Car News Roundup – November

With most people’s thoughts moving towards all things Christmas and looking for bargains in the Black Friday sales, November is seen as a time when car sales and new car launches could be slowing down. However, this time of year is quite the opposite in fact. Our latest blog post Why Now Is The Perfect Time To Buy explains why car sales are up this time of year, whilst at the same time the amount of new car news has continued to come thick and fast in the motoring press. Here is our car news round up for the month of November:

Maserati MC20 Notte

The Maserati MC20 is one of those cars that should receive more praise than it necessarily does. For under £200,000 you get a 630bhp supercar utilising Formula 1 technology, a car comfortable enough to be used for grand touring and stunning good looks that give parent company Ferrari a run for their money. Just when you thought the good looks couldn’t be improved further, Maserati have released the limited production ‘Notte’ edition.

Featuring a sinister Black aesthetic throughout, the highlight of the Notte edition is the special paint finish to the exterior. The ‘Nero Ezzenza’ paintwork manages to go from gloss black in the daylight to matte black when it gets dark, not only that but it also manages to be luminescent so will also glow in the dark to some extent. Only 50 of the Notte edition cars are to be made and prices have not been announced, however as is the way with most limited production cars these days, chances are that they may have already all been spoken for.

Record Auction Sales

A once in a lifetime opportunity to purchase a unique car came to an RM Sotheby’s sale in London in November, and then another one arose just a week later in Las Vegas. The first of those came in the form of a particularly unique version of one of the most sought after cars in the world, a rather special Ferrari 250 GTO. As described in our previous blog post A World Record Breaking Ferrari 250 GTO? this 250 GTO was more than likely to set a record as the most expensive Ferrari ever sold at auction. The result? The winning bid was a staggering $57.1 million, a record unlikely to be broken any time soon.

Not content with one record, the Las Vegas Grand Prix sale saw another record fall for a modern era Formula 1 car. The car in question was Lewis Hamilton’s Mercedes-AMG W04 car which he drive during the 2013 season, his first year with the ‘Silver Arrows’. The appeal was relatively unknown hence the estimate for the car set at between £8 million-£12 million, yet the final sale price eclipsed that target with an impressive £15.13 million sale price. It may be a while before we see another Hamilton F1 car up for sale as this particular car was the only one not owned by the team, CEO Toto Wolf or by Hamilton himself.

Lamborghini Huracan STO SC10

The Lamborghini Huracan STO is the most extreme form of the brands legendary supercar. Taking inspiration and technology from their very successful ‘Super Trofeo’ racing car, the idea was to recreate that racing car feel in a road legal model. From the outlandish aerodynamic alterations to the excessive weight saving measures, the STO maximises the potential of this already impressive vehicle.

To celebrate 10 years of Lamborghini’s Squadra Corsa racing team they have released the SC10 edition to take that race track ability even further. With direct influence from the racing team themselves, the SC10 features additional aerodynamic improvements, a new racing suspension shock set up, newly developed Bridgestone tyres and racing inspired liveries. Many options are now included as standard too from the sports seats, four-point harnesses, roll cage, carbon fibre roof covering and the Akrapovic upgraded exhaust system. The remaining production run of Huracan models are all sold out, so quite how anyone is able to buy one of these special edition vehicles remains to be seen.

Mini Countryman John Cooper Works

At almost the opposite end of the spectrum, yet still with some performance inspired details, is the all-new Mini Countryman John Cooper Works. The blocky new styling to the third generation combined with the fact that Countryman is now quite a sizeable car means that the latest version is very far removed from what its Mini branding may suggest. However those looking for extra space from their small SUV’s whilst still remaining in the ‘cool car’ category will relish at the introduction this new model.

The John Cooper Works versions are always the ones to have for performance car fans and the Countryman JCW is no exception. With 4-wheel drive and just under 300bhp from a turbocharged 2.0-litre engine the Mini is no slouch when it comes to performance. As small SUV’s go it also looks the part thanks to its racing-inspired styling from the dechromed trim to the contrasting roof and restyled bumpers, and sounds great too thanks to adjustable exhaust valves. The latest version is also crammed with technology from surround-view cameras to partially automated driving and much more, as well as all the space and functionality a family would need.

Rimac Nevera World Record

Random record attempt of the year surely goes to Rimac and their latest Nevera all-electric hypercar. After forming a partnership with Bugatti, the Croatian firm have gone from strength to strength and are keen to show off the capability of their technology in whichever way they can. After seeing what was possible with their four liquid-cooled electric motors and 120kWh battery going forwards, they returned to the same Automotive Testing Papenburg facility in Germany to see what they could do going in the opposite direction.

Rimac had previously set over 20 acceleration and braking records in a single day at the same facility and keen to show off just how versatile their drivetrain could be. The previous record was set 22 years ago in a Caterham 7 Fireblade at an impressive 102mph, yet the Rimac blew that straight out of the water with an impressive 171mph. The car, which already holds the Nürburgring electric car record, 8 seconds faster than a Porsche 918 Spyder, and the outright speed record of 256mph, produces 1,914bhp and an incredible 1,740 lb ft or torque.

McLaren 750S Triple Crown

The McLaren brand is undoubtedly one of the most successful in motorsport, aside from Formula 1 they have also seen fantastic success in IndyCar and GT racing. In fact they are one of just 2 teams in history to have won the illustrious ‘Triple Crown’ of winning races at Le Mans, the Monaco Grand Prix and the Indy 500. To celebrate 60 years of the racing brand as well as their incredible achievements they have released a special version of their latest 750S supercar.

Just 6 cars will be made by their in house MSO division that feature one of the most special paint schemes ever seen, inspired by the cars that raced to victory at the aforementioned races. Taking over 1,200 hours to complete, the paintwork merges over 20 colours and features designs inspired by Alain Prost’s MP4/2 Formula 1 racing car, the M16D IndyCar that won the 500 in 1974 and the McLaren F1 GTR from 1995 that won at Le Mans. Orange special stitching and unique logos adorn the interior to set the Coupe or Spider versions apart from the inside too. All 6 of this special creation have already been spoken for.

ABT XGT

ABT are one of the most famous DTM racing teams of all time are the most successful outfit still competing in the current series. With over 300 races under their belt and more than 250 podium finishes to date, to say they know their way around a racetrack is the least they can do. They also modify Audi models for road use from time to time, creating some of the most capable and sought after models of the already potent RS line up.

Their latest creation combines their race engineering knowhow together with the flagship of the Audi range to create something very special indeed. The ABT XGT is like a Huracan STO version of the R8, yet turned all the way up to the max. With the same naturally aspirated V10 producing 640bhp, an extensive aerodynamic styling redesign complete with huge fixed rear wing and roof scoop, and a stripped out weight of just 1,400kg (less than an RS3), the XGT definitely means business. Despite its excessive appearance it is actually road legal for those brave enough  but you will have to be quick if you would like one. Just 99 units will be produced and at a cost that starts at £520,000.

Restomods

The latest trend in the world of restomods, that is taking a classic car and fitting it with modern engines and running gear, sees a lean towards electrification. Taking the retro styling that everyone adores and fitting it with modern electric motors and batteries ensures that you can enjoy the best part of a classic car and merge it with the silence and reliability of modern electric car running gear.

One of the latest creations is from Silvrestone based electric vehicle company Lunaz. Known for their existing work on electrifying classic cars, they have recently announced the all-electric Aston Martin DB6. Amazingly it isn’t the electric running gear that gets all the headlines though, it is the fact that they have reworked the interior to impressive sustainability levels. With veneers made from egg and nut shells, door cards made from corn and wood pulp based fibres and leather replaced with bi-products of cider and apple juice production, the DB6 manages to retain its luxuriousness yet with waste product substitutions. As a design study the Lunaz DB6 does not come cheap, somewhere around the £650,000 is where you should write in your cheque book.

If eco-credentials in your electrified restomod isn’t quite what you are looking for, German motorsport and engineering brand HWA AG have you covered. Despite just an initial sketch for now, they plan to revive and enhance the iconic Mercedes Benz 190 Evo II with a production run of 100 cars. Teaming up with legendary car restoration company Curated, who’s previous work include Ferrari F40’s, Jaguar XJ220’s and Bugatti EB110’s, the attention to detail and quality of the work should be exceptional. The all-electric drivetrain should enhance the performance of the original, whilst the £620,000 + VAT price tag should ensure they certainly remain exclusive.

TWR XJS

Newly reborn Tom Wilkinshaw Racing have picked up exactly where they left off by planning to use the Jagur XJS as their relaunch model. After creating the race programme for the XJS, TWR became a legendary figure for Jaguar racing from going saloon car racing with the XJS to GT racing with the Le Mans winning XJR-9. The idea is to bring the XJS bang up to date using modern engineering and design to ensure it isn’t just a restomod fantasy.

TWR have ensured that passion and expertise are shown through and through with their new creation, enlisting the services of legendary car fanatic Magnus Walker and conceptual designer Khyzyl Saleem to make sure things are done properly and with the enthusiasm a project like this needs to have. It is sure to be unlike any XJS that has ever gone before, and it will be exciting to see what the reborn TWR have in store for one of Jaguar’s most iconic yet often unloved creations.

Driver Wanted

Have you ever considered yourself a driver with a fascination for speed? Do you want to make sure no one will be able to drive as fast as you can? Grafton LSR may have the perfect opportunity for you. They are looking for a driver to make use of the ultimate company car, the Bloodhound rocket powered land speed record car, to break the 763mph current world record. The car is ready to go, the current record holder Andy Green is ready to tutor and mentor you and the destination has been selected as Hakskeen Pan in South Africa.

The rocket car has also gone green stating that any speed record attempt will be powered by synthetic fuels to ensure the while process will run zero net emissions, an impressive statistic for a performance related record of this nature. The only drawback? Not only will you have to be comfortable ‘operating with discipline in a stressful environment and under pressure’ but it would help if you have deep pockets or can attract a large sponsorship backing. The team needs to raise approximately £12 million in order to get the car to South Africa and attempt to break the record speed. Surely a small price to pay to get your name in the history books and break a record that has stood for over 26 years.

Oracle Finance

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