PARKING LOT D’ELEGANCE

Location is everything. Homesteading alongside one of the most famous driving roads in the world, 

we at The Emporium of Postmodern Activities get to see nearly every car that’s ever put rubber to pavement.

 The hashtag #parkinglotdelegance on our Instagram account (deusemporium) has been our way of lionizing

 the myriad manifestations of motorized vehicles that find their way into our parking lot.

 Over the nine months we’ve been here the photos have steadily piled up,

 with each image nudging us to do something bigger, something awesomer. 

Last weekend we brought the hashtag to life and #parkinglotdelegance found full expression in our backyard as,

 you guessed it, Parking Lot d’Elegance. Enjoy the photos from the day and don’t touch 

that dial because we’ve got designs to do something like this again real soon.

24 Heures du Mans 2013 : les 56 engagés

L'Automobile Club de l'Ouest a présenté cet après-midi, lors d'une conférence de presse tenue dans l'enceinte de l'Eurosites Georges V, la liste des équipes retenues pour participer à la 90ème édition des 24 Heures du Mans en juin prochain.

Comme prévu, la catégorie LMP1 est la moins fournie avec seulement huit voitures engagées. Audi alignera trois R18 e-tron quattro face aux deux Toyota TS030 Hybrides officielles. La grille LMP1 sera complétée par les deux Lola B12/60 Coupé-Toyota du Rebellion Racing et l'HPD ARX 03a-Honda du Strakka Racing.

La catégorie LMP2 a en revanche fait le plein d'engagés avec pas moins de 23 concurrents, dix-sept d'entre eux étant équipés de motorisations Nissan. Les châssis Oreca 03 seront présents en nombre (8 engagés), avec notamment le Thiriet byTDS Racing, vainqueur ELMS 2012, et le Team Signatech. Suivent les châssis Morgan (3 voitures pour le Team OAK Racing et une pour le Team chinois KCMG) et Zytek Z11SN (2 voitures pour Greaves Motorsport notamment).

Les tenants du titre du Starworks Motorsport feront de nouveau confiance au châssis HPD ARX-03b-Honda tout comme le Level 5 Motorsport, et on notera côté nouveautés l'apparition des Lola T128 du Team Lotus ainsi que l'inscription du Sébastien Loeb Racing avec pour pilote Franck Montagny.

En catégorie GTE-Pro, la Ferrari F458 du JMW Motorsport sera bien esseulée au milieu des structures officielles qui aligneront deux voitures chacune. Les Teams Aston Martin Racing, AF Corse, Porsche AG Manthey et Corvette Racing accueilleront les nouveaux venus du SRT Motorsports pour le grand retour des Viper GTS-R dans la Sarthe.

En catégorie GTE-Am enfin, quatorze concurrents seront aux prises dont les Teams IMSA Performance Matmut (2 voitures), Proton Competition et Dempsey Racing-Proton, lesquels évolueront sur des Porsche 911 GT3 RSR.

Ferrari bénéficiera des trois voitures du Team AF Corse ainsi que de celles du Krohn Racing, du 8star Motorsport et du Extreme Speed Motorsports. Enfin le Team Larbre Competition alignera ses traditionnelles Corvette C6 ZR1 et le Team officiel Aston Martin présentera deux Vantage V8 pour un total de quatre engagements en catégorie GT.

Le 56ème stand est quant à lui dévolu depuis longtemps à la GreenGT Technologies, qui sera pilotée, entre autres, par l'italien Christian Pescatori.

Fixi Crescent Suzuki 2013 livery - first images

Fixi Crescent Suzuki has released photos via their Facebook page of the livery that Leon Camier and Jules Cluzel will be sporting on their 2013 Suzuki GSX-R’s, before shipping them to Australia for the final two pre-season tests (February 14-15 and 18-19) and the start of Superbike season later this month.

Besides FIXI being confirmed as title sponsor for a second season, the bikes also sport Yoshimura, Motorex, Blue Chip, Sign Language logos, and Voltcom, Doodson Insurance, Watches of Distinction and Spidi has been added to their 2013 sponsor roster, as well as several new technical partners.

Team principal Paul Denning reported that Fixi Crescent Suzuki’s relationship with engine partner tuning partner Yoshimura has been ‘altered’ and Crescent will now be building and maintaining the engines at race headquarters in Verwood, while Yoshimura will concentrate more on the development of the engine’s performance.

from TWOWHEELSBLOG

Ferrari Supercars: The Prancing Horse gets hyper

Not long to go now (we believe) until Ferrari’s latest supercar-to-end-all-others is revealed to the public. The ‘F70’, as it is generally referred to, is the latest in a line of Ferrari ‘hypercars’. Classic Driver looks at some of the others, from the 288 GTO to the Enzo.

Ferrari 288 GTO



Although outwardly similar to the regular-production 308 GTB series, the 288 GTO was an altogether different animal. First of all, the mid-mounted V8 was mounted longitudinally, not laterally. Secondly, twin turbochargers boosted power to around 400bhp. In addition, a longer wheelbase, bigger wheels/tyres and improved brakes gave the whole package – originally intended as a homologation special, hence the ‘O’ for omologato – colossal performance. A top speed of over 300km/h set the standard in the early 80s. With production limited to under three hundred cars, the 288 GTO is now highly sought-after. 

to car listing in the Classic Driver Marketplace >>

Ferrari F40


With its F40 (‘40’ celebrating the 40th anniversary of the company in 1987), Ferrari took the basic concept of the 288 GTO, upped the performance and clothed it in all-new, aerodynamically influenced bodywork. It was the last supercar to be commissioned by Enzo Ferrari before his death in August 1988. The 470bhp+ supercar that resulted is still considered to be one of the finest, most visceral supercars ever constructed.

to car listing in the Classic Driver Marketplace >>

Ferrari F50


With its suspension and engine points all bolted directly to a stiff chassis tub, the F50 (introduced in 1995 to celebrate the company’s 50th anniversary) was a vehicle meant to give owners the closest possible experience to driving an actual GP car. The 4.7-litre V12 produced over 500bhp, moving the bar ever higher in terms of mid-engined Ferrari performance.

to car listing in the Classic Driver Marketplace >>

Ferrari Enzo


Having achieved both critical acclaim from the press and market success with the 288 GTO, F40 and F50, Ferrari chose to produce another ‘ultimate’ supercar to commemorate not only the new millennium but also the company’s founder. Incorporating much F1-derived engineering (CCM brakes, variable valve-timing, pushrod coil-over dampers and ‘paddle’ gearshift), the Enzo - the last Ferrari 'hypercar' produced to date - vied with McLaren’s F1 as the ‘world’s fastest’ car. Over a racing circuit, it would trump anything, the road version of the F1 included. For presence and towering, race-bred performance, the Enzo has few equals. 

to car listing in the Classic Driver Marketplace >>

Ferrari 'F70'



What do we know about the car that’s likely to be the ‘must-have’ in any self-respecting Ferrari collector’s garage? It’s understood to be a hybrid, with extra bursts of up to 120bhp available on demand from its F1-derived ‘HY-KERS’ electric motor system. That’s in addition to the likely 800bhp or so pushed out by its big V12. With 900+bhp, aerodynamic lessons learned from the FXX programme and low weight, the F70 will be sensationally fast, desirable and dramatic-looking. 

In other words, a worthy successor to the title ‘Ferrari Hypercar’. 

Related Links Ferrari supercars of all generations can be seen in the Classic Driver Marketplace

Text: Classic Driver
Photos: Classic Driver Dealer / Ferrari