ColumnM

30/03/2020

When you can’t head out...
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We will fight this together by staying home
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Such apt photo for the moment from
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04/03/2020

Lightweight engineering has a long tradition at Mazda, dating back to its very first passenger car. A loveable little coupe launched 60 years ago, the Mazda R360 instantly set a new benchmark for microcars in Japan, outshining the competition from day one.

Little known outside of Japan, the R360 was a smash hit at home. The company’s first passenger car sold 4,500 units on the day it was launched in May 1960 and captured almost two-thirds of Japan’s burgeoning “kei car” (microcar) segment by the end of that year, not to mention more than 15% of the entire domestic car market.

It was a watershed moment for Toyo Kogyo, as Mazda Motor Corporation was called at the time. For the truck manufacturer, it was the beginning of a new era producing unconventional cars.
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@ Fuchu, Hiroshima

03/03/2020

In 1976, as Jaguar faced tepid sales for its new XJS model, sales VP Michael Dale reached out to Bob Tullius, whose Group 44 team made major strides in Trans-Am competition under the Quaker State sponsorship. Tullius’s team accepted an XJS for the 1977 season, and after significant modifications followed by some keen driving, Tullius emerged with the Drivers’ Championship for the Category 1 division.

For 1978 the relationship continued, and the body for the offered car, chassis no. 78-44, received a factory-conducted acid dip to shave weight before being submitted to Group 44 for race preparation. The coachwork was then mounted on a special tube-frame chassis with a 32-gallon fuel cell and fitted with a 5.3-liter Jaguar V-12 equipped with six Weber carburetors. Tullius drove this lighter, more purpose-built car to great success, finishing 2nd at Westwood, British Columbia, in early June 1978, and 3rd at Portland, Oregon, a week later.

On 25 June 1978, the Jaguar roared to its first win, emerging triumphant at Mont Tremblant in the first of seven consecutive victories that closed out the season. A 1st-place finish at Road America in early September sealed another Drivers’ Championship for Tullius, while a win at the season-ending contest in Mexico City in early November earned the Manufacturers’ title.
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1978 Jaguar XJS Group 44 Trans-Am heads to sale at Amelia Island sale. 📷: for RM Sotheby’s
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@ Amelia Island

28/02/2020

Step on it like it’s Friday!

*Note for Monday: Get Trans-Am rally car.
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🎥:
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25/02/2020

This article is presented by Viking Cycles. Check out the clearance sale currently going on their website

A new decade is upon us and what better way to start it than with new motorcycle attachments? Just like new apparel is introduced and constantly updated at department stores for every season, the same thing can be said and done with motorcycles.

This article is presented by Viking Cycles. Check out the clearance sale currently going on their website A new decade is upon us and what better way to star

25/02/2020

Car racing hasn’t always attracted the most upstanding characters. For Chicago mobster George “Babe” Tuffanelli, who kept things in check, so to speak, for Al Capone on the city’s south side, racing was a nice place to tuck away some money. The competition was also a thrill for Tuffanelli, who campaigned nearly half a dozen cars on his team at one point.

Tuffanelli commissioned Milwaukee race-car builder Fred Tomshe to build this 1951 Indianapolis race car, which Ray Knepper used in his attempt to qualify at the famous 2.5-mile speedway. Unfortunately, the car did not qualify for the big race, but did nearly finish in the top 10 at the Milwaukee Mile and also competed at Langhorne, Pennsylvania, that year.

Under its long hood sits a 270-cubic-inch Offenhauser fuel-injected engine equipped with a Joe Hunt magneto that sends power to the wheels through an Offenhauser two-speed high-low transmission. A Halibrand quick-change rear end sends power to original magnesium wheels by the same manufacturer. Inside, the car is predictably spartan, and it retains a desirable Jones chronometric mechanical tachometer.
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1951 Silnes-Offenhauser Tomshe Indianapolis heads to Amelia Island sale, March 6-7, 2020
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@ Amelia Island

25/02/2020

Ferrari’s V-12 coupes represent perhaps
the most romantic notion of continental grand touring, but they can also
make for impressive track machines. Their basic theme can be traced to
the 250 GT, with its legendary Colombo V-12 power and race-honed design.
With the 250, Ferrari had both breadth and depth for every definition
of a performance car.

Ferrari’s V-12 coupes represent perhaps the most romantic notion of continental grand touring, but they can also make for impressive track machines. Their b

25/02/2020

On-board with Alain Prost on the old Zandvoort Circuit

24/02/2020

In honor of the 40th anniversary of Aston Martin’s incredible 1959 victory at Le Mans, the marque built just 40 exclusive supercharged versions of their V8 Vantage. Unveiled next to the race-winning DBR1/2 at the 1999 Geneva Motor Show, the so-named Vantage Le Mans was not just a “paint and trim” special—it was a fully enhanced and upgraded model.

The Vantage Le Mans specification included a special front spoiler with larger cooling ducts added to improve downforce. The side vents in the Le Mans were reshaped, while the fuel caps were redesigned to look like fuel valves—all elements to hint at the DBR1. Inside, the sporting treatment continued, with perforated foot pedals, aluminum gear-lever k**b, and brushed metal panels replacing the traditional wood veneers. This exclusive model was sold as a spectacularly expensive Works Service conversion post-production to avoid the thorny issue of homologation.

For those who wanted even more out of the Vantage Le Mans, the V590 engine could be uprated to V600 specification. With a genuine top speed of 200 mph, power output of 600 bhp, and a big-bore exhaust, this was the most powerful Aston Martin road-car engine until the One-77 arrived. Although most Le Mans were upgraded post-delivery, this Le Mans is one of just a handful upgraded to V600 specification when new.
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2000 Aston Martin Vantage Le Mans V600 specially ordered by Sheikh Abdelaziz bin Khalifa Al Thani, the eldest son of the eighth Emir of Qatar heads to Amelia Island sale.
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@ Amelia Island

24/02/2020

When your car is Monday-proof, but you are not!

21/02/2020

Wunderbar, Wunderbar, Wunderbar!!!
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Clip from ... full video on YouTube... check it out!
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#991 #9912

20/02/2020

Honda cemented its reputation as a reliable engine builder by the late 1980s, based largely on its economy cars. A gradual shift upmarket saw the Honda launch the first dedicated Japanese luxury division when Acura debuted. Honda had a lot more in mind than leather-lined sedans and sporty little coupes. Few outside its Tokyo headquarters had any idea just how ambitious its next project would be, even though a 1984 Pininfarina-designed concept provided a major hint.

Honda targeted Ferrari’s mid-engined 328, but the NSX that would debut as an Acura for the American market at the 1989 Chicago Auto Show was far more than a Ferrari competitor. The car was characteristically Honda in that it was a remarkably approachable and usable sports car. That it happened to possess almost uncanny balance and precise handling was no accident, either. Honda enlisted Ayrton Senna to develop the NSX, and they incorporated a number of changes the Brazilian Formula 1 legend suggested, such as significant chassis stiffening.

The NSX was treated to several updates during its initial 15-year run, and the 2004 example here comes from the second-to-last year of production and thus benefits from many of those enhancements. Its 3.2-liter V-6 boasts 290 horsepower and is paired with a six-speed manual gearbox, which featured a new gear lever for 2004. Additionally, Acura specified a new gear k**b that would be emulated in the later S2000 sports roadster.
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2004 Acura NSX-T heading to Amelia Island Sale
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@ Amelia Island

19/02/2020

BMW’s relationship with Alpina is more than mere neighborly friendliness, even if the two companies are a mere hour’s drive apart through bucolic Bavaria. That hour may go by much quicker in an Alpina-modified BMW, however. Alpina is recognized by stringent German officials as a car constructor rather than a tuner, and the fastidiousness with which its BMW-based cars are created is highly regarded.

When it came time to remake the BMW Z8 in its distinctive style, Alpina chose to balance luxury and performance without diluting the roadster’s retro-inspired looks. The Z8 itself, after all, was perhaps Henrik Fisker’s finest moment in Munich. The Z8 was more than an homage to the legendary 507, the car that nearly bankrupted BMW and yet cemented the automaker as a producer of fine high-performance cars. With the Z8, Fisker worked with exotic materials to craft a relatively lithe 3,500-pound roadster with the heart of an M5.

Alpina chose not to rework Fisker’s styling. The only visual cues that separate the Alpina Roadster V8 from its Z8 sibling are its wheels and subtle badging. Alpina discarded the 18-inch BMW wheels in favor of 20-inch wheels that fill the car’s wheel wells nearly perfectly.

Inside, the Roadster V8 is draped in softer napa-tanned hides, while Alpina-branded instrumentation, framed by the three-spoke Alpina-specification steering wheel, serve as a visual reminder to drivers before they push the ignition button. Upon doing so, the tuned 4.8-liter V-8 based on the stock M62 4.6-liter makes its presence known. The Alpina-massaged engine was rated at 375 horsepower and 383 foot-pounds of torque, figures that require more explanation than face value. The Alpina was intended for high-speed yet relaxed long-distance cruising with effortless power. Accordingly, Alpina fitted an uprated version of the five-speed automatic gearbox with paddle shifters that it used in its version of the contemporary E39 M5. The automatic necessitated the bespoke instrument cluster and the Alpina steering wheel, as well.
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2003 BMW Alpina Roadster V8 heads to Amelia Island Sale
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@ Amelia Island

19/02/2020

Stop what you’re doing and drown yourself in one of the best V12 sound ever!
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Video via
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18/02/2020

Looking to rekindle the romance from its iconic racing cars of the 1950s, Mercedes-Benz joined forces with McLaren for the first time outside of their Formula 1 relationship to create the SLR McLaren. Under its hood was a 616 bhp version of the supercharged 5.4-liter V-8 that Mercedes-Benz’s AMG division shoehorned into cars such as the SL 55 and CL 55, albeit highly modified. The engine was revised to use dry-sump lubrication, a Lysholm-type twin-screw supercharger, and a pair of intercoolers.

Mercedes-Benz and McLaren chose to utilize a carbon-fiber monocoque for the chassis, providing both incredible strength and rigidity while remaining as lightweight as possible. To optimize weight distribution, the engine was placed over three feet behind the front bumper, giving the car its impressive, long-hooded silhouette. Mated to a five-speed automatic transmission, carbon-ceramic brakes and an innovative brake-by-wire system ensure rapid stopping, even considering the car’s touring-ready 3,900 lb curb weight. Gullwing-style doors added a touch of modern flair, giving a stylistic nod to its ancestors.

Testing conducted by Car and Driver magazine proved the SLR to be a world-class performer. The 0–60 sprint was over in just 3.4 seconds, while an 11.2-second quarter mile was achieved at a final speed of 130 mph. Given enough room, the Mercedes-McLaren topped out at an impressive 208 mph.
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2006 Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren heads to Amelia Island sale.
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@ Amelia Island

17/02/2020

No Time To Die indeed, the best 4x4xfar is just getting started!
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🎥: for this incredible film 👏🏽
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#007

17/02/2020

First launched in 1978, the B7 Turbo coupe was Alpina’s first full conversion for BMW’s 6 Series platform and featured a 300 bhp turbocharged variant of BMW’s six-cylinder engine sourced from the 630 CSi. Additional improvements included upgraded Bilstein suspension, ventilated brake discs, and a body kit with signature Alpina multi-spoke wheels.

Just 153 B7 Turbo coupes were built, and this well-cared-for example is a fine illustration of what Alpina has subsequently become famous for: blistering performance married to elegant, understated looks. A gentleman’s supercar, perfect for high-speed touring across Europe, this is a highly compelling alternative for someone looking for 6 Series looks and the performance of something more special than BMW’s normal offerings.
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1982 BMW Alpina B7 Turbo Coupe heads to Amelia Island Sale.
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@ Amelia Island

17/02/2020

Well-known performance company Hennessey started modifying Dodge Vipers in 1993, but it wasn’t until 2006 that they introduced the outrageous Venom 1000 Twin Turbo. This outlandish interpretation of the Viper offered otherworldly performance. The Venom could sprint from 0–60 in a mere 2.5 seconds and top out at an insane 255 mph. The V-10 engine was completely modified with the addition of two massive turbochargers, and the suspension and brakes were upgraded to match the tremendous power output.

The front and rear bodywork of the Venom 1000 was modified for improved aerodynamics, and the aggressive extended nose gave the Hennessey a distinctive look. Originally priced at $225,000, the Venom 1000 was a massive leap above the $87,000 base price of the standard Viper. When Motor Trend tested the Venom when new, the performance figures were simply astonishing. Most notable, the Venom bested the Veyron to 200 mph by four seconds.
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This 2006 Dodge Hennessy Venom 1000 Twin Turbo Convertible heads to Amelia Island Sale.
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@ Amelia Island

17/02/2020

Mondays, with the right set of tools.
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Via: Paul Greene / YouTube
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16/02/2020

Back to the Quattro
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.madness
📷: .madness
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15/02/2020

The fourth-generation Supra that Toyota debuted in 1993 was a far cry from the Celica-based original. The car’s curvaceous body was lightly inspired by the 2000GT, though the tall rear spoiler would have been unthinkable a few decades prior. The Supra certainly followed in its predecessors’ tire tracks in terms of its dedication to performance. At the top of the line sat the Supra Turbo, with its silky twin-turbo straight-six delivering power to the rear wheels through a six-speed manual gearbox in most configurations. In Japan, the car was conservatively rated at 276 horsepower in accordance with the well-known, often defied “gentlemen’s agreement” that restricted power output at home. Overseas, the car boasted 321 hp in American form and a healthy 315 foot-pounds of torque. Performance was staggering, vaulting the Supra ahead of cars costing far more. The beautiful styling only added to its appeal as a grand tourer. The Supra Turbo weighed just 3,300 pounds unladen, thanks to the extensive use of aluminum, even though it featured the sound deadening, convenience features, and safety equipment expected of a modern coupe. The driver-centric dash was a model of efficiency with its aircraft-like control arrangement. Toyota shocked enthusiasts when it ceased importation of the Supra to the United States in 1998 and when production came to a close in 2002 without a replacement planned. Equally as surprising was Toyota’s move to reintroduce the Supra last year, a move that has bolstered already strong collector interest in earlier models, especially the Mark IV. — This 1993 Toyota Supra Twin Turbo Sport Roof is heading for the Amelia Island sale. 📷: Jeremy Cliff for RM Sotheby’s — https://ift.tt/3bFvntW

15/02/2020

The fourth-generation Supra that Toyota debuted in 1993 was a far cry from the Celica-based original. The car’s curvaceous body was lightly inspired by the 2000GT, though the tall rear spoiler would have been unthinkable a few decades prior. The Supra certainly followed in its predecessors’ tire tracks in terms of its dedication to performance. At the top of the line sat the Supra Turbo, with its silky twin-turbo straight-six delivering power to the rear wheels through a six-speed manual gearbox in most configurations. In Japan, the car was conservatively rated at 276 horsepower in accordance with the well-known, often defied “gentlemen’s agreement” that restricted power output at home. Overseas, the car boasted 321 hp in American form and a healthy 315 foot-pounds of torque.

Performance was staggering, vaulting the Supra ahead of cars costing far more. The beautiful styling only added to its appeal as a grand tourer. The Supra Turbo weighed just 3,300 pounds unladen, thanks to the extensive use of aluminum, even though it featured the sound deadening, convenience features, and safety equipment expected of a modern coupe. The driver-centric dash was a model of efficiency with its aircraft-like control arrangement.

Toyota shocked enthusiasts when it ceased importation of the Supra to the United States in 1998 and when production came to a close in 2002 without a replacement planned. Equally as surprising was Toyota’s move to reintroduce the Supra last year, a move that has bolstered already strong collector interest in earlier models, especially the Mark IV.
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This 1993 Toyota Supra Twin Turbo Sport Roof is heading for the Amelia Island sale. 📷: Jeremy Cliff for RM Sotheby’s
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15/02/2020

The Lancia Stratos is undoubtedly one of the most successful rally cars ever devised. In 1970 the Italian carrozzeria Bertone arrived at the Turin Motor Show with a radical concept called the Stratos Zero. Resembling a futuristic spaceship, the Zero stood out not only to throngs of media and show-goers, but also to Lancia PR director Sandro Fiorio. Fiorio and his son Cesare, Lancia’s rally team chief, considered how a production version of this radical design could be introduced. Their goal was to invigorate the manufacturer’s relatively staid image and its struggling motorsports division.

With a sense of purpose, the Fiorios approached Lancia managing director Ugo Gobbato to propose a Bertone-bodied car based on the Stratos Zero concept. Gobbato, a former Ferrari chief, approved the project on the condition that it would be powered by a mid-mounted Ferrari V-6 engine and a five-speed manual gearbox, suggesting a clever use of parts sharing that would keep down the development costs.

The following year, the orange Stratos HF (High Fidelity) prototype debuted at the 1971 Turin Auto Show. The Stratos’s stunning design was again entrusted to Marcello Gandini, and in a nod to the car’s competition mandate, it featured a large wraparound front windshield providing enormous outward visibility. The Stratos is now considered to be the first automobile ever purposely built for the World Rally Championship.

In 1972 the Lancia team began campaigning the Stratos as a prototype, but success was not instantaneous. Eventually earning its first win in 1973, by 1974 the model was on its way to supremacy in Group 4 rallying. Entry into that year’s World Rally Championship required a homologation of 500 road-legal units, and production commenced in 1973. Only 492 examples were ever completed, however, as the Group 4 production requirement was soon lowered to 400 units.

The Stratos was phenomenally successful on the world’s rally stages, securing three WRC Manufacturers’ Championships from 1974 to 1976 and thereby cementing its legendary status.
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1975 Lancia Stratos HF Stradale heads to Amelia Island Sale. 📷: Juan Rivas for RM Sotheby’s
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@ Amelia Island

15/02/2020

A Century Plus of Greatness in the Ford F-Series

The Ford F-Series has been one of the most successful series of trucks in history, and in recent years, the Ford F-150 has been stealing all of the limelight. Its life began over 100 years ago, as the truck hit the scene as one of Ford’s models of trucks that consistently sought to innovate with the times to serve every Ford driver.

2019

A Century Plus of Greatness in the Ford F-Series  The Ford F-Series has been one of the most successful series of trucks in history, and in recent years

12/02/2020

'Plain Bodies' series pays tribute to the legendary Ferrari 330 P4, cited by many as the most beautiful car of all time.

With its sinuous lines and graceful prowess, the Ferrari 330 P4 is not only an icon from the golden age of sports endurance racing but a jewel in the legacy of Ferrari. Their dominance was short-lived, just one stellar season due to changes within sports racing regulations, which meant the P4s were soon reconfigured leaving only one in its original racing form.
@ England, London

12/02/2020

“Of course there’s an engine there Tony... It’s right next to the olive oil dispenser! — 📷: unknown . . . . . https://ift.tt/31OvnDq

12/02/2020

Goes beyond — 1984 Porsche 911 3.2 Carrera . . . . . https://ift.tt/38k6qCd

06/02/2020

03/02/2020

Need for Skis — Via 📸 by ! . . . . . #2020 #996 #991 #930 https://ift.tt/3aZZ5JL

15/07/2019

2 , Austrian SBK, Aussie SBK, IOM TT, FIM F1, French SBK, BSB, Spanish SBK, 8 hours... These and many more that the legendary ( ) racked up, making it THE most successful World Championship winning 4-cylinder Japanese motorcycle of all time.

31/05/2019

One of 50 Porsche 906 that were made for the roads.

28/05/2019

Mercedes-Ferrari-Mercedes podium at the Monaco Grand Prix | Column M
https://columnm.com/monaco-grand-prix-2019-race-day/

Leclerc misses out on scoring, while team Mercedes continue their domination at the 2019 Monaco Grand Prix