American team owner Chip Ganassi had an incredibly successful season last year. The only one that got away was the Daytona 24 Hours, where one of his cars placed second. He had the opportunity this weekend to set that straight and did so with in great style, by scoring a one-two victory. This dominant result was certainly not a given in a tumultuous race that was neutralised for almost three hours in the early morning due to a cover of fog. In the end five cars finished on the same, making it one of the closest Daytona 24 Hours history. It was also the third straight victory for the Riley Mk XX chassis at Daytona. Like last year, Ganassi's cars featured a Dinan prepared BMW V8 engine. The 2010 GrandAm champions Scott Pruett and Memo Rojas were joined by Joey Hand and Graham Rahal in the winning '01' car. With this win, Rahal followed in the footsteps of his father Bobby, who won the legendary race back in 1981. Both of Ganassi's Rileys are featured in this 12-shot gallery.
In 2011 the Formula 1 grid will feature two distinctly different teams that both lay claim to the Lotus name and will run under the 'Lotus Renault' banner but for different reasons. The first is the former Renault team that has acquired car manufacturer Lotus as the title sponsor. They will race this Renault R31 in the classic black and gold colours of the 1970s and early 80s. The second is 'Team Lotus', which uses the Renault engine. This was the team that operated under license as Lotus Racing last year but severed the ties with Group Lotus after acquiring the Team Lotus name. Their new machine is this T128 and is liveried in the equally classic green and yellow. There is understandably a dispute between the two and it is up to a judge to decide whether both teams can use the Lotus name. He will not reach a verdict until after the first race, so we may start with two Lotus teams and end with just one.
Ahead of the full launch of their new car tomorrow, Mercedes Grand Prix have released this render of their upcoming W02.

This morning officially kicked off the 2011 Formula 1 season with the launch of the new F150 Grand Prix racer. The type and the big flag on the rear wing are a reference to the 150th anniversary of the unification of Italy. Compared to the outgoing car, the biggest changes are the return of KERS and the switch to Pirelli rubber. More subtle changes include safety improvements to the cockpit and wheel tethers, as well as a moveable rear wing. This allows chasing drivers to temporarily cut the drag to make overtaking easier. Ferrari were quick to state that the aero-package fitted to the launch model will be significantly altered before the first race in Bahrain. Weather permitting, the F150 will be shaken down this afternoon and driven again tomorrow to shoot promotional material. Testing will start in earnest next Wednesday and before that most of Ferrari's rivals will have also launched their cars.
Volkswagen went to two extremes at the inaugural Qatar Motor Show this week; the very sensible XL1 Concept shared the stage with the absolutely mad Touareg 3 Qatar. This is nothing more than a thinly disguised, road going version of the diesel engined Racing Touareg that scored Volkswagen's third consecutive win in the Rally Dakar. It should make for a very exciting machine to scoot through the desert that surrounds the city-state. VW subsidiary Lamborghini was also on hand and released the latest special edition of the Gallardo. Dubbed the Bicolore, it not surprisingly features a two-tone finish. In Europe and Asia, this version will be available on the LP560-4, whereas the North American market will have to settle for a Bicolore on the LP550-2 spec Gallardo.
Ahead of its Geneva Motor Show launch, Toyota released this teaser picture of the FT-86 II Concept. Although we can not tell much from the shot, this should be a near production-ready version of the upcoming sports car.

Hot on the heels of the first leaked shots, Pagani have now released the full details on the upcoming Huayra. It is set to replace the Zonda, which has remained in production for over a decade. From every angle, it is obvious that a clean sheet was used for the design of the Huayra, which is named after an ancient South American god of the wind. Drawing inspiration from jet-fighters, Horacio Pagani combined sharp lines with swooping curves. What also stands out is the lack of a permanent rear wing and the use of 'gullwing' doors. Under the shapely carbon fibre panels, a bespoke Mercedes-Benz / AMG V12 engine is found. Thanks to the application of two turbochargers, it is capable of producing in excess of 700 bhp and over 1000 Nm of torque. Another novelty is the application of a transversely mounted, seven-speed, sequential gearbox. Despite its high-performance drivetrain and luxuriously appointed interior, the Huayra only weighs 1350 kg.
The Huayra's official debut is scheduled for Geneva in just over a month. Production should commence shortly after in a larger factory as Pagani hopes to build slightly more cars per year. The Huayra nevertheless has a reputed price-tag of 1 million Euro; quality still does not come cheaply.

Aston Martin today revealed a new addition to the popular V8 Vantage line-up. Known as the V8 Vantage S, it features a variety of performance enhancing tweaks that sets it apart from the base model. The familiar engine produces ten additional horses, which are transferred to the rear wheels through an all new semi-automatic gearbox. This 'Sportshift II' is 20% quicker and has seven close ratios to provide lightning quick acceleration. Modifications to the suspension include a quicker steering rack and revised electronics. The 'S' also has unique exterior features like a larger intake, an extended rear deck 'flip' and standard 19 inch wheels. This more poised version of the V8 Vantage is available as both a Coupe and Roadster.
Volkswagen used the inaugural Qatar Motor Show to reveal the third in a line of very frugal concept cars. True to its name, this XL1 is a slightly bigger version of the L1 shown in Frankfurt almost two years ago. The car's power comes from a hybrid drivetrain that consists of a two cylinder diesel engine and an electric motor. The combined output of these two is 75 bhp, which sounds modest but certainly is not considering the XL1's low weight of just 795 kg. With a carbon fibre chassis at its core, this is achieved by the extensive use of exotic materials. The result is a car that can run 313 miles on one gallon of fuel and has a CO2 emission of just 24 g/km. Of the three concepts, the XL1 certainly looks the most production ready.

It is all change for Retromobile this year, which kicks off on February 2nd. The traditional European season opener in Paris has been shortened to just five days and also has a new auction partner; Artcurial Motorcars. They offer an eclectic mix of cars, including a collection of ten Aston Martins at no reserve and a collection of fifteen limousines from heads of state, thirteen of which are offered with no reserve as well. Our favourite lot of the sale is this Invicta Type 'Low Chassis'. It is not only highly original but also one of very few or perhaps even the only S-Type clothed with a fixed head body. More commonly the legendary 'Low Chassis' Invctas were fitted with open coach-work from the likes of Carbodies, Vanden Plas and Corsica. This very rare machine was brought to France by an Englishman and has been owned by the same enthusiast since 1972. Artcurial's February 4th auction offers a very rare opportunity to acquire this spectacular Invicta, which is estimated to sell for 550,000 - 850,000 Euro.
Last year's Retromobile auctioneer Bonhams will also host an auction in Paris during the same weekend. This sale will be held at the fabulous Grand Palais, which for many years was the venue of the Paris Motor Show. Boasting an equally spectacular line-up, this auction is headlined by a series of Bugattis as well as two 6C 1750 Alfa Romeos, an early A6 Maserati and two competition Porsches. Our eye was caught by this Type 46 Bugatti. Only a handful of these 'Petit Royales' have survived and this particular example sports a unique 'Faux Cabriolet' body by Dutch coach-builders Veth & Zoon. It was cherished by its first owner for nearly three decades and has recently been completely restored. It is estimated to pass into new hands for 500,000 - 600,000 Euro.

Ferrari have today released the first details of the revolutionary FF, which is set to replace the 612 Scaglietti. The spectacular machine sees Ferrari move away from the traditional front-engined coupe layout used by all of Ferrari's previous luxury Grand Tourers. The biggest news is found under the swooping Pininfarina styled body. That news is a first for Ferrari; all-wheel drive. This feeds the 660 horsepower from the direct injection V12 to all wheels through a dual-clutch gearbox. The styling in itself is also far from conventional, with its shooting-brake tail that offers additional room for the passengers in the rear seats and unprecedented luggage space. The FF will make its public debut at the upcoming Geneva Motor Show.

For many decades the four-valve per cylinder engine was labeled 'cutting-edge' even though it was first used on the Peugeot Grand Prix cars of the early 1910s. One of Peugeot's designers, the hugely talented Ernest Henry, perfected that design for the straight eight found in the Ballot 3/8 LC built for the 1920 Indy 500. By many this is considered as the first 'modern' engine due to the use of a fully enclosed valve-train, with the valves and springs fitted in cups. This would become the standard layout for decades to come. Engine manufacturers by trade, the Ballot brothers had hired Henry to develop a complete racing car to bring publicity to their recently established road car line. The result was the 3/8 LC, which was also one of the first cars fitted with a straight eight engine. It had a 3-litre displacement and produced close to 110 bhp.
With racing still suspended in Europe, a team of four cars was sent to Indy in the spring of 1920. The chief rival for the sophisticated French machine on outright pace was the Duesenberg 183, which also used a straight eight engine. Neither car won but Rene Thomas did record a hard-fought second in the featured Ballot. The cars raced on for two more seasons, scoring a second and third in the prestigious French Grand Prix and a victory in the inaugural Italian Grand Prix.
Thomas' second placed 3/8 LC is one of at least two examples that have survived. It has been lovingly restored over the last few years and was first show at Pebble Beach. An absolutely fascinating sight, it still showed the scars of Thomas' big shunt in one of the Indy practice sessions.

German manufacturer BMW has today released the first details of a new generation of engines. Known as 'Twin Power', these sophisticated engines promise to deliver the same performance of existing engines that have a larger displacement and/or more cylinders. Debuting in this X1, the first one certainly produces impressive figures. Displacing just 2 litres, this four-cylinder puts out a staggering 245 bhp and 350 Nm of torque. This is the result of combination direct injection, variable valve timing and a twin-scroll turbocharger. The latter ensures that a large portion of the torque is already available from idle, which sets it apart from conventional high performance turbocharged engines. In addition to yielding more power, the cutting-edge 'four' also offers better fuel mileage and a reduction in emissions. We certainly look forward to seeing the engine in something a little more exciting than the X1 xDrive28i.
Even though the NAIAS in Detroit is still open to the public, manufacturers are already looking ahead to the upcoming show in Geneva, set to kick off early in March. Mazda will unveil the Minagi Concept, which is the second show car using the recently introduced 'Kodo' design language. Compatriots Mitsubishi are also set to release a concept; the somewhat awkwardly named Concept Global Small. Weird as it may be, the name does relate the purpose of the show car.
Speaking of Detroit; our North American reporter Rob Clements ventured out to the Michigan city last week. His exploits can be seen in this exclusive 100-shot gallery with all the highlights of the show.

Last week we learned of the passing away of Derek Gardner, one of the leading Formula 1 designers of the 1970s. During his spell as chief engineer at Tyrrell, he designed the cars that brought Sir Jackie Stewart the final two of his three World Championships. His most famous design is, however, the Tyrrell P34 Cosworth first shown to the public late in 1976. To date this is the only six-wheeled Formula 1 car to have ever won a Grand Prix. This achievement did not come easy as the unusual layout required some getting used to for both the engineers and drivers. Unfortunately the success was short-lived as the program suffered from the lack of development of the bespoke 10-inch front tyres. After two years the P34 was abandoned and Tyrrell switched back to a more conventional machine with just four wheels. Disappointed, Gardner left Tyrrell and Formula 1 altogether to work as a director for the Borg-Warner company. In recent years, the legacy of the P34 has been further buffed up by the historic racing exploits of especially Martin Stretton. After Avon had been convinced to produce tyres for the six-wheeled Tyrrell, he became a regular winner in the P34. Several other examples have since then returned to the track.
To honour the memory of Derek Gardner, we have completely overhauled our P34 article.The completely revised model history is illustrated by a spectacular 42-shot gallery of five different P34s. They are pictured in action at Monaco, Silverstone, Goodwood and Laguna Seca.

Yesterday, at the Autosport International Show in Birmingham's NEC, Caterham launched the company's first all new model in decades. Developed together with compatriots Lola, the new machine is dubbed the Caterham-Lola SP/300.R. The mid-engined sports prototype is intended for a one-make series or track-day enthusiasts. Power comes from a Caterham modified version of the Ford's Duratec four-cylinder engine. Fitted with a supercharger, it produces around 300 bhp and an additional 30 bhp can be summoned by a 'push-to-pass' button. Its aluminium-honeycomb monocoque chassis was developed by Lola and shares its suspension, wheels and tyres with Lola's Formula 3 car. The potent package is clothed in a polyurethane body that has benefitted from time in the Lola wind-tunnel. Obviously, the SP/300.R looks nothing like the familiar Caterhams, with the exception of the Seven's grille-shape found under the raised nose. At 545 kg the car is extremely light and fully in keeping with Caterham's philosophy. Thanks to the favourable power-to-weight ratio, the small sports racer can reach 60 mph in a staggering 2.5 seconds and can accelerate on to nearly 300 km/h depending on the length of the straight.
Only 25 examples of the SP/300.R will be built per year and they are very reasonably priced at just 60,000 Pounds excluding local taxes.
It's apparently summer already in Stuttgart as Mercedes-Benz have released the first pictures of the latest generation SLK. Among the many tricks on the new two-seater is the optional 'Magic Sky Control', which allows the passengers to adjust the transparency of the panoramic 'vario-roof'. Also available is the 'Airscarf' system, which is a heating system placed on the neck-level. So, actually, summer weather is not really needed to enjoy the SLK with the roof down. The most potent version available at the launch is the SLK 350, which features a 306 bhp V6 engine.

This week the Cobo conference centre in downtown Detroit is once again the host for the annual North American International Auto Show. The 2011 edition saw several manufacturers return to NAIAS after a few years of absence. The most prominent was Porsche, who immediately stole the show with the spectacular 918 RSR hybrid racing concept. Hybrid pioneer Toyota were also out in force to announce two additional models to the Prius range; the slightly larger Prius v and the compact Prius c. The latter was only shown in concept form but a production version is expected soon. Also providing a preview for future models are the Honda Civic Concept and Civic Si Concept. Like the recently launched CR-Z, the 2012 model year will feature the cutting-edge IMA hybrid drivetrain.
Various manufacturers revealed cross-over concept cars, which could hit the streets in coming years. Among them were the Hyundai HCD-12 Concept, the Kia KV7 Concept and the Ford Vertrek Concept.
A full list of this year's most exciting releases from Detroit can be found on our dedicated NAIAS page.

Ahead of the launch of the final production version, Porsche have today taken the wraps of a competition variant of the much loved 918 Concept launched at Geneva last year. Undoubtedly one of the stars of the 2011 edition of the North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) in Detroit, the new Porsche showcar is suitably dubbed the 918 RSR. It uses the same underpinnings and RS Spyder engine as the earlier car but with a fixed head body and the more sophisticated hybrid drive system out of the successful 997 GT3 R Hybrid. Developed together with Williams, this hybrid system uses a flywheel to store the energy generated during braking. On the 918 RSR it powers two front-mounted electric motors, which together produce a hefty 150 kW. Combined with the high-revving, direct-injection V8 engine, the sophisticated drive-trains puts out a staggering 767 bhp. The 918's styling is inspired by the hugely successful 908 and 917 endurance racers of the 1960s and 1970s. A nice nod to those air-cooled machines is the fan placed on the rear deck, between the intake manifolds. The starting number 22 is a reference to the Martini liveried 917K that won the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1971. Using an experimental magnesium chassis, that competition car was also very much a rolling laboratory. Whether we will see the 918 RSR compete on the world's racing tracks as well remains mystery for now.
You can expect much more news from this year's NAIAS on Ultimatecarpage.com in the coming days.

Two of Italy's great brands Ferrari and Zagato have only collaborated on surprisingly few occasions, and usually only following the specific request of a client. Others have been all out show cars like the Ferrari FZ93, launched at the 1993 Geneva Motor Show. This Formula 1 inspired, Ferrari Testarossa based one-off was built to celebrate the return of designer Ercole Spada to the Zagato ranks. Rushed to meet the Geneva deadline, it was later refined by Spada. The styling remained controversial but also hugely influential as many other supercars later adopted the 'F1 nose' pioneered on the FZ93. In July of 2010, we were fortunate to shoot the car at the Goodwood Festival of Speed with this 12-shot gallery as a result. Apparently it was offered by a German dealer for a staggering 1 million Euro soon after.
Among the very few competition Ferraris clothed by Zagato were five 250 GTs built between 1956 and 1959. These were not only exceptionally beautiful but also proved hugely successful on the race track. In 1957 Camillo Luglio became Italian GT champion in one, beating the 'standard' Scaglietti bodied Ferraris. Fifty years later the first of the five cars also served as the inspiration for the 575 GTZ of which six were eventually produced. Over the years we captured two Zagato bodied 250 GTs; the first one and Luglio's championship winning example. They can be admired in this updated 24-shot gallery.
The most recent Ferrari that went through Zagato's hands is this open 550 Barchetta Zagato. It shares its basic design with the aforementioned fixed-head 575 GTZ but uses the stiffer 550 Barchetta chassis. Relatively little is known about the Barchetta Zagato but it is believed only three were built.

To kick off the new year in style, we take a look at one of the finest British sports cars built before the War, which is sadly also one of the least known; the Squire 1500. It was named after its creator, Adrian Squire, who was just 21 years old when started the design of his no-compromise sports car in 1931. Four years later it was ready and featured a stiffer chassis and better brakes than any of its rivals. Power came from the equally sophisticated 'Anzani R1' twin-cam, four-cylinder engine. All this sophistication did put the small Squire in the price bracket of established companies like Bugatti and Alfa Romeo. Eventually only seven examples were produced by Adrian Squire and just three of these were sold to a customer by the factory. Under new ownership, three additional cars were built in 1937. Unfortunately Adrian Squire faired little better than his company as he was killed during a bomb-raid while working for Bristol in 1940. All but one of the cars have survived and only change hands very rarely.
We were very fortunate to run into two of the survivors in 2010. The first one is this Markham Roadster, which was the second prototype and the first Squire sold a customer. Its original, luxurious Vanden Plas coach-work was replaced very early in its life by a much lighter Markham body to go racing. Fittingly we captured the car both at the Concorso d'Eleganza Villa d'Este and a week later in action during the Monaco Historic Grand Prix. The second is the unique Corsica Roadster, which was one of the three additional cars. We had already this Vanden Plas Sports Tourer a few years earlier.
Rounding off we would like to wish you, our many readers, a happy and prosperous new year.

Although it was already announced earlier but this weekend Williams Grand Prix Engineering would start its Formula 1 season without Patrick Head directly involved. The seasoned engineer was one of the team's two founding members along with Frank Williams and has since been a part of all of Williams' successes. He will continue at Williams in the quickly growing hybrid arm that produces the flywheel system used for example in Porsche's hybrid 911 racer.
To honour one of the most successful engineers in Formula 1, we have today taken a closer look at his very first design for Williams; the FW06. Built for the 1978 season, this was a conventional design and while moderately successful struggled to keep up with the more advanced 'ground effect' machines by the competition. Driver Alan Jones did manage to clinch the team's first podium and went on to score 16 points in Williams' debut season as a manufacturer. The cars were used at the start of 1979 as well as a stop gap while Head developed the team's first ground effect racer. This FW07 proved a winner straight out of the box and in 1980 Jones and Williams became world champions with it. Our detailed feature is illustrated by a 24-shot gallery of all four examples produced.