Tag Archives: 2012

AC 378 GT Zagato

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2012 AC 378 GT Zagato Prototype

Offered by Historics at Brooklands | March 4, 2017

Photo – Historics at Brooklands

The company formerly known as Auto Carriers Ltd. is one of Britain’s oldest manufacturers. Since the end of WWII, the company has mostly built sports cars, some of which were quite famous, like that little roadster called the “Ace.”

When the 1970s arrived, it brought tough times for AC. It was a bumpy road that saw the company began building replicas of the Shelby Cobra – a car based on their Ace. Bankruptcy, joint ventures, and corporate sales followed. Production of Cobra replicas moved Germany and then in 2012, the company showed this concept at the Geneva Motor Show.

With an original design by Zagato, the 378 GT is powered by a 6.2-liter V-8 from General Motors that makes 437 horsepower. New management had set up a deal to produce these cars in South Africa (where the Noble and Superformance Cobra were also built) by Hi-Tech Automotive. But somewhere along the way, it all fell apart. This was the only AC-badged 378 GT Zagato built (it also nearly entered full-scale production as the Perana Z-One but only 10 ended up being built. There may have been other AC’s but it is more likely that someone has re-badged a Perana).

This fully road-legal and registered “pre-production prototype” has been owned and cared for by AC Heritage at the Brooklands Motor Museum. It’s an exciting piece from one of the world’s legendary marques. The estimate on this car is $130,000-$170,000. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Sold $165,271.

Falcon F7

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2012 Falcon F7

Offered by Barrett-Jackson | Scottsdale, Arizona | January 14-22, 2017

Photo - Barrett-Jackson

Photo – Barrett-Jackson

You may have never heard of the Falcon F7 or Holly, Michigan, based Falcon Motorsports, but they’ve done what a lot of start up supercar manufacturers struggle to do: actually build and sell a complete automobile. Founded by Jeff Lemke in 2009, Falcon showed the F7 for the first time at the 2012 Detroit Auto Show. That’s a pretty quick development process. It’s not a kit car either, this is a full on, hand-assembled supercar.

And, like most other start up supercar manufacturers that actually manage to get off the ground, the F7 uses parts and technology that other manufacturers have perfected. For instance, the engine is a 7.0-liter GM motor that has been fitted with a few Lingenfelter performance parts to generate 640 horsepower. That’s good enough for a sprint to 60 in 3.3 seconds and a top speed of about 190 mph.

The body is made of carbon fiber and Kevlar and they are wrapped around an aluminium and carbon fiber chassis. The thing certainly has supercar looks – and supercar rarity. As of 2015, the company has only built nine examples of the F7 (though it looks like they will still build you a new one if you want it). Total production is unlikely to ever surpass 25 units. When new, this car would’ve cost the owner about $250,000. Barrett-Jackson sold the first-ever F7 last year for $198,000. The car you see here is the second F7 built and should bring a similar amount. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Sold $148,500.

Hennessey Venom GT

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2012 Hennessey Venom GT Spyder

Offered by Barrett-Jackson | Scottsdale, Arizona | January 14-22, 2017

Photo - Barrett-Jackson

Photo – Barrett-Jackson

Supercar time! Hennessey Performance Engineering of Houston, Texas, has long been known as the premier tuner of Dodge Vipers. In 2011 they decided to start “building” cars under their own name. We say “building” because this thing looks an awful lot like a Lotus Exige, doesn’t it? That’s because Hennessey takes an Exige, stretches the chassis just long enough to shoehorn a V-8 behind the driver, and then calls it their own thing. Whether you buy that or not is up to you (we think it’s like taking a shortcut to creating a supercar). For the record, the DMV does not buy it and all of these are road-registered as Lotus Exiges.

But what you can’t ignore is what that means performance-wise. A 7.0-liter twin-turbo V-8 making 1,244 horsepower is enough to scoot anything to 200 mph. But Hennessey wanted to have the World’s Fastest Production Car. Unfortunately, Guinness says you have to build 30 examples to qualify as a “production car.” Hennessey has only built 16. Top speed for this open top variant is still an impressive insane 265 mph. Sixty arrives in about 2.7 seconds. It’s pretty quick and is technically the fastest street-legal convertible ever built.

This car was built (and is currently owned by) Aerosmith’s Steven Tyler. He ordered a Venom GT but asked Hennessey to chop the top off, and thus the Spyder version was born. Hennessey said they would only build five such cars. No word on if they ever did. The original price here was about $1,250,000. This car is selling at no reserve and is being sold for charity, so expect an inflated hammer price. No matter what you’re take is one these “cheater supercars,” you have to admit they’re still pretty cool. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Sold $800,000.

Aston Martin Virage

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2012 Aston Martin Virage

Offered by Mecum | Austin, Texas | December 11-12, 2015

Photo - Mecum

Photo – Mecum

The original Aston Martin Virage was introduced for the 1989 model year. It was a boxy thing that was produced in very limited numbers up through the 2000 model year. For most of that time, the car was unavailable in the U.S. But Aston revived the name in 2011 for a new model.

You might be thinking “that looks just like the DB9/Vantage/DBS/every other Aston currently on sale” – and you’re right. In fact, this car was supposed to slot in between the DB9 and the DBS. It is powered by a 6.0-liter V-12 making 490 horsepower.

But in the end, it didn’t work. It blurred the lines between the other models and Aston Martin killed it off after only 18 months on sale – which makes this one of the rarest modern Aston Martin production cars, with just over 1,000 units produced in two model years of production. This car has an automatic transmission and about 7,000 miles. Everyone will assume they know what it is, but hardly anyone will be right. So if you want something interesting, here you go. Click here for more info and here for more from Mecum in Austin.

Update: Sold $97,500.

Lightweight Mustang Prototype

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2012 Ford Mustang Boss 302R Lightweight

Offered by Mecum | Indianapolis, Indiana | May 12-17, 2015

Photo - Mecum

Photo – Mecum

We love one-offs and prototypes here at ClassicCarWeekly.net. This is a one-off prototype race car built by Ford. But let’s zoom way out. The Mustang Boss 302 was re-introduced for the 2012 model year (and was built through 2013). The 302R was the race car variant that Ford campaigned in Grand Am’s GS class. There was also the hard-core Mustang Boss 302 Laguna Seca Edition road car that fell somewhere in between.

The 302R was a good race car, but it was heavy. So Ford attempted to homologate a lightweight version that would let teams play with weight distribution. But Grand Am nixed the idea because the 302R was competitive as is. So only one lightweight race car was built – this one.

It uses a race variant of the road car 302’s 444 horsepower 5.0-liter V-8 (even though the car started life as an plucked-off-the-line Boss 302, like all 302Rs). This car was never raced. Instead, it was sent to a Ford dealer in Illinois. It appears to have been kept in the family and is now being offered for sale with an estimate between $125,000-$175,000. Click here for more info and here for more from Mecum in Indy.

Update: Sold $130,000.

Perana Z-One

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2012 Perana Z-One

Offered by Barrett-Jackson | Scottsdale, Arizona | January 10-18, 2015

Photo - Barrett-Jackson

Photo – Barrett-Jackson

The Perana Z-One debuted at the 2009 Geneva Motor Show in concept guise. The car was style by Zagato – which is what the “Z” stands for. Perana is a South African company, formally known as the Perana Performance Group.

This car uses a 6.2-liter Corvette V-8 making 436 horsepower, although the owners can upgrade to an LS7 for up to 630 horsepower. These cars have a confusing history – originally, only 10 pre-production coupes were built with the lofty goal of 999 cars to be built per year. Instead, AC Cars acquired the rights to the car to build it as the AC 378 GT Zagato, with production beginning in 2012.

I don’t know how many cars, if any, AC has sold, but Perana has sold a few after that 2012 rights sale. So how many have been built and by which manufacturer? I’m not sure. Is it still in production? Probably not, but there are two of them at this year’s Barrett-Jackson sale. They were supposed to cost up to $150,000 for a high-horsepower version. This one likely won’t top $100,000. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Sold $73,700.

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 599 SA Aperta

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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.

Toyota’s Ultimate Supercar

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2012 Lexus LFA

Offered by Auctions America | Fort Lauderdale, Florida | March 22-24, 2013

2012 Lexus LFA

Toyota hasn’t built an exciting car in quite a while. The Supra stopped production in 2002 but stopped exporting in 1998. Since then it’s been big and bland for Toyota in the United States. Lexus wasn’t exactly setting race tracks on fire either, although the original IS caught a lot of sporting-esque people’s attention (but it wasn’t a sports car, just cool-looking).

Then in 2009 (at the height of new Nissan GT-R-mania), Toyota announces this insane car that they were going to build. Will it be the next Supra? Nope – it’s going to be a Lexus – and a $400,000 one at that.

Needless to say, this was rather shocking. Lexus began taking deposits and chose their customers (instead of the other way around) – as only 500 cars were going to be built (and were: production started in December of 2010 and ran through December of 2012). They were all built-to-suit. Strangely, these cars were sold through a two year lease program – that is, Lexus had first rights to buy the car back should the owner choose to sell it. I guess they didn’t want this one, as it’s about to be auctioned off.

With a base price of $375,000 (for the base model, which this is), Lexus only sent 150 LFAs to North America. The car uses a 4.8-liter V-10 making 552 horsepower. It sounds like an F1 car (no doubt, something Toyota learned from their V-10 F1 experience). The car is packed full of technology and drives and handles like a dream. It really is an astounding car.

It is a purpose-built supercar – the purpose here being one of the following: to show Toyota can be fun and build something awesome; for Toyota to show their shareholders that F1 was a semi-worthy investment; to better the GT-R (debatable); to make as many people as possible go “Whaaat?” (accomplished). With only 150 reaching these shores, they’re certainly rare and already out of production. As the two-year lease program has yet to expire, this is a rare, early opportunity to acquire one. This one has 400 miles on it and is essentially brand new. $350,000-$400,000 is reasonable. Click here for more and here for more from Auctions America.

Update: Sold $319,000.