All posts by Francis Mitterrand

News

Aston Martin DB12 sold for $1.6 million

Aston Martin recently unveiled the car that changed the game, the Aston Martin DB12. This powerful flagship GT car from the iconic British brand has reached its first customer, and the first example was sold at a charity auction for $1.6 million.

The charity auction was held in Cannes, France, and many celebrities attended. The car was presented on stage by Eva Longoria and James Marsden, and other celebrities such as models Sara Sampaio, Bianca Balti, Heidi Klum, Stella Maxwell and Alessandra Ambrosio were also present. The funds will be donated to the AIDS Research Foundation.

The owner will receive his own Aston Martin DB12 signed by F1 drivers Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll. Their signatures will adorn the hood under which will be a twin-turbocharged 4.0-liter V-8 engine with 680 hp (500 kW) and 590 lb-ft (800 Nm) of torque. That’s enough power to push the car to 60 mph in 3.5 seconds with a top speed of 202 mph (325 km/h).

The car has a slightly more muscular appearance compared to its predecessor, and this is primarily due to the new front fascia, but also the fact that it is slightly wider. Inside, the center console is slightly taller with a 10.25-inch touchscreen, and the finest high-quality leather is used.

According to company announcements, production of the DB12 will begin at the end of the year, and the price is still unknown.

Gallery:

Aston Martin DB12 sold for $1.6 million

Source: Aston Martin

News

Ferrari F40 parked on a yacht

The Ferrari F40 is the legend of the Maranello-based company and the unfulfilled dream of many. Only 1,311 copies of this model were produced, and one copy was positioned on a yacht owned by the Altr company during the race for the Monaco Grand Prix. The video of putting the Ferrari F40 on the yacht was published on the official Instagram profile of Altr.trade.

This is not the first time that something like this could be seen, because a few weeks ago billionaire Adrian Portelli lifted his McLaren Senna GTR car with a crane into a new penthouse in Melbourne, Australia. The racing car found its home on the 57th floor of the Sapphire by the Gardens tower.

Altr is an online store that enables the purchase of items using cryptocurrencies. According to the description on the official website, Altr is “a gateway to the world of luxury collectibles, offering collectors an easy way to purchase rare collectibles.” Also, it is possible to digitize the collection and create NFT.

Altr, in cooperation with the Italian dealer Car & Car, which sells high-end cars, placed the F40 on a yacht. According to some information, this F40 could be offered on Altr’s website.

Gallery:

Ferrari F40 parked on a yacht

Source: Altr via Instagram

News

BMW Z4 Touring Coupe

A few days ago, BMW premiered its new concept, the BMW Z4 Touring Coupe, on Lake Como. A video of the event was posted on the YouTube channel BMWBLOG, and followers of this channel were more than excited in the hope that BMW would soon start production of this car.

BMW has become famous for developing concepts for the Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este exhibition, including the GINA Light Visionary Model, the Gran Lusso Coupe and the 2012 Z4 Zagato Concept. This year, the company decided to revive the Z4 model as a coupe. Like its predecessors, the new creation pays homage to the past while adopting a modern design. In fact, we are witnessing the return of the famous Z3 E36/8 known as the “Clown Shoe”. “It’s not planned at the moment, but we did in a way so that it could be done. We’ve been through this cycle before. We’ve shown some concepts here where we got a lot of positive reactions, and people said ‘build it’, and most of the time we couldn’t do it because it became too difficult. We’ve gone through that cycle with the CSL recently. Now we know what it takes. So it would be feasible. It would be possible,” said design boss Adrian van Hooydonk.

Actually, this is the Z4 M40i but with a hardtop. It is finished in Sparkling Lario color with blue glass flakes. It features a rear fender flare and unique 20-inch front and 21-inch rear 20-spoke wheels reminiscent of the beautiful Z8. Silver-bronze details and a slightly modified grille with double vertical slats adorn the look of the car.

The interior is taken over from the production model Z4, but this time Italian leather from Poltrona Frau is used. Two tones were used, dark brown in the upper part and light brown in the lower part. At first glance, it resembles the upholstery of the first Audi TT.

When it comes to the powertrain, the car is powered by a 3.0-liter turbocharged straight-six engine with almost 400 hp (294 kW), which is significantly more than the 335 hp (246 kW) of the BMW Z4 M40i.

Work on the car began in October last year. When the production will start and when the first copies will reach their customers, it remains unknown for now.

Gallery:

BMW Z4 Touring Coupe

Source: Top Gear, BMWBLOG