Autoblog

Click above for high-res gallery of Saleen's pre-pro Ford GT

The Ford GT went from concept to production in record time thanks to companies like ROUSH and Saleen that have niche manufacturing capabilities. Saleen handled the assembly of the GT in its 200,000-sq ft facility in Troy, MI, and whether it was part of the deal or just a thank you from Ford, Steve Saleen ended up owning a pre-production Ford GT, one of only nine built. There are some differences from the production version, including a 4.6-liter Mustang Cobra V8 that has been bored out to 5.4-liters, as well as a unique supercharger system made specifically for the car. The bad news is that its pre-production status means it can't be registered as a street legal vehicle, so this Ford GT will most likely be relegated to a collector's garage.

[Soure: eBay Motors]

Click above for more images of the Batmobile, circa 1989

Built atop a lowly Chevrolet Impala chassis (or two), we don't imagine that the next owner of the Batmobile in this auction will be pulling too many Batman-esque stunts. Still, to own one of the vehicles used by Michael Keaton and Kim Basinger in the 1989 Tim Burton-directed movie is pretty cool. A few salient facts: This sucker is 20-feet long and 8-feet wide, so you're going to need a Bat Cave-sized garage. It's powered by a (probably anemic) Chevy 350 V8, so it's fuel mileage theoretically approaches that of the fictional turbine engine depicted in the flick. Lastly, the new owner will need you to sign a Warner Brothers purchase agreement, which we hear is pretty limiting in what it allows you to do with the car. Still, how many people can actually say, "I think I'll take the Batmobile to work today?" Therefore, we deem this car epic. Thanks for the tip, BMW122487!


[Source: eBay Motors]

Click above for photo gallery

Now that BMW's 1-series has a solid presence on dealer lots, enthusiasts of the Roundel can start with lusty customizations that pay homage to the great BMWs of the past. In the case of this 135, we can say that BMW started it with its Concept tii that made the rounds in late 2007. Classic BMW in Texas plucked a 135i out of its stock for Projekt 1. Many of the "upgrades" that have been applied to the car are largely unneeded cosmetic geegaws like mirror covers and bodykit accents. We're down with the matte stripe job on the hood, and the vaguely described "retrofit front suspension" and performance exhaust system offer some tangible benefits; the exhaust even proves its worth with dyno sheets.

Basically, the exhaust and suspension are the only things on the list worth having, and those would cost about 5 grand, rather than the 12K price inflation this 135 is carrying. While we're sure Projekt 1 is a hoot to drive, we already have a hard time getting behind 1 Series pricing, no matter how brilliant the chassis is. Slapping a bunch of junk on it and bumping the price into the heady $50,000 neighborhood doesn't make it any more attractive. Still, if you want to have the most exclusive 135i on the social climber block, a Buy It Now of $55,372 will make it yours. Thanks for the tip, David!


[Source: eBay]

Click to view more of the classic Maserati fire truck

In case there were ever any doubt that the Italians have more style than the rest of us, just look at their emergency vehicles. While over here, public services use the most basic of vehicles, the polizia have cars like the Alfa Romeo 159 and Lamborghini Gallardo. But what about their fire trucks? Their function usually dictates their form, but in this case, the Italians have got us beat.

Back in 1967, Constuzione Estintori Anticendio (CEA) of Bologna, Italy, took five Maserati Quattroportes and converted them for use as fire trucks at racing circuits. Labeled as "the fastest fire tenders in the world", they could top out at 225 kph thanks to their 4.2-liter V8s driving 260 hp through a five-speed ZF manual gearbox while riding on Borrani steel wheels with Girling disc brakes. All five examples were bought in 1987 by a collector in Austria, who eventually sold them all off except for the finest example, which he is now putting up for sale. Contact Christoph Grohe if you're interested.

[Source: Maserati Enthusiasts' Page via Jalopnik]

Click to view the '66 Fiat 500 Giannini Tony Stewart

What would Luigi make of this? The little Fiat 500 from Pixar's Cars said he only follows Ferrari, but then his cousin shows up, decked out in NASCAR livery.

This original 1966 Fiat 500 has been tuned by Italian racing garage Giannini, with a tiny 700cc two-cylinder engine capable of taking the quaint little Italian up to 100 mph and return a staggering 60+ mpg. To set it apart from ordinary Cinquecentos, this example has been decked out in decals mimicking Tony Stewart's NASCAR racer, ready to cheer from the sidelines at the Piston Cup. The car was listed in excellent condition with no rust, and recently sold on eBay for just $7,700. Check out the images in the gallery below.

[Source: eBay Motors via CarScoop]

You've got thirty grand and you want a pickup truck, do you A) buy new, or B) hit eBay for a million-mile Silverado. Frank, who had a mild brush with celebrity when the odometer on his truck hit seven-figures recently, would like you to buy his truck. The 1991 Chevy Silverado 1500 is still on its original 350 small-block, though it's chewed up 5 trannies. Frank raves on and on about its remarkable engine and wants it to go to a collector who will appreciate it, but still go out for a ride from time to time. It is an impressive mileage total, but really, who's going to question that a small block V8 is one of the best engines ever? Maintenance has apparently been rather thorough, which is a help keeping any car alive, though we're surprised it hasn't been ravaged by the tinworm. Frank's auction ends in three days and so far hasn't moved beyond its starting bid of $29,999.99. With Employee Pricing back, however, you can get a brand new Chevy Silverado Regular Cab with a short box and zero miles for just $19,899.


[Source: eBay]

Click above for high-res gallery of Bugatti Grand Sport in Monterey

Just a day after the Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport was unveiled on the Pebble Beach lawn, the Gooding & Company auctioned off the rights to chassis #1 and the opportunity to work with the Bugatti factory to build the car to their exact specifications. With the Grand Sport prototype up on the auction block, bidding started at $1.7 million and finally rested with a final offer of $2.9 million. The auction premium of 10 percent then brought the total to $3.19 million. In case you were wondering what it's like to witness the sale of a multi-million dollar car, you can watch a video of the auction after the jump as well as read more about the Gooding & Company auction highlights in the press release.

Click above for a high resolution image

The RM sports and classic car auction is one of our favorite events during the Monterey weekend. The laid back atmosphere and incredible selection of cars makes the event a perennial occurrence on our schedule. This year's event was particularly impressive, especially the selection of classic Ferraris. No less than eight surpassed the million dollar mark (seven actually sold), capped by the $4.51 million dollar sale of a 1961 Ferrari 250 GT SWB. Others breaking $1 million were a 1967 Ferrari 275 GTB/4 ($1,925,000), 1961 Ferrari 400 Superamerica Coupe Aerodinamica, and a 1973 Ferrari 365 GTB/4 Daytona Spyder ($1,485,000). A beautiful 1956 Ferrari 250 GT TDF Berlinetta had a top bid of $3.9 million but didn't meet the reserve. Follow the jump for a press release from RM and enjoy the gallery below.

Photos Copyright ©2008 Drew Phillips / Weblogs, Inc.

Click above to view more of the Porsche 959 Speedster

Not all German supercars are the same. For instance, not every Teutonic exotic bred the plethora of derivatives that the Mercedes SLR McLaren has. Case in point, the Porsche 959. There was no 722 version, no roadster and certainly no chop-top speedster. But that's where the aftermarket comes into the picture. Well, sorta.

What you see here is not a 959 supercar with the roof hacked off. Nor is it an original 356, either. All it appears to be is a kit car combining the retro styling of the original Porsche with the front and rear ends of the 959. The hybrid concoction may have filled a niche for a modern throwback to the original 356 just as the first-generation Boxster was coming to market, but where that leaves this creation now is up to debate. While we can't say that the end result is a work of art, it certainly is... original.

Follow the link for the auction page, where the 959 Speedster is under reserve at $5,700 with a buy-it-now price a hair under $11k.

[Source: eBay via PistonHeads]

Click to view a gallery of the Lamborghini Zagato Raptor

If you thought the Lamborghini Reventon was as exclusive as Bolognese supercars get, feast your eyes on the Zagato Raptor. The one-off concept car unveiled at the 1996 Geneva show took on the insurmountable task of supplanting the Diablo (on which it's based) on the bedroom walls of enthusiastic children worldwide.

The concept car borrowed its mechanics from the Diablo VT, but while it retained the Lambo's 492-hp V12, in a gesture to insanity it did away with the traction control and ABS. The design, which Zagato appears to have echoed with the Spyker C12 concept, features the carrozzeria's signature double-bubble roof that tilts up with the doors not unlike the canopy on Pininfarina's Maserati Birdcage or Giugiaro's Quaranta concepts. The Raptor was developed in conjunction with Swiss sledding champion Alain Wicki (yes, he has his own Wikipedia entry), and while public reception was hot, the car was never put into production. All that remains is this one original show car, which is now going up for auction at Pebble Beach by the auctioneers at the Blackhawk Collection.

Check out the images in the gallery below. Thanks for the tip, Jonathon!

[Source: Blackhawk Collection]