Tag Archives: 2008

Melling Wildcat

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2008 Melling Wildcat Prototype

Offered by Coys | Birmingham, U.K. | January 14, 2017

Photo – Coys

Al Melling worked at TVR and was responsible for co-designing the TVR-produced engine that was used in the Cerbera. His work spread across to motorcycles, Formula One, and other supercar manufacturers. He set up a shop in Rochdale, England, called Al Melling Sports Cars to produce this, the Wildcat.

It looks like something that would’ve come out of England, specifically like something from TVR or Marcos. This was the first example built and it is powered by a 5.7-liter Chevrolet V-8 tuned to make 450 horsepower (other engines are an option if you buy one new). Top speed is 180 mph and 60 arrives in just 3.5 seconds.

As of 2014, only seven Wildcats had been produced, with this being the first, the Prototype (which was assembled in just nine months). The car has been in the Melling family since it was built and they are the ones offering it for sale here. Click here for more info and here for more from Coys.

Update: Sold (about) $22,375

Carver One

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2008 Carver One

Offered by Historics at Brooklands | November 26, 2016

Photo - Historics at Brooklands

Photo – Historics at Brooklands

There’s an almost sci-fi like fascination with building “cars” that can lean into corners. Mercedes built a concept car years ago where the front tires lean when you turn. Piaggio has a scooter that does it. It’s just not very practical and the engineering involved seems intense. But Carver Europe (formerly known as Vandenbrink after Chris van den Brink who co-developed the technology behind this car with Harry Kroonen) managed to bring one to market.

It’s a three-wheeler, which in many countries technically classifies it as a motorcycle (even though it has a roof and doors). The engine is mounted out back and is a 660cc turbo straight-four making 65 horsepower. Might not sound like much, but it’s enough to get up to 115 mph. The passenger compartment has self-leveling technology that allows the body to swing in the corners (think of it as leaning into the turn) to give you a very jet fighter-esque experience.

The Carver originally went on sale in the early 2000s, probably in 2002. But due to a nearly €30,000 price tag as-new, demand was low and the company went belly-up in 2009. Only about 200 were ever made and this one should sell for between $16,000-$22,000. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Sold $36,852.

Three Limited-Edition Ferraris

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2012 Ferrari 599 SA Aperta

Offered by RM Auctions | Monaco | May 10, 2014

Photo - RM Auctions

Photo – RM Auctions

Did you know Ferrari made a drop-top version of the 599 GTB Fiorano (to be more accurate, it’s a convertible 599 GTO)? Well, you wouldn’t be alone if you didn’t. The 599 was built from 2007 through 2012 (model years). There were a couple of limited edition versions of this car, but only one cut the top off.

It follows in the footsteps of two other V-12 front-engine Ferrari drop-tops: the 575 Superamerica and the 550 Barchetta. This uses the same 670 horsepower 6.0-liter V-12 engine from the 599 GTO. Very little was ever mentioned of this car. There were no magazine covers and it garnered little press. Probably because all 80 were sold before it was even released.

And this car is #80 of 80 – the last one built. Very rare, very new, and very exciting, this car should sell for between $625,000-$825,000. Click here for more info.

Update: Sold $955,564.

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2008 Ferrari 612 Sessanta

Offered by Bonhams | Hendon, U.K. | April 28, 2014

Photo - Bonhams

Photo – Bonhams

The Ferrari 612 Scaglietti was the 2004 replacement for the long-lived 456M. It’s a 2+2 four-seat coupe. It is not the most popular Ferrari of all time, but I’ve always liked them. It lasted through 2011 before it was replaced by the new FF.

The Sessanta was a limited-edition model built in 2007 and 2008. The engine is a front-mounted 5.7-liter V-12 making 540 horsepower. That makes this four-seater capable of 196 mph. The Sessanta (Italian for “60”) was to commemorate Ferrari’s 60th year. It featured two-tone paint (available in two variations) and special trim and badging. Ferrari also hiked the price big time.

Guess how many they built. That’s right, 60. This is one of only four right-hand drive models constructed. It is very rare and should sell for between $130,000-$170,000. Click here for more info and here for the rest of Bonhams’ Hendon lineup.

Update: Sold $153,309.

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2006 Ferrari 575 Superamerica

Offered by RM Auctions | Monaco | May 10, 2014

Photo - RM Auctions

Photo – RM Auctions

The Ferrari 575M Maranello was the successor to the 550 Maranello and precursor to the 599 GTB Fiorano. Ferrari built a convertible of the 550, called the 550 Barchetta. And it was a success. So they decided to do the same thing with the 575M.

The Superamerica featured an electrochromic glass roof that rotated and stored flat over the trunk of the car. It has kind of a targa look to it instead of pure convertible. The engine is a more powerful version of the one in the hard top – that is, a 5.7-liter V-12 making 540 horsepower.

This two-owner car is one of only 599 built and has 7,700 miles. These cars were highly sought after for years after they were built and there will be a point where these cars no longer depreciate and start going up in value. Right now, you can get your hands on this one for between $235,000-$325,000. Click here for more info and here for more from RM in Monaco.

Update: Sold $330,540.

Ferrari 612 Sessanta

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2008 Ferrari 612 Sessanta

Offered by Bonhams | Hendon, U.K. | April 28, 2014

Photo - Bonhams

Photo – Bonhams

The Ferrari 612 Scaglietti was the 2004 replacement for the long-lived 456M. It’s a 2+2 four-seat coupe. It is not the most popular Ferrari of all time, but I’ve always liked them. It lasted through 2011 before it was replaced by the new FF.

The Sessanta was a limited-edition model built in 2007 and 2008. The engine is a front-mounted 5.7-liter V-12 making 540 horsepower. That makes this four-seater capable of 196 mph. The Sessanta (Italian for “60”) was to commemorate Ferrari’s 60th year. It featured two-tone paint (available in two variations) and special trim and badging. Ferrari also hiked the price big time.

Guess how many they built. That’s right, 60. This is one of only four right-hand drive models constructed. It is very rare and should sell for between $130,000-$170,000. Click here for more info and here for the rest of Bonhams’ Hendon lineup.

Update: Sold $153,309.

Rolls-Royce Hyperion

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2008 Rolls-Royce Hyperion by Pininfarina

For Sale at Alain Class Motors | Dubai, U.A.E.

2008 Rolls-Royce Hyperion

The Rolls-Royce Hyperion was a one-off car designed and built by Pininfarina based around a contemporary Rolls-Royce Phantom Drophead Coupe. It was built for and at the request of Rolls-Royce collector Roland Hall.

The car debuted at the 2008 Pebble Beach Concours and Hall decided to sell it the following year. He asked 4.5 million euros. A few years later, this car surfaced in Dubai at the dealer you see here. The asking price had dropped to about 3 million euros. The price today is undisclosed, but probably less than it was a year and a half ago.

The mechanicals are all Rolls-Royce. The engine is a 6.75-liter V-12 making 460 horsepower. There are no rear seats (they were removed). The body is a custom carbon fiber job and it actually looks pretty cool – especially from the back. You can buy it or see more pictures here.

Javan R1

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2008 Javan R1 Roadster

Offered by Bonhams | Oxford, U.K. | June 15, 2013

2008 Javan R1

The Strathcarron SC-5A was a track-day sports car introduced in 1999. The company folded in 2001. Javan Smith set up Javan Sports Cars in 2002. In 2006, the company debuted the Javan R1 at the Goodwood Festival of Speed – it’s an evolution of the Strathcarron that is aimed at the Ariel Atom, Lotus Elise and Caterham Seven replicas.

This is the second R1 built (which didn’t happen until 2008) and it was the company demonstrator. It uses a 2.0-liter straight-four Honda VTEC making 220 horsepower and screams to a 9000-rpm redline. Acceleration numbers are impressive as 62 mph comes in 3.6 seconds and the top speed is 140 mph.

This was their publicity car and it has only covered about 3,000 miles. It would be a fun track day car for a lot less money than an Elise or an Atom. I’m pretty sure the cars are still available for purchase but I think you have to order one to have it built – but only a handful have been built thus far, so it’s definitely rare. This one should sell for between $11,000-$15,000 – which is extremely affordable for a track day car. Click here for more info and here for the rest of Bonham’s auction lineup.

Update: Sold $17,068.

Koenigsegg CCX

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2008 Koenigsegg CCX

Offered by RM Auctions | London, England | October 31, 2012

Boom. The top speed of the car we featured yesterday was 15 mph. This car will do 245 mph. Yeah, that’s a McLaren F1 difference in top speed (they topped out at 231 with the rev limiter). This is one of the finest and fastest legitimate modern supercars in existence.

Christian von Koenigsegg’s first hand built road car was delivered to its new owner in 2002. The CCX model you see here was introduced for 2006 with an eye toward entering the American market (with emissions compliance, etc.). It uses a Koenigsegg-designed twin-supercharged 4.7-liter V8 making 806 horsepower with 62 mph coming in a scant 3.2 seconds.

The top on this car is removable and can be stowed in the trunk at the front of the car – it fits in there just perfectly and is a really neat design feature. Even neater are the doors: they are not gullwing doors nor are they “Lambo” scissor doors. They are what Koenigsegg refers to as “dihedral synchro-helix” doors. In other words, instead of just flipping forward, they go out, then rotate forward for a truly alien look. Coolest. Doors. Ever.

It’s a quick car – and that small spoiler on the back helps keep it planted. It exists thanks to Top Gear, which tested the first CCX (and it had an “off” into some tires when their test driver, The Stig, lost it at high speed). The wing was introduced and the car topped their lap chart, although the time was, jokingly, credited to “KoenigseggisseggggnignigsegigisegggnigseggniggseggCCX with Top Gear wing.”

It’s also pretty rare. Only 27 were built and this is one of only eight that are in right-hand drive configuration. It is expected to sell for between $380,000-$460,000, the high-end of that being only about $100,000 less than the price as new. Then again, it only has 1,700 miles on it, so it’s almost new. You can read more here and check out more from RM in London, here.

Update: Sold $397,000.

Lambo Reventón

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2008 Lamborghini Reventón

Offered by H&H Auctions | Canary Wharf, London | June 11, 2012

The Lamborghini Reventón is an ultra-rare, ultra-expensive, sort of “super Murciélago.” It has the 6.5-liter V12 making 631 horsepower engine straight out of the Murciélago LP640. So, you’re paying many times the price of a Murciélago for the same performance and power.

And by “many times” I mean that this car cost $2 million when new. That’s insane. So what are you paying for? Styling? Not really. If anything, this car is part Murciélago and part Aventador. It’s all Murciélago underneath but with styling that looks more like the follow-up model. If I paid $2 million for something that I thought was only one of 20, only to find, three years later, that they were putting into production a car that closely resembled the one I bought, but with shinier paint and a lot more horsepower, I would not be a happy camper.

And yes, that’s right, there were only twenty of these built, so they don’t really come up for sale everyday. In fact, all twenty were pre-sold before the car was even revealed. The one offered here is “for sale” and not going under the hammer (as I understand it). If you’re in London, stop by and buy it. I’m not sure what the asking price is, but, as the saying goes, if you need to ask, you can’t afford it.

This is a car for true Lamborghini and/or super car collectors. It’s cool, but the Aventador is better in every way. Buy this only if you want to tell your friends/potential trophy spouse that it is “one of only twenty.” If you want more information on this car, click here. And to see what else H&H is offering at this sale, click here.