Porsche is one of, if not the most successful manufacturers in endurance racing, seeking their record extending 17th outright victory in the 24 Hours of Le Mans this summer. It nevertheless took the German team until 1968 before it scored the first outright win in a 24-hour race. The car to break the duck for Porsche is this Daytona 24 Hours 907L. Powered by a 2.2 litre flat eight engine, this highly efficient machine crossed the line three cars abreast as the sister cars placed second and third. Despite its historic significance, it was raced until 1973 and has since been campaigned in historic events for many years as well. Now freshly restored, chassis 907-005 will be the star lot of next week's Gooding Amelia Island sale, where it is estimated to sell for at least $3.5 million. Another Porsche-engined Daytona 24 Hours winning car due to cross the block in Amelia Island is this March 83G Porsche, which won the race in 1984 after clinching the IMSA championship a year earlier. Probably the single most successful March sports racer is estimated to sell for $750,000 - $1 million.
The most recent addition to the ever growing list of Geneva releases is the Lexus RC F GT3 Concept, which offers a preview of the GT3 due to make its on-track debut in 2015. It will be powered by a 540 bhp version of the RC F engine.
Volvo will also offer a glimpse of what is to come with the Estate Concept. This is the the third in a series of three show cars that will form the basis for the Swedish manufacturer's future design direction.
McLaren and Vauxhall have meanwhile released further images and details of the high performance 650S Coupe and Astra VXR Extreme announced earlier this month.

At next week's Geneva Motor Show, Jaguar will launch yet another very desirable machine in the form of the XFR-S Sportbrake. This high performance machine combines the practical estate body of the XF Sportbrake with the 550 hp supercharged V8 of Jaguar's range topping models. To cope with the additional power, the XFR-S Sportbrake also features an uprated suspension. The result should make runs to the supermarket more fun and quicker than ever before.
An altogether more docile estate due to be shown at the Swiss show is the MINI Clubman Concept. As the name suggests, this is a preview of the upcoming Clubman model based on the recently introduced third generation MINI.
Designed by master students of the Instituto Europeo di Design in Turin, the mid-engined Hyundai PassoCarto will certain grab a lot of attention in Geneva. The evocative name, Italian for Short Wheelbase, is combined with a mid-engined layout.
In the Japanese Super GT championship it will be all change this year as the regulations have been revised to more closely match the DTM, with the exception of the engines. The new generation cars will share many common components including the carbon-fibre monocoque and brakes. Nissan will field this GT-R Nismo GT500, which is powered by a direct injection, turbocharged four cylinder engine. In addition to new images, the Japanese manufacturer has also released a video showing the car in action at Fuji and also explaining the changes for 2014.

Three-time World Champion Niki Lauda turned 65 this weekend. The talented Austrian scored the first of his three titles with the Ferrari 312 T. This was the first F1 Ferrari to combine Mauro Forghieri's flat 12 engine with a transverse (hence the name) gearbox. After a difficult debut in round three of the 1975 World Championship, it dominated Formula 1 well into the 1976 season. More importantly it ended a decade long world championship drought for the Italian team. To celebrate Lauda's birthday and an era when F1 cars were as fast as they were pretty, we have taken a detailed look at the 312 T. Our exclusive 51-shot gallery includes images of three different examples seen in action at Monaco and Spa Francorchamps.
The 1970s also saw a colourful mix of British 'kit-cars' built around the ubiquitous Ford Cosworth DFV engine, which raced with a varying degree of success. One of the more prolific manufacturers of the day was March, who also produced cars for customers. One of them was the 721G Cosworth, reportedly developed in just nine days. Apparently the G is short for Guinness in reference in the record amount of time the car was built. The result reflected the rush in which the 1972 March was built and the March 731 that was derived from it also failed to impress.
Replacing the Surtees TS7 we featured a fortnight ago was the slightly larger TS9 Cosworth, which in turn evolved into the TS9B Cosworth. The latter would turn out to be the best Surtees Grand Prix car and saw the team end 1972 fifth in the constructor's standing.

The 1990s was a great decade for touring car racing with the British Touring Car Championship (BTCC) leading the way. The popular series was run under the very lenient Super Touring regulations, which resulted in some of the most sophisticated tin-tops ever built. Dominating the final season of the Super Touring era (2000) was the Prodrive developed and built Ford Mondeo Super Touring. This was powered by a V6 mounted so low in the chassis that the driveshafts actually ran over the engine. In their second year with new partner Prodrive, Ford could finally reap the reward from sticking with BTCC from 1993 onwards as the drivers finished the 2000 season first, second and third in the standings. Today we have taken a closer look at the 2000-specification Ford Mondeo Super Touring with a detailed history of two of the four examples built. One of these will be offered over the weekend by Silverstone Auctions at their Race Retro sale.
Meanwhile, Formula 1 testing has resumed this week at Bahrain. One of the most highly anticipated cars on track was the Lotus E22 Renault, which did not run at Jerez. It boasts a truly unique two-fingered nose to meet the revised aero regulations. Over the last few days, the new E22 Renault has not yet impressed.
Yesterday, Audi released the first sketches of the third generation TT, which will first see the light of day at the upcoming Geneva Motor Show. Judging from the artist impressions, the compact coupe will have sharper lines than ever before. Also due to debut in Switzerland will be the Mazda Hazumi and Subaru VIZIV 2 concepts.

This year's Retromobile show was one of the finest we have ever attended and accordingly there were many highlights. Not in the least a pair of achingly beautiful Ferraris; the 330 P4 shown by Franco Meiners and the similarly styled 206 S Dino Spyder brought by Peter Wiesner. The two cars have recently been released and were first seen following their restoration at Retromobile. The most substantial work was done to the 1967 Le Mans-class winning 330 P4, which since late 1967 has sported a Can-Am style bodywork. Re-bodied by David Piper in 2013, it has most recently been revised once again now with Coupe bodywork. In addition to chassis 0858 displayed at Retromobile, our 35-shot gallery also includes images of the highly original chassis 0856 and the 0900 replica. Not quite as rare, the 206 S Dino Spyder on show in Paris has had the same owner for over four decades. Our 48-shot gallery includes shots of four different examples.
Among the most recent machines announced for the Geneva Motor Show is the hardcore Aston Martin V8 Vantage N430, which combines the 430 hp engine out of the Vantage S with a track-honed chassis. It will be available as a Coupe or a Roadster later this year. Audi meanwhile released the first details of the fourth member of the S3 family; the S3 Cabriolet. It uses the same 300 hp engine as its tin-top sister models and comes standard with a six-speed, dual clutch automatic gearbox.

A year after making the company's Geneva Motor Show debut, McLaren will once again be one of the star attractions at the shores of Lac Leman with the high performance 650S. Based on the MP4-12C, the new McLaren will be available in coupe or spider form. The name is a reference to the 650 hp engine, while the S is short for Sport. The car's exterior design is influenced by the sell-out P1 launched 12 months ago. McLaren have released the first images and details of the 650S Coupe but we will have to wait another fortnight to see a first glimpse of the Spider.
Volkswagen will use the Swiss show to introduce the heavily revised Scirocco range. The line-up will be spearheaded by the Scirocco R, which benefits from both cosmetic and performance upgrades. The familiar, direct-injection and turbocharged engine has been tweaked to produce 280 hp; an increase of 15 hp.
A set fixture at Geneva is local design and engineering company Rinspeed, who each year produce one of the show's most exciting concept cars. This year's machine is dubbed the XchangE, which focuses on autonomous driving. Based on the highly acclaimed Tesla Model S, it features drive by wire controls. As a result, the steering wheel can be moved to a central position while the car itself takes control. During this time a state-of-the-art entertainment system will ensure that the XchangE's passengers will not be bored.

Ahead of the official launch at the Geneva Motor Show in just over a fortnight, Ferrari have released the first images and details of the California T. Replacing the existing California, it is more than a facelift as most of the changes are skin-deep. The biggest news is a brand new V8 engine equipped with two turbos, which is good for 552 bhp. Ferrari insist the engine behaves very much like a naturally aspirated engine thanks to variable geometry turbines. As can be seen in this 10-shot gallery, the exterior design has also been extensively revised with the legendary 'pontoon fender' 250 TR serving as one of the inspirations.
California is one of the classic Ferrari monikers, best known for the spartan 250 GT roadsters. It was also used for the final custom order Ferrari; the 365 California Spyder, produced in 1966 and 1967 at a rate of one a month. Little known today, the very large 2+2 convertible sported some very unusual styling cues like the pop-up headlights and trapezoidal taillights. Priced at a formidable $20,000 only 14 were eventually built, many of which were acquired by the world's rich and famous. Our detailed article is illustrated by a 57-shot gallery, featuring no fewer than 7 different chassis, including the example that recently changed hands for a record breaking $3 million.

John Surtees OBE has turned 80 years old yesterday. The versatile racer is still the only World Champion on two and four wheels but also built, fielded and raced cars under his own name in the early 1970s. Team Surtees' very first Formula 1 car was the TS7 Cosworth. Built around an unusually square monocoque, it was raced with considerable success in 1970 by Surtees himself and a young Derek Bell. We captured the Surtees TS7 at Goodwood some years ago with both Surtees and Bell behind the wheel.
As March approaches, the number of Geneva previews will only increase. Among them this week are the 228 bhp Audi S1 and Audi S1 Sportback. Mercedes-Benz will use the Swiss show to present the all-new S-Class Coupe. The range topping model of the large coupe will be powered by a twin-turbo V8, good for 449 bhp.
Concept cars are also expected to star in Geneva and these include the near production-ready Honda Civic Type R, Skoda VisionC and SsangYong XLV.
At the Boca Raton Concours in Florida, Hennessey will reveal the HPE700 Twin Turbo Corvette. As the name suggests, this high performance Stingray will be powered by a twin-turbo version of the V8, belting out over 700 bhp.
An interesting project that captured our eye is the recently established David Brown Automotive's Project Judi. Based on Jaguar XKR underpinnings, it will feature a bespoke body with hints of Aston Martins of old.

Paris was the capital of the historic car world this past week as it was the scene of the annual Retromobile show and three major auctions. The sales were hosted by RM Auctions, Bonhams and Artcurial, who auctioned cars for a combined EUR 64 million. Retromobile was nevertheless the main event of the week. Held for the 39th time, it was located for the first time in Hall 1 of the Porte de Versailles exhibition centre. The additional floorspace available was filled with the same high quality machinery as we have become used from Retromobile. Among the many highlights were the freshly restored Ferrari 330 P4, a pair of Mercedes-Benz CLK-LMs, a Peugeot 905 and Jaguar XJR-14 placed side-by-side and a fabulous selection of Alpine racing cars to name just a few.
We spent two full days in Paris to capture all the highlights. The result is this detailed report, illustrated by four galleries with a total of 350 images. As always, you can expect more detailed features on the finest cars of the show in the coming days.

Yesterday, Retromobile kicked off in Paris' Porte de Versailles exhibition centre. The annual show is famous for throwing more than a few surprises. This year, we were particularly impressed with two road-going competition cars from Mercedes-Benz and Ferrari. The rarest of the pair was the Mercedes-Benz CLK-LM Strassenversion, which was brought by French dealer Classic Sport Leicht. It was one of just two road-going CLK-LMs built to homologate the competition car, which qualified on pole at Le Mans in 1998. That was also the last time, this road car was seen in public. With the other destroyed in the mandatory crash test, this is also the only example remaining. Following a long spell in Japanese ownership, the unique CLK-LM Strassenversion only recently returned to Europe. At Retromobile, it was displayed alongside one of the equally rare competition versions.
Around three decades earlier, Ferrari faced similar homologation issues when the Italian company tried to pass the 250 LM as a GT car. In the final effort to convince governing bodies the mid-engined machine was really not a prototype, Ferrari handed a chassis to Pininfarina to create a proper road car. Known as the 250 LM Stradale, it featured many detail changes including a longer wheelbase, full bumpers and a plexiglass rear window. We have seen the original Stradale many times as can be seen in our 55-shot gallery but on display on Lukas Huni's stand at Retromobile was one of the competition cars that was converted by Ferrari a few years later. Still equipped with bumpers and the plexiglass rear window, chassis chassis 5995 today sports a striking silver livery highlighted by the French Tricolore.
A full report of the show, with all its surprises, and the three Paris auctions will follow early next week.

Tomorrow, RM Auctions will hold their first ever sale in Paris as part of the Retromobile week. We stopped by the viewing this morning and picked out one of the great cars on display for our final preview. This is a Delahaye 135 S Competition Roadster, one of the 16 examples built in 1936. Combining a lightweight chassis with a tuned engine and a cycle fender bodywork, the production based 135 S was as versatile as it was successful. Among the victories scored were outright wins in the Rally Monte Carlo and the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Many of the cars were raced well into the 1950s with continued success. Our detailed article is illustrated by a 79-shot gallery and details from six different examples. Among them is chassis 47187, which will cross the block at RM Auctions' Paris Sale tomorrow. When new, it was raced by talented youngster Rene le Begue, whose exploits in the Delahaye earned him a Talbot Lago works drive. During the 1940s, it was fitted with a Figoni & Falaschi inspired coupe body, which was removed again in more recent years. Having had just two owners in the last five decades, it is estimated to sell for over EUR 1 million.

On Wednesday, the annual Retromobile show in Paris will open its doors. Among the main themes this year is a special Lancia display created by Swiss broker Lucas Huni. One of the cars due to star on this display will be a genuine D24 Sport Pinin Farina Spyder. Created by Vittorio Jano in the early 1950s, this V6-engined sports car was one of the most sophisticated racers of its era. During its brief career, the D24 won the Carrera Panamericana, Targa Florio and the Mille Miglia. Unfortunately the sports car program was dovetailed in favour of a more prestigious Grand Prix effort. This ambitious venture literally bankrupted the company and the competition program was wound down entirely. At that time all cars were scrapped. During the 1980s, four replicas were built using original components. The Lancia D24 featured and due to appear at Retromobile is one of the actual survivors, making it one of the most important Lancias in existence.
Ahead of the official launch at the Geneva Motor Show early in March, BMW have released the first details and images of the all-new 4-Series Gran Coupe. The range will be topped by the 435i Gran Coupe, which is powered by the 300 bhp, turbocharged straight-six engine. Also included in the line-up will be a choice of diesel engines and an optional four-wheel drive version. A Motorsport model will no doubt follow.