Audi Skysphere Concept at Pebble Beach 2021

The Skysphere Concept is an unusual and highly experimental design ethos from Audi.  In being so very unlike their current range it seems to make a bold statement about the elegance of cab-backward, front-engine GTs.  Or at least those are the proportions, but that long hood is surely filled with batteries and motors in this case. None of Audi’s current quattro-intensive range approaches this level of dash-to-axle ratio and this ultralong hood is a striking addition.  The glasshouses for the front and rear lighting elements are interesting and the tactility of the 3D badge up front is quite something. It …

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Pebble Beach 2021 – Genesis X Concept Gallery

This sexy design from Genesis embellishes the look of the upcoming G70 production car — a fave around here — with a mean widebody stance and some BMW Batmobile 635CSi vibes.   This two-door’s tail is a thing of beauty in itself and the entire design’s proportions and details are dramatic and sexy.   The roofline looks a bit practical versus the hypercars this Genesis X sits among at the Pebble Concept Lawn but this EV is still a stunner nonetheless. Photos by James Crabtree 2021 Genesis X Concept – Pebble Beach Gallery

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Negotiation 101: Your Guide to Buying Below Asking Price

Negotiations can seem intimidating—especially for first-timers. You want to act confident but not overly brass, principled but not too stubborn… it’s a fine line to walk. But whether you’re buying a new car or a used car, the fact remains the same: there is plenty of room for negotiation left on the table. The seller will always try to get their top dollar, usually by setting the initial asking price well above market value under the assumption that the buyer will later negotiate a lower price tag. If you don’t at least try to get them to come down in …

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Top 20 Reviews in 2018 – RDX Whistler Trip and MB Pebble Concept Top List

Ranked by traffic and readership! 2019 Acura RDX A-Spec – First Drive Review – By Josh Seaman   Pebble Beach 2018 – Mercedes-Benz EQ Silver Arrow Concept – By James Crabtree 2018 VW Passat SE 2.0T w/ Technology – Road Test Review 2019 Mazda6 Turbo – Road Test Review – By Ben Lewis   2018 Volvo XC60 T6 AWD Inscription – Road Test Review – By Ben Lewis 2018 Lexus LS500h – Road Test Review – By Ben Lewis 2018 Kia Stinger GT1 RWD V6TT – Road Test Review – By Ben Lewis     2018 Fiat 124 Spider Abarth …

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2018 SALAFF C2 Supercar Concept – Best of Pebble Beach – 30-Photo Gallery

Very rare double best-of winner for the Concept Lawn of 2018 Pebble Beach Concours! The Salaff C2 wins most arresting face by a mile, and also scores wildest concept tail! Very fantastic design ideas virtually pouring from all the C2’s aggressive cutlines. Carlos Salaff is already a favorite designer for many car buffs.  He is the man behind the ill-fated Mazda Furai concept, which was a 450HP rotary LMP2 racecar as well as 2040 design preview. This latest exercise is a grass-roots, hand-crafted effort from the artist’s base in Italy.  Humble-ish underpinnings from a Gallardo do nothing to tamp my …

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2018 INFINTI P10 Concept - Photos by James Crabtree1

Introducing the INFINITI Prototype 10

Electric cars are quickly becoming the wave of the future, and most car manufacturers are joining in this revolution. The latest car manufacturer to explore introducing an electric car to their ranks is Infiniti.  Let’s take a closer look at the InfinitiPrototype 10 and what it hopes to bring to the table. Introducing the Prototype 10 These sleek little electric cars are designed to mimic single-seat formula one racecars, with a solid frame design and an open-air cockpit. Instead of a passenger seat, the cockpit features a large air vent to cool the electric motor and batteries in the rear …

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Pebble Beach 2018 – Mercedes-Benz EQ Silver Arrow Concept – By James Crabtree

  Here is a very very special execution of the streamliner speed record car.  Special details throughout, if you can get past the cheeky/dumb face its wears.  The tail is mean and sexy/brutal with its purposeful rear wing and cross-cut copper internal gubbins on full display. In profile, you find free-standing half-moons on both axles cover just the front half of the tire and wheel package.  The backside just open to rocket out air, stones and whatever else as car hits warp speed. An EV powertrain is a great fit for the Silver Arrows — because these streamliners were about …

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2018 Lexus LC500 – Supercar of the Year – Road Test Review

No test car here at CRD has created more of a stir than this Lexus LC500. Long-lost pals sought out rides. The Cars ‘n Coffee crowd was enchanted LC even stirred wild thumbs-ups from other drivers on the road. Nobody loved this next-generation Lexus supercar more than its driver, though. This all-new platform started life on a mission to sink the engine lower and much more mid-ship than any Lexus before.  The results not only lighten the handling mood dramatically, but they also sharpen the turn-in radically. A new 10-speed automatic joins the thrilling 5.0-liter V8 from the GS-F and …

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F70! 2017 Ferrari 70 Anni Collection at Pebble Beach Concours [150 photos]

Ferrari made a huge splash with new cars at this year’s Pebble Beach Concours.  There were LaFerrari Apertas underfoot at almost every step.  None more special perhaps than this one-off Tailor Made model for the 70th anniversary collection. This set of specialized cars included the soft-top LaFerrari, 488 Spider and F12 Berlinetta.  Each with personalized details and F70 badges on the flanks. Sitting nearby were many of the inspiration liveries for this F70 collection.  All-stars include many Testa Rossas and a dozen significant 250’s.  Favorites include the 250 California bodystyle of Ferris Bueller’s Day Off fame and the vented, beastly …

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217mph LUCID Alpha Speed Car + 2018 LUCID Air at Pebble Beach

One of The most promising Tesla-killer of the next year is Lucid Motors. This beauty is packing up to 1000 horsepower and in its top trim, and a base price of $55k at the bottom. It is a dead-on hit at the Tesla Model S, but upgraded to sci-fi limo spec. Fittingly, Lucid brought out their production prototype as well as this road rocket: the Alpha Speed Car. Wearing wrapped and de-mirrored bodywork and a giant clear plexiglass wing in back, the Lucid Alpha Speed was officially clocked at 217MPH. This is one fast forward to the future!  The below …

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Updated w/ 33 Real-Life Photos – 2017 Vision Mercedes-Maybach 6 Cabriolet

  Here is a car absolutely perfect for the Pebble Beach concepts lawn. Ultra low.  Ground-hugging panels and exotic, exaggerated proportions.  A level of exotic eroticism unseen on 99.999-percent of all the world’s cars. This is no ordinary car.  It is a look at what a Merc rival to Bugatti might look like.  Pricing north of two mill a pop will keep them rare, while massive top speed performance potential is clear from the machine’s very shape. We have a few dozen real-life photos of the car to share, from the Mercedes House at Pebble Beach and the Concept Lawn …

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2017 Pebble Beach Concours – CONCEPT LAWN – PART THREE

Concept lawn adjacent? Here we find the 2018 Porsche 911 RSR, 2018 Rolls-Royce DAWN Black Badge (World Soft Launch), and 2018 Aston Martin Vanquish Volante by ZAGATO. Check out parts one and two for the full class of 2017 concept lawn stars. 2017 Pebble Beach Concours – CONCEPT LAWN – PART THREE 2018 Porsche 911 RSR 2018 Rolls-Royce DAWN Black Badge 2018 Aston Martin Vanquish Volante by ZAGATO

2017 Pebble Beach Concours – CONCEPT LAWN – PART TWO

We’re back with another round of simply gorgeous photos fresh from The Lodge at Pebble Beach. Seems our previous “all 12 cars” headline really came back to bite in the ass?! We forgot some notables. More pics of the Fux 720s, VW ID Buzz, the Italdesign Zerouno, Pagani Zonda Roadster Exclusive Evo, Lamborghini Huracan Performante, and last but not least, the Infiniti Q60 Project Black S. A few more glamor shots of the Prototype 9 and Vision 6 included for good measure. Bonus points if you can spot Horacio Pagani (aka the Head Dude at Pagani) and Gorden Wagener, the …

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2017 Pebble Beach Concours – CONCEPT LAWN

Wish you could take a slow walk around this practice putting green at the Pebble Beach Ritz? You are not alone! We have a terrific class of 2017 to show — including a few world premieres!  The Infiniti Prototype 9 and the Maybach Vision 6 are quite something to behold in the flesh. The Concept Z4 is also popular, as is the Fux pink McLaren 720S we’ve been featuring all weekend. A pair of Ford GT and GT40 Le Mans racers bring some real grit to the show, and set the tone for the Acrua ARX-05 racer nicely. Bentley’s gorgeous …

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In Pictures: First USA Bugatti CHIRON Delivered!

Morning honey-bee! This gorgeous two-tone Bugatti is officially the first ever car delivered to America.  The key handoff took place in Pebble Beach (where else?) but it is presumed the $3-mil was not in cash.  That would be too large a briefcase for one man to carry. Generously, the total price already includes tax and shipping. CHeck out the beautiful specimen via the seaside photoset below. 2017 Bugatti CHIRON

McLaren VIP Event [118 Photos] M6GT, M7A, 570S Spider, 720S + Longtails

  This is basically the most McLarens per square mile on Earth.  Pebble Beach in general, yes.  But this exclusive mansion in particular!  Enjoy this mega set of gorgeous Macca’s from CRD pal JC, who is on site for the boostfest! If you get far enough in the gallery below you will even see these badass supercars lined up politely for test drives.  Yes please~! 2017 Pebble Beach – McLaren VIP Villa

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2017 Vision Mercedes-Maybach 6 Cabriolet

  Here is a car absolutely perfect for the Pebble Beach concepts lawn. Ultra low.  Ground-hugging panels and exotic, exaggerated proportions.  A level of exotic eroticism unseen on 99.999-percent of all the world’s cars. This is no ordinary car.  It is a look at what a Merc rival to Bugatti might look like.  Pricing north of two mill a pop will keep them rare, while massive top speed performance potential is clear from the machine’s very shape. 2017 Vision Mercedes-Maybach 6 Cabriolet

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2017 BMW Z4 Concept In 44-Photo Exclusive

The recent design analysis we wrote up over here about the Z4 yesterday is growing.  Today handling some photo edits for JC I found a bevy of new details in the Z4. Things like the lower slash in front fender are as retro as it gets.  THe rest is sheer modern roadster.  It seems so much wider and shorter than the current Z4 in some photos.  But really this is just a product of all-new overhangs and level of rounded corner on both ends.  It is a softer shape.  But marked by a precious few design lines.  These bring the …

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In Pictures: Pebble Beach 2017 – Welcome to CASA FERRARI

Ferrari’s 70th anniversary celebration at Pebble Beach this year means the place is wall-to-wall Italian stallions. At the Casa Ferrari house on the concours grounds, Ferrari has a few tasty appetizers on display.  Multiple LaFerrari Aperta’s are almost hard to spot. The combination of painted hard side pillar with cloth on the inner roof top is the way to spot the open-topped special. Along for the trip is the very rare Ferrari Sergio, designed to honor Sergio Pininfarina by his team at the design boutique.  It is so out-there and unique as to be a bit puzzling. No challenges with …

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2018 Acura ARX-05 Endurance Racer Bringing V6TT To Track

  Acura racer… coming in hot! This new ARX-05 will race in 2018 for Team Penske in the DPi class of endurance racers — some of the fiercest competitors on US tracks. Acura’s motorsport V6TT serves here and will power the car for its Rolex 24 race premiere in Daytona. On to the design!~ It is mean.  Mean and fast. This nose tells cars in front: You’re About To Get Passed.   2017 Acura ARX-05   Acura Reveals Striking ARX-05 Prototype Race Car in Monterey; Debut Set for Daytona Aug 18, 2017 – MONTEREY, Calif. Acura to take on top …

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Best of Pebble Beach – 2017 INFINITI Prototype 9 in 33 New Photos

Updated 8.22.17 How can we give a Best Of Award already?   The Concours has not even begun yet! In terms of modern OEM exotics and concepts, the Infiniti Prototype 9 is already one of the most memorable and high-impact designs.   Absolutely stunning. High-impact but low volume!  The Prototype 9’s main drawback might be its lack of period combustion engine note….!     A 1940s racer for modern day?  How about one with an all-electric driveline and single-seater cabin? The perfect fit for the world’s most prestigious concours: Pebble Beach. Infiniti just whipped the silk capes off their Prototype …

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Monterey Car Week 2017 GALLERY – Thursday Carmel & Spanish Bay – By Anthony DAquisto

Brace yourself for high-dollar, high-performance supercars galore!  Monterey Car Week 2017 is in full swing.  Centenario’s are like Corolla’s here. In the middle of August, Pebble Beach is indeed the center of the automotive universe. CRD pal Anthony D’Acquisto from Newport Beach has 100 photos of his sightings yesterday.  Glowing indigo 720s?  Check.   One-of-six Ferrari Sergio?   LaFerrari Apertas?  Yep.   New TdF and original Ferrar Tour de France specials?  You know it! The brand-new Bentley SuperSports and Black Packs?  Oh yes! A favorite has to be the shimmery silver RUF Porsche. A huge thanks to Anthony for sharing …

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1957 Arnott-Climax 1100 GT – Gooding & Co. Pebble Beach 2017 Preview

  Have you ever laid eyes on a more beautiful teardrop racer? Competing with the likes of the Porsche 356 and other micro-lights was a tough game in the late 1950s.   Competitiveness in this era meant this Coventry Climax ran just a shouting 96-horsepower four, with all its weight mid-center ahead of the driver.  This played out on track nicely versus the rear-engined Porsches of the era.  Totally different but both very pure track setups. Granted, this little bugger might have had its gullwing doors blown off by a Mercedes-Benz 300 SL racer of the same era, whose big …

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2017 Monterey Car Week REVEALS List – Pebble Beach, The Quail & Concorso Italiano

This is crunchtime for car writers and news junkies alike! America’s Goodwood, aka Pebble Beach, has gone from a concours to an all-out supercar auto show extravaganza.  What we learned on a trip to the event in 2014 is that Monterey Car Week is actually a full week of performance joy!  The classics and icons are peppered throughout the experience, of course, but mainly take center stage on the oceanfront fairway only on Concours Sunday. Until then, there are ride/drive events, VIP receptions, press events and media previews galore at the Quail, Concorso Italiano, RM Sotheby’s in downtown Monterey.. and …

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2000 Lamborghini Diablo GTR – RM Sotheby’s Monterey 2017

Diablo GTR is an incredible example of Lambo previewing the future.  We’ve seen the Countach evolve radically as the template.  But as Diablo became Murcielago, and Murci became Aventador… there is always a VERY special run-out model. Think Reventon and Centenario for this generation.   These bridge the design and performance gap with the next-gen model – milking the last year of production for max profits. A good formula! GTR is so special that RM Sotheby’s expects at least $600k when it sells this week in Monterey, California.  This is the same price as a brand-new Aventador SV Roadster, coincidentally! …

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1955 Ferrari 121LM Spider by Scaglietti – RM Sotheby’s Monterey Preview

Only in Monterey would crummy roadside motels be filled with Ferrari’s and Lambo’s! And even around the corner from Pebble Beach, these special cars (and people!) only come out once a year. RM Sotheby’s auction this week will be action-packed.  A favorite presale machine that deserves all the spotligght in the car world? This 1955 Ferrari 121LM Spider. It is the third of four ever made.  It is a shrouded-cockpit, single-seat racer in iconic French Blue.  A shrouded roll hoop behind the RHD steering setup is glamourous, as is the tiny perspex wind deflector.  Helmet or at least goggles definitely …

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2017 INFINITI Prototype 9 Makes Retro Pebble Beach Debut

A 1940s racer for modern day?  How about one with an all-electric driveline and single-seater cabin? The perfect fit for the world’s most prestigious concours: Pebble Beach. Infiniti just whipped the silk capes off their Prototype 9.  And boy will it stop you in your tracks. Even the ‘endless road’ Infiniti badge is expressed artfully.  It now stands proud atop the hood edge like a radiator cap.  The waterfall front grille is slightly tacky on first glance but does make sense.  When viewed directly head-on, the shape of this sunken grille matches the wide jawline of the Q60 sports coupe, …

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Travel Adventures – 2016 Ford Mustang GT California Special Visits Botany Bay, SC (+Video, 50 Photos)

Any list of great drive adventures on the East Coast should include Botany Bay.  This special nature preserve in Edisto Beach South Carolina offers stunning old Oak trees and curvey roads from start to finish. The property is free to enter, with a parking area a few miles in at the tital marsh and dunes.  Then the action happens for most visitors: you stroll a boardwalk to a beach that is absolutely frozen in time.  It is completely original, with hundreds of trees in the sands. The backstory of the property traces to the Seabrook family’s Sea Cloud plantation.  Construction started …

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2016 BMW M2 – Animated Configurator, Colors, Pricing and Options

BMW has kept its new pocket-rocket’s configurator extremely simple!  Nearly everything is standard, and only a few choices along the way through the Ext, Int, Options menu prompts makes this unlike nearly any other BMW we’ve specced out before. Examples? Just four colors: Blue, Grey, Black and White. The only other choices?  Literally? Exec Pack for $1800 with auto highbeams and heated seats.  And a carbon-fiber interior upgrade option that seems skippable if you’re frugal. The only other choice? A six-speed manual transmission or the $2700 M-DCT paddle-shifter. Out the door in less than four minutes of configurations must mean…. …

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HD Road Test Review + Videos – 2016 Nissan FRONTIER Pro-4X V6 4×4 Automatic

Is newer better? That is the fundamental question many car shoppers ask themselves, and roundly find that Yes is the answer. But for truck owners, newer is far less likely to be automatically better. For the 2016 Nissan Frontier, the proven mechanicals, extra-tough frame and V6 4×4 setup is as trusty as your best friend. And luckily, it is almost as fun! We threw the Frontier into a few wild off-road donuts just minutes after its arrival… and came out that cloud of dust and dirt with rekindled love for the Nissan mid-size truck in 2016. Yes, even more than …

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2016 Citroen E-MEHARI Is Production-Bound EV Beach Car

Think of the original 1950-1980s MEHARI Citroen like a French Volkswagen Thing. Mostly open bodywork in corrugated panels increase the monocoque strength dramatically, allowing both cars to haul much more than their car-shaped siblings. Some of the first continental pickup trucks, if you will. The 2016 model shares some of the silly and playful beach spirit of the original MEHARI, but with more focus on stressfree driving than do-it-all utility. The E-MEHARI is not a concept, and is headed for sale in France in Spring 2016. It is a full EV with (we believe) front-drive for its advanced lithium metal …

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Top 20 MOST WANTED Supercars from Pebble Beach 2015! 140 All-New Photos

Top 20 MOST WANTED Supercars from Pebble Beach 2015 Fly Yellow 2015 Ferrari LaFerrari 2015 McLaren P1 2015 Pagani Huayra Malboro White 1995 McLaren F1 2015 Porsche 918 Spyder 2015 Lamborghini Aventador 1993 Jaguar XJ220S by TWR 2016 McLaren 570S Coupe 2015 Porsche 919 Hybrid 2017 ACURA NSX 2015 Lamborghini ASTERION LPI 910/4 Club Classics – the Concours winners 2003 Mercedes-Benz AMG CLK-GTR Shelby DAYTONA Coupe 1953 Mercedes-Benz SLR Rolls-Royce Coupe Concours-Winner 1969 Mercedes-Benz C111 1930s Mercedes-Benz Silver Arrow Racecars 1955 Ferrari 250GT 2015 Koenigsegg Agera R Stunning photos from all through Pebble Beach 2016 — thanks to Collin Graves. …

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Ferrari Pebble Beach 2015 – Record-Breaking Classics + New Cali T Special, Sergio and 488GTB!

Ferrari really went all-out for the 2015 Pebble Beach Concours. The marque was specially honored and featured for classics and concours events this year, which is actually a fairly new phenom in the concours circuit. Think of it as perhaps evolving from such a pre-war focus. Along with cars on the lawn and a smashing auction results list, Ferrari brought out its big guns in terms of new metal. Everything but the FXX K and upcoming 488 Spider made an appearance via official displays. (This is in contrast to McLaren mania last year.) The big reveal was a Tailor Made …

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2016 Galpin Fisker ROCKET Speedster Roars Onto Pebble Beach Concept Lawn

The Fisker Rocket makes a big entrance for itself no matter the venue. But the concept lawn at Pebble Beach Concours!? That is a big test of the car’s supercar style, futuristic appeal and up-close inspection of its details! Luckily, the carbon-fiber stunner of a Rocket looks stellar next to priceless hypercars and one-off design bucks. Half the cars on the concept lawn are rollers only, with some moved about atop dollies below fixed wheels and tires! So the conpetition for hearts, eyes and minds is steep. The Rocket Speedster is not just a chop-top of the coupe, to ensure …

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2015 Pebble Beach TOUR d’Elegance Gallery – Rolling Millions Standard, Breakdowns Optional!

The Pebble Beach Tour d’Elegance is one of the coolest events in an action-packed week. Why? Because it is a delight for owners and spectators alike! In contrast with many of the static displays, the 17-mile route shows priceless classics in action. They snort, they howl, and some even growl!  However your Ferrari or Mercedes or any mark sounds, the senses of its design and beauty are greatly enhanced on the road. Winding around the gorgeous Pebble Beach entry roads, the pace is usually… intermittent, shall we say? Waking these slumbering giants of auto history is not always easy. Frequent …

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Update1 – 2015 BMW 3.0 CSL Hommage R Concept Makes Race-Ready Debut at Pebble Beach

Updated 8.16.15 with 22 new photos At this very hour last year, we were limping away from the BMW Pebble Beach mansion after a party celebrating the M5 Jahre 30 Edition and Vision Future Luxury. A day of roaming the Pebble Beach grounds left our feet blistered and bloody — but the Nikon SD card full of fantastic photos. This year, we are covering the events from afar — feet intact and dress shoes safely stowed in closet. It is cars like this new Hommage R concept that make us wish were spending $1000 a day to not drive any …

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2001 BMW M3 GTR Race and Road Cars Attending Autobahn Concours in Monterey

BMW is mining some fairly recent greatest hits for the Autobahn Concours in Monterey this week. As you probably know, Pebble Beach Concours often dominates the headlines of the Monterey Bay’s automotive week, but it is just one of more than a dozen locales and events throughout Carmel and the town of Monterey itself. The M3 GTR racecar in stars and stripes livery has just completed a wheels-up restoration, and is a proud member of the BMW racing legacy. The road variant of this killer racecar will also be in attendance. What might these cars signal for the future BMW …

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One-Off MSO McLaren 570S Debuts Ahead of Pebble Beach Concours

McLaren is loading up its precious cargo ahead of Pebble Beach concours week with more than one special model to show stateside for the first time. The latest is the 2016 570S by MSO, a one-off custom showcasing the bespoke design and engineering of the McLaren Special Operations division. Painted a moody purple color called Mauvine Blue, the MSO 570S also includes a special cabin treatment as well. This color combination shows the infinite palette available to McLaren buyers. MSO also has a new ready-to-wear line to showcase with a Ventura Orange 570S for the concept lawn. Wearing a variety …

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INFINITI Vision GT Makes Real-Life Debut – Headed to Pebble Beach 2015?

Here is some great news from Infiniti! The brand’s Gran Turismo Vision GT car just debuted in Shanghai — at an art museum, naturally. But first: Everyone knows most concept cars never get “made.” They will not reach production, sure. But with these VGT cars — some of them literally never materialize. They are 100-percent digital fantasies. Sure, the design studio might have a clay styling buck – but rarely a concept roller ready for the global show circuit. Since revealing this stunning flagship GT study in December, Infiniti has indeed completed a real-world concept car. Although shown in China …

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2015 Toyota Camry Retraces NASCAR Roots with a Drive on Daytona Beach

No NASCAR crash course would be truly immersive at Daytona without a drive on the original NASCAR track – this pristine stretch of flawless Atlantic beach. First off, an intro. Why would driving on sand at speeds topping 140-mph have ever seemed like a good idea? When you put yourself in the driver’s seat 65 years ago, running high-powered and highly dangerous racecars on Daytona Beach actually seems really reasonable. Daytona Beach has three qualities that make it extremely desirable for high-speed runs: it is smooth, flat and nearly endless. Those same criteria are exactly what the  Bugatti Veyron La …

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2015 Ford Mustang Convertible Sweeps Muscle Beach! MEGA 140-Photo Gallery

400 photos on a sunny beach in the middle of January? With one of the hottest new cars of 2015? And not just a muscle-car icon reborn for its 50th birthday, but the all-new ragtop version? Yes, yes yes!! It was a heavenly few days in the new 2015 Ford Mustang Convertible – capped by a trip to the beach for a photo shoot that: — delivered some amazing shots of the car right on the Gulf of Mexico, steps from the salty ocean — not getting the car stuck or damaged by sand driving (!) We absolutely adored the …

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Concept Flashback – 2003 ItalDesign Moray Corvette By Giugiaro

  The Corvette Moray is a slippery one — in many senses of the word! Named after the shimmery Moray eel and styled to glide through this world without disturbing the air, the Moray Corvette from ItalDesign in 2003 is interesting for a few reasons. First off, though, let’s discuss what it is under these sleek new panels and triple glass bubble canopy. It is a C5 underneath — so the guys had their work cut out for them in making it special and respected at Pebble Beach and in Geneva. It is a full reskin from tip to tail, …

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Concept Flashback – 2012 McLaren X-1 Introduced MSO Skills To World … In Hideous Fashion?

The MSO X-1 customer car from 2012 was a grand intro to MSO at Pebble Beach in 2012 — and boy was it a shocking coming out party. Many were rightly flabbergasted by its design – as though George Jetson had won the powerball. But while the X-1 will certainly not go down in history as one of the most beautiful cars, it did its job of showcasing MSO’s talents very well indeed. Not a panel from the MPF-12C remained on the X-1 — which also has totally unique proportions and a heavy-handed style all its own. The nose is …

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Pebble Beach 2014 Concours Lawn – 1935 Cadillac 370D Fleetwood V12 Town Cabriolet

Getting a car onto the Pebble Beach Concours lawn is mostly objective: the car has to fit the category and be absolutely flawless in every way. But moving from the fairway and onto the greens where the awards are given? That is all about subjective appeal — with metrics like “elegance” telling you that winning is largely about the mood of the year and the slinky aesthetic of the cars in question. All this seems silly until you spend time with a car like this. Elegant is one of the first things that comes to mind, and sticks with you …

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Pebble Beach 2014 Concours Lawn – 1936 Horch (Auto Union) 853 Cabriolet

Despite Audi’s rapid rise to prominence in the global luxury stakes over the past 20 years, there is still one place where Audi has almost no presence versus rivals BMW and Mercedes. This is primarily because Audi is formed from the merger of four automakers into the “Auto Union” we know today. Each of the marques is one of the four rings in the modern Audi badge. One of those brands was Horch — and this 853 Cabriolet is not only seriously exclusive, but also very refined in the flesh. Most cars from this era were destroyed in WWII, as …

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Pebble Beach Concours – 1911 Hotchkiss AD Amiet Enclosed Limousine

  Paris-based Amiet bodied this Hotchkiss limo in 1911 — more than 30 years after Connecticut industrialist arrived in France to set up a military armaments factory. The competitors for the Hotchkiss would have been the Benz wagon. Looking like a stagecoach was a nice ‘in’ to gentrified society buyers. These folks had long traveled within enclosed coaches, leaving the rain and smells of the city to the driver up front or simple farmers. For a sense of what the hoi polloi were traveling in? See the steam-car nearby for context! After more than 100 years, this original Hotchkiss limo …

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Top 10 Most Beautiful Pebble Beach Hood Ornaments

One of the most delightful details of cars in the 1920s and 1930s are their hood ornaments. These free-standing sculptures became a symbol of prestige and class and were a sign of a super-luxury car due to their labor-intensive casting and polishing processes — not to mention the actual concept vision, sculpting prototypes for the reverse mold, followed by chrome or brass plating. The below are all pretty outstanding, with the anthropomorphic ones featuring living creatures as perhaps a bit more captivating than the pure Art Deco style shown by the LaSalle and Horch Auto Union cars. In terms of …

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1954 Ferrari 375MM is 2014 Pebble Beach Best of Show

1954 Ferrari 375MM is 2014 Pebble Beach Best of Show This Ferrari has been all over the car news world since winning Best of Show. We know it is beautiful and one-of-a-kind since being reshelled as a coupe for one special owner. The tag itself is car-friendly. This is the classic auto world’s highest honor, but every one of the cars there is an absolute obsession and treasure for its owners. Great cars. The Best “of” show is a bit more human than the “Best in Show” label on many other pursuits.     1954 Ferrari 375 MM is 2014 …

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All Six Bugatti Veyron Legends Together In Pebble Beach 2014

      A few fashion photos set the mood nicely below for a true event. The amazing Bugatti Legends collection in full. All six Veyron Legends together for their grand society entrance at Pebble Beach 2014.     An intriguing collection of inspirations and honors in the group, with drivers, designers, engineers and, in fact, previous cars as the inspiration for the six Legends of Bugatti. Which is your favorite? Or do you have other ideas? Here is the Veyron Vitesse configurator link to add color your Veyron GS Vitesse dreams…  http://www.bugatti.com/en/vitesse/configurator.html     Bugatti Lifestyle Collection Black Bess …

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1965 Alfa Romeo Giulia TZ by Zagato Crosses Million Mark At Gooding PB 2014

Great results for this little “Julia” rally special from Alfa Romeo. The Zagato provenance, racing livery and fantastic interior all certainly contributed to the final price, as performance will be pretty mellow by modern supercar standards. 1965 Alfa Romeo Giulia TZ   GOODING & Co. 2014 PEBBLE BEACH Estimate: $1,250,000 – $1,500,000 SOLD: $1,023,000 Chassis: 10511AR750099   CAR HIGHLIGHTS Among the Most Successful Competition Cars of the 1960s A Wonderfully Presented Example of an Italian Masterpiece An Incredibly Capable Touring or Vintage Racing Car One of 112 TZs Built Between 1963 and 1967 Well-Documented History of Caring Stewardship TECHNICAL SPECS …

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1938 Tatra T97 Aerodynamic Sedan at Pebble Beach 2014 Concours – 54 Gorgeous Photos

Snapping a full round of this red Tatra T97 Aero was a rare treat on Pebble Beach Concours Sunday. Very early in the morning, the sun was shining bright for the first time of the week. Tatra was a special marque invite for the 2014 Concours – in a mission to seek more variety and representation from unconventional marques. We know very little about the Tatra T97, in truth, but adore it almost instantly. Perhaps it is the long-running Volkswagen Beetle passion, or its flare for the aerodynamic… but the Tatra T97 is very charming. In many ways, the Tatra …

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Gooding Pebble Beach 2014 Highlights – 1969 Ferrari 365 GTB4 Daytona Competizione

When it comes to classic sports cars, any link to Le Mans is generally as good as gold. For this amazing machine, that gold is shiny and pure.  This Daytona Competizione is a factory-prepped race car delivered to Chinetti Motors at Le Mans a week before the 1971 race. The car came in 5th overall and later second in its class in the 1972 Daytona race — proving its worth on nearly every major global circuit. The racing upgrades make the car worth nearly 10X what a Daytona coupe is worth, however, with the estimate topping $5.5-million in pre-sale materials. …

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Gooding Pebble Beach 2014 – 1966 Ferrari 365P Tre Posti Is Surprise No-Sale at $22-Million

By all expert accounts, this 1966 Tre Posti may be one of the most important Ferrari road cars ever made. It contains a number of racing technologies that took decades longer to reach actual Ferrari road cars — and not just this Paris Auto Show concept. — Mid-engine V12 — Central driving position flanked by two outer seats (a la the McLaren F1 much later) — Lightweight plexiglass roof — Shrouded headlamps, ultra-wide and super-low proportions This car can be thought of as Ferrari’s Miura rival — but far more incomplete in many ways. The overall biggest reason that the …

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