The Jaguar XKR-S has just been awarded ’2011 Sports Car of the Year’ by the respected German motoring magazine, Auto Bild Sportscars, following a poll of more than 70,000 of its readers.The XKR-S – the most powerful production car Jaguar has built – competed in the ‘Production Sports Car Coupés’ category, where it took 14.3 per cent of all votes, ahead of the Mercedes C63 AMG and Audi RS5 in their home market.The XKR-S Coupé was recently tested by Auto Bild on the famous Nürburgring Nordshleife, which it lapped in just 7-minutes 51-seconds; its 5.0-litre supercharged V8 engine produces 412kW and 680Nm, enabling it to sprint to 96km/h in just 4.2-seconds before going on to reach an electronically limited top speed of  300km/h. To ensure minimal lift and maximum stability at such high speeds the XKR-S has a bespoke aerodynamic pack.Competing for the 10th ‘Auto Bild Sports Car of the Year’ awards were a total of 173 cars in 17 categories, including modified and low-volume cars. In its category the Jaguar XKR-S finished ahead of 14 respected competitors. The awards were presented at the Essen Motor Show, Germany.

2007 Formula One World Champion, Kimi Raikkonen, will join the Lotus Renault Formula One Team for the 2012 season, after spending the last two years competing in the World Rally Championship, and has signed a two year contract with the UK-based team.

“I’m delighted to be coming back to Formula 1 after a two-year break, and I’m grateful to Lotus Renault GP for offering me this opportunity,” said Kimi Räikkönen at the official announcement. “My time in the World Rally Championship has been a useful stage in my career as a driver, but I can’t deny the fact that my hunger for F1 has recently become overwhelming. It was an easy choice to return with Lotus Renault GP as I have been impressed by the scope of the team’s ambition. Now I’m looking forward to playing an important role in pushing the team to the very front of the grid.”

John Key’s BMW is  five ministerial BMWs to be auctioned at Turners. The ministerial BMW responsible for chauffeuring John Key over the past three years is going under the hammer in Turners’ upcoming Prestige Auction.The 2008 BMW 730LD is among five ministerial BMWs that will be sold on 3 December at Turners Auctions’ Penrose branch.

“We were blown away by the public interest in the government BMWs at the last tender. With the Prime Minister’s car up for auction, we expect even more interest this time round,” says Graham Roberts, Chief Executive of Turners Auctions.

John Key’s vehicle has less than 48,000 kilometres on the clock and has been regularly serviced by the Ministry of Internal Affairs.With extra legroom in the back and a three litre diesel engine, that uses only seven litres of fuel per 100 kilometres, the vehicle would suit limousine hire businesses or a VIP taxi service.Turners expect the Prime Minister’s BMW to fetch between $62,000 and $68,000 at auction.

“The opportunity to buy a Prime Minister’s vehicle is extremely rare, so we expect collectors to be particularly interested in this one,” says Roberts.

Other stately vehicles to feature in the auction include a 1967 Roll Royce Phantom and a 2000 Bentley Arnage.For those after more muscle than sophistication, there is also an impressive line-up of American vehicles in the auction including a 2007 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500, two Ford Mustang GTs (2005 and 2006), as well as three 2010-2011 Chevrolet Camaro 2SS/RS coupes.Potential bidders can view the cars online at turners.co.nz, or at Turners Penrose branch, corner of Penrose and Leonard Roads, on Thursday 1 December from 5.30pm to 7.30pm.

Ferrari is mourning the death of Sergio Scaglietti, the designer who joined forces with Enzo Ferrari to produce some of the most legendary and sought-after sort after Ferraris in the company’s history.
“Today is a sad day for Ferrari,” said Ferrari Chairman Luca di Montezemolo.  “We lost a friend, a travel companion, a man who had his name forever connected to the Prancing Horse.  Sergio Scaglietti leaves behind the legacy of an artist who with his talent created some of the most beautiful cars of our history.  Those who had the luck to know him like I did will also remember him as a straightforward and honest man completely dedicated to his work.  We will miss him.”
Sergio Scaglietti, the legendary Ferrari coachbuilder, created some of the most famous Ferrari, such as the Ferrari California, the 250 Testa Rossa, the 250 GTO and the 750 Monza. Sergio Scaglietti was a real and natural talent who, as he liked to say, made cars with his hands and with his eyes.
Although the son of a carpenter, Sergio Scaglietti became known as the ‘maestro of aluminium’, such was his skill in designing and shaping metal into classic Ferraris.
His relationship with Enzo Ferrari started when the then young mechanic was asked repair a mud flap on one of Ferrari’s cars and in 1951 he opened his own business, Carrozzeria Scaglietti, at the tender age of 17. Shunning paper and pencils, Scaglietti produced cars from within his head and through his unique skill with a hammer and aluminium. The link continues today with all Ferrari production cars made in aluminium at Carrozzeria Scaglietti, which is now part of the Ferrari company.
Carrozzeria Scaglietti has been an integral part of Ferrari much of its history and to underline his unique relationship with the Modena coachbuilder, Ferrari Chairman Luca di Montezemolo dedicated the Ferrari 612 Scaglietti to him.

New Zealand Porsche 911 buyers will have the option of either a Coupe or Cabriolet when ordering their next 911 Carrera.

The new 911 Cabriolet is expected in New Zealand show rooms sometime in April 2012, approximately one month after the Coupe arrives with local specification and pricing due to be released nearer to launch.

The ‘lightweight’ programme begun in the Coupe with its new aluminium body that continues on to the Cabriolet which also includes an all new lightweight fabric hood. The innovative roof design extends to its appearance which mimics the silhouette of its hard top sibling.

Each of the two new Cabriolet models will receive the same flat six engine as its Carrera Coupe equivalent.  The Carrera Cabriolet is fitted with a 3.4-litre flat six engine producing 257kW at the rear wheels through a seven speed manual gearbox and the Carrera S boasts a 3.8-litre flat six engine producing 294kW also through a seven speed gearbox as standard.

San Francisco – Bonhams is extremely pleased to announce that it has been entrusted to represent what is regarded as one of the most important collections of motorcycles to come to market in years. From the prominent American family Du Pont, a name synonymous with a chemical empire, a luxury automobile manufacturer, and Indian motorcycle – America’s first motorcycle company, is a private museum collection three generations in the making.

Offered for the very first time, the collection of nearly 50 vintage motorcycles spanning 70 years of history contains many important and impressive machines, a good number of them Indian.

As an investor of the Indian Motocycle (sic) Company since 1923, Eleuthere Paul du Pont took over the ailing company in 1929 and helped usher in one of the most successful eras – financially, competitively, technologically and stylistically – in Indian’s history. As a result of this, the Du Pont family collection contains numerous Indian models – many of which were restored at Indian’s Springfield, Mass. factory – such as Camelback, Singles, Twins, Board Track Racer, Prince, Scout, Chief and Four, not to mention the following noteworthy individuals:

• A completely untouched, original condition circa 1903 Indian Camelback
• 1908 Indian Camelback with an early restoration by the Indian factory
• 1908 Indian Twin restored by the factory and displayed at the Franklin Institute of Philadelphia
• An extremely rare original paint 1909 Pope Single
• Circa 1915 Indian Twin Board Track Racer acquired in the 1950s
• What is believed to be the last Indian Chief supplied to a dealer

Additionally, some notable British motorcycles are included such as a 1951 Vincent Black Shadow with just 3,000-odd miles from new and a believed ex-Francis Beart 1959 Norton Manx, as well as numerous Triumph models. In all, the Du Pont family collection includes the following marques from America, Europe and Japan: BSA, Ducati, Gilera, Harley-Davidson, Honda, Indian, Merkel, Ner-A-Car, Norton, Peugeot, Pope, Scott, Simplex, Stephens, Suzuki, Triumph, Vincent and Yamaha.

The Du Pont Museum Collection will be offered at the second annual Bonhams Las Vegas Motorcycle Sale on January 12th, inside the famous Auto Collections museum at the Imperial Palace Hotel & Casino on The Strip.

With limited opportunity still available, owners interested in consigning an important motorcycle(s) to this sale may call 415-391-4000 or e-mail motors.us@bonhams.com. Alternatively, for the nearest international representative, please visit bonhams.com/usa/motorcycles.

Never heard of British sports car manufacturer Atalanta Motors? You’re not alone, the boutique builder, originally located in Staines Middlesex, England, manufactured vehicles from 1937 until  the outbreak of World War II in 1939.

So what? You could ask. Well it turns out that Atalanta is set for a comeback under the new ownership of Martyn Corfield who recently purchased the nameplate.

Back in the day, Atalanta was responsible for producing some truly cutting-edge cars, equipped with such modern advances as fully independent coil spring suspensions, adjustable dampers, hydraulic brakes, a semi-automatic gearbox and a twin-spark cylinder head.

Atalanta cars were good enough for the factory to take home the team prize in the 1939 Welsh Rally, which would prove to be the brand’s most significant racing achievement before the second world war halted production. Read full story…

Ashley takes a look at a locally built aero-engined Riley.

What makes us build specials? Common sense tells us we can never make anything as good as a factory-produced machine – and there is a host of vehicles out there which the manufacturers’ research suggests people want at a cost far less than that of a self-built one-off. But there is something else, something just as tangible. A special is a piece of mobile art, an expression of the constructor’s ingenious mind and a tribute to his or her knowledge, skill and appreciation of, for want of a better word, ‘rightness.’

In times past, the automotive industry included many outstanding individuals who produced some of the most exciting cars of all time – men such as Ettore Bugatti, Louis Delâge, Ferdinand Porsche and Colin Chapman. Modern production methods generally dumb down designs to cope with the lowest common denominator in order to make things easier for the driver – driving a GP Bugatti is not for beginners, but then, easy does not offer any rewards.

So, what was Robert McNair trying to achieve by building the special featured here?

Top Priority – Exciting Looks

If you study those early sports and race cars which, by their nature, were at the cutting edge of technology during their era, they were low, had long bonnets to house powerful engines, were beautifully detailed and went like stink. They also exuded a sense of presence that, although sometimes hard to define, remains a dominant feature. Read full story…