NEW CARS

CAV GT MkII Is the GT40 Reimagined for the 21st Century

The original Ford GT40 wasn’t built to be civilized. It was engineered for one purpose: crushing Ferrari at Le Mans. More than half a century later, South African manufacturer Cape Advanced Vehicles believes that legendary formula deserves another chapter—not as a museum-piece replica, but as a thoroughly modern supercar.

Meet the CAV GT MkII.

Built in Cape Town by a company that has spent decades crafting GT40-inspired machines, the new GT MkII moves beyond the realm of tribute cars. CAV describes it as a spiritual successor to Ford’s endurance-racing icon, and the spec sheet backs up that ambitious claim. While the silhouette remains unmistakably GT40, nearly everything beneath the skin has been reimagined for the modern era.

At first glance, the GT MkII wears its heritage proudly. The low nose, muscular rear haunches, and mid-engine proportions immediately recall the car that conquered Le Mans in the 1960s. Look closer, however, and the details reveal a far more contemporary machine. Sharper LED lighting gives the front end a more aggressive expression, while the rear bodywork is cleaner and more sculpted than anything seen on the original racer.

The biggest visual difference is one that owners will appreciate every time they climb aboard. Unlike the famously cramped GT40—which earned its name from its 40-inch overall height—the GT MkII has grown taller. That extra space translates into a more usable cabin, additional cargo capacity, and swan-wing doors that improve entry and exit without requiring the roof-cutting door design of the original car.

Beneath the carbon-fiber bodywork sits an aluminum-and-carbon structure that helps keep weight to around 3,240 pounds (1,470 kilograms). Nestled behind the occupants is where things get truly interesting.

Power comes from a 4.2-liter V8 fitted with not one but two superchargers. The result is more than 800 horsepower and a towering 679 pound-feet (920 Nm) of torque. More impressive still is the claimed 9,000-rpm redline, placing the engine’s character closer to an exotic race-bred powerplant than a traditional American V8.

Performance figures are predictably outrageous. CAV claims the GT MkII can sprint from 0 to 62 mph (100 km/h) in just 3.0 seconds before pushing beyond 203 mph (327 km/h).

Sending all that power to the pavement is a standard six-speed single-clutch semi-automatic transmission. While that setup may sound old-school in today’s dual-clutch world, CAV plans to offer a modern dual-clutch option in the future. More importantly for purists, a manual gearbox is also in development—a rarity in a segment increasingly dominated by paddle shifters.

The hardware underneath appears just as serious as the powertrain. KW Variant 4 three-way adjustable dampers provide extensive chassis tuning capability, while Brembo brakes with eight-piston front and four-piston rear calipers handle stopping duties. Buyers seeking maximum track performance can opt for carbon-ceramic brake discs. Completing the package is an Inconel exhaust system with active valves, ensuring the soundtrack matches the visual drama.

The CAV GT MkII occupies a fascinating niche in today’s performance-car landscape. It isn’t a continuation car, nor is it a retro replica chasing nostalgia. Instead, it takes one of motorsport’s most celebrated shapes and infuses it with modern materials, modern technology, all-wheel-drive traction, and supercar-rivaling performance.

If the original GT40 was designed to win endurance races, the GT MkII appears designed to answer a different question: What would a GT40 look like if it had never stopped evolving?

Source: Cape Advanced Vehicles

NEW CARS

Gordon Murray’s 772-HP T.50s Niki Lauda Is Ready for Goodwood

The next chapter in Gordon Murray Automotive’s pursuit of automotive perfection is about to make its public debut, and it’s every bit as uncompromising as you’d expect.

At this year’s Goodwood Festival of Speed, Gordon Murray himself will take the wheel of the very first customer-bound T.50s Niki Lauda, piloting chassis number one up the famous hillclimb. While the road-going T.50 has already earned a reputation as a modern masterpiece, the track-only T.50s pushes Murray’s philosophy to its absolute limits.

Finished in white with a striking livery inspired by the South African flag, the first customer car pays homage to Murray’s first Formula 1 victory, achieved at the 1974 South African Grand Prix. A bold stripe running down the bonnet and colorful accents on the aerodynamic fins provide a subtle but meaningful nod to the designer’s roots and racing heritage.

Underneath the lightweight bodywork sits an evolved version of the T.50’s naturally aspirated 3.9-liter Cosworth V-12. For T.50s duty, output climbs to 772 horsepower delivered at a spine-tingling 11,500 rpm. Unlike the manual-equipped road car, the track-focused machine channels its power through a six-speed paddle-shift transmission engineered for maximum performance.

The centerpiece of the T.50s remains its driver-focused layout. As with the standard T.50, the driver sits in the middle of the cockpit, Formula 1-style. Surrounding that central seat is an aerodynamic package that transforms the car’s behavior on a racetrack. Adjustable aero elements work together to generate up to 2,645 pounds (1,200 kilograms) of downforce, giving the T.50s the kind of grip normally associated with modern prototype race cars.

Exclusivity, of course, is part of the appeal. Gordon Murray Automotive will build just 25 examples of the T.50s Niki Lauda, and every single one has already found a buyer. With prices starting at around $3 million, admission to this ultra-exclusive club doesn’t come cheap.

The T.50s won’t be the only attraction on the Gordon Murray stand at Goodwood. The company is bringing an impressive lineup that showcases both its present and future ambitions.

Making its European debut is the S1 LM design model, a machine that hints at Murray’s continued exploration of lightweight, driver-focused performance. Joining it will be the Le Mans GTR XP1 prototype, a development car that previews a limited-production run of just 24 customer vehicles inspired by endurance racing. Rounding out the display is the T.33 Spider validation prototype, known internally as VP12, offering a glimpse at the next phase of the company’s expanding lineup.

According to Executive Chairman Gordon Murray, production of the T.50s is already underway, while development of both the T.33 and T.33 Spider is progressing rapidly. More intriguing still is Murray’s suggestion that the company is working on an increasingly specialized family of vehicles designed to push the boundaries of his long-held engineering philosophy.

If the T.50 rewrote the modern supercar rulebook, the T.50s Niki Lauda looks set to tear out a few more pages. And with Gordon Murray driving the first customer car up the Goodwood hill himself, there’s no better stage for the latest expression of one of the automotive world’s most relentless perfectionists.

Source: Autocar

Auctions

1972 Ferrari Dino 246 GTS “Evo 3.6” is for sale

For decades, the Dino lived in Ferrari’s shadow.

Created at the insistence of Enzo Ferrari himself and named in honor of his late son Alfredo “Dino” Ferrari, the sub-brand was never intended to be a bargain-bin alternative to Maranello’s finest. Yet history has a way of rewriting narratives. While the Dino 206 GT and later 246 GT and GTS rolled out of Ferrari’s factory and shared much of the company’s engineering DNA, the absence of the famous prancing horse on the nose left many collectors treating them as second-tier Ferraris for years.

Not anymore.

A heavily reimagined 1972 Dino 246 GTS currently crossing the auction block in the United States is attracting the kind of money typically reserved for the marque’s most celebrated classics. With bidding already sailing past $800,000 and the auction still open, this once-overlooked sports car is proving that the Dino name has finally earned its place among Ferrari royalty.

Then again, this isn’t your average Dino.

The car underwent a comprehensive restoration and transformation by British specialists Moto Technique between 2017 and 2018. While the original 246 GTS relied on a charismatic 2.4-liter V-6 mounted behind the driver, Moto Technique decided nostalgia wasn’t enough. In its place sits a naturally aspirated 3.6-liter Tipo 105C V-8 equipped with individual throttle bodies, revised cylinder heads, and a bespoke MoTec engine-management system.

The result is approximately 400 horsepower—nearly double the output of the original car.

Power is routed to the rear wheels through a five-speed manual transmission, preserving the mechanical interaction that makes classic Italian sports cars so addictive. Supporting upgrades include a larger aluminum radiator, coil-over suspension, and anti-roll bars front and rear, all intended to ensure the chassis can keep pace with its vastly increased performance.

The visual changes are just as dramatic, although they’re handled with enough restraint to avoid upsetting purists entirely.

During the restoration, the body was stripped to bare metal before being refinished in deep black paint. New plexiglass headlamp covers sharpen the Dino’s already gorgeous front-end design, while larger 17-inch wheels wrapped in Michelin Pilot Sport 4S tires bring modern grip levels to a shape penned more than half a century ago. Behind those wheels sit brakes sourced from a Ferrari 360 Modena—a clear sign that Moto Technique expected this Dino to do more than simply pose for photographs.

Inside, the transformation continues.

Daytona-style seats trimmed in red and black leather create a cabin that’s equal parts classic Ferrari and bespoke grand tourer. Matching red carpeting brightens the interior, while a gated shifter preserves the tactile charm enthusiasts expect from an Italian exotic. There’s even a modern audio system with iPod connectivity, a subtle reminder that this Dino was built to be driven rather than preserved as a museum piece.

Since the restoration’s completion, the car has covered just 13,679 kilometers, suggesting it has been enjoyed enough to stay healthy while remaining remarkably fresh.

The irony is impossible to ignore. A model once dismissed as “not a real Ferrari” is now commanding supercar money thanks to a build that boldly abandons originality in favor of performance. Yet perhaps that’s exactly why bidders are lining up. The Dino was always celebrated for its beauty and balance. This example simply asks the question: what if Ferrari had kept developing it?

Judging by the auction results so far, plenty of collectors are willing to pay handsomely for the answer.

Source: Bring a Trailer

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