Tag Archives: vehicles

1964 Ferrari 250 LM by Scaglietti is up for auction

At the 1963 Paris Auto Show, Ferrari introduced the 250 LM as the successor to its premier GT-class racer, the 250 GTO. It was produced until 1965, and only 32 units left the factory. One of them, the 1964 Ferrari 250 LM by Scaglietti is up for auction.

When Ferrari launched the 250 LM, FIA regulations required that manufacturers produce at least 100 road-legal cars of the model, which Ferrari failed to do, and the FIA ​​refused to homologate it. This meant that the 250 LM had to compete in the prototype class until 1996, when it was homologated as a Group 4 Sports Car.

This 250 LM, chassis number 5893, was the sixth production car to leave the factory. It was delivered to Luigi Chinetti Motors, whose North American Racing (NART) team achieved Ferrari’s sixth consecutive victory at Le Mans. It was also the only privately owned Ferrari to ever win the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

Some interesting facts about this car include that it is the only Ferrari built during the Enzo Ferrari era to compete in six 24-hour races, including three times at Le Mans and three times at the 24 Hours of Daytona. It last raced at the 24 Hours of Daytona in 1970, after which it was kept in a museum. It is in excellent condition, with its matching-numbers engine and gearbox.

It is powered by a naturally aspirated 3.3-L V12 engine with 320 hp (238 kW) mated to a 5-speed manual transmission that sends power to the rear wheels.

The auction will take place on 4 – 5 February 2025, and the estimated value of the car is €25,000,000 EUR.

Source: RM Sotheby’s

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Toyota sold over 1 million C-HRs in Europe

In 2016, Toyota launched a subcompact crossover SUV, the Toyota C-HR, and it took just eight years for over 1 million cars to be delivered to their owners. We are only talking about cars sold on European soil, which is a respectable achievement for the world’s largest car manufacturer.

Why is this car so popular? Well, Toyota’s plan was to design a car that would be attractive to customers, which turned out to be a complete hit, as design was decisive for customers in choosing this SUV. Since it appeared on the market, it has become one of Toyota’s best-selling models, and in 2024 alone, over 100,000 customers chose the C-HR.

In 2023, the second generation of this model was launched, which also turned out to be good timing. Precisely in that period, the popularity of SUV cars began to grow intensively, so it can be said that Toyota was lucky. It is offered with three powertrain versions: 1.8 L 2ZR-FXE I4 engine combined with an electric motor for a total output of 140 hp (103 kW), 2.0 L M20A-FXS I4 engine combined with motors for a total output of 194 hp (145 kW) , and a plug-in hybrid variant with a 2.0-L M20A-FXS I4 engine combined with a motor for a total output of 220 hp (164 kW). All versions use an eCVT transmission.

Source: Toyota

Porsche wants control of Bugatti Rimac

In July 2021, Rimac Group became the majority owner of Bugatti with 55%, and that could soon change. According to the German magazine Manager, Porsche is considering taking a majority stake in order to gain control. The information was confirmed by Mate Rimac, who announced that negotiations are underway.

Porsche currently owns 45% of Bugatti Rimac, and what they most resent about Rimac is the delay in the development of the Turbillon model, for which they hold the developers and their disorganization mostly responsible. They also believe that Rimac has poor organization, as shown by the bad sales results of the Rimac Nevera hypercar. In 2023, Rimac Automobili recorded a loss of 17 million euros, which Rimac explains by investments in new models, including the Tourbillon.

Whether an agreement will be reached on the acquisition of a majority stake in Bugatti Rimac depends not only on Mate Rimac, Porsche CEO Oliver Blume and CFO Lutz Meschke, but also on the remaining shareholders. In addition to these two companies, shares in Bugatti Rimac are also owned by Hyundai, Goldman Sachs, Softbank and Investindustrial.

In an interview with Manager, Mate Rimac said that talks about a possible transaction are underway, but that besides Porsche, there are other interested parties.

Source: Manager