Magnum Opus: $40K Ferrari book

July 22, 2010

UK ultra-luxury publisher Kraken Opus, known for using real blood in some of their outlandish tomes, plans to charge $40,000 for a forthcoming book on Ferrari. The epic volume, which will be limited to just 399 copies, is signed by all living Ferrari champion racing drivers. The text is contributed by the world’s finest automotive writers and interviewers, accompanied by hundreds of rare and previously unpublished archival images, including unseen pictures of Enzo Ferrari’s villa and action inside Formula One racing pits, along with specially-commissioned photographs and illustrations. Opus uses special color processes and only the highest grade paper stocks, and each book is individually hand-bound and designed to stand the test of time and increase in value.

A hedge-fund manager has already ordered 20 copies of the book (or $800,000 worth) and will pay Kraken a quarterly fee to store them in a climate-controlled facility, Karl Fowler, CEO of parent company Opus Media Group, tells the Wall St. Journal. Of course, for $40,000 you could buy a real Ferrari, albeit an older model like a 308 or Mondial.

Two New concept cars

July 1, 2010

Ferrari 612 GTO

Nascar tires on a Ferrari = FAIL!

Marussia B2 – A Russian super car aka Bat-mobile!

More pics of the Rrari after the jump!>>

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Solid Gold Buggatti Veyron

June 21, 2010

The Bugatti Veyron is one of the most expensive automobiles in the world. Somewhat paradoxically, a couple of enterprising fellows have managed to craft a replica that’s even pricier than the original on which it’s based, and they’ve done it by downsizing.

Of course, the fact that it’s made from 24 karat gold and encrusted with 7.2 carats worth of diamonds adds mightily to its £2 million ($2.93 million at today’s exchange rates) asking price. Yes, that is indeed a higher sum than it would take to put a real, full-size Veyron in your driveway.

Robert Gulpen of Munich & Stuart Hughes of Liverpool only plan to craft three examples of the 1:18 scale solid gold Bugatti Veyron replica. Source

BMW M3 Frozen Gray Coupe

June 21, 2010

BMW has announced a special edition of its all-conquering M3 coupe, specifically for the American market. Called the Frozen Gray edition, the special M3 features a unique Space Gray matte finish with special clear coat, Novillo red leather interior and comes equipped with the Competition Package as standard. The 414-horsepower, 4-liter V8 carries over from the “base” M3, coupled to either a six-speed manual or dual-clutch transmission. Only 30 examples will be on offer, each fetching a $77,600 list price.

Diet Coke & Mentos powered Car

June 10, 2010

It takes 108 two-liter bottles of Coke Zero and 648 Mentos to propel the car move 221 feet.

Rolls-Royce Ghost = Recession proof

June 8, 2010

Rolls-Royce is reporting sales of 678 automobiles through the first five months of 2010. Although that might not sound like a lot of vehicles at first blush, it represents a 146-percent increase over the same period a year ago. Company head Torsten Müller-Ötvös expects sales to continue in their upward path throughout the remainder of the year, saying that the automaker will post figures “at least double the volume of last year.”

While the slight uptick in the global economy may have something to do with the sales resurgence, the real driving force behind the increase is the new Ghost model for 2010. With a base price of around $250,000, the Ghost represents a substantial savings over the revered Phantom, which starts at some $380,000 and quickly rises from there. And while the Ghost may be less expensive than its big brother, there’s no doubt that it is every bit the exclusive luxury ride that its new owners will expect.

Shadow Hawk “SVT” Supper Terrain Vehicle

June 8, 2010

Part sports car, part race truck, part fighter jet – behold the Shawdow Hawk, a new “Super Terrain Vehicle” or STV from Colorado. The $1 million-plus monster is limited to just 12 examples per year built to order and is available in several fully-customizable configurations for street, desert, battlefield, snow and other applications. The fastest model packs a whopping 1,100 hp engine, does 0 to 60mph in 3.5 seconds, and eats Hummers for breakfast. All feature daylight cameras, active suspension, camber and caster control systems, driver activated ride height control of over 3.5 feet, 46 inch wheel travel and 3/16 inch monocoque construction. Delivery of the first Shadow Hawk, designed to be a high performance road machine and off road vehicle in one with nearly unlimited versatility, is slated for late 2011. source

Get your own Jetsons Car for $3M!

June 8, 2010

Okay, so what you’re looking at is not a car from The Jetsons. It doesn’t fly and it doesn’t fold into a briefcase when you get to your office in the sky. But it might as well. What it is, in fact, is a one-of-a-kind prototype made by Pininfarina – the same company that designs every Ferrari – in 1960 to demonstrate what was possibly in advanced aerodynamics. And now it’s up for sale.

Called the X Concept, it has a unique wheelbase with one wheel front, one aft, and two near the center. It has a drag coefficient of 0.23…that’s lower than a Toyota Prius, one of the most aerodynamic cars on the road today, but this was done fifty years ago. Only one was ever made, and the Aero Toy Store in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, has it for sale with a price tag of $3 million. JamesList has it listed from the same dealership for $1.3 million, so it looks like the steep price is negotiable.

More pics of this Hyphy sex machine after the jump!>>>

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