery can be recharged in three hours. James RaiaA sports, travel and business journalist for more than 45 years, James has written the new car review column The Weekly Driver since 2004. In addition to founding this site in 2004, James writes a Sunday

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Elizabeth Taylor: movies, philanthropy and fast cars

One of the more unique, often overlooked components of the long, varied career of Elizabeth Taylor was her sex appeal in cars. The actress, AIDS activist and philanthropist who died March 23, spent a fair amount of time in movies driving cars. Affairs of the heart, money, intrigue and the politics of romance were all usually part of Taylor’s scenes that also included automobiles. Of course, Taylor’s driving was the creation of Hollywood. Nevertheless, some of her car scenes, including a high speed chase from more than 50 years ago, remain part of “cars in movies” lore. In BUtterfield 8, made in 1960, Taylor, age 28, starred as a call girl. The uppercase “U” in the film’s title is deliberate.

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Ferrari expert picks 15 most beautiful models in history

Marcel Massini is editor of two Ferrari magazines and is a renowned historian on the iconic Italian manufacturer. Correspondingly, the CNBC web site is fond of lists on all kinds of topics, including a topic presented to Massini — selecting the 15 most beautiful Ferrari models of all time. In no particular order, here’s the list. For each listing, Massini briefly describes the car, lists the number made and an estimated value. For one of the 15 Ferrari models on the list, Massini commented: “One-off for King Leopold of Belgium and has a huge motor. Estimated Value: $10 million. Units Built: 1.” The Top-15 Most Beautiful Ferrari in History: 375 Plus Cabriolet (1954) 275 GTB/4 Berlinetta (1967) 250 Testa Rossa

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Cheap, used Bugatti Veyron at auction a salty risk?

It’s unlikely the purchase of a Bugatti Veyron, among the mot revered cars in the world, is ever classified as a bargain. But someone may be about to get a deal on a five-year-old Veyron — if they’re an automotive gambler. There’s less than one day left on an auction site to bid on a 2006 Bugatti Veyron. The car is the infamous vehicle that was driven into a Texas lagoon two years ago. A 25-second video of the car’s high-speed lake entrance was a You Tube sensation. The auction web site lists the car with a cash value of $1.5 million. Among the other statistics listed: coupe, gray, no key and the most relevant — salt water damage and

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Steve McQueen's Porsche from LeMans set for Monterey sale

The 1970 Porsche 911S once owned by Steve McQueen and featured in his movie Le Mans will be auctioned August 19-20 at Monterey Auto Week by RM Auctions. Built to 1970 specification, complete with air conditioning and a full complement of factory options, the Slate Grey 911S stars in the film’s opening sequence. McQueen’s character, Michael Delaney, drives through the French countryside, reflecting on life, death, and racing. The Porsche 911S was also used as McQueen’s personal transport during the movie’s production, later joining his own stable of motor cars in California. The collection included a Jaguar XK-SS, multiple Ferraris, Porsches, airplanes and motorcycles. “There is no more iconic racing film than “Le Mans” and no more charismatic owner of

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Chevrolet Corvette, Cadillac Eldorado, Honda Accord iconic 'antiques' at age 25

Twenty-five years ago, “Top Gun,” and “Platoon,” were among the year’s top movies, while “Cheers” and “Murder, She Wrote” were favorites among television audiences. And it also 1986 when the Chevrolet Corvette convertible, Honda Accord and Mercedez-Benz 300D all began new chapters of their enduring legacies. Cars 25 years old are eligible for the Antique Automobile Club of America car show. As such, here’s a list of key eligible cars from 1986: Acura Integra, Acura Legend, Cadillac Eldorado, Chevrolet Corvette (convertible), Ford Aerostar, Ford Taurus, Mercury Sable, Honda Accord, Mazda RX-7, Mercedes-Benz 300E/300D, Toyota Celica. Some of the best-known cars from 1986 are more significant than others. The Chevrolet Corvette convertible, for example, was important because the famed sports car

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Has famed digital artist created World's Ugliest Ferrari?

There’s no more iconic color in the automotive world than Ferrari Red. Yellow, blue, white or any other color Ferrari is perfectly fine, too. Unless, it’s a Ferrari 430 Scuderia and it’s been turned into a canvas for one of Laurence  Gartel’s wild creations. Gartel, known as the “Father of Digital Art,” has had his work exhibited at the Museum of Modern Art, among other museums, in the permanent collection of the Smithsonian Institution’s Museum of American History. But Gartel, who has created artwork for many musicians, including Debbie Harry (Blondie), Sid Vicious (Sex Pistols) Justin Timberlake and Britney Spears, has taken the pure beauty of a Ferrari and turned it into a nightmare. The over-the-top video below is ripe

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