Pure and simple
As years pass and Bugatti reveals ever more aggressive looking cars (Chiron Pur Sport, anyone?), so the purity and simplicity of the original Veyron 16.4 shine increasingly brighter. It’s hard to believe the genre-redefining Veyron landed 15 years ago. This elegant silver and blue carbon example from 2006 has the distinction of being the very first Veyron to enter the UK. As a result, it was called up by Bugatti to star at the 2006 Goodwood Festival of Speed, where we’ve no doubt it stopped onlookers in their tracks.
He who dares
Nobody remembers when the plucky folk at Lotus climbed into the GT1 ring to face the likes of Porsche and Mercedes-Benz with the Elise in 1997. And that’s because the chronically unreliable coupé barely ever made it to the finish line, let alone scored any strong results. That said, the GT1 was a wonderful looking object – a confident, curvaceous caricature of the dainty Elise with an earth-shattering Chevy V8 soundtrack. It’s also a symbol of the sky’s-the-limit ambition of the Lotus of the time. Just seven examples were built, of which this fastidiously restored car is one. We don’t need to tell you that it would be a welcome addition to any of the flourishing modern-era endurance grids when the wheels of historic motorsport start turning again.
Early adoptee
Early examples of Ferrari’s latest and greatest mid-engined V8, the F8 Tributo, are starting to hit the market. Perhaps inevitably, they’re largely finished in ‘resale red’, but we reckon the 488 GTB’s replacement looks magnificent in the revealing shade, telling of the great job Ferrari’s designers did in updating what we felt was a slightly awkward looking car. This unregistered left-hand-drive example that’s currently for sale in Paris has all the options you’d want including a smattering of carbon-fibre interior trim and a rear-view camera.
The Senna factor
If you’re feeling glum, there’s a video on YouTube that we guarantee will perk you up. Enter the words ‘Ayrton Senna Honda NSX-R’ into the search bar and you’ll be rewarded with multi-camera Japanese footage of the Brazilian legend hammering around Suzuka in Honda’s hardcore NSX, stabbing the throttle in his signature manner and deftly heel-and-toeing, all the while wearing a pair of loafers and white socks. It’s magical stuff and captures the talent and grace of Senna beautifully. It also shows how capable the NSX-R is, clearly benefitting from its 120kg crash diet. Honda only built 483 of these special sports cars, and this über-rare red example from 1993 looks indistinguishable from the day it left the factory thanks to a painstaking restoration. The word special doesn’t begin to cut it.
Rise of the restomod
While Singer in California pioneered the concept of the restomod Porsche 911, it’s fair to say the rest of the world has caught up. Built by Machine Revival in France, this 911 from 1972, christened Nemesis, is an object of sheer beauty. It was conceived to blend the raw savagery of a race car, the reliability of a restomod and the style and authenticity of a classic. Beneath the engine lid there’s a comprehensively overhauled 3.6-litre from the 964, which, combined with an overall weight of just 940kg, makes this Porsche a blisteringly quick weapon for the road or track. We love the details that are so refreshingly not Singer-like, such as the bespoke helicopter-like seats. What more could you want from a sports car?
Photos: Eleven Cars, Springbok Sportwagen, DD Classics, Speedart Motorsports
