Category Archives: NEW CARS

NEW CARS

Mulliner’s Dutch Masters Collection Blends Art History With Horsepower

Amsterdam’s Rijksmuseum has held its share of masterpieces, but it’s not every day that three one-off Bentleys take their place among Rembrandt, Vermeer, and Van Gogh. At a special event hosted in the museum’s Gallery of Honour, Bentley and its bespoke division, Mulliner, unveiled the Dutch Masters Collection—a trio of Continental GTs that reinterpret the palettes, textures, and symbolism of iconic Dutch art.

More than 200 guests from Bentley’s Dutch dealerships gathered first for a virtual reveal, then for an evening inside the country’s most revered art space—an appropriately dramatic backdrop for cars that blur the line between coachbuilding and canvas.

Car 01: Rembrandt’s “Night Watch” Reimagined

Rembrandt’s 1642 Night Watch never lacked drama, and neither does Mulliner’s corresponding Continental GT Convertible. Draped in Midnight Emerald, the car picks up the painting’s deep shadows, while its interior splashes of Hotspur red riff on Captain Frans Banninck Cocq’s famous sash. A combination of Magnolia and Cumbrian green hides softens the cabin, echoing the lieutenant’s coat and the painting’s muted tones.

Gold organ stops add a subtle baroque flourish, but the real showpiece comes when the door opens at night: an illuminated animation of a floating feather—an Easter egg nodding to the lieutenant’s hat in the center of the canvas. Feather motifs continue across the door cards, set against Dutch Masters badging that reminds you this Bentley is not just a car, but a one-off piece of rolling art.

Car 02: Vermeer’s Light, Captured in Metal and Leather

Few artists command light the way Johannes Vermeer did, and Mulliner’s Vermeer-inspired Continental GT aims to distill that luminance into automotive form. The exterior’s Sapphire satin finish immediately sets a different tone—cool, reflective, almost Delft-like in its purity. A panoramic sunroof ensures daylight floods the cabin just as Vermeer did with his window-lit interiors.

Inside, Beluga and Ocean blue hides establish a calm foundation, broken up by daring flashes of Citric yellow and seat piping in Klein blue. Mulliner looked to Vermeer’s The Little Street for the welcome lamp animation and door card imagery, capturing its rolling clouds with surprising delicacy. The Bentley Rotating Display even receives a hand-painted inner ring and a Klein blue bezel—small touches that elevate the whole car from homage to interpretation.

Car 03: Van Gogh’s “Starry Night,” Now in Dark Sapphire and Khamun

If Rembrandt delivered gravitas and Vermeer contributed serenity, then Vincent van Gogh brings emotion—turbulent, color-charged, and unmistakably expressive. Mulliner’s third entry, a Continental GT in Dark Sapphire with Khamun yellow pinstriping, channels the whirling sky of The Starry Night without resorting to mere imitation.

The interior leans heavily on Imperial blue, Dark Sapphire, Linen, and Khamun, a near-direct translation of Van Gogh’s Post-Impressionist palette. Illuminated welcome lamps and etched door panels recreate the painting’s swirling sky, while a dual-finish Piano Linen veneer bisected by a hand-painted Dark Sapphire pinstripe anchors the theme. Open-pore chiselled Walnut across the center console and gold knurled organ stops finish the look with texture and warmth—Van Gogh through a luxury lens.

The Art, Beyond the Cars

Each Dutch Masters Bentley comes with a bespoke presentation key box trimmed in its car’s hides. Open it, and you’ll find laser-etched artwork—feather, clouds, or starry sky—on the inner lid. Mechanically, all three cars share Blackline and Touring specifications, body-colored styling kits, wellness seating, mood lighting, the Bentley Rotating Display, and a Naim for Bentley audio system. In other words: they’re as modern and technologically complete as any Continental GT, just dressed with a level of artistic intention rarely seen in automotive design.

Art Meets Engineering—Literally

Most manufacturers love calling their cars “works of art.” Mulliner’s Dutch Masters Collection is one of the few times that claim holds up to scrutiny. These Continentals don’t merely borrow color palettes—they translate light, iconography, and mood. They’re reinterpretations of three world-famous masterpieces, crafted not for galleries, but for the open road.

And inside the Rijksmuseum, surrounded by centuries of history, these Bentleys didn’t look out of place. That might just be the highest compliment an automotive designer can hope for.

Source: Bentley

NEW CARS

CaDA’s Mercedes-AMG GT3 1:8 Model: A Brick-Built Tribute to Stuttgart’s Track Monster

In the world of GT racing, the Mercedes-AMG GT3 stands as one of the most recognizable silhouettes on any grid: low, wide, angry, and aerodynamically overclocked for the singular purpose of speed. From its gaping air intakes to its towering rear wing, the GT3 isn’t just a race car—it’s an intimidation tactic on wheels.

CaDA’s new 1:8-scale brick recreation doesn’t just pay tribute to that motorsport presence. It repackages it, bringing the visual drama and mechanical essence of AMG’s endurance weapon to the desks and display cabinets of enthusiasts. And it does so with a level of detail that would make even a scrutineer lean in for a closer look.

A Brick Model That Means Business

At 59 centimeters long, 25 wide, and 17 tall, this is no toy-shelf trinket. The footprint alone hints at serious intent, but it’s the design fidelity that seals the deal. CaDA has captured the GT3’s defining features: the signature Panamericana-style radiator grille, aggressive front splitter, flared aprons, and that unmistakable aerodynamic tailfin of a rear wing.

What elevates this model beyond typical display pieces is CaDA’s commitment to engineering authenticity. No decals are needed—the shapes, surfaces, and textures are built directly into its 5,463-part structure. The result is a build that feels more like assembling a miniature race chassis than snapping together a decorative kit.

Open the doors and you’re greeted by a cockpit that mirrors the real car’s functional, no-nonsense vibe. Adjustable pedals and steering wheel—just like the true GT3’s race-ready ergonomics—sit inside a carefully constructed safety cell.

Lighting, Wheels, and the Details That Sell the Illusion

If the real GT3 glows like a predator under a pit-lane spotlight, CaDA’s version replicates that perfectly. Integrated front and rear LED lamps, including endurance-spec auxiliary lights, illuminate via USB power. It’s a small touch that massively boosts realism, especially under display lighting.

Then there are the AMG-design wheels, wrapped in faithfully modeled Michelin Pilot Sport race tires. Even in brick form, they communicate the serious mechanical grip expected of a GT3 machine.

Mechanical Functionality Worthy of a Pit Crew

CaDA didn’t stop at exterior accuracy. The model is loaded with mechanical party tricks:

  • Working door-locking mechanisms
  • A rear-mounted transmission mimicking the real car’s sequential layout
  • Six forward gears, plus neutral and reverse
  • Central-locking wheel hubs, just like a real race team would use
  • Functional racing steering wheel

But the standout feature—the one that will make hardcore endurance-racing fans grin—is the pneumatic lift system. Connect an external air source, and the car rises on built-in jacks, just like during a lightning-fast pit stop. It’s tactile, clever, and a guaranteed conversation starter.

For bonus engineering cred, CaDA includes a functional hoist for removing the model’s engine, turning the whole setup into a miniature garage bay.

A Build Process That Respects the Source Material

With an 827-page manual and 1735 assembly steps, this set is not for the impatient. But for builders seeking a project as satisfying as a long-tail endurance stint, that’s exactly the appeal.

The packaging and presentation match the premium nature of the model. And with part number B66961716, it’s clearly positioned as a collector’s piece rather than a casual weekend distraction.

The CaDA Mercedes-AMG GT3 isn’t just a detailed model. It’s an experience—a mechanical deep dive wrapped in brick form. Fans of the real GT3 will appreciate the authenticity. Builders will appreciate the complexity. And anyone with a passion for motorsport engineering will recognize that this is more than a display car; it’s a celebration of what makes GT racing so compelling.

If the real GT3 is built to conquer circuits, this one is built to dominate shelves.

Source: Mercedes-Benz

NEW CARS

Porsche 911 Carrera T “Formosa” — A Sonderwunsch Love Letter to Taiwan

Porsche’s Sonderwunsch program has produced its share of wild one-offs, but the 911 Carrera T “Formosa” might be one of the brand’s most poetic. Instead of leaning on motorsport heritage or flashy custom color palettes, this one-off Carrera T uses its sheetmetal as a canvas for Taiwan’s coastlines, mountains, and rugged stone formations.

“Formosa”—a name given by 16th-century Portuguese sailors who dubbed Taiwan the “Beautiful Island”—captures the island’s geography in a way few automotive design projects even attempt. Taiwan’s compact size hides a surprisingly diverse landscape: sky-scraping mountain passes, volcanic coastal rock cliffs, and the Pacific constantly in view. Those natural contrasts shaped every decision in the car’s design.

A Color Story Written by the Pacific

The exterior wears Paint to Sample Ipanema Blue Metallic, a shade chosen to evoke the surrounding ocean. It’s not loud or neon-bright—it’s more like a deep, polished reflection of open water. The contrast elements—Porsche rear lettering, window trim, and the engine-lid slats—are done in Suzuka Grey Metallic, a nod to the island’s east-coast stone formations. Even the 20/21-inch RS Spyder wheels join the theme, mixing Suzuka Grey with a Vanadium Grey inner rim bed.

Up front, Porsche’s HD-Matrix Design LED headlights (in black) sharpen the car’s expression, while Exclusive Design taillights finish off the subtle but purposeful look. Nothing feels excessive; it’s more like a minimalist travel journal translated into metal.

Inside: A Mountain Sanctuary

Open the door and the theme shifts from ocean to mountains. Paldao wood trim stretches across the cabin—warm, organic, almost cabin-like. The full bucket seats wear a bi-color combo of Truffle Brown and Black leather, stitched in Night Green. But the show-stopper is the debut of the “Formosa” chequered pattern. It mixes Night Green, Black, and Cream White and appears on the seat inserts and inside the fully leather-lined front boot.

Illuminated sill guards read “Formosa x Sonderwunsch”, and the headrests carry a custom embossed logo that blends a 911 Carrera T outline with stylized waves and mountain peaks. It’s the kind of detail that rewards a second, third, and fourth look.

Christian Nater, CEO of Porsche Taiwan, sums it up simply: this car is “a statement of individuality and a celebration of Taiwan.” And in the context of the Sonderwunsch program—where personalization ranges from subtle to extravagant—the “Formosa” build lands firmly in the sweet spot: deeply personal without losing the Carrera T’s inherent purpose.

Still a Driver’s Porsche at Heart

For all its craftsmanship and design storytelling, the Formosa is still a Carrera T underneath. That means lightweight construction, a manual gearbox, sport-tuned suspension, and the purist driving character that makes the T specification such a standout. On the kind of tight, scenic mountain roads Taiwan is famous for, the Carrera T is already in its element. The Sonderwunsch touches don’t change that—they just enhance the sense that this car belongs to a place.

A Thoughtful, Artistic One-Off

What makes the 911 Carrera T “Formosa” special isn’t just the colors or materials. Plenty of Porsche special editions look great. What stands out here is the clarity of the concept. Every part—every stitch, shade, and piece of trim—feeds into a story about the island that inspired it.

It’s not a museum piece. It’s not a brand flex. It’s a rolling tribute to Taiwan’s landscapes made for someone who clearly loves to drive. And as far as one-offs go, that might be the most Porsche thing about it.

Source: Porsche