Very rarely does a Ferrari 250 GTO come up for sale, and if it does, you’ll probably never hear about it. Most sales are done behind closed doors, and the amount of said transactions are almost never disclosed to the public. That’s just part of the mystique behind the world’s most valuable car, and it’s partially why the cars are so coveted. Just 36 examples were built between 1962 and 1963, each still in existence and easily carrying an eight-figure price tag. A few years ago, a 250 GTO supposedly changed hands for nearly $30 million, but no one can completely confirm the rumor.

We will, however, have more details about the next sale of a 250 GTO. RM Auctions have announced that they will be doing a “private treaty sale” of 1963 250 GTO chassis #4675GT. The car has been in possession of its current Japanese owner, Yoshiho Matsuda, since 1996 (a low point for the value of the car compared to the high prices of the late 1980s), and it has an extensive racing history.

We saw the car at the Pebble Beach Concour d’Elegance back in 2004, and while its Series II bodywork isn’t quite as stunning as earlier models, it’s still an extraordinarily beautiful car. If you’ve got millions of dollars just sitting around, now is the time to break out the checkbook and buy your very own rolling piece of V12-powered Italian artwork. Hit the jump for the official press release from RM or click the high-res gallery below for a beautiful studio shot plus several of our photographs from our 2004 encounter with the car.

PRESS RELEASE:

RM Auctions, the global leader in the collector car market with a specialization in the sale of Ferraris, is representing the 1963 Ferrari 250 GTO (chassis no. 4675 GT) – one of the most coveted cars in the world, for private treaty sale.

In addition to its impressive motor car auction results at prestigious locations around the globe, including the sale of seven of the top 10 Ferraris ever sold at auction, RM generates an average of $50 million in private treaty transactions year over year.

“The Ferrari GTO is unquestionably one of the most iconic and coveted cars in the world,” says Max Girardo, Managing Director of RM Europe. “This is truly a rare occasion for collectors to acquire such an important piece of automotive history and we are pleased to be chosen by 4675 GT’s current custodian to represent it on the open market.”

The 1963 Ferrari 250 GTO (chassis no. 4675 GT) is one of only 36 250 GTOs originally produced and one of a limited few with Series II GTO bodywork. In addition to being considered one of the most beautiful cars ever built by Ferrari, the GTO was tremendously successful in competition, securing multiple World Championships for the Modenese car builder.

In April 1963, 4675 GT left the factory finished in Rosso Cina. It was raced by such drivers as Guido Fossati, Jean Guichet, Oddone Sigala, Vincenzo Nember and Luigi Taramazzo and proved itself a tremendously capable racing car, rarely finishing outside the top three in its class and achieving numerous race wins. It participated in the full range of competitive events, including hillclimbs, endurance races and rallies.

The present owner acquired 4675 GT in 1996, and has maintained it in his exceptional, world-renowned Japanese collection ever since. Most recently 4675 GT has participated in the ultra-private events reserved only for GTO owners, namely the 35th and 45th GTO Anniversary Tours in France and California.

For more information about the purchase of this car, please contact Max Girardo at RM Auctions on +44 (0) 20 7851 7077.

[Source:Autoblog]

With nearly all the seats accounted for and the first group test at Valencia (scheduled for February 1) fast approaching, the time has come once again, boys and girls, for the unveiling of the 2010 F1 cars.

A couple of months ago, it looked like all the teams would get together under the auspices of the Formula One Teams Association to unveil their cars in one massive exposition concurrent with the Valencia test session, but that won’t come to fruition. Several teams are expected to debut there still, while others are doing their own thing once again. And Ferrari is first among them.

Unveiled at the team’s headquarters in Maranello, the new F10 is the chariot with which Fernando Alonso and Felipe Massa will be contending for the championship against other top-rated challengers from Mercedes GP, McLaren and Red Bull, to say nothing of the other ten teams on the grid. The latest Prancing Horse – whose Santander-dominated red and white livery we saw a few days ago – is the product of several months of development, as the Scuderia stopped development of last year’s car half-way through the season after realizing it was way off pace and concentrated on this year’s car instead.

You can have a look at the initial batch of photos in the gallery below, but don’t expect to see much of the rear end of the car. Ferrari kept its diffuser design – of the double design that caused controversy last year but won’t be banned until next – hidden from prying eyes for the time being. Stay tuned for the more as the teams roll out their latest.

[Source:Autoblog]

Before Carl Haas became better known as Paul Newman’s partner in Newman-Haas racing, racers themselves knew Haas as the importer for Lola racecars and parts in North America. In recent years, Haas has continued as a distributor for Hewland gearboxes and has now assumed distribution and service responsibilities for Elan Motorsport Technologies (EMT).

EMT is the race car branch of the Panoz Motor Sport Group and builds machines under the Van Diemen and Panoz brands, including the Panoz Esperante GTLM. EMT products race in Formula Ford, American Le Mans Series and Superleague Formula among others.

Haas’ operation will stock and sell EMT’s cars and parts around the world and provide trackside service at races to help keep competitors running.

Élan Motorsports Technologies (EMT) and Carl Haas Automobile Imports, Inc., announced today an agreement that will see the Haas group assume distribution responsibilities for products manufactured by Élan. The offerings – constructed by the Braselton, Ga.-based arm of Panoz Motor Sports Group – include a full line of race cars, parts, update kits and other components for motorsports teams across multiple competition platforms and sanctioning bodies.

Élan will continue to exclusively build and manufacturer a wide range of world-class race cars and accessories for competition in the American Le Mans Series, IMSA, Superleague Formula, F2000 and SCCA, among others. Carl Haas Automobile Imports will handle inventory, trackside service and distribute EMT’s world-class racing products worldwide.

[Source:Autoblog]

Yesterday, word came in that the 2011 Ford Mustang GT would be the official pace car for the 2010 Daytona 500. It’s the first time that Ford’s pony car will perform the field pacing duties for ” The Great American Race” and the first time in 40 years for a Blue Oval product.

While we initially reported that just one Mustang pace car would be built, Ford announced today that they will produce a limited run of just 50 cars to be sold to the public. Each will feature a Daytona 500 paint scheme, specially painted wheels, a unique interior, and several parts from the Ford Racing catalog including the suspension, strut tower brace and mufflers. For those interested in the real thing, Ford will be auctioning off the actual pace car at Barrett-Jackson later this week. As has become custom, all proceeds of the sale above the car’s MSRP will be donated to charity. In this case, the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation will benefit from the generous bidders. Hit the jump for the press release or check out the new high-res photos in the gallery below.

PRESS RELEASE:

DEARBORN, Mich., Jan. 19, 2010 – For the first time ever, American’s favorite muscle car will pace ‘The Great American Race.’

For the first time in 40 years, a Ford Motor Company car will be pacing the field for the NASCAR season-opening Daytona 500 when the 2011 Mustang GT, powered by the all-new 5.0-liter V-8 engine, officially starts the race on Feb. 14 at Daytona International Speedway.

“Having the opportunity to pace America’s biggest auto race with a Ford icon like the 2011 Mustang GT is truly an honor,” said Jamie Allison, director, Ford North America Motorsports. “And to have the new 5.0-liter engine powering the car will be a great way to demonstrate its power and class-leading fuel economy.”

This latest version of Ford’s legendary muscle car will be a Race Red glass roof coupe with an all-new 5.0-liter V-8 engine capable of producing 412 horsepower, while delivering a class-leading 25 mpg on the highway.

The one-of-a-kind model will feature a special Daytona 500 paint scheme, Ford Racing suspension, strut tower brace and mufflers, unique painted wheels, and special interior treatment, including specially branded lit sill plates.

The 2011 Mustang GT Daytona 500 Pace Car model is one of only 50 special editions that will be built and sold to the public.

“Everybody loves Mustang,” Allison continued. “That was evident last year from the fan reaction when we announced it was going to be our new model in the NASCAR Nationwide Series starting later this year. This is just another way to showcase a true American icon in its most natural environment.”

The last time a Ford served as pace car for the Daytona 500 was 1970 when a Ford Torino GT convertible led the field to the green flag.

And while Mustang may be a rookie when it comes to pacing the Daytona 500, its 45-year history is firmly entrenched in racing and winning championships. Mustang captured championships last year in the Grand-Am KONI and SCCA SPEED World Challenge, in addition to leading Robert Hight to his first NHRA Funny Car championship.

Another element that makes this year’s pace car even more unique is that it will be auctioned off for charity before the actual race. Later this week (Jan. 23), the Mustang GT Daytona 500 Pace Car will be offered at the annual Barrett-Jackson Scottsdale Collector Car Auction, which is taking place in Scottsdale, Ariz. Seven-time Daytona 500 champion Richard Petty, the newest member of the Ford Racing family, will be on site to help hand over the car to the winning bidder.

All proceeds over the manufacturer’s suggested retail price from the pace car auction will go to help cure childhood diabetes through a donation to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.

[Source:Autoblog]

Says Jean Todt, newly-appointed president of the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA), “I am convinced that we absolutely must reflect the environment with new technologies.” With that statement, it would appear that at least some of the direction of former FIA president Max Mosley will stay intact.

Mosley had championed a number of green efforts at the top run of the motorsports ladder, not the least of which were hybrid drivetrains in the form of the controversial Kinetic Energy Recovery System (KERS). Though most teams dropped their KERS units in 2009 and none plan to use them in 2010, the technology will likely make the transition to road use within the next few years, probably starting with BMW and Ferrari.

Other changes designed to make F1 racing more accessible to new teams may include spending caps and budget restraints, though it would seem that may clash with the desire to be more environmentally friendly. We’ll be watching.

[Source: Inside Line | Photo: Bertrand Guay/AFP/Getty]

[Source:Autoblog]

After a 15-year hiatus, Lotus is coming back to Formula One, and to commemorate its return to the top tier of motorsport, the Hethel crew is creating yet another special Exige inspired by the Type 72 that dominated F1 in the Seventies.

Like nearly every other limited edition Lotus released in the last few years, the Exige S Type 72 is little more than a repainted, kitted-up version of its midship masterpiece. The supercharged, 1.8-liter inline four remains unchanged, putting out 220 horsepower and allowing the two-tone coupe to sprint to 60 in 4.5 seconds and on to a top speed of 145 mph.

A set of carbon fiber ProBax sport seats swathed in black microfiber with contrast stitching ties in with the exterior’s gold wheels and emblems, while standard twin oil coolers and an adjustable front anti-roll bar round out the mechanical upgrades.

Lotus has slated 20 Type 72s for sale in the UK, with another 20 destined for markets outside of the mainland (no word on U.S. distribution), each carrying a price tag of £35,995 or 40,332 euro. Not cheap, but then again, how do you put a price on nostalgia?

PRESS RELEASE

Lotus Exige S Type 72

The Lotus Exige S Type 72 celebrates the most successful F1 car of all time, the Lotus Type 72 Formula One car, which achieved 20 Grand Prix victories between 1970 and 1975.

The Lotus Type 72 was driven by such Lotus greats as Jochen Rindt, Emerson Fittipaldi, Ronnie Peterson and Jacky Ickx and won three Formula One Constructors’ Championships (1970, 1972 and 1973) and two Drivers’ World Championships (the first being won by Jochen Rindt in 1970 and the second by Emerson Fittipaldi in 1972).

The colour scheme of the Exige S Type 72 commemorates the famous and easily recognisable black and gold Lotus Type 72 livery and is finished by the same sign writer who painted racing cars for Team Lotus.

Performance through light weight has long been a Lotus philosophy. The 935kg Exige S Type 72 sprints to 60 mph in just 4.5 seconds and to 100 km/h in 4.7 seconds, before reaching a top speed of 145 mph, 233 km/h. The Exige S Type 72 also offers class leading fuel economy and emissions, with fuel economy of 6.5 litres/100 km (43.5 mpg) on the Extra Urban Cycle and CO2 emissions of 199 g/km.

The Exige S Type 72 is a powerful supercharged mid-engined sportscar that is equally at home on the racetrack or open road. The intercooled engine has VVTL-i technology ensuring impressive performance all the way to the rev limiter at 8500 rpm.
The Sport Pack comes as standard on the Exige S Type 72 which has a bespoke high quality interior, including black micro fibre ProBax sports seats with gold stitching. Each car comes with a special build plate commemorating one of the F1 car’s 20 Grand Prix victories. The exterior of the Exige S Type 72 features unique black and gold light weight wheels and is finished with hand-painted gold Type 72 and Exige S logos, (the Sport Pack also includes a T45 steel main roll hoop, Lotus Traction Control, twin oil coolers and an adjustable front anti-roll bar).

All Lotus cars offer outstanding handling and performance, and the Exige is no exception offering excellent dynamics and great driver involvement. Lotus ride and handling gives an inspiring driving experience and the mid-engined layout of the Lotus Exige S Type 72 offers fantastic balance and agility.

Luke Bennett, Operations Director for Lotus Cars Limited stated, “The Lotus Exige S Type 72 is an evocative sportscar, combining cutting edge handling and performance with the iconic Type 72 colour scheme, one of the most famous racing liveries of all time. The Exige provides an intense driving experience either on road or track and this limited edition is a worthy car to celebrate such a legendary racing car.”

Clive Chapman, Director of Classic Team Lotus said, “The Type 72 was a very significant car for Team Lotus and indeed for the world of F1. It was a revolutionary design that pioneered the use of side mounted radiators to achieve its distinctive ‘wedge’ profile, which delivered a significant aerodynamic advantage. Furthermore, by minimising unsprung weight and using a torsion bar, rising rate suspension, tyre performance was excellent. The Lotus Type 72 design was so advanced that it was competitive for an extraordinary six years.”
The Exige S Type 72 options include: Air Conditioning, Limited Slip Differential and the Performance Pack, which includes a power increase to 240 PS, larger AP Racing brakes, enlarged roof scoop (compared to the standard Exige S) and Lotus variable traction control and Lotus launch control.

To commemorate the impressive number of Grand Prix wins the Type 72 achieved, Lotus will be producing 20 of this special edition for the UK, a further 20 cars for mainland Europe and there will be a limited run of cars in Japan and selected markets around the world.

Lotus Exige S Type 72 prices:
UK Price: £35,995 MRSP, excluding on the road costs of £950
Euro zone price: €40,332, including delivery and other on the road costs, excluding local country tax.

Exige S: 199 g/km CO2
8.5 l/100 km (33.2 mpg) Combined Cycle
11.9 l/100 km (23.7 mpg) Urban Cycle
6.5 litres/100 km (43.5 mpg) Extra Urban Cycle

[Source:Autoblog]

When Audi announced its new GT3 class R8 LMS race car late last year it was expecting 2009 to be a year of learning and development. As it turned out, it was a hugely successful season, landing championships in the FIA European GT series, along with the German and Belgian national series. All told, the R8s captured 23 race victories.

In 2010 the new GT Challenge class for GT3 type cars will become a permanent fixture of the American Le Mans Series as the GT1 class is consigned to history. During the 2009 season, GT Challenge was mainly the province of Porsche 911s. However, with the R8s success in Europe this year, Audi is considering offering the car to North American customers for the 2011 season. While the car could probably be competitive in 2010, Audi wants to set up a customer support infrastructure first.

[Source:Autoblog]

The Honda NSX might be gone, but it’s set to live on as the HSV-10 GT in Japan’s SuperGT championship.

Although we don’t have an official release or specs yet, we do have the image above and some preliminary details on the HSV-10 GT or Velocity Sports Honda. Built to the 2010 GT500 regulations, the new front/mid-engine racer from Honda is packing a 500+ hp, 3.4-liter V8 and sending power through the same Ricardo sequential manual gearbox fitted to the 2010 SuperGT cars from Nissan and Toyota. Underneath all that glorious carbon fiber is the same chassis Honda’s been working on (originally as an NSX replacement) for the last two years. The SuperGT season opener is scheduled for March 20 and 21 of 2010, but we expect more details and a host of high-res images to hit soon. Stay tuned…

[Source: LeBlogAuto]

[Source:Autoblog]

Renault looks set to be the next automaker to bail out of Formula 1, and it appears that there are two serious bidders in line to take over the operation. Renault will hold a special board meeting this week to decide on the racing team’s fate, and it looks like it may go ahead and just line up a sale right away, instead of announcing a shutdown and then trying work out a sale as Honda and BMW did.

AutoCar reports that Prodrive, which has been trying to break into F1 for several years, may have the inside line on the French outfit. The other primary bidder is Genil Capital, a Luxembourg-based investment fund. The financial group would likely retain the Renault name for the team, while Prodrive would probably run under its own banner. If Prodrive wins out, Renault would remain only as an F1 engine supplier.

[Source:Autoblog]

With two manufacturers leaving the series, four new teams joining the grid and a giant game of musical chairs amongst the drivers ensuing, the off-season between the 2009 and 2010 Formula One World Championships is packing in as much action as the racing itself. But few developments have garnered as much attention as the coup orchestrated by Mercedes-Benz Motorsport, withdrawing from McLaren after fifteen years as its active partner in favor of a more conventional engine supplier role, while buying over 75% of the Brawn GP outfit to enter the sport as a full manufacturer team under the Mercedes Grand Prix banner.

The acquisition has drawn public criticism from Erich Klemm, employee representative on the Daimler board and chairman of its Corporate Works Council, who decried the move as an unnecessary cost when money is tight and other automakers are withdrawing from the series. Chairman Dieter Zetsche responded that the acquisition of the Brawn team will give the company more exposure for less cash: The deal reportedly cost the German automaker some $336 million, but its operating costs are expected to drop to about $74 million annually by 2011, analyzed as far less than what Mercedes was contributing annually to the McLaren budget.

Zetsche might have more trouble, however, explaining to the board how their star driver slipped through their fingers and defected to the team they just ditched. McLaren just announced the recruitment of Jenson Button to team up with Lewis Hamilton for a twin-champ “super team,” and Rubens Barrichello is off to Williams next season, leaving the new Mercedes GP team looking for new drivers. Considering they’re the reigning champions suddenly flush with cash, they shouldn’t have much trouble, though.

Zetsche and Mercedes motorsport boss Norbert Haug are reportedly keen to capitalize with an all-German line-up, fueling speculation that Michael Schumacher could rejoin Mercedes (whose junior driving program gave him his start) and Brawn (who orchestrated all seven of his world championships). Nico Rosberg is thought to already have signed on to switch places with Barrichello, while Nick Heidfeld has been linked with a switch from the departing BMW to its arch-rival Mercedes. Toyota’s Timo Glock was also reportedly in the running, but the young German driver signed with newcomer Manor GP instead. Haug has indicated an announcement will come within the next couple of weeks, so stay tuned.

[Source: F1 Live]

[Source:Autoblog]