All posts by Francis Mitterrand

News

Mercedes-AMG GT3 Edition 55

August 23, 2022 Francis Mitterrand

Mercedes-AMG recently presented the limited edition Mercedes-AMG GT3 Edition 55 with which the company celebrates more than half a century of existence. It is a racing car with a number of improvements compared to the standard GT3.

The car does not meet FIA homologations when it comes to weight, engine, aerodynamics and exhaust system. This means that the car does not have a silencer on the exhaust system, which is mandatory in FIA homologation, so the sound produced by the V8 engine is more powerful.

At first glance, the Edition 55 is indistinguishable from the standard Mercedes-AMG GT3, except for the paint and decals. Inside, carbon fiber seats with protective mesh are adorned with the embroidered inscription “Edition 55 – 1 of 5”. The contrast is made by the dark shade of gray and the carbon accessories. There’s also a Bosch DDU (data display unit), a high-resolution screen that shows information about speed, revs, engine operating temperature and lap times.

Mercedes-AMG GT3 Edition 55 is powered by a 6.3l V8 engine with 650 hp (478 kW). For comparison, the Mercedes-AMG GT3 has almost 100 hp (74 kW) less according to FIA standards. Power is transmitted to the rear wheels via a six-speed sequential transmission in transaxle configuration with multi-disc, limited-slip differential and traction control.

Mercedes-AMG will produce 5 examples of this car. The price of the car is EUR 625,000, without VAT.

Source: Mercedes-AMG

Auctions, News

2022 Porsche 911 “Sally Special” sold for $3.6 million

August 23, 2022 Francis Mitterrand

Eight months ago, Porsche and Pixar began development of a special car inspired by the vehicle from the animated movie Cars. It is a Porsche 911 “Sally Special” designed by Porsche Exclusive Manufaktur.

“It’s been an honor to start designing a modern-day Sally with the creative icons behind the original character. The collaboration between Pixar and Porsche is a first of its kind and quite fitting the Co-Creation approach of the recently announced Exclusive Manufaktur Sonderwunsch program that allows customers to realize their dream cars. Whoever gets the keys to this special road car will enjoy many great road trips,” said Boris Apenbrink, Director of Porsche Exclusive Manufaktur Vehicles at Porsche AG.

Porsche’s intention was to build a car that it would sell and donate all the proceeds to two humanitarian organizations. On August 20, the car was sold at RM Sotheby’s for $3.6 million, which is a record amount for a new Porsche car.

The basis for the construction of this special model was the Carrera GTS, and after many modifications and 10 months of work, “Sally” was born. The whole process involved changes to make the car look as similar as possible to the movie character. It is adorned with custom Sally Blue Metallic, LED Matrix headlights with a full silver frame, five-spoke 20 and 21-inch wheels.

The interior of the car is the work of Sonderwunsch Manufaktur. The seats are upholstered in Chalk leather with Pepita seat inserts while the front seat backs have Speed Blue stitching, the three-spoke steering wheel is upholstered in black leather with blue stitching. The same combination of Chalk leather and Speed Blue stitching can also be seen on the door panels and dashboard. There is also a light-up “Sally Special” emblem on the door sills as well as the inscription “Sally Special 001/001” on the dashboard in front of the passenger.

Under the hood is a 3.0-liter twin-turbo flat-six engine with 473 hp (353 kW) and 420 lb-ft (570 Nm) of torque. It hits 62 in 4.2 seconds with a top speed of 193 mph (311 km/h). Power is transmitted to the rear wheels via a 7-speed PDK gearbox.

UNHCR said it was grateful to companies like Porsche for trying to help the vulnerable population, most of whom are women and children. “There is reason to hope with the critical support of companies like Porsche and Pixar Animation Studios who have generously stepped up to help ensure their safety and protection in months to come,” said Anne-Marie Gray, Executive Director and CEO of USA for UNHCR .

Source: RM Sotheby’s

News, Tuning

Shelby GT500 Code Red

August 23, 2022 Francis Mitterrand

In 2008, the Shelby twin-turbo Code Red appeared, developed in cooperation with the company Nelson’s Racing Engines, which prepared a 5.4-liter V8 engine. However, it was the only example due to the high costs and extreme nature of the car. 14 years later Shelby introduced the Shelby GT500 Code Red.

It is a limited edition that differs visually and powerfully from the standard Shelby GT500. It is painted black with red stripes on the lower part of both doors. It is based on one of its experimental cars that Shelby American introduced 14 years ago. Unlike the standard GT500 Code Red has a slightly different design but also a much more powerful 5.2-liter twin-turbo V8 engine.

The GT500 Code Red received a special equipment package that includes a larger body, upgraded axles, tuned suspension, modified interior, new badges, carbon bonnet, new set of rims, tires, new fuel system, ECU unit and other improvements. All this allows this super powerful car to develop a maximum of 1,300 hp (956 kW) and 780 lb-ft (1,058 Nm) of torque, using E85 Ethanol. Using 93-octane fuel, engine output drops to 1,000 hp (746 kW).

Inside, the seats are upholstered in a combination of black and red leather with white stitching. There are Shelby lettering on the seats and a Code Red logo that can also be seen on the floor mats. The Code Red inscription is also on the door sills. Black leather adorns the door panels and dashboard, while the steering wheel is covered with a combination of black leather and Alcantara.