Tag Archives: 2007

Callaway C16

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2007 Callaway C16 Speedster

Offered by Bring a Trailer Auctions | November 2022

Photo – Bring a Trailer Auctions

Remember this car? It was everywhere when it debuted at the 2007 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance. Designed around a C6 Corvette convertible, the car features fiberglass bodywork styled by Paul Deutschman. The “windshield” is actually two tiny pieces of Lexan in front of each passenger. There is no top. And the rear fairings house built-in helmets.

Power is from a Callaway-modified 6.2-liter V8 that was rated at 616 horsepower, which was more than any standard Corvette at the time. Top speed is said to be in excess of 210 mph, with 60 arriving in 3.2 seconds.

Only one was built, and it’s being sold be Ken Lingenfelter. If this thing would’ve entered production (not sure if the windscreens would’ve made it to a production car) it would’ve been intended to compete against cars from Lamborghini and Ferrari. I think it ranks right up there with the best American supercars of the 2000s, including the Saleen S7 and Mosler MT900S. Click here to see more.

Update: Not sold, high bid of $252,000.

The Last Four Champ Car Champions

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The Last Four Champ Car Champions

Offered by RM Sotheby’s | ???? | October 29, 2022

2004 Lola-Cosworth-Ford B01/00

Photo Courtesy of RM Sotheby’s

The McDonald’s-liveried Champ Cars of Sebastien Bourdais are some the final iconic cars from that era of American motorsport. Campaigned by Newman/Haas Racing, the cars would clinch four consecutive championships with Bourdais and propel him to Formula 1.

2004 was the first season after they dropped the CART name. Officially, it was called the Bridgestone Presents the Champ Car World Series Powered by Ford. The Lola B02 chassis made up most of the field (the rest were Reynards). Every car was powered by a turbocharged 2.65-liter Ford-Cosworth XFE V8 that could make over 900 horsepower and rev to 15,000 rpm.

This chassis was initially delivered to Newman/Haas in 2001 and used that season. It was then placed into storage before being pulled out and updated for the 2004 season. The competition history for this chassis, 01-14, includes:

  • 2001 Grand Prix of Monterrey – 20th, DNF (with Christian Fittipaldi)
  • 2001 Grand Prix of Portland – 3rd (with Fittipaldi)
  • 2004 Grand Prix of Long Beach – 3rd (with Sebastien Bourdais)
  • 2004 Grand Prix of Monterrey – 1st (with Bourdais)
  • 2004 Grand Prix of Portland – 1st (with Bourdais)
  • 2004 Molson Indy Toronto – 1st (with Bourdais)
  • 2004 Grand Prix of Road America – 1st (with Bourdais)
  • 2004 Las Vegas – 1st (with Bourdais)
  • 2004 Mexico City – 1st (with Bourdais)

Quite the career en route to Bourdais’ first championship. Click here for more info.

Update: Sold $168,000.

2005 Lola-Cosworth-Ford B05/00

Photo Courtesy of RM Sotheby’s

The Lola B05 was Newman/Haas’ 2005 competitor, although they retained the successful B01 just in case. The 900-horsepower, turbocharged 2.65-liter Ford-Cosworth XFE V8 remained unchanged. This chassis, HU 01, achieved the following:

  • 2005 Milwaukee Mile – 6th (with Sebastien Bourdais)
  • 2005 Portland Grand Prix – 2nd (with Bourdais)
  • 2005 Grand Prix of Cleveland – 5th (with Bourdais)
  • 2005 Grand Prix of San Jose – 1st (with Bourdais)
  • 2005 Grand Prix of Denver – 1st (with Bourdais)
  • 2005 Molson Indy Montreal – 4th (with Bourdais)
  • 2005 Surfers Paradise – 1st (with Bourdais)

Add to that: another championship. Click here for more info.

Update: Sold $201,600.

2006 Lola-Ford-Cosworth B02/00

Photo Courtesy of RM Sotheby’s

The Lola B02 was actually the company’s 2002 CART chassis, and that’s when Newman/Haas took delivery of this one. It was updated over the years and used through the 2006 season, which is the specification it is in today.

Again, it is powered by a turbocharged 2.65-liter Cosworth V8. The competition history for this chassis, HU 03, includes:

  • 2002 Grand Prix of Monterrey – 3rd (with Christian Fittipaldi)
  • 2002 Molson Indy Toronto – 3rd (with Fittipaldi)
  • 2002 Grand Prix of Mid-Ohio – 2nd (with Fittipaldi)
  • 2002 Grand Prix Americas – 2nd (with Fittipaldi)
  • 2003 EuroSpeedway Lausitz – 1st (with Sebastian Bourdais)
  • 2003 Cleveland Grand Prix – 3rd (with Bruno Junqueira)
  • 2003 Molson Indy Toronto – 3rd (with Junqueira)
  • 2003 Grand Prix of Denver – 1st (with Junqueira)
  • 2004 Long Beach Grand Prix – 2nd (with Junqueira)
  • 2004 Grand Prix of Denver – 3rd (with Junqueira)
  • 2004 Molson Indy Montreal – 1st (with Junqueira)
  • 2004 Grand Prix of Monterey – 2nd (with Junqueira)
  • 2004 Surfers Paradise – 1st (with Junqueira)
  • 2006 Milwaukee Mile – 1st (with Bourdais)
  • 2006 Grand Prix of Toronto – 3rd (with Bourdais)
  • 2006 Grand Prix of Montreal – 1st (with Bourdais)
  • 2006 Grand Prix of Road America – 3rd (with Bourdais)
  • 2006 Mexico City – 1st (with Bourdais)

Bourdais scooped up the championship in 2006, making it three in a row. Click here for more info.

Update: Sold $196,000.

2007 Panoz-Cosworth DP01

Photo Courtesy of RM Sotheby’s

2007 was the final season of the Champ Car World Series. They had just one constructor: Panoz with their DP01, all of which were powered by a turbocharged 2.65-liter Cosworth V8. Output was up to 950 horsepower.

I think it’s safe to say Bourdais was a championship favorite going into the season. He piloted this chassis in 10 races during the year, including:

  • 2007 Vegas Grand Prix – 13th (with Bourdais)
  • 2007 Grand Prix of Long Beach – 1st (with Bourdais)
  • 2007 Grand Prix of Houston – 1st (with Bourdais)
  • 2007 Grand Prix of Portland – 1st (with Bourdais)
  • 2007 Toronto Grand Prix – 9th (with Bourdais)
  • 2007 San Jose Grand Prix – 5th (with Bourdais)
  • 2007 Belgian Grand Prix – 1st (with Bourdais)
  • 2007 Bavarian Grand Prix – 7th (with Bourdais)
  • 2007 Surfers Paradise – 1st (with Bourdais)
  • 2007 Mexico City – 1st (with Bourdais)

He was pretty dominant in this chassis, and really, throughout his entire Champ Car career. He would win the final Champ Car championship in 2007. You can read more about it here.

Update: Sold $235,200.

Spyker C8 Targa

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2007 Spyker C8 Laviolette Targa

Offered by Bring a Trailer Auctions | May 2022

Photo – Bring a Trailer

The Spyker C8 is a car that is pretty hard to believe that they actually built. And in some kind of numbers too. The design is outlandish, bordering on over-styled. But they are very striking, and the interiors are some of the best ever bestowed on a supercar.

The C8 went on sale in the early 2000s, and the Laviolette featured a fixed glass roof instead of the earlier Spyder’s retractable soft top. This car is the only Laviolette optioned with a targa roof system with two removable panels. That was $16,000 extra. Also, it is one of six Basic Instinct 2 editions. Which is one of the oddest product tie-ins in a movie ever.

Power is from a 4.2-liter Audi V8 that was rated at 400 horsepower when new. It might not make for the quickest supercar ever, but it’s enough to get the job done and sound good doing it. This car has 4,000 miles and is already bidding past $200,000. Click here for more info.

Update: Sold $505,000.

SSC Ultimate Aero

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2007 SSC Ultimate Aero TT

Offered by Mecum | Monterey, California | August 12-14, 2021

Photo – Mecum

If you’ve haven’t been following the drama of SSC’s current Tuatara supercar we’ll fill you in: there was a video online in 2020 of the car purportedly breaking the 300-mph barrier. People called it bogus, and very recently SSC admitted it did not actually happen. The company’s first model was the Aero, which debuted in 2004. We featured the second one of those that was built before it was withdrawn from a previous auction.

The upped the Aero to the Ultimate Aero in 2005 and continued piling power on with 2007’s Ultimate Aero TT. This is the first of those built. It is powered by a twin-turbocharged 6.3-liter V8 that was rated at 1,183 horsepower. The top speed was 257 mph, which made it the fastest “production” car at the time.

Mecum notes that 24 were produced between 2006 and 2007. I’m not sure what model(s) that number covers, or even if it is true. Remember that they announced the Tuatara in 2011 but it is unclear if customer deliveries have begun as of 2021.

All that said, this is a pretty cool American supercar. It’s like a 21st Century Vector. It is expected to sell for between $600,000-$750,000. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Not sold, high bid of $400,000.

Saleen S7 LM

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2007 Saleen S7 LM

Offered by Bring a Trailer Auctions | Online

Photo – Bring a Trailer

The S7 was introduced by Saleen in 2000, and production officially trickled on through 2009. Road cars were offered in base and Twin Turbo versions. The S7R (the racing variant) competed in different sports car series all over the world, including running at Le Mans, where it landed on the class podium in 2001.

Saleen has a complicated corporate history, and the short version is that in 2017 they formed a joint venture with a Chinese city to build cars for China. Part of that grand launch was an updated version of the S7 dubbed “LM” to trumpet their brief motorsport success.

Instead of building new cars, they sort of just dressed up existing S7s, including this 2007 model that was recommissioned as an LM in 2018. It retains the S7’s natural good looks but somehow makes it look even better with a two-tone finish and a big rear wing. The five-spoke wheels also help. A lot. I was never a fan of the stock chrome wheels these came with originally.

Power is from a twin-turbocharged 7.0-liter V8 rated at 1,000 horsepower. The top speed is supposed to be in excess of 240 mph. This car carries a plaque identifying it as LM #007, which I guess means there are at least six more out there. No word on how many have been built, or even if they are done building/converting cars. My guess: if you show up at Saleen HQ with an S7 and a bag of cash, they’d convert your car too. The bidding on this example is already going strong; click here for more info.

Update: Sold $1,200,000.

Update: Sold, RM Sotheby’s Monterey 2021, $1,022,500.

Wiesmann GT

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2007 Wiesmann GT MF4

Offered by RM Sotheby’s | London, U.K. | October 24, 2019

Photo Courtesy of RM Sotheby’s

Martin and Friedhelm Wiesmann started a company in 1988 to build a classic-style roadster. That came to fruition in 1993, and from there, the company moved from neo-classic-esque open roadsters to something bordering on an insane supercar wrapped in a classically-styled package.

Their first closed car was the GT, which went on sale in MF4 guise in 2003. This two-seat coupe is powered by a 4.8-liter BMW V8 that puts out 367 horsepower. That’s enough power to propel this little thing to 60 mph in 4.6 seconds on the way to a top end of 180 mph. After 2010, the MF4 broke the 400 horsepower barrier. I saw one of these parked on the street in Switzerland. They are great-looking cars.

More extreme versions were offered, but this example represents the classic Wiesmann GT before they went power-crazy. Production lasted until 2013 when the company went bankrupt. They’ve since been purchased by a group of investors, but it is unclear if production will resume. Between 1988 and 2013, Wiesmann built about 1,600 cars. This one should bring between $100,000-$125,000. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Sold $103,257.

Versace Edition Murcielago

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2007 Lamborghini Murcielago LP640-4 Versace Edition

Offered by Silverstone Auctions | Southam, U.K. | September 29, 2018

Photo – Silverstone Auctions

The Lamborghini Murcielago was the successor to the Diablo and it went on sale in 2001. Produced through the 2010 model year, there were a number of special edition variants along the way, including this, the Versace Edition that was first shown at the 2006 Paris Motor Show.

It was based on the LP640-4, which was sort of the “second generation” of the Murcielago that was available from 2006 through 2010. It featured a 6.5-liter V-12 that made 631 horsepower. It also received a slight facelift and the Versace Edition added a custom interior, matching luggage, and custom driving gloves and shoes. They were only sold in white or black.

This is car #19 of 20 built (which was for coupes and roadsters combined). As an even rarer right-hand drive example, it is expected to bring between $195,000-$220,000. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Sold $205,616.

Porsche RS Spyder

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2007 Porsche RS Spyder

Offered by Gooding & Company | Pebble Beach, California | August 24, 2018

Photo – Gooding & Company

Remember the glory days of the ALMS when Allan McNish and Dindo Capello dominated in the unbelievable Audi R8 and later the R10 TDI? Porsche likes to think of it as, “Remember when we came to the ALMS with an LMP2 car and beat the Audi LMP1 cars week after week?”

The ALMS, or American Le Mans Series, was the premier sports car series in the U.S. between 1999 and 2013 when it was merged into Grand Am and stripped of its identity. Porsche wanted to get back to prototype sports car racing and in 2006 (well, one race in 2005), they teamed up with Penske Racing with an LMP2 car (supposedly slower than LMP1) and came out swinging. They won the ALMS LMP2 crown in 06′ through ’08, beating the Audis outright in more events than they should have.

The Penske cars were bright yellow, wearing DHL sponsorship and the dynamic duo of Timo Bernhard and Romain Dumas seemed unstoppable. The car you see here, wearing its bare carbon fiber birthday suit, was the last of six cars built for the 2007 season. It was to have been campaigned under the CET Solari Motorsport banner – but the team never made it to the track.

So this is basically an RS Spyder that was never driven in anger and comes from a private collection. A 3.4-liter V-8 mounted out back makes 503 horsepower. Porsche only built 15 RS Spyders in total and this is the first to ever come to auction. It carries no pre-sale estimate, but you can read more here and see more from this sale here.

Update: Sold $4,510,000.

TVR Sagaris

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2007 TVR Sagaris

Offered by Silverstone Auctions | Silverstone, U.K. | July 21-22, 2018

Photo – Silverstone Auctions

TVRs are wild – wild in design, appearance, and demeanor. The Sagaris might be the ultimate example of this. And it kind of makes sense that it would be, as it was the final new TVR model introduced before the company fizzled out under Russian ownership.

First shown at the 2004 Birmingham Motor Show, the Sagaris went on sale in 2005 and by 2006 the company was barely in existence so this model had but one year to make its mark. The car features a 4.0-liter straight-six that makes 406 horsepower. Sixty arrives in 3.7 seconds and the car tops out at 185 mph. Despite important EU regulations and recommendations, there is no ABS. No airbags. No traction control. It’s a monster. Oh, and in keeping with TVRs weird sense of design, the rear spoiler is clear and the dual rear exhausts point to the sides. Why not?

With fewer than 200 units produced, the car is quite rare. I remember seeing one for sale in Chicago a few years ago – but its unclear how that car could possibly be in this country legally. The example you see here has been owned by members of the TVR Club UK and is freshly serviced and ready to run. It should bring between $85,000-$100,000. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Not sold.

Maseratis in Monterey

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Maseratis in Monterey

1959 Maserati 3500 GT Spyder by Frua

Offered by RM Sotheby’s | Monterey, California | August 18-19, 2017

Photo Courtesy of RM Sotheby’s

We did this a few years ago when there was an abundance of Maseratis on offer during the Pebble Beach auction weekend. It turns out there’s quite a few nice examples being offered this year as well. And there’s nowhere near enough time to feature them all.

This is a 3500 GT, a model produced between 1957 and 1964. It was the company’s first successful GT road car and, really, the first successful production car that Maserati launched. It’s powered by a 3.5-liter straight-six making 217 horsepower with the three Weber carburetors as configured in this car. Introduced as a coupe, coachbuilder Frua designed a single convertible to show the company that a Spyder was a good idea.

As good looking as it is, Maserati chose Vignale’s design instead and that car become the series production 3500 Spyder. That makes this a one-off – and one of only five 3500 GT chassis bodied by Frua. The current restoration was freshened in 2000. Click here for more info.

Update: Sold $605,000.

1956 Maserati A6G/54 Berlinetta by Zagato

Offered by Gooding & Company | Pebble Beach, California | August 18, 2017

Photo – Gooding & Company

This car looks loud… like a muffler-less, high-revving car with a heavy clutch. Sort of like a race car with a road car body. Which is kind of what it is. Maserati’s A6G/54 was a road car based on the A6GCS race car and was available between 1954 and 1956. The’re powered by a 160 horsepower, 2.0-liter straight-six.

The aggressive body here is by Zagato, one of only 21 of this model bodied by the coachbuilder. Of those 21, they are broken down by three different variations on this body style. And they were only built in ’55 and ’56. This example was raced in its day and restored recently with it debuting at the 2014 Villa d’Este. It’s rare and should bring between $4,000,000-$5,000,000. Click here for more info and here for more from Gooding & Company.

Update: Sold $4,400,000.

1968 Maserati Mistral 4000 Spyder by Frua

Offered by Bonhams | Carmel, California | August 18, 2017

Photo – Bonhams

The Mistral was a 2-door Maserati GT car that was built between 1963 and 1970. It replaced the 3500 GT and was replaced by the Ghibli. It’s the perfect 1960s Maserati tourer, a competitor to the likes of the Aston Martin DB6.

Pietro Frua designed the Coupe and the Spyder variants. The Spyders were much rarer, with only 120 built to the Coupe’s 828. There were also three engine choices offered and we’ve already featured a Mistral Spyder with the smallest engine. But the car you see here has the largest: a 4.0-liter straight-six making 265 horsepower. Only 37 of the Spyders were the 4000 model, making it the rarest version of the Mistral.

Restored to as-new condition (with the addition of a second fuel pump), this car has covered 7,000 miles since completion. It is expected to bring between $750,000-$900,000. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Not sold.

1964 Maserati 5000 GT Coupe by Michelotti

Offered by RM Sotheby’s | Monterey, California | August 18-19, 2017

Photo Courtesy of RM Sotheby’s

The 5000 GT was an extremely rare Maserati offered in Coupe-only form between 1959 and 1964. It wasn’t even a car the company planned on building: the Shah of Persia liked the 3500 GT but requested Maserati build him one with a modified version of the engine from the 450S race car. So Maserati capitulated, stuffing a 4.9-liter V-8 engine making 325 horsepower under the hood.

Each car was specially built by leading coachbuilders of the day. Designer Giovanni Michelotti built this example for famed American sportsman Briggs Cunningham. Cunningham requested a 5000 GT that resembled the 450S and the result was something that resembled no other 5000 GT (nor any other Maserati). It almost looks like a custom Ferrari of the era.

The restoration dates to the early-1990s. It’s pretty special, and as a one-off version of a production car that only ever saw 33 examples built, it should bring big bucks. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Sold $1,017,500.

Update: Not sold, RM Sotheby’s Monterey 2019.

2007 Maserati MC12 Corsa

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

Photo – Mecum

The MC12 is the coolest Maserati of the last 25 years – easily. The car was designed around the underpinnings of the Ferrari Enzo. But unlike Ferrari, who doesn’t take their halo cars to the track, Maserati’s entire aim with this project was to return to the FIA GT Championship. Production of road cars began in 2004 and they had to homologate 50 of them to go racing, which they did by the end of 2005.

And racing they went. And it was pretty a successful endeavor – or successful enough that some customers demanded their own track version. So after the 50 road cars were built, Maserati constructed 12 “MC12 Corsa” examples that were track-only versions of their supercar. It’s powered by a 6.0-liter V-12 making 745 horsepower – pretty much the same powerplant from the factory-backed MC12 GT1 race car. These cost nearly $1.5 million when new. We’ll see what it brings in a couple of days. Click here for more info and here for more from Mecum.

Update: Not sold, high bid of $1,700,000.