You’re looking at the most insane car ever built. It’s a 1935 Monaco Trossi racer with an air-cooled, two-stroke 16-cylinder radial engine driving the front wheels. Just picture it howling down the straight at Monza at 150 miles per hour, looking like a lit cigar on wheels, engine roaring, headers glowing.

It was the brainchild of technician Augusto Monico. It was built on an aircraft-style space frame and rocked independent suspension all around. It also had hydraulic brakes, a rarity for the time. Unfortunately, the car had 75/25 front/rear weight distribution and suffered from uncontrollable oversteer. It never actually raced and was only driven a few times during the testing phase. Today it’s locked up in the Museo dell’Automobile in Turin, its version of Arkham Asylum. Will the batshit car ever escape and get a chance to vaporize its front tires and kill race car drivers? One can hope.

Missed your chance to buy a new McLaren F1 back in the 90s? Got a spot in your garage for a mid engine, rear drive 600 horsepower supercar, but want one that’s easier to live with on a daily basis than the original McLaren F1? Then get your financing in order, because the McLaren MP4-12C may be just the ticket. More pics after the jump.

One of the most beautiful race cars ever produced, the Jaguar XJ13 never turned a wheel in competition. Built to contend with the likes of Ford and Ferrari at LeMans, the XJ13 prototype was finished too late to compete in the 1966 event. By 1967, the rules had changed to limit engine displacement to 3 liters, and Jaguar had no suitable replacement motor.

More pics after the jump.

Automobile design is a very subjective thing. To the designer, that carefully crafted shape may be their crowning achievement, the public however may just see it as terrible. Some designs are inviting, they bring on carefree feelings and let the world know that you are always in a good mood. Others look downright angry and pissed off and exude attitude and presence. These are my favorites. I spent a few moments digging through the internet to bring you some seriously wicked looking automobiles. Cars that look as though they’d not only beat up your car on a whim, but afterward they’d go back to your house, beat up your Dad and kick his Oldsmobile in the grill. They’re mean and nasty looking with an “FU” attitude… in short, they’re awesome.

A man of your means should be driving this black 16C Bugatti Galibier. This subtle, understated treatment conveys an air of sophistication. Polished aluminum slab sides are so gauche! You, sir, are beyond pomp and flash! And with a twin-superchaged W-16, it has more than enough power to plow through the throngs of paupers begging for scraps beyond the walls of your estate.

Is your Ferrari Enzo not getting you the attention it once did? Has your Lamborghini Murcielago started to blend in with the others at your favorite restaurant? Concerned that you’ll see another Bugatti Veyron parked at your country club?

When the DeLorean came out in 1981 it was a head turner and at the time it was like nothing else on the road. The gull wing doors, stainless steel body panels and rear engine design were pretty trick and set the DeLorean apart from its competitors. Unfortunately though for DeLorean the car had one very big flaw – it was terrible. Upon release to the public the DeLorean looked like it was going 100 mph while standing still. This was a good thing, because in the event that you actually tried to hit that speed you would have found yourself waiting around for a while. Power came from a Renault sourced 2.6 V6 that produced 135 hp. So whereas DeLorean claimed a top speed of around 130 mph, in reality it would really only top out at just over 100 mph. Like I said, it was terrible.

Would you pay $98 grand for a Ford 302? I certainly would, considering it’s wrapped in gorgeous Italian steel. This 1970 De Tomaso Mangusta is one of only about 120 left in the world and it’s flawless with only 9,000-odd miles on the odometer. It’s for sale at Fantasy Junction, one of the best exotic car dealers on the West Coast. Hit the jump for more photos and info about this ’70s super car.

The 525-horsepower Mercedes AMG E63 is simply not fast enough. That’s why tuning house Väth Automobiltechnik bored out its 6.2-liter V-8, gave it new pistons, valves, and camshafts, and tweaked its ECU to give it 605 horsepower.

There’s also a bunch of suspension and brake tweaks and a wicked-looking body kit. The resulting super E63 will hit 100 kilometers per hour (62 miles per hour) in 4.1 seconds and is good for 211 miles per hour in a straight line. It’s enough to make you want to learn how to speak and read German.

Via: Autoblog, Väth Automobiltechnik, World Car Fans

Sometimes being a member of the automotive press has its own set of unique privileges or “perks”, if you will. Some of these include, but are not limited to: access to pre-production automobiles, insider information and access to some of the coolest autos to ever roll on pavement. Take today for example – I got to test drive a new Audi A3 TDI and BMW 335d, two new clean diesels from two of the biggest German automakers out there… make sure you keep an eye out for a full review and road test on both.

I also got a chance to get up close and personal with the new Mercedes Benz SLS AMG… OH MY GOD IS THIS THING SEXY!! Seriously, this new Merc. is a sight to behold. The SLS AMG pays homage to its Great Grandfather, the 1955 Mercedes 300SL Gullwing (a car located on my top ten list). Visually the car is just stunning. Its free flowing lines come together in a very organic form with no hard lines or rough edges. The front grill looks as though it was taken directly from the original 300SL and transplanted onto the SLS – this was a good move on Mercedes part.