If you’ve been asking yourself, “what sort of convertible or targa-roof car can I get for this $2 million burning a hole in my wallet?” Have we got the car for you! It’ll do 224 MPH, and it probably won’t suck your face off at that velocity with the roof off. (Probably.) Bugatti’s long awaited (by the 2 people on earth who can afford it) targa is finally here, as the Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport enters production in July.
Now that the calendar reads ‘2009′ and summer is upon us, we can already begin shutting the book on the first decade of the new millenia. All the cars that will be produced have either made it to dealerships or have half a dozen reviews already printed in some magazine collecting dust on your shelf.
This decade closes much like the 1960s, in an atmosphere of uproar and protest, with rumors of war and peace and revolution at hand. The auto industry has experienced a second Golden Age, bigger and grander than the first, and has again sunk into crisis, darker and dimmer than the one Baby Boomers remember. And enthusiasts young and old fear that a similar fate awaits them in the coming years with news of outrageously stringent CAFE standards, and fear-mongering legislators fuel anxieties that we’ve already seen the best cars of the next thirty some odd years.
So it is that we turn back to this decade already a bit nostalgic. Here lie the future legends, the autos of myth and lore. With the future unclear, we ask ourselves which cars made the glorious 2000’s the decade we will all miss more than we know?
In an extremely controversial decision, cash-strapped BBC has tightened Top Gear’s budget, ordering them to pass on the exotic supercars in favor of reviewing greener, more economical models. Despite Top Gear co-host Jeremy Clarkson’s earlier promise to flat-out ignore the push for more mundane vehicles, the show’s producers insist that changes must be made to keep in step with the tumultuous economy. Although BBC mouthpieces insist that the Ferrari’s and Bugatti’s that give the show its largest appeal will not be phased out entirely, they have confirmed there will be less screen time devoted to thrashing a ZR1’s throttle and more attention given to dispensing “practical” consumer advice.
This April, Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este will hold its traditional automotive beauty contest for the 80th year in a row and will be sharing the octogenarian spotlight with co-sponsor BMW. Celebrating 80 years since the production of their very first automobile, BMW will bring a few very special guests to this year’s Concorso, including the BMW 303, the first Bavarian car to sport the kidney-shaped radiator grille, and the all-new BMW Z4. Also among the beauty pageant contestants will be the 1969 BMW 2800 Spicup Coupé, a concept vehicle first unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show 40 years ago. Designed using textbook Bertone front-end styling and drawing heavily from Albrecht Goertz’ BMW 507, the BMW 2800 Spicup Coupé eventually became lost in the shuffle until it was “discovered” last year in Holland. In April, the BMW 2800 Spicup Coupé’s grand debut at the Concorso will mark its first public appearance since undergoing total restoration.
Celebrating 100 years of making you hate your middle-class, middle-income life, Bugatti has unveiled the limited edition Bugatti Veyron Bleu Centenaire. Usually we’d develop an instant hate for a performance vehicle finished in any type of fruity shade, (we’re looking at you, BMW Leguna Seca Blue) but we’re willing to let this one slide in much the same way you would overlook a zit on Heidi Klum.
A while ago, we wrote about The Simeone Foundation Museum, which is Fred Simeone’s personal collection of 60 amazing race cars. Well, coming up in November, Mario Andretti will be awarded the first annual Spirit of Competition award from the Simeone Foundation.
The whole ceremony will also include the dedication of the Simeone Foundation Museum by the Honorable Mayor Michael Nutter. Hot stuff.
It’s all going down on from 6:30 pm to 9:30 pm on November 12th, that’s almost two weeks away, plenty of time to iron my only suit. So hopefully we’ll get you some pictures and info from the inside.
If you’re interested, the event will take place at the Simeone Foundation Museum on 6825 Norwitch Drive, Philadelphia, PA 19153. Tickets are available from the Foundation for $175. Call 215-365-7233 for reservations and details.
Top Gear is the only show I watch consistently anymore (I used to watch Arrested Development, until they were canceled). I remember when this was aired originally, and I loved it. I loved the way it was filmed and edited and I loved how they got James May to do the driving, since he’s usually the slow one. His expression really shows how awesome that kind of speed is.
Rumors of a new Mercedes supercar called the SLC have been around for a while now, but just recently, Drive.com.au caught some spy shots of a prototype with is gullwing doors open.
“If you had all the money in the world, what car would you buy?” This hypothetical question came up in conversation the other day, and I just couldn’t come up with a satisfying answer. It’s a tough question, like asking “Whats your favorite food?” There are so many variables.
Do I go for the fastest car? The flat out most expensive? The rarest? Best looking? Most fun to drive?
The 1937 Bugatti Type 57SC Atalante Coupe that sold for a record $7.92 million
Financial tough times? Hogwash!
Gooding & Company, the official auction house of the 58th annual Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, brought in a total of $64.2 million during it’s two-night auction of ultra-rare collectible cars on August 16 and 17.
One lucky bidder paid a record setting $7.92 million dollars for a 1937 Bugatti Type 37SC Atalante Coupe. That’s the highest price ever paid for an automobile in the United States. The $64.2 million take broke even last year’s huge tally of $60 million. Twenty cars sold for more than $1 million and five cars sold for more than $2 million.
