MCLAREN X-1

I like the McLaren X-1. I like it from an aesthetic perspective and I love it for what it represents, you see the X-1 is a return to that great old automotive tradition of creating unique, coach-built motorcars for special clients.

British marques like Bentley and Rolls Royce used to do this quite frequently before WWII as did a number of other automakers around the world. It lead to a surge of genuinely unique cars and it also allowed car designers to stretch their creative muscles in a way that they can’t when it comes to mass-production factory models.

Perhaps the most appealing aspect of the McLaren X1 is that it really doesn’t matter what you think about it, it exists whether you like it or not. It wasn’t made to appeal to the masses, it wasn’t made to appeal to collectors, it wasn’t made to appeal to the mainland Chinese and it most certainly wasn’t made to appeal to young women outside nightclubs in Miami. It was made for one man, it was made to his specifications, to suit his taste and in that respect it’s like a concerto that a composer keeps just for himself, never releasing it to the general public.

The X1 sits on the same, though modified, chassis as the McLaren MP4-12C. The bespoke body is formed from carbon fibre, significant testing has been done to ensure that the X1 can be driven with passion and at speed. This isn’t just a new body clamped onto a chassis, it’s such a complete car that the work that went into it has resulted in an automobile that could very well be put straight into production. Though it won’t be.

The man who commissioned the build was inspired by cars like the 1953 Chrysler D’Elegance Ghia, a 1959 Buick Electra and a 1971 Citroen SM as well as some non-automotive influences, like an old black and white photograph of Audrey Hepburn and the appealing depth of colour one finds in a fresh aubergine.

The X1 was built by McLaren Special Operations (MSO), the division of McLaren Automotive responsible for the delivery of bespoke projects. This is their first publicly displayed work and so far, it’s been gloriously divisive. Some seem to love it and some seem to hate it, although I suspect that the people who don’t like it either need to visit their optometrist or are the kind of people that wear skinny jeans and drink light beer.

If you’d like to see more from McLaren, hit the link here.

10 Porsches for tough guys in the Classic Driver Market

It takes a certain type of car-maker to produce such accomplished machines, and it takes a certain type of man to skilfully pilot one. For those with strong minds and lightning reactions, we’ve selected the most masculine Porsches we could find in the Classic Driver Market…

Market | Cars

1982 Porsche 911 "G" - SC

EUR 55 000

Market | Cars

1994 Porsche 968 - CS Club Sport! Deutsches Fahrzeug!!! MJ1993

EUR 30 968

Market | Cars

1990 Porsche 911 / 964 Cup - ex Manthay/Edgar Dören (original-Tuffi)

EUR 296 400

Market | Cars

1996 Porsche 911 / 993 RSR - Cup 3,8 RSR

EUR 297 500

Auctions | Cars

1957 Porsche 356 - A Carrera 1500 GS/GT Coupé

P.O.R.

Market | Cars

1985 Porsche 911 "G" - East African Safari Rally

P.O.R.

Market | Cars

1983 Porsche 928 - Strosek

EUR 39 900

Market | Cars

1986 Porsche 911 "G" - Carrera 3.2

EUR 54 850

Market | Cars

1975 Porsche 911 RSR - Rec.

EUR 205 153

Market | Cars

1980 Porsche 924 - Carrera Gt

P.O.R.

1971 Honda CB750 by Kott Motorcycles

Written by Ian Lee.

Art: the expression or application of human creative skill and imagination, typically in a visual form such as painting or sculpture, producing works to be appreciated primarily for their beauty or emotional power.

An apt description for today’s feature bike, except that the latest release from Kott  Motorcycles isn’t just built for show. A 1971 Honda CB750 built literally from the frame up, this automotive art piece has been engineered to look good and go hard, with engine power to match an aesthetic that belongs in an art gallery. The almost ubiquitous CB750 making for an excellent platform to build a café racer on, the Kott workshop has taken the build quality to a new high and produced an amazingly clean motorcycle. In Dustin Kott’s own words: “the opportunity arose for the shop to implement some performance and aesthetic enhancements that had not been utilised prior.” Came up pretty good for a first time try, don’t you think?

After happening upon a ’71 CB750 in poor shape, the bike was assessed and found only two components could be rescued. The frame and the bottom engine case are the only remnants of the original bike, but as any good bike builder knows: you work with what you got. The engine was built up again, and blown out to 820cc from the factory 736cc displacement. A moderately aggressive camshaft helps boost the ponies available, while the engine breathes out through a 4-1 collector into a Dunstall style silencer. A set of reconditioned carbs were sourced, and velocity stacks mounted to keep the in frame area looking neat and uncluttered. And cos they look pretty damn cool. Also mounted inframe is the custom oil tank, fashioned to follow the lines of the naked frame.

To achieve a unique look, electro-plating has been utilised during the build. Copper highlights punctuate the bike’s tastefully finished lines, without being too steampunk to take away from the build. The rare Italian headlight didn’t avoid the vat either, but the elongated lamp suits the lines of the bike, smoothly flowing along the outline of the Yamaha XS1100 fuel tank. A hand-formed seat rounds out the body work, mounted upon it a walnut brown seat. The paint chosen for this build was inspired by the paint code from a 1963 Ford Galaxie, a color option known as ‘Wimbledon White’, with gold pinstriping to break up the pallid tank.

For rolling stock, a set of Excel shoulder aluminium wheels have been laced with custom stainless spokes. A triple rotor brake setup has been fitted, the front end packing a custom fit dual banjo manifold, while the rear has been specially designed with a modern master cylinder and remote brake reservoir engineered into the right hand rear set. Drilled rotors add to the sporting look, a shortened and lowered front guard hugs the rubber of the front tire.

Proving you can have quality and quantity, a large amount of refinement has been engineered into this formerly unloved Honda. Kott Motorcycles have produced a rolling work of art that is more importantly, rideable as well. Café racer styling, with the right amount of highlights have managed to make this particular example of an oft customised model stand out. Even Dustin Kott himself was impressed with the outcome of the build. We’ll leave the last word to the bike builder himself: “Between the paint selection and copper highlights, our very own aluminum oil tank, the cast iron finish of the motor against the walnut brown leather seat, and tasteful chrome highlights, there is nothing that I would have done differently on this build.”

[Photography by Alex Martino]

Timeless Classics: Bentley R-Type Continental

To satisfy the far-reaching geographical palate of the world’s elite, the Bentley R-Type Continental was given increased dynamic prowess and gorgeous coachbuilt bodywork – and it became a timeless classic in the process…

The Continental name was first used for enhanced-specification Rolls-Royces long before WWII – but with post-War recovery bringing with it the advent of a high-speed road system across Europe, it was to become an appellation reserved for the Bentleys best equipped to exploit it. The first Bentley Continental (only named an R-Type retrospectively) would arrive in 1952, mechanically overhauled for a bias towards long-distance, high-speed cruising. All cars were delivered as rolling chassis to their coachbuilders, with the focus thereafter placed on aerodynamic efficiency and reduced weight.

Exclusively coachbuilt

The R-Type Continental was the fastest and most expensive saloon of its time

Of the 207 R-Type Continentals built, some 192 were sent to H.J. Mulliner to receive the lightweight aluminium bodywork that the London-based coachbuilder had been pioneering; the remainder were delivered to the likes of Franay (seen here), Park Ward and Pininfarina. Now with faired-in headlamps and a ‘fastback’ profile flanked by rear fins, the slippery-silhouetted Continental could achieve 120mph – should the hard-fought weight savings not be negated by options such as radios and electric windows. Either way, the R-Type Continental was not only the fastest and most expensive saloon of its time, it also executed its cross-country duties in the silent, sure-footed manner for which Bentleys had long been held in high regard.

Lasting the distance

Even once the glittering press reports had diminished and its S1 successor had arrived in 1955, the R-Type Continental would continue as a rolling attestation of mechanical excellence. In some cases, the inline-6 engine and other enhanced components have seen more than 350,000miles pass beneath them – with the occupants enclosed by sumptuous coachwork, and swathed in the finest Connolly leather. The long-distance abilities that made the car so desirable (and expensive) in period have matured into those that make the R-Type Continental one of the rarest and most sought-after post-War Bentleys – as recent auction records will verify.

This particular 1954 Bentley R-Type Continental Fastback Sports Saloon by Franay will be offered at RM Auction's 2014 Monaco Sale in May. 

This article is part of the 'Timeless Classics' feature series that is presented and supported by our friends at RM Auctions.