Alpine Vision Gran Turismo, 2015. Alpine’s virtual racer for Gran Turismo 6
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Alpine Vision Gran Turismo, 2015. Alpine’s virtual racer for Gran Turismo 6
This is one of only two examples of the Porsche 356 Carrera Zagato Coupé Sanction Lost that were built, these remarkable cars have a story that dates all the way back to 1957, however the “Sanction Lost” examples were only built by Zagato from 2015 – 2017.
Back in 1957 noted Porsche racing driver Claude Storez approached Italian coachbuilder Zagato and asked them to build him a new body for his 1957 Porsche 356 Carrera Speedster that would be both lighter and more aerodynamic.
Storez didn’t know it at the time, but tragically it would be the last car he would ever drive.
When Claude Storez first approached Zagato in 1957 they could never have known it was the beginning of the story that would continue for over 60 years, with the final example not reaching completion until 2017.
Claude Storez has been called a “Prince Among Racers” and there can be no doubt that he was one of France’s most promising racing drivers in the 1950s before his untimely death. Often driving smaller cars he would frequently outpace considerably more powerful cars and finish well ahead of them.
Storez piloted a number of different cars in some of the biggest European and North African races of the time including the 24 Hours of Spa-Francorchamp, the Tour de France Automobile, the Coupe du Salon, the 12 Hours of Hyères, the Grand Prix of Agadir in Morocco, the Grand Prix of Bougie in Algeria, the Grand Prix of Tunisia, and the 12 Hours of Reims.
In the mid-1950s Storez had been driving a Porsche 550 RS Spyder in which he’d seen some notable successes, including a class win at the 12 Hours of Reims. He would also drive a Porsche 356A Carrera alongside Robert “Bubu” Buchet, the two would win over a dozen first class events over a two year period including the 1956 Rallye des Routes du Nord and the Rallye d’Armagnac, with a popular class win in the Liège – Rome – Liège.
Storez had seen the successes achieved by Italian coachbuilders with cars like the Fiat-Abarth 750 GT Zagato and the Alfa Romeo Giulietta SVZ, so in 1957 he bought a Porsche 356 Carrera Speedster and sent it to Milan for Zagato to work their magic on it.
The team at Zagato created a new alloy body for the Porsche that was both beautiful and aerodynamic, not to mention lightweight. The low, streamlined body featured subtle rear fins and a low profile windscreen to reduce the frontal area.
In its first race it proved its speed, finished second at the Reims circuit stage of the Tour de France. A few months later in 1959 Storez was back at Reims and impressively he was starting at the front of the grid next to a considerably more powerful 3.0 liter Ferrari 250 GT.
Storez got a good start and took the lead, as the circuit swept uphill he was overtaken by the Ferrari but on the downhill section he was once again catching up, it was here that he suffered a crash at the Thillois hairpin that would destroy the car and severely injure him – he would die a few hours later in hospital.
This tragic accident and the loss of such a promising young French racing driver in a country that was still reeling from the 1955 Le Mans disaster resulted in newspaper headlines across the country. The car mysteriously vanished after the crash and it’s never been seen again, presumed to have been scrapped or otherwise disposed of.
When American car collector Herb Wetanson approached Zagato in the 2010s with an idea to bring back the Porsche Zagato Speedster he would begin the process of writing a new chapter in the history of the long-lost car.
Ultimately Zagato would build 18 of the cars in total, nine Speedsters and nine coupes, all with alloy bodywork that was recreated using the careful examination of period photographs and an original concept drawing found in their archives.
Each car would be built using a Porsche 356 as their starting point just like the original, however only three of the cars would have the Porsche Carrera engine fitted – just like Storez.
The car you see here was built from a 1961 Porsche 356 B Coupe which was sent to Zagato in 2015. They removed the original bodyshell and replaced it with their own Zagato body, the build was finished in 2017 and delivered to its new owner.
The interior features red leather front seats, black leather “kinder” small rear seats, black carpeting, and a Bianco Gardenia dash panel. It comes with a Porsche Certificate of Authenticity, a copy of the build sheet, and a digital file containing magazine articles, photographs, and Zagato brochures.
The car is now due to cross the auction block with RM Sotheby’s on the 6th of November with a price guide of $550,000 – $600,000 USD. If you’d like to read more about it or register to bid you can click here to visit the listing.
Images: Cymon Taylor ©2021 Courtesy of RM Sotheby’s
The post 1 Of Only 2 Ever Made: The Porsche 356 Carrera Zagato Coupé “Sanction Lost” appeared first on Silodrome.
This is an original Nardi steering wheel that is a factory-correct fitment for either a Ferrari 250 GTO or the Ferrari 250 GT SWB, two of the most desirable (and valuable) Ferraris ever made.
Enrico Nardi founded Officine Nardi in 1951, initially building racing prototypes and bespoke road cars before shifting focus to aftermarket performance parts like manifolds, crankshafts, camshafts, and of course, steering wheels.
The company today is most famous for their steering wheels, but the story of Enrico Nardi deserves to be better known. He was a successful racing driver at Lancia who also doubled as a truck engineer and an advisor to Vincenzo Lancia.
In 1937 Enrico Nardi moved to a new racing outfit called Scuderia Ferrari run by a former racing driver named Enzo Ferrari. Nardi would work as a test driver, development engineer, and racing driver for Ferrari between 1937 and 1946.
After this he would start his own company developing road and racing cars however by the mid-1950s he was focussing on performance parts and steering wheels due to how lucrative it was, and how much lower the costs were compared to being a low-volume automaker.
Nardi steering wheels began to become famous in the 1950s, the first car to be fitted with one was a 1952 Pegaso but in the years since they’ve been fitted to cars from Ferrari, Lancia, Audi, Maserati, Lamborghini, Rolls-Royce, Jaguar, Lotus, TVR, McLaren, Volkswagen, Abarth, BMW, and more.
Ferrari famously used Nardi steering wheels for many years including the model you see here, which was original equipment for the 250 GTO and 250 GT SWB. The 250 GTO is best known today as the most valuable car in the world with private sales prices having reportedly reached $70 million.
If you’d like to read more about this picture or register to bid you can click here to visit the listing. It’s due to be auctioned on the 6th of November with a price guide of $4,100 – $7,000 USD.
Images: ©2021 Courtesy of RM Sotheby’s
The post For Sale: A Ferrari 250 GTO/SWB Nardi Steering Wheel appeared first on Silodrome.
This is the pick up truck version of the inimitable Land Rover Defender, it’s the longer wheelbase 110 version of the classic British 4×4 and it’s powered by the Puma 2.4 liter inline-four cylinder turbodiesel with 265 lb ft of torque.
The original Defender was offered in a number of different body variations, made relatively simple by its body-on-chassis construction. The most popular were the hardtop Defender 90 and Defender 110, these are the primary short and long wheelbase versions, but there was also the longer wheelbase 130 model and even 6×6 versions.
The Defender 110 was originally released just as the “110” in 1983 alongside the “90,” the Defender name wasn’t officially used until 1990 when Land Rover needed to distinguish the more rugged models from the then-new Discovery.
The Defender was offered with a pick up option on all four wheelbases – 90, 110, and 130. The Defender 90 pick up was the most popular choice and owners could choose to fit either a single cab roof or a full roof deepening on their requirements, the fitment of a full roof would essentially turn it into a normal 90.
The 110 pick up had the obvious benefit of the longer tray back that was able to carry more, and as a result they’ve been used for everything from transporting sheep and hay bales to carrying motorcycles and overland camping.
The Defender pick up truck you see here is a 2007 model, meaning it was the first year to receive the upgraded “Puma” 2.4 liter turbodiesel engine, which sends power to all four wheels via a 6-speed manual gearbox.
The vehicle recently had a fresh coat of its original Keswick Green and the roof is now finished in black for a more modern look, and to match the black 16 inch alloy wheels. Inside you’ll find remote central locking, a Bluetooth DAB radio, climate control, and a center console with two cup holders and a storage bin.
Power is provided by the Puma 2.4 liter inline-four, this is the special version of the Ford DuraTorq for Land Rover applications. It replaced the outgoing Land Rover Td5 engine and brought the Defender up to date with modern emissions regulations.
This engine was modified for 4×4 use, featuring an updated lubrication system for use at a wider range of angles, and it was better sealed for river crossings and use in mud, snow, ice, etc. The use of a variable geometry turbocharger gives the engine more torque than the Td5 with a wider torque spread lower in the rev range.
The version of the Puma used in the Defender produces 122 bhp and 265 lb ft of torque, power is sent back through a 2-speed transfer case into a 6-speed transmission to all four wheels. The Defender rides on coil springs on all four corners with telescopic shock absorbers and live axles front and back.
Given the growing popularity of the original Defender it’ll be interesting to see what this one sells for when the online bidding closes. The popularity of pick up trucks in the United States may very well see it being exported across the Atlantic.
It’s not often that we see Defender pick ups in such good condition, this example is a credit to its current owner and it’s for sale on Collecting Cars out of the UK. If you’d like to read more about it or register to bid you can click here to visit the listing.
Images courtesy of Collecting Cars
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