mardi 7 janvier 2014
7 cars for 7 experts: The ones to watch in 2014
Last year was a memorable year for the classic car world. We've asked seven leading experts for their opinions on the 'cars to watch for 2014'...
Lamborghini Miura
Max Girardo brought down the gavel on numerous record-breaking Ferraris in 2013 as RM's lead auctioneer. "I'll take all the Ferraris out of the equation and stick my neck out a little by going for something different. I think the Lamborghini Miura represents great value for money at current prices. It's from that era of cars that everyone understands and loves, it's from a great brand, it's got a 12-cylinder engine, and it looks great – I think it's got a long way to go. For an entry-level P400, you're currently looking at between £450,000 and 500,000."
Aston Martin DB6
Jonathan Kaiser of Hexagon Classics believes there could be continued upward movement in Aston Martin DB6 prices in 2014. "Quite simply, DB6s are too inexpensive at the moment. They're selling for around half the price of a DB5, but they're not half the car. We've sold a lot of DB6s during 2013 because people don't want to spend half a million pounds plus on a concours DB5. Obviously, a DB5 will always be an iconic purchase, but I think the gap between the DB5s and DB6s will become narrower as DB6s become more difficult to obtain."
Ferrari 512 BB
James Cottingham of Ferrari specialist DK Engineering sees a potential rise in interest in the Berlinetta Boxer Ferraris, in particular the 512 BB. "I think they've been tremendously underrated for a long time, and they're a true classic, produced in the mid-70s and early 80s. They're relatively rare compared with what other manufacturers were producing at the same time, and in the Ferrari world they look like tremendous value for money in comparison to what Daytonas, 330 GTCs, Lussos and 275 GTBs are making today. Currently, you'll pay between £150,000 and £200,000 for a decent example, with top-of-the-line models fetching £250,000. I could see these going for circa £300,000 later this year."
Porsche 911 (996) GT3
Wilfried Hallier, owner of Hallier Classic Cars, sees real potential in the 911 GT3 road/race car, particularly the much-overlooked 996 series. "The 996 GT3 goes back to the original philosophy of Porsche. This civilian racing car allows private owners to test their abilities, and I'd recommend a 996 GT3 or GT3 RS to those with little racing experience. If you find a good example, you'll be rewarded with not only driving pleasure, but also a solid investment."
Bugatti EB110 Super Sport
Dylan Miles of Fiskens will be monitoring the success of the Veyron's predecessor in 2014. "Should any of the 30-or-so EB110 Super Sports come up for sale this year, I can see them doing well. Just think – a quad-turbo, quad-cam V12, 600bhp, four-wheel drive and one of the most illustrious badges in the business, all for one-eighth of the price of a McLaren F1. Does it come any better?"
Lamborghini Countach
Simon Kidston believes that alongside the Miura, Lamborghini's show-stopping Countach will also enjoy success in 2014. "I would say a Countach is one of the 'cars to watch' in 2014, particularly the early examples. It seems there's a generational change underway, and cars from the 70s, 80s and 90s are beginning to enjoy their period in the limelight, as the people that remember them from when they were younger are now able to afford them. The Countach is one of the most dramatic cars ever produced, and it's just now starting to be considered as a collector's item rather than a second-hand supercar."
Aston Martin V8
Karl-Helmut Larkamp of E. Thiesen Berlin singles out the post-DB6 Astons for their potential, in particular the DBS and AM V8. "These high-quality vehicles are completely undervalued and now that DB6s are barely affordable, the later cars look like they might enjoy an enormous increase in demand in the near future. These vehicles are great to drive, very comfortable, and the bigger cars offer a lot for the money."
Photos: Tim Scott for RM Auctions, Aston Martin, DK Engineering, Hallier Classic Cars, Kidston SA, Bugatti
Taurean thunder: The new Lamborghini Huracán LP 610-4
It’s official: the long-awaited Lamborghini Gallardo successor will be named the ‘Huracán’, and retains V10 power to take the fight to the likes of Ferrari, Porsche and McLaren…
The Huracán bull was apparently known for 'outstanding courage and a strong sense of attack'
With more than 14,000 examples sold over a 10-year production period, the Gallardo is easily the most successful model in the brand’s illustrious past. However, the calls for it to retire on a high have been building for some time now, and this is its replacement: the Lamborghini Huracán LP 610-4. After 130 private preview events for VIP customers taking place in the New Year, the Huracán will be revealed to the world at the Geneva Motor Show in March 2014.
True to form, the company has named its newest-born after a breed of fighting bull. Fighting in Alicante in 1879, the Huracán was apparently known for 'outstanding courage and a strong sense of attack, showing his unrelenting character and remaining defiant and invincible' – qualities which also happen to be useful when locking horns with the finest sports cars from England, Germany and Italy.
A familiar format
Like its predecessor, the Huracán is propelled by a 5.2-litre V10 with power distributed through all four wheels – only this time, a stronger focus has been placed on frugality. Stop/start technology is now present, while a combination of direct and indirect fuel injection is claimed to reduce consumption while offering performance benefits over the Gallardo. Thanks to the namechecked 610HP, the Huracán will reach 62mph from standstill in 3.2 seconds, with the 0-124mph sprint dispatched in 9.9 seconds. The latter is of more relevance as a performance indicator by today’s standards – and, by comparison, an Enzo takes 10.3 seconds.
Chasing Ferraris into the storm
Central to the Huracán’s 'systematic lightweight design' is a carbon and aluminium hybrid cell, which provides enhanced torsional stiffness while helping to keep the dry weight pegged at 1,422kg. Dynamic set-ups, including settings for gearbox, engine response, sound, drive distribution and stability control (variable ratio steering and magnetorheological dampers too, should they be specified), can all be modified by the Ferrari Manettino-style switch mounted on the wheel, which toggles between Strada, Sport and Corsa. All other settings – including navigation and infotainment – are managed via a 12.3-inch TFT monitor residing in the driver's instrument binnacle.
Thankfully, the exterior design seems to draw inspiration from its wild yet well-resolved bigger brother, rather than the toy-like lines of the more recent Veneno and Egoista ‘specials’. The Huracán certainly has some successful tyre tracks in which to follow. Yet in not straying too far from a successful formula, while bringing each aspect in line with the cream of current supercars, the Italians certainly seem ready to cause a storm.
Photos: Lamborghini
Both modern and classic Lamborghinis can be found for sale in the Classic Driver Market.
Creating a storm: Lamborghini Aventador BAPE Arctic Camo
What type of vehicle would you want to take to the top of a mountain? Why, something with four-wheel drive, a ski box and plenty of cylinders, of course…
You might think that interpreting these requirements as a modified Lamborghini Aventador, rather than say, a G-Wagon or an old V8 Defender, would be a schoolboy's error. But Canadian tuning firm Dynamic Performance has in fact taken inspiration from professional Swedish skier Jon Olsson, who has been running supercars fitted with custom roofboxes and body wraps as daily drivers for some years now. His back catalogue includes two Gallardos, two Murciélagos (one being a 670-4 SV), a Nissan GT-R and an Audi R8.
Dynamic Performance’s Aventador has a few body modifications from (thankfully) the more subtle end of the usual supercar tuning spectrum, but the most obvious is that white-and-blue camouflage wrap. It was designed by Japanese clothing manufacturer A Bathing Ape (commonly shortened to 'BAPE'), which has previously clothed numerous cars in camouflage patterns – including the founder’s AMG-tuned 300 SL.
Photos: Marcel Lech
For further information about Jon Olsson's 'skiboxed' cars, visit jon-olsson.com.
Numerous Lamborghinis can be found for sale in the Classic Driver Market.
Inscription à :
Articles (Atom)