The week building up to Pebble Beach is packed with over a dozen events and auctions. We did manage to attend every one of them, but there was not enough time and room to run articles on the complete lot immediately after Pebble. Now that things have cooled down a little, we have time to catch up. To wrap up October, we highlight two of the newest additions to the busy week, the Concours on the Avenue and the Quail, a Motorsports Gathering. At both events Porsche took center stage. On the first of the two day event in Carmel by the Sea, Porsche was celebrated together with Ferrari, while at Quail no fewer than 12 Porsche 959s lined up. Coincidentally 'Best of Show' at both events was clinched by a Shelby Cobra. That is about where the similarities stop. The Concours on the Avenue has a relatively low threshold with no entrance fees and an entry list of more common, but often exceptionally interesting cars and bikes. We rarely get to see these machines at the major shows, so it was a very pleasant change. At the Quail Lodge on the other hand exclusivity is the key word with only very few and very expensive entry tickets available. The crowd there was treated some superb racing and sports cars. Dan Gurney's All American Racers and the Sebring 12 Hours were celebrated.
Our exclusive reports are illustrated by a 180-shot slideshow for the Concours on the Avenue and a 120-shot slideshow depicting Quail.

Ahead of the official launch next month at the Los Angeles International Auto Show, Nissan today released the first pictures of the new 370Z. Clearly a development of the current generation of the Z-car, the Japanese coupe sports a new exterior styling and engine. As the name suggest it will be an enlarged version of the V6 engine. The 3.7 litre engine was already used in the Infiniti G37. In the Infiniti spec, it produces 330 bhp, but we expect the 370Z engine to produce a bit more. Nissan have released little additional information other than announcing the new Z will hit the showroom floors early in 2009.
It is quite amazing how often Caterham can announce new models. Still sharing the Lotus 7 roots, they only differ from the predecessors in detail. Most importantly they usually offer improved performance. This is also the case with the 'new' Superlight R300. The British company have shoe-horned a 175bhp 'four' in the 515 kg, guaranteeing plenty of fun on road and track.
This season the European GT4 Championship hosted one of the most unusual cars to hit the track in recent years; the KTM X-Bow. Two cars were raced and developed throughout the year. A final specification has been determined and the 'crossbow' racing car is now available direct from the Austrian manufacturer.

Italian supercar manufacturer Lamborghini launched not one, but two new versions of their Gallardo LP560-4. Although based on the same car, their purpose could not be much further apart; the first is created for a one-make racing series, while the other will control the Italian highways.
Murcielagos and Gallardos have already been racing for the last few seasons , but these were built by German tuner Reiter. The new Gallardo Super Trofeo is the first racing car to be offered by Lamborghini since Audi took control. Even though the Super Trofeo has a similar engine to the street car, a strict diet shaved 200 kg off the kerb weight. Other differences include a large rear wing and a revised body kit. Sponsored by Swiss watchmaker Blancpain, the 2009 Super Trofeo one-make series will support some of the greatest race series in Europe like the DTM and FIA GT. Hopefully the Super Trofeo is the first step in the direction of a competition Gallardo that can race its rival in the major international series.
The Gallardo LP560-4 Polizia continues a tradition started in 2004 when the Rome police force first received a Gallardo. At the time it looked more like a publicity stunt, but as it turned out the Rome Gallardo and another based in Lamborghini's hometown Bologna were used extensively. Like its predecessor, the LP560-4 Polizia comes equipped with all the tools required by the modern police officer and is also adapted for high speed donor-organ transport.

The many custom coachbuilders that were active in the first seventy years of the 20th century were true automotive artists. They designed and built exceptional bespoke bodies that reflected the wishes of the customers; whether they wanted exuberant luxury or a featherweight skin for racing. Two of our favourite coachbuilders are without question Zagato from Italy and Figoni & Falaschi from France. To conclude this week we want to highlight a fine example of the work of both of these artisans.
The Milan based Zagato was the absolute master of racing car coachwork in the 1950s, clothing regular race winners from Lancia, Alfa Romeo and Abarth. Amazingly the most successful racing cars of all, Ferrari, were very rarely given the Zagato 'treatment.' This was due to Ferrari's exclusive deal with Pinin Farina. A rare exception is a series of five cars based on the 250 GT 'TdF' chassis. All of these 250 GT Zagatos were ordered by privateer racers and most campaigned with considerable success. Our feature gallery includes pictures of two examples. The first one served as inspiration for the 575 GTZ built two years ago.
Racing was also very much on the agenda of designer Joseph Figoni; an Alfa Romeo bodied with his metal won the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1934. After partnering with Ovidio Falaschi, Figoni's designs became more extravagant. His low-drag shapes were nevertheless still created with performance in mind. Figoni & Falaschi clothed cars have been concours d'elegance winners since their creation in the second half of the 1930s. Among the most successful is this pair of Delahaye 135 MS Torpedo Cabriolets. One of them won the much coveted Pebble Beach of Show in 2000.

Thanks to the efforts of the likes of Cooper, Lotus, McLaren and Williams, England is today heralded as one of the most successful single seater manufacturers. It certainly wasn't always like that; for over thirty years, between 1923 and 1955, the British failed to win a top level Grand Prix. There was a brief glimmer of hope in the 1930s with the very potent ERAs, but they only starred in the small 'Voiturette' class. With renewed confidence the English tried once again after the Second World War with the high profile and disastrous BRM V16 project. In their shadow much smaller manufacturers managed to steadily work their way up. Among them was Connaught, which produced their first single seater in 1950. Dubbed the Connaught A, the prototype was raced for two seasons in the popular Formula 2 class. Series production started in 1952 when the Formula 2 class counted for the Grand Prix World Championship. The A-Series faced formidable opposition from Ferrari and to a lesser extent Maserati in international events. On home soil, however, they proved highly successful. In 1954 it was replaced by the similar B-Series, which was built for the new 2.5 litre Formula 1 regulations. It ended the 30-year drought for England in 1955 as Tony Brooks piloted an example to victory in the Syracuse Grand Prix.
Connaught built nine 'As' and they were raced by many of the great English drivers of the era. Today they are still very popular with historic racers and eligible for all the great events in Europe. Over the last few years we captured four of them in action on the streets of Monaco and at Goodwood. They are pictured in a spectacular 24-shot gallery, which illustrates our detailed article.

Originally established to showcase the latest in aftermarket parts, the annual SEMA show has an ever increasing manufacturer presence. It is one of the few shows where they still show high performance machinery without having the green brigade watching their every move. Dodge will showcase the Challenger SRT10 Concept. As the name suggests, it is a Challenger combined with the V10 engine from the Viper. It's unlikely that the car will ever be produced, but at least Dodge has shown to its customers that this configuration is possible. Quite in contrast with the SEMA show, the Los Angeles International Auto Show will no doubt focus on green and efficient cars. MINI will debut the electric E in LA. The Anglo-German manufacturer plans to build 500 examples of the plug-in electric vehicles. They will be made available to a select group of private and corporate customers in the New York, New Jersey and California area. The project serves as an elaborate test of the technology in day to day use.
Last week we highlighted the very first Porsche and Lola and now it is time to look at the first McLaren; the M1A. Although the gallery does not show the very first example built, it gives a great impression of the British manufacturer's first steps. It is amazing how Bruce McLaren managed to combine his racing exploits with Cooper in Formula 1 and Ford at Le Mans with building his own sports racer. The fifty and sixty year olds again take center stage today. From Lola comes the latest incarnation of their highly successful LMP2 racer; the B08/80 Mazda. Porsche is represented by the super rare 718/2 RSK Spyder, which served as both a sports racer and Formula 2 single seater.

Although it has not received much publicity, Porsche celebrates its 60th anniversary years. British racing car manufacturer Lola, on the other hand, have thrown a big party to celebrate their golden jubilee earlier this month. Today we would like to pay tribute to these great companies by taking an in-depth look at the vital, very first cars produced by the two.
For Porsche, the 356/1 Roadster really was not the first car the Austrian born family had produced, but most importantly it was the very first to bear the Porsche name. The silver two-seater's name and appearance may suggest that it was the prototype for the familiar range of 356 road and racing cars. Under the aluminum skin the first Porsche is actually quite different, sporting a tubular spaceframe and a mid-mounted engine. For practical and economic reasons, the Porsches decided to use the Volkswagen derived platform chassis for the production car. Setting a great Porsche motorsport tradition, the 356/1 Roadster won its class at its first outing. Now 60 years later the unique machine is still owned by Porsche and shown quite regularly. We caught up with it earlier this year at the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance.
By the time Eric Broadley assembled the very first Lola, Porsche was a well established manufacturer of road and racing cars. Built in the proverbial garden shed (a local garage in this case), the Mk1 Prototype actually shared many design elements with the first Porsche. Of course ten years of development made a lot of difference, but both cars used a four cylinder engine, spaceframe chassis and simple aluminum skin. With Broadley behind the wheel, the fabulous little Lola immediately made an impression. Orders came rolling in shortly after its racing debut and by 1959 Broadley was a car manufacturer. In the following years, Mk1s scored class victories on legendary tracks like the Nurburgring and at Sebring. Nearly forty examples were eventually built, many of which are still raced today. Like the first Porsche, the Prototype Mk1 has survived and is regularly campaigned. Our gallery shows it in action during the 2008 Goodwood Festival of Speed.

This month's Paris Motor Show saw Peugeot and its subsidiary Citroen showcase their new hybrid technology (dubbed HYmotion) in many different shapes and sizes. At first glance one of the most interesting hybrid show cars was the Citroen C4 WRC HYmotion4. Based on the all-conquering rally racer, it sports an electric motor than can be used on public roads between the stages. It seems that the WRC regulations do not allow the full potential of hybrid drive. Regulations have little to show about proper concept cars like the Citroen Hypnos and the very stylish Peugeot RC HYmotion4, which features a rear mounted petrol engine and a nose mounted electric motor.
We would like to conclude our Paris coverage with a closer look at two more concept cars. One of the most highly anticipated releases was the Lamborghini Estoque. Previewing a new direction for the Italian company, it can use some design touch-ups before released to the public. For several years Mazda has been the absolute king of the concept cars, showing interesting and often very beautiful machines at almost every show. At Paris the Japanese unveiled the stunning Kiyora. With little modifications we could see this car zoom-zoom its way into production. It also contained the funkiest gadget of the show; a water filtration system that converted rain captured in the roof into drinking water for the passenger.
Yesterday Ford clinched their third consecutive victory in the Bathurst 1000 km race with their Falcon based 'V8 Supercar.' A few days earlier at the Australian International Motor Show they showed a brand new 'V8 Supercar,' based on the current generation Falcon. Dubbed the FG01, it should hit the tracks next year. Also at the Sydney based show, Holden's performance arm HSV celebrated their 40th anniversary by taking the wraps off a limited edition version of the GTS.

Here at Ultimatecarpage.com it is not 'Casual Friday' today, but 'Ferrari Friday' as we take a renewed look at two remarkable prancing horses. First up is one of the biggest surprises of the recent Paris Motor Show; Ferrari California. It is not that we did not know it was going to be there, but rather we were surprised by just how good it looked in person. Earlier this year, when we highlighted the 250 GT Pinin Farina Cabriolet, we already suggested that Ferrari needed a new luxury drop-top. At first we were a little skeptical if the new California would fit that bill and at Paris we found out it did, despite its steel folding roof. The only point of criticism is the name 'California,' which was originally used for the Spartan and competition derived roadsters. The new California is neither, but a fantastic addition to the Italian manufacturer's range nonetheless.
The history of the Ferrari 250 GT SWB 'Breadvan' is a little less straightforward, but ever so interesting. Based on a 1961 competition 250 GT SWB chassis, it was transformed by Ferrari's former employee Giotto Bizzarrini to what he believed could beat Ferrari's own GTO. The result was a very, very quick racing car. It has however gone into history for its unusual appearance, which the French believed resembled a 'camionnette,' or 'Breadvan.' Needless to say the name stuck, making it one of the best known Ferraris of the era. Recently the car was brought back to full running order as can be seen in our spectacular gallery showing the Breadvan in action at Goodwood last month.

Last week dozens of concept, production and show cars were unveiled at the Paris Motor Show, officially known as the Mondial de l'Automobile. After reporting on the show itself on Monday, we now take a closer look at eight of the highlights.
The single most exciting debut was the Citroen GT Concept, which was developed to star in the highly popular Gran Turismo computer game. The evocative lines promise great performance, but unfortunately the only way to drive the Citroen GT is by playing the video game. Almost matching the Citroen's extraordinary exterior was the Renault Megane Trophy. The best news is that this very wild machine is actually fully functional and will be raced in the Megane Trophy races from next season.
German rivals BMW and Audi both showed concept cars that will very likely form the basis for new production cars. The former's Concept X1 was the least disguised and should hit the showrooms shortly alongside the similar MINI Crossover. Audi's A1 Sportback is the second 'A1' concept, indicating Audi is very serious in moving into the city car market. Japanese luxury manufacturer Lexus also expanded their line-up with the stylish IS 250C Coupe / Convertible.
Alternative propulsion was again a hot topic and it looks like more electric cars will enter the market shortly. The most extraordinary will no doubt be the Venturi Volage, which features Michelin's advanced in wheel motor/suspension unit. Much closer to production is the Pininfarina B0, which is the result of a joint-venture between the design-house and French battery experts Bollore. Nissan also jumped on the electric band wagon with the Nuvu, which could enter production as early as 2010.

This weekend the biannual Paris Motor Show (Mondial de l'Automobile) opened its doors to the public. Despite the economic turmoil the mood on the show floor was remarkably optimistic. Pushed to their limits, most manufacturers focused on small and environmentally friendly production and concept cars. Machines like the Alfa Romeo MiTo, Toyota iQ and Fiat Abarth 500 took centre stage. Before the show the exotic manufacturers, like Lamborghini and Ferrari, attracted the most attention with high profile releases and previews. It is always amazing how different a car can look in person as compared to the pictures. Sometimes a car that looks stunning in the pictures can be a disappointment in the metal or the other way. We found some telling examples of this in Paris. Local marque Citroen 'stole the show' with the very exciting 'GT' concept car inspired by the popular Gran Turismo game. They also showed some good humor, by displaying a 2CV upholstered by Hermes. Imagine lining up next to a Hermes Veyron at a traffic light in one of those. I know who looks cooler!
Having spent the better part of two days on the always very hot showfloor to capture the magic, we can now present our full report and exclusive 220-shot gallery. All of the releases will be looked at individually later in the week.

The wait is finally over: Lamborghini has released the first pictures and details of the much anticipated Estoque. To be launched tomorrow at the Paris Motor Show, the show car signals a new direction for the Italian manufacturer. Following competitors Maserati, Aston Martin and Porsche, Lamborghini looks set to venture out into the 'sports-sedan' market. The Estoque is a combination of a very masculine four-door centre section with a nose and tail that clearly draw inspiration from the current Gallardo and Murcielago models. As of now Lamborghini refers to it as a concept car, but the press release is filled with suggestions of features and specification that could make it onto the production version. Not surprising these include the existing powerplants, but also a V8 hybrid engine. The name itself is again a reference to bull fighting; an estoque is a 90 cm sword used by the matador.
We will be on the show-floor the next two days and will compile all the releases and developments in the familiar, well-illustrated show report. If there are more surprises like the Estoque, it could become a most memorable 'Mondial.'