Supercars - page 24

Monterey Car Week is almost upon us and Southern California is once again crawling with some automotive heavyweights and exotics. But an Instagram post by Comedian, Spike Feresten, sent me down a rabbit hole of mystery. Spotted on a transport trailer at the Los Angeles International Airport was a shape that undeniably screams: " 911 GT1 Strassenversion,” (street-version in German) that ultra-rare, race-bred unicorn from the 1990s. Born as a homologation special for the famed GT1 class, Porsche famously took on the McLaren F1 and Mercedes CLK GTR.

The world of automotive history is replete with iconic vehicles that have shaped and captured the imagination of enthusiasts. Among these, the Porsche 935 stands as a symbol of engineering prowess and racing dominance. However, even within this legendary lineage, one car stands apart: chassis 935-001.

When I first learned about this 1976 Porsche 935 in the iconic Martini colors, chassis 935-001, I couldn’t help but feel the weight of history behind its sleek lines and aggressive stance. What you’re looking at here is the first 935 ever built, a factory prototype that played a pivotal role in Porsche’s racing legacy. Estimated to fetch anywhere between $4,500,000 to $5,500,000 with Gooding and Company at the upcoming Monterey Car Week, it’s a piece of motorsport history that any prestigious car collector could only dream about owning.

RUF was the first company to reimagine Porsche sports cars and it all started back in 1939. What started as Auto Ruf service garage, eventually became the first manufacturer to repair and restore Porsche sports cars, and eventually build Porsche-inspired, high-performance automobiles, under the RUF brand. The Pfaffenhausen-based company still makes Porsche-inspired models, but everything is now made in-house. Moreover, RUF is also a manufacturer of performance parts for Porsche models like the 911 and 718. One of Porsche’s most desired models from the 21st century is the Carrera GT, and it didn’t take long for RUF to come up with its own, mid-engine variant of a Porsche-based model. The RUF CTR3 is what we got, and here’s why it is the best way to get the Porsche Carrera GT experience (and more) at a fraction of the price.

The host of the Alte Schule (old-school in German) YouTube channel, Karsten Arndt finds himself in the foothills of Bavaria, Germany with legendary two-time WRC champion and Porsche works test driver Walter Röhrl. The pair initially discuss the Porsche Carrera GT, a car that Röhrl helped develop. Walter touches upon some of the initial struggles during the Carrera GT’s conceptualization and how it took time for the car to perform well. He emphasizes the car’s unique features: a mid-engine V10 with 612 horsepower and no electronic aids, and the importance of skilled engineers like Roland Kussmaul.

Bugatti has dropped its latest masterpiece, the Tourbillon, and it’s unlike anything we’ve seen from the French automaker before. This bad boy isn’t just another W16-powered behemoth, oh no. It’s a hybrid hypercar with a heart that’ll make even the most die-hard gearlhead weak in the knees.

Porsche has no shortage of iconic race cars that have dominated in motorsports, and one very race 911 model is about to be the main star at the upcoming, Monterey Auction (August 14 and 15). We are referring to the only mid-engine Porsche 911 in existence – the GT1. The low-slung supercar was developed by Porsche for endurance racing like the 24 Hours of Le Mans. What’s special about this particular 911 GT1 is that, unlike, most cars that were used in endurance racing, this mid-engine Porsche was kept in surprisingly good condition, even after scoring many racing wins. The Porsche race car was freshly listed (on July 16, 2024) on Broad Arrow Auctions, and judging by the car’s estimated value, this 911 GT1 has the potential to become one of the most expensive Porsches ever sold, at an auction.

The Porsche 918 Spyder was an absolute beast, a hypercar that debuted the plug-in hybrid system and set the bar high for both performance and efficiency. Now, as the world awaits with bated breath for its successor, an unexpected muse emerges from the world of Bugatti: the Tourbillon. While the Tourbillon’s mind-blowing naturally aspirated V16 will remain its exclusive powertrain, could its more potent hybrid system hold the secrets to Porsche’s next hypercar adventure?

The Porsche 959 is a halo supercar from the ’80s, that was ahead of its time for a number of innovations. Essentially, a predecessor to the 918 Spyder and the iconic Carrera GT, the 959 started out as a Group B Rally car, known internally as the 953. The 953s were initially entered in the 1984 Paris-Dakar Rally, finishing 1st, 6th, and 25th. Porsche built the 959 as a road-legal version to satisfy F.I.A. homologation regulations, which required a brand to make at least 200 units.

Electrification isn’t the end of internal combustion, but in a way is its evolution. In the hypercar segment, hybrid technology is breathing new life into high-performance combustion engines, marrying raw power with performance and efficiency. A trend that really began with the Holy Trinity (La Ferrari, Porsche 918 Spyder, and McLaren P1) has evolved significantly over the past decade with automakers finding better ways to integrate green tech with traditional ICE.

The all-new Bugatti Tourbillon is here as the successor of the iconic Chiron hypercar. This beast of a hypercar, named after the intricate mechanism in mechanical watches, was unveiled in June 2024, and it’s got everyone talking. Why? Well, for starters, it’s Bugatti’s first-ever hybrid! That’s right. This monster combines a massive 8.3-liter naturally aspirated V16 engine developed with Cosworth with three electric motors, and boom: total system output is a whopping 1,775 horsepower!

After long-standing speculations and teasers, the Chiron replacement is finally here! The Bugatti Tourbillon ditches the EV trend and sticks to its internal combustion heritage with a twist. Yes, it’s a plug-in hybrid and the first Bugatti under Mate Rimac’s leadership. Beneath its elegant silhouette lies a carbon fiber monocoque chassis, holding a Cosworth-developed 8.3-liter naturally aspirated V16 coupled with three electric motors. Combined, the hybrid powertrain cranks out 1,775 horsepower. With a 0-60 mph time of two seconds and an electronically limited top speed of 276 mph, the Tourbillon is not only more potent than the outgoing Chiron but also faster.

The story of French automaker Bugatti after the Volkswagen Group’s acquisition in 1998 is a wild ride. Remember the outrageous EB110? Yeah, Bugatti needed to blow everyone’s minds again with its successor, and the Veyron concept, which debuted in 2001, just did that. With a quad-turbocharged W16 engine pumping out a mind-boggling 987 horsepower, the Veyron shattered records and became the world’s fastest production car of its time. Some even consider the Veyron to be the world’s first hypercar, with its reign lasting nearly 15 years! And that was just the beginning of Bugatti’s prowess under VW’s guidance.