All posts by Francis Mitterrand

News

Rare Pre-Production Prototype 1995 Ferrari F50 for sale

Between 1995 and 1997, Ferrari produced 349 examples of the mid-engine sports car, the Ferrari F50. However, the Maranello-based company also produced 19 pre-production prototypes and one of them, the 1995 Ferrari F50, is for sale.

This car was presented as the successor to the legendary F40, with performance that could not be matched by any sports car with an open roof. It was developed under the influence of Formula 1, and based on the F50 GT in collaboration with racing partners Dallara and Michelotto. This example is one of six that were owned by the Royal Family of Brunei and is currently owned by DK Engineering. It has 40 individual differences that distinguish it from the other 349 copies.

The Ferrari F50 is powered by a 4.7-liter V12 engine with 512 hp (382 kW) and 347 lb-ft (471 Nm) of torque. Power is sent to the rear wheels via a 6-speed manual transmission. It reaches 60 mph in 3.8 seconds with a top speed of 202 mph. It has only 1,900 kilometers on the odometer.

It was delivered as new to the royal family in 1995, and since 1997 it has changed several owners. All the time it was part of collections and exhibited in museums. Since 2015, it has been part of Tony Denny’s Gosford Classic Car Museum in Australia. Since 2018, it has Ferrari’s red book Classiche certification.

Source: DK Engineering

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Rare Pre-Production Prototype 1995 Ferrari F50 for sale
News

Chris Bangle is the new Xiaomi car designer

After releasing photos of its first car, the Xiaomi SU7, the Chinese company has shown that it has serious plans with future projects. A new member of their design team is designer Chris Bangle.

Chris Bangle is a former employee of BMW, and his main task will be the creation of new Xiaomi cars, with which the company tries to find its place on the domestic and global market as a new and reliable manufacturer of electric cars.

Before Bangle, Xiaomi brought Li Tianyuan to its team who also has experience working on BMW cars. He was the leader of the team that designed the BMW iX.

Xiaomi SU7 should arrive on the market soon, after the company receives approval from the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT). The first photos of the blue Xiaomi SU7 were published on the Weibo social network.

The car is 4,997 mm long, 1,963 mm wide with a height of 1,440/1,455 mm, and a wheelbase of 3,000 mm. When it comes to the powertrain, there is no information for now, but some information says that customers will choose between two batteries with a capacity of 73.6 and 101 kWh, and that it will have a range of 800 km. Also, it will support 800V architecture for fast chargers up to 350 kW.

Source: Xiaomi

Auctions

1957 Porsche 356A Carrera Blue coupe is up for auction

The Porsche 356 is a true collector’s car, especially if we are talking about well-preserved examples. It was produced from 1948 to 1965 in four body types, and was the first production car of the Stuttgart-based company. One of them, a 1957 Porsche 356A coupe is up for auction.

The Porsche 356A is powered by a replacement 1,720cc Type 616/33 flat-four with Shasta 86mm cylinders and pistons, a Neutek SK2 camshaft, internal and an external oil cooler, and twin Dellorto carburetors. The engine was built in 2004 (Prill Porsche Classics of Essex, England) and is paired with a four-speed manual transmission that sends power to all wheels. It sits on 15″ steel wheels wrapped in 165-series Pirelli Cinturato tires.

This car was modified for rally use in early 1990, when the factory black was replaced with Carrera Blue and a replica 1993 La Carrera Panamericana livery. It has been properly maintained and is in good condition. It is equipped with a Reutter body, headlight stone guards, Hella driving lamps, leather hood straps, dual side-view mirrors, Lexan side windows, a louvered single-grille decklid, teardrop taillights, and 356C-sourced four-wheel disc brakes with an adjustable bias.

Inside, heated Rennsport Nurburgring N12R seats are trimmed in black upholstery, which also covers the dash and door panels, with matching salt-and-pepper square-weave carpets. The rear bench was removed and a roll cage was installed. In front of the driver is a wood-rimmed steering wheel and a five-digit odometer showing 15,031 miles. Additional equipment includes a dash-mounted electrical cut-off switch, a glovebox-mounted Brantz rally timer, a Webasto heater, Schroth Racing harnesses, three-point seat belts, and a custom radio blanking plate with switchgear.

The car comes with an owner’s manual, a Porsche Certificate of Authenticity, a reproduction tool roll, a rear skid plate, a set of four chrome Porsche crest hubcaps, service records, articles about the car, and a clean Florida title in the seller’s name .

The auction ends on January 9 and the highest bid at the time of writing was USD $67,856.

Source: Bring a Trailer

Gallery:

1957 Porsche 356A Carrera Blue coupe is up for auction