Tag Archives: 2009

Mantide

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2009 Bertone Mantide

Offered by Worldwide Auctioneers | Scottsdale, Arizona | January 15, 2020

Photo – Worldwide Auctioneers

Let’s start by stating that “Mantide” is a ridiculous name for anything, including a car (it means “Mantis” in Italian). The Bertone Mantide is a concept car produced by Bertone in 2009. They initially planned to build a run of 10 examples, but only one was ever completed.

It is based on the contemporary Chevrolet Corvette ZR1, which means the engine is up front. That engine is a supercharged 6.2-liter V8 that makes 638 horsepower. Top speed is 218 mph. The car was shown at the 2009 Shanghai Auto Show – and it was originally red.

Its first owner had it repainted white, and the car was later shown at The Quail, where it won the supercar class. In an era of limited-run supercars, it seems relatively easy to come across an example that never got past the prototype stage. But it’s not so easy to actually get a chance to acquire one. You can read more about this car here and see more from Worldwide Auctioneers here.

Update: Not sold.

Koenigsegg CCXR Trevita

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2009 Koenigsegg CCXR Trevita

Offered by Mecum | Monterey, California | August 16-19, 2017

Photo – Mecum

Mecum is flexing their supercar muscle in Monterey this year. In addition to a LaFerrari and some Ford GTs (so far), they have this: a Koenigsegg CCXR Trevita. Swedish Koenigsegg introduced the CCX in 2006. Later on came the CCXR variant, which could run on E85. Rarer still is the Trevita model, which features diamond weave carbon fiber. What does that mean? It means Koenigsegg came up with a new way to make carbon fiber that lets it look really cool with a bare carbon fiber finish that isn’t black.

Powering the CCXR is a 4.8-liter, twin-supercharged V-8 that makes 1,018 horsepower on E85 (it also handles 98 octane pump gas just fine, but the power drops a bit). It has a removable top and is pretty decked out inside, outside, and underneath (as it has a hydraulic lifting system onboard).

Koenigsegg planned to produce three examples of the Trevita, but because making the diamond weave carbon fiber is so difficult, they only managed to complete two cars. Side note, if you are lucky enough to ever own one of these, don’t bump it into anything, as repairs, while no doubt costly, will probably take forever. This is the only U.S.-spec Trevita and it was formerly owned by Floyd Mayweather.

This is a big time supercar. Top speed is 249 mph, with 60 arriving in three seconds. Big time supercars demand big time prices. Mecum is hitting a home run bringing this to auction, now we wait and see what it brings. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Sold $2,600,000.

Yummy Motors XCT-R

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2009 Yummy Motors XCT-R

Offered by Oldtimer Galerie Toffen | Zurich, Switzerland | June 17, 2017

Photo – Oldtimer Galerie Toffen

We’ll just go ahead and address it up front: “Yummy Motors” is one of the strangest names for a car company we’ve ever heard. They are – or more likely, were – a Swiss-based company and their website offers precious little information.

Their XCT-R is a Caterham-based sports car with a more enclosed passenger compartment. It’s a coupe with McLaren F1-style bat-wing doors. There’s a 2.3-liter six-cylinder engine under the long-looking hood that makes 200 horsepower. Caterhams are very sporty, well-driving cars so this one should be too.

It appears Yummy Motors only managed to produce one example, this one, and it is road-registered in Switzerland. No pre-sale estimate is available but this car will sell at auction, thus finally answering the question: what will someone pay for a car called a “Yummy?” Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

An F1 Car for the Street

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2009 Lola F1R

Offered by Bonhams | London, U.K. | December 7, 2016

Photo - Bonhams

Photo – Bonhams

So wait, in what world is this car street legal? The U.K., that’s what world. A little background: Lola Cars was one of the most famous constructors of race cars between 1958 and 2012. They didn’t technically build or sell this car, but it’s based on their stuff and was built by their employees.

To explain: someone (presumably with a lot of disposable income) bet the engineers at Lola that they couldn’t build a street-legal Formula One car. Race car designers aren’t people that like to say “No” to a technical challenge, so they actually ended up doing it.

It started with a Lola chassis from 1996 or 1997 and most of the body panels that came with it. The engine is a turbocharged 2.0-liter Cosworth straight-four making 370 horsepower that is driven via a five-speed manual transmission. It has lights, an increased ride height, parking brake and “fenders” over the open wheels.

The car is essentially brand new, having covered only 25 miles since its completion – probably because, as cool as it is, it is probably a little terrifying to ride between two tractor trailers while in this thing. This one-off supercar should bring between $68,000-$110,000. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Not sold.

Update II: Sold, Silverstone Auctions, July 2018, $69,277.

Devon GTX

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2009 Devon GTX

Offered by Mecum | Indianapolis, Indiana | May 17-21, 2016

Photo - Mecum

Photo – Mecum

When a new supercar manufacturer springs up (and let’s be honest, it’s often), they design a wild, sporty ride and then, only afterwards, do they remember that they have to make it go. Sourcing engines for your homegrown sports car is the best option, as building your own probably isn’t too feasible. There are many Chevrolet, Ford, Mercedes-Benz, etc. powered cars. This one is Viper powered.

Scott Devon’s Devon Motorworks was active between 2008 and 2013. Introduced at the 2009 Pebble Beach Concours, the GTX is powered by a front-mounted 8.4-liter V-10 from a Dodge Viper that makes 650 horsepower in this car (and with a carbon fiber body, it’s no slouch). One serious supercar credential this car boasts is that it has front-hinged McLaren F1-like gullwing doors.

Only two of these were ever made because Dodge ended production of the second-generation Viper, which was the basis for this car. That makes this a very rare, very American, supercar. Click here for more info and here for more from Mecum.

Update: Not sold, high bid of $150,000.

SLR Stirling Moss

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2009 Mercedes-Benz SLR Stirling Moss

Offered by Coys | London, U.K. | December 1, 2015

Photo - Coys

Photo – Coys

Few race car drivers (let alone people) define Mercedes-Benz to the degree that Sir Stirling Moss does. He is one of the greatest racing drivers the world has had the pleasure to see compete. Active in the golden era of motorsport, he was a Mercedes factory team driver in the 1950s. He raced the original 300 SLR in 1955.

So it was only fitting that when Mercedes-Benz introduced the SLR McLaren in 2003 that the series would culminate in a tribute to Sir Stirling. This version was built in 2009 only and only 75 examples were made – and they were initially sold only to current SLR McLaren owners. The car is a tribute to Moss’s very famous 300 SLR. There’s no windshield – just two small “deflectors” that really can’t do all that much. These were not available for street use in America and were not sold here.

The engine is a 5.4-liter supercharged V-8 making 641 horsepower. Top speed is a brisk 217 mph. This car is one of only four that were painted white. It’s an insanely rare version of an already rare car. The Stirling Moss SLR was the swan song for the model and it was off the market in 2010. I’ve never seen one of these come up for sale, which is probably why Coys is not providing a pre-sale estimate. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Not sold.

Invicta S1

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2009 Invicta S1

Offered by Bonhams | Chichester, U.K. | September 14, 2013

2009 Invicta S1

There are a bunch of people with money out there that think it is their duty to build the world’s greatest supercar. Newsflash: it isn’t. I’m not saying that’s the case with this car – because it was more of a “let’s revive a revered and dead company and build what they would be building had they never gone out of business in the first place” sort of thing.

The Invicta car company shut off the lights back in 1950 (for the second time – the original company closed in 1935 before returning in 1946). In 2002, some investors produced a concept of a new sports car called the S1. Deliveries started in 2003 (I think they were 2004 models) and the company built this lone model through about 2011 (they closed down in 2012).

The body is carbon fiber and the most of the components come from other road cars – including the engine, which, in this car, is a 320 horsepower version of Ford’s SVT 4.6-liter V-8 (a 5.0 could be had with almost twice the power). Top speed is about 170 mph and the car cost upwards of $150,000 when new.

You might be wondering why I’m featuring this car, and here’s my answer: so many of these little car companies pop up with a concept car and then no one ever knows if the thing actually goes into production or not. I was always unsure about this one (I’ve never seen one – have you?) but now I have proof that Invicta S1s were actually produced (I just don’t know how many). But you never see them for sale.

This one should sell for between $93,000-$120,000. Oh, and yes, those are the actual headlights and body-colored wheels, they aren’t aftermarket add-ons. You can find out more here and see more from this sale here.

Update: Not sold.

S/N: 006

Maserati Bellagio

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2009 Maserati Touring Bellagio Fastback by Touring Superleggera

Offered by RM Auctions | Lake Como, Italy | May 25, 2013

2009 Maserati Touring Bellagio Fastback by Touring Superleggera

This is the wagon version of the Maserati Quattroporte that Maserati never built. It’s one of those aftermarket “bespoke” customs – like the couple of Aston Martins we featured in the past.

So Carrozzeria Touring took a Quattroporte sedan and turned it into this functional fastback “shooting brake” style wagon. As someone who likes wagons, I think this is pretty cool. As someone who loves the Maserati Quattroporte, I think this is very cool. The only thing I don’t like are the wheels and tires which are hideous and look insanely cheap. RM calls them “stunning” but I think the use of that word is born out of the fact that RM makes more money for every extra dollar this thing sells for.

Most of it is Maserati, like the 395 horsepower, 4.2-liter V-8. There are the nice additions of a champagne refrigerator and a shotgun compartment inside – for those nice British fox-hunt days – or a hip-hop shootout on the L.A. freeway – both of which fit this car perfectly. Only four of these were built and this one was constructed for the president of Ducati. It should sell for between $105,000-$155,000. Click here for more info and here for the rest of RM’s lineup in Italy.

Update: Sold $152,880.

Reventón Roadster

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2009 Lamborghini Reventón Roadster

For sale at Lamborghini Porrentruy | Porrentruy, Switzerland

A few weeks ago we showcased a very rare (as in one of 20 built) Lamborghini Reventón. I was kind of critical of it, referring to it more or less as a Murciélago 1.5 – a styling exercise that served as a kind of mid-way model between the Murciélago and the Aventador, but with an astronomical price tag.

Well this car is even rarer – one of 15. Lamborghini denied the car’s existence when it was first built, more or less building them and shipping them to their most elite clientele – Ralph Lauren has one. Well now one has come up for public sale for you to get your hands on, if you’re feeling it.

Specifications mirror the “base” Reventón, which pretty much mirror the Murciélago. That is, it has a 6.5-liter V12 pumping out 631 horsepower. It will do 205 mph. The Aventador will do 217. I know, you’re probably thinking, “if you hate this car so much” (which I don’t) “then why are you featuring it?”

Solid question, but my main reason is: when is the next time you think you’ll see one for sale? Chances are, not any time soon (although this dealership has a coupe on the lot as well). The original Reventón was supposed to cost $2 million when new. This probably cost along similar lines, but now you can get it for a next-to-nothing $1,749,114 (it’s a more even amount in Swiss Francs). For more information, click here.