The Motor1 Car Pack
2017 Aston Martin Vanquish Zagato
There are few pairings in the world of automobiles that are as rich in history as that of British manufacturer Aston Martin and Italian coachbuilder Zagato. The last product of their long-running collaboration is this stunning GT based on the excellent Vanquish. It features styling clues from all eras of Aston Martin design, from its basic proportions, which harken back to the 1960 DB4 Zagato, to the rear fascia design, which draws from the latest DB11. Under the bonnet is the same engine found in the "pedestrian" Vanquish, a 6-litre V12 making 595 horsepower and 650 Nm of torque, so you shouldn't worry about the car's performance not meeting the high expectations set by its striking good looks, either. Aston Martin will only sell 99 of these 650 thousand dollars specials, so unless you're part of a very restricted elite, this will likely be the your change to get behind the leather-clad steering wheel of this beauty.
Hint: built to overwhelming demand.
1978 Brabham BT45C
In 1971, financial difficulties forced Ron Taurnac to sell the Brabham team to Bernie Ecclestone. After a few years of fluctuating performance, in 1976 the team debuted the BT45, which was powered by the same flat-12 engine Alfa Romeo used in their successful sportscars. There were high expectations on the performance of the car, but it was plagued by reliability problems which limited its potential: however, during the following two season it constantly evolved and improved, and the BT45C driven by reigning World Champion Niki Lauda and John Watson in the first races of 1978 was a remarkably competitive package - scoring two podium finishes, and helping the team secure a third place finish in that year's Constructor Championship.
Hint: a transitional car, in more ways than one.
2016 Toyota GT86 CS-Cup
If you want to brave the feared and revered Nordschleife in a setting more competitive than the usual Tourist Days, then you should consider this racing version of the GT86. TMG will start from a road-going car, add in adjustable suspensions, a transmission with flat-foot gear shifting and many other performance and safety-oriented improvements - some of which were developed for and tested on the CS-R3 rally car. The 2-litre boxer engine is left almost untouched - it produces 212 ponies, an increase of just seven over the road-going model - but the rest of the car is as race-focused as it could be. The CS-Cup was designed to take part in a one-make series which takes place on the Nordschleife, and it achieved remarkable success in its class at the Nurburgring 24h, but that shouldn't keep you from enjoying its affordable performance anywhere else, should you wish to do so.
Hint: rally-inspired, designed for the Green Hell.
2016 Abarth 124 Sport (Added by the November Samsung QLED TV Car Pack)
Rumors about a Fiat based on the Mazda MX-5 first surfaced as far back as 2012, but when the 124 Sport was finally presented to the public, it still generated a lot of surprise. Despite sharing its chassis and many components with Mazda's product, the 124 manages to look incredibly Italian, with striking lines that take more than a hint from its namesake, which made its debut in 1966 and was penned by Tom Tjaarda. Another radical difference from the MX-5 is in the powerplant, which is a 1.4 litre turbocharged engine. The Abarth, with its aggressive bodykit and matte black front and rear bonnets, is a homage to the racing version which achieved international rallying success in the 1970s, and thanks to 170 horses galloping under the matte black hood it makes it to 240 kph, with a 0-100 time of 6.8 seconds. A stiffer chassis and more powerful brakes complement one of the hottest affordable sportscar available on the market at the moment.
Hint: the scion of two noble dinasties.
1967 De Tomaso Mangusta
In 1965, Carroll Shelby contacted Alejandro De Tomaso - founder of the eponymous car company - to build a sportscar to replace their aging racing machines, which were built on a Cooper design dating back to the early 60s. De Tomaso set out to build a car with an backbone chassis and a Shelby-sourced 302 c.i. engine, which was called the P70. However, when Shelby became involved in the GT40 program, the deal fell through. Some say that out of spite, De Tomaso named the road-going adaptation of his racecar after the moongose because it's the only animal that is capable of hunting cobras. Whether or not it's true, this Giugiaro-designed Italo-American beauty looks fierce. And with over 300 horsepower, the pace matches the looks quite well.
Hint: is your name Theodore? Then this may soon be your new best friend!
1953 Lancia D24
The Lancia D24 is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful racecars ever built. It's fast, too - in its heyday, it won prestigious international races such as the Targa Florio, the Carrera Panamericana and the Mille Miglia, with ace drivers such as Juan Manuel Fangio and Alberto Ascari behind the wheel. The D24 was a radical evolution of the D20
berlinetta, in itself based on the heart-achingly beautiful Aurelia grand tourer. The lightweight tubular spaceframe chassis was draped in a gorgeous barchetta body penned by no one else but Pininfarina, and under the long bonnet roared a 3.3 litre V6 engine with double overhead cams and many clever solutions to improve reliability and power output - which, at 270 horsepower, was more than sufficient at the time, and is enough to give the D24 performance that commands respect even to this day.
Hint: a car this beautiful should be a museum piece.
1980 Mercedes-Benz 500SLC
The third-generation Mercedes-Benz SL was introduced in 1971, and owing to the personal luxury car craze of the times, it was a heavier, larger, more luxurious and comfortable car than its predecessor. The new model also saw the introduction of the SLC, a 2+2 hardtop derivative intended to replace the aging first-generation
S-class coupé with something that had sportier ambitions. And it was the SLC that was eventually developed in a rally car powered by a 4.5 litre V8. In race trim it produced up to 380 horsepower, which were sent to the rear wheels through a manually-shifted automatic transmission. Despite sharing its engine with the racing version, the road-going 500SLC homologation special isn't as powerful, but thanks to its longer gear ratios, it still hits speeds of 220 kilometres per hour - which in 1980, was a very respectable figure.
Hint: when you absolutely, positively need to go rallying.
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