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Do You Have an Interest in Automobiles

Do you have an interest in Automobiles

The French Riviera Classic Car Enthusiasts (FRCCE) is a group of classic car enthusiasts living along the French Riviera and Côte d’Azur participating in events in the surrounding French and Italian countrysides.

If you have an interest in Automobiles and find it enjoyable to shine them up and take them out for a leisurely drive on an interesting road and stopping for lunch with fellow enthusiasts then take us for spin. To subscribe to our Blogs and receive future event information – click Sign Me Up.

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Six Of The Rarest Classic Cars Ever Made

These are the most exclusive cars on the planet!

When the first car was introduced in 1886, it kicked off the race to one-up everyone else in innovation and engineering – which is true through to today. In all this time, the automobile has taken so many different forms, with countless configurations and features. But if you’re a car collector, you know that not every car is special, and those that are, could cost you, and these cars definitely will cost you big time.

The Spirit Of Nemo

While the Spirit of Nemo is not actually a production car and made up for the movie, The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, a version of the car was actually made for the streets. Captain Nemo’s six-wheeled Nautilus car is a monster at 21.65 feet and was kept in a movie memorabilia collection for many years after it was bought from the production company. It was sold in 2015/2016, and is said to be driven around the streets of London now. This is one of the most over-the-top cars we’ve ever seen.

Rolls Royce 15 Hp

The Rolls Royce 15 Hp is one of four cars made between Charles Rolls and Henry Royce from an agreement made on December 23, 1904. Only six were made, and out of the small batch, only one is known to survived, and is estimated to be worth over 35 million dollars.

Bugatti 57SC Atlantic Coupe

Widely accepted in the collector community as one of the rarest and most expensive cars in the world, the Atalante was designed as a two-door built on the 57S chassis. It has a low slung stature, made to be lightweight, and is regarded to be the ‘ultimate’ Bugatti, and first supercar. Only four Bugatti Type 57 SC Atlantic Coupes were made, and a $114 million example remains unaccounted for today.

Helica De Leyat

Frenchman Marcel Leyat built 30 1921 Leyat Helica propeller cars, and 23 were actually sold. Leyat had a background in aviation, but tried his had at automotive design. The result is what you see before you, which was shown at the 1921 Paris Auto Show. While the designer claimed to get many serious inquiries, funding never came through to mass produce the car.

Tucker 48

Also known as the Tucker Torpedo, this vehicle was thought up by Preston Tucker. Including the prototype, only 51 cars were made before the company filed for bankruptcy. The cars made were billed as the “cars of the future” and had a top speed claim of 120 mph.

Bugatti Royale

Officially, it’s called the Bugatti Type 41, but most know it as the Royale. This large luxury car has a 12.763-liter straight-eight engine to move the 252 inch body. During the time it was made, it was a seen as a display of massive wealth. At one point, the moniker held the title of the world’s most expensive car, being beaten out in recent years, but one hasn’t gone up for sale in a while either.

Article by: Elizabeth Puckett, October 15, 2021

Corvettes Sud de France – A Day at the Circuit Paul Ricard

Sunday 4 April 2021 – NOTICE – EVENT HAS BEEN RESCHEDULED FOR SUNDAY MAY 9TH

Our Corvette Groupe Corvettes Sud de France has been offered something special, which has not been offered before at the Circuit Paul Ricard near Toulon, France.
I know many of you are very protective of your Corvettes and do not want to race them around the circuit with a bunch of other race cars going really fast. But we have this unique option of going on the track and driving one full lap of the circuit together for a photo shoot. This is a Super Kool option, as I am sure we have all visualized ourselves being Steve McQueen in the movie Le Mans. We also have the option to drive our Vettes in the GT Class for 30 minutes. If you want do both, and of course we will have lunch together at the Circuits restaurant.

If you have an interest in our Track Day Event at the Circuit Paul Ricard, please send an email to corvettes.south.france@outlook.com before the 22 March for further details and costs. Thank you.

Notre Corvette Groupe Corvettes Sud de France s’est vu offrir quelque chose de spécial, qui n’avait pas été proposé auparavant sur le Circuit Paul Ricard près de Toulon, en France.
Je sais que beaucoup d’entre vous sont très protecteurs envers vos Corvettes et ne veulent pas les faire courir sur le circuit avec un tas d’autres voitures de course qui roulent très vite. Mais nous avons cette option unique d’aller sur la piste et de faire un tour complet du circuit ensemble pour une séance photo. C’est une option Super Kool, car je suis sûr que nous nous sommes tous imaginés être Steve McQueen dans le film Le Mans. Nous avons également la possibilité de conduire nos Vettes en classe GT pendant 30 minutes. Si vous voulez faire les deux, et bien sûr, nous déjeunerons ensemble au restaurant Circuits.

Si vous êtes intéressé par notre Track Day Event sur le Circuit Paul Ricard, veuillez envoyer un email à corvettes.south.france@outlook.com avant le 22 mars pour plus de détails et les coûts. Merci.

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Corvettes Sud de France

10 Celebs Who Drive Old Corvettes (And 9 Who Prefer Them New)

Since arriving ’50s, the Chevy Corvette has been the car of choice among the rich and famous. Some prefer classics, while others go with new models.

Celebs prefer Corvettes. Since it first arrived in the 1950s, the Corvette has been the car of choice among the rich and famous. It symbolizes status, freedom, and loyalty – there are, after all, plenty of owners who bear a special allegiance to the brand.

Across six generations though, the Corvette has gone through major changes. It even introduced new technologies to the automotive world, such as fuel injection. Without a doubt, the Corvette of today is much different from the one that debuted originally in 1953.

No matter what kind of changes the Corvette has gone through, however, it still remains the vehicle of choice among celebs. We’re going to look at celebs who drive new Corvettes, along with those who still prefer theirs classic (anything that’s 25 years or older).

#19 Kendall Jenner – 1957 Stingray

Here’s one way to celebrate your 20th birthday. Kendall Jenner treated herself to a car and it wasn’t a new model like many would expect. She got herself a ’57 Corvette Stingray, which suggests she’s got an impeccable taste in cars. With its powder blue paint job, the car looks stunning.

#18 Johnny Depp – 1959 Roadster

Being a movie star certainly has its perks. For proof, look no further than Johnny Depp’s 1959 Roadster. Apparently he got this red beauty from producer Graham King, who Depp worked with on the movie The Rum Diary. Corvette Forum reports that the same car was in the movie, so Depp must have fallen in love with it while on set.

#17 Cindy Crawford – 1967 Stingray Convertible

The iconic model sure picked a stylish and eye-catching Corvette to go cruising around in. While her husband Rande Gerber was behind the wheel, Cindy Crawford looked to be enjoying the California sun with the top down while riding around in her 1967 Stingray Convertible. We can’t think of a classier car for a popular American celeb.

#16 Holly Madison – C1 Convertible

Holly Madison rose to fame largely due to her time as a Playboy playmate. Today, her career has taken a different turn and she’s now a mom and author. According to Corvette Forum, she drives a C1 convertible that’s painted in a beautiful eye-popping red. While it’s unclear what year model it is, it’s without a doubt one of the best looking classics on the list.

#15 Robert Downey Jr. – 1965 Stingray

With a net worth of $300 million, Robert Downey Jr. can practically scoop up just about any car he sets his eyes on. While he could’ve gone for a new Stingray, he opted for a classic 1965 Stingray instead. With the top down, the car is a real beauty rolling down the street.

#14 George Clooney – 1958 C1 convertible

If there’s a common denominator among many of the classic models on the list, it’s that celebs love their convertibles. It makes sense, considering celebs want attention. Actor George Clooney is no different. He prefers to show off in a 1958 V8 C1 convertible that comes with a V8 under the hood to match the beautiful exterior.

#13 Bruce Springsteen – C2 Stingray Convertible

The singer behind “Born in the U.S.A.,” Bruce Springsteen, certainly backs up his patriotism with a true American classic: a C2 Stingray convertible. It’s not the only Vette he owns either. He also owns a 1960 Corvette that he got in 1975, thus solidifying his true fandom for the brand.

#12 P Diddy – 1958 Corvette

Just take one look at Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs’ 1958 Corvette, and it’s easy to see why he said it was his personal favorite of the collection. The same source notes that it’s worth over $100,000, which makes it both attractive and valuable. We can see why he prefers to cruise around in it with the top down.

#11 Rick Springfield – Restomod 1963 Stingray

Best known as the artist behind the hit song “Jessie’s Girl,” Rick Springfield has an incredible restomod 1963 Stingray. According to Corvette Forum, while the exterior looks as if it’s in perfect shape, he touched up the interior to make it more in line with cars today. Apparently it’s not unheard of to see him cruising around Malibu in it.

#10 Sylvester Stallone – Custom 1968 C3

Sylvester Stallone owns a Corvette befitting the actor’s legendary Hollywood resume. His is a 1968 C3 that’s had some custom work done on it. Corvette Blogger states that the extent of custom work includes a paint job and updated interior with a Flaming River title steering wheel among other mods.

#9 Paris Hilton – Custom C7 Stingray

It may rub car enthusiasts the wrong way, but it makes perfect sense. Considering Paris Hilton has something of a barbie lifestyle, it only makes sense she’d pick up an iconic American car. Plus, in the Barbie tradition, she got her C7 painted pink to go along with her pink Barbie dress.

#8 Ming-Na Wen – C7 Stingray

Ming-Na Wen is best known for her roles in popular TV shows such as Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. and ER. She’s got looks that could kill and the car to match: a beautiful red Corvette C7 Stingray. She never hesitates to show it some love on her Twitter, where she refers to it as “Lolita.”

#7 Paul Stanley – 2015 Stingray

Paul Stanley is particular when it comes to his cars. The front man for the band Kiss loves his stylish 2015 Stingray that appeared at the SEMA car show. He graded it a 9 out of 10, though it makes one wonder why it wasn’t a 10 considering the unique look and that he loved it enough to make it his daily driver.

#6 Guy Fieri – C6 Special Edition

In a similar spirit and likeness to the iconic celebrity chef, Guy Fieri had a C6 special edition painted black with yellow race stripes to go with his blonde spiky hair. While he had it auctioned off for charity, according to USA Today, it’s clear that Fieri prefers newer Corvettes as this special edition proves.

#5 Adrien Brody – 2006 Z06

Actor Adrien Brody has something of a love for fast cars and bikes. Here, someone snapped the actor opening the hood of his Corvette Z06 to show off its powerful 505 horsepower LS7 V8. He even paid a visit to the plant when they were still assembling it at the time.

#4 Bella Thorne – 2014 Stingray

Former Disney Channel star Bella Thorne has shown off expensive luxury cars on her social media accounts over the years. It’s not unusual to see her next to a nice Porsche or muscle car. Few vehicles top this new Corvette, however, which she posed next to in 2014. As a young starlet, it makes sense she’d go with a newer model as opposed to a classic.

#3 Paul McCartney – C5 Convertible

Sir Paul McCartney is living the life in his C5 convertible that sports a blue paint job, he acquired it in 2005. We can see why McCartney held a thumbs up to whoever took the photo, as he looks to be getting into what’s undoubtedly a fun ride.

#2 Jay Leno – Custom Z06 E85

As the host of his own show, Jay Leno’s Garage, the former Tonight Show host has plenty of Corvettes roll through his “garage” (which is really a giant warehouse). He’s shown off the 2020 Corvette Stingray convertible, 2019 ZR1, 1957 C1, and much more. The one pictured here is a custom Z06 that can run on E85 ethanol.

#1 Hope Solo – Grand Sport Pace Car

When it comes to Corvettes, Soccer star Hope Solo prefers the newer models. Corvette Blogger reports she drove this Corvette Grand Sport Pace Car at the NASCAR Brickyard 400 in 2011. The performance vehicle went so fast, it left her “shaking” afterwards, which she admitted to the on-air NASCAR commentators while still coming down from an adrenaline rush.

Article by: David Schmidt, Published Jan 01, 2020

The Evolution Of The Chevrolet Corvette (in Photos)

1953

The debut of the very first Chevrolet Corvette took place, at the General Motors Motorama in New York, in 1953. Here then is the History of one of “America’s great sports car – the Vette.”

The first Corvette, a convertible concept, made its debut in January 1953. Production began six months later.

1957

It was named for a small, maneuverable warship. Here’s the 1957 model.

1958

All Corvettes, including the 1958, have front engines that power the rear wheels.

1960

The 1960 version was basically the same as its predecessor.

1963

With 1963 came the second generation of the Corvette, named the Sting Ray.

1965

The 1965 Corvette came with four-wheel disc brakes and a “big block” engine option. It included what became a common Corvette feature: retractable headlamps.

1968

The third generation, introduced in 1968, was the longest Corvette Chevrolet yet.

For the new generation, the Sting Ray became the Stingray. It was unofficially referred to as a “shark” model.

1977

The 1977 Corvette offered few new options, but it did have an eight track tape player with an AM-FM stereo.

1978

The film ‘Corvette Summer’ — starring Mark Hamill — came out in 1978, but did not feature this 1978 Chevrolet Corvette Silver Anniversary Edition.

1979

1979 was the best year ever for the Corvette: The 53,307 units sold are still an annual record for the car.

1984

The fourth-generation Corvette debuted in the mid-1980s. No models were offered for sale in 1983, and only one of the 44 prototypes built remains today. Pictured is the 1984 Corvette.

The new generation, which lasted 13 years, featured a sleeker, more aerodynamic design.

1997

1997 was the year of the fifth generation Corvette. The C5 weighed less than its predecessor, thanks to a lighter chassis, engine, and body panels.

2005

The C6 rolled off the production line in 2005. It ditched the retractable headlamps to shave weight and improve aerodynamics.

2009

The 2009 ZR1 was powered by a 6.2-liter supercharged V8 that produced 628 horsepower, good for a top speed of 205 mph.

2011

The 2011 Corvette Grand Sport hinted at the look of the seventh-generation Corvette, and featured Magnetic Ride Control for improved handling.

2013

The last Corvette to roll off the line before the C7 was the 2013 427 Convertible, named for its the 427 cubic inch (7-liter) engine.

2014

Chevy revealed the new C7 Stingray at the North American Auto Show in Detroit.

2018

The 2018 Corvette Stingray was celebrated it’s 65th Anniversary with a Special Edition model. Although rumors of a mid-engine Corvette were becoming a dominant topic, Chevrolet maintained its focus on the C7 Stingray platform with the introduction of the Carbon 65 Edition Corvette. The car, which was offered as either a Grand Sport 3LT or Z06 3LZ model, specially designed to celebrate the history and heritage of Corvette since its introduction in 1953.

2020

Chevrolet formally introduced and unveiled a totally redesigned C8 Corvette on July 18, 2019. The Mid-engine Vette is an updated version of last year’s C7 LT1 engine. The LT2 produces 495-horsepower 6.2-liter V8 developing 470 lb-ft of peak torque. This is the most hp and torque of any entry-level ‘Vette yet.

Car & Driver – 2016 “C8” Article

On September 25, 2014, Car and Driver Magazine published an article titled “C8 Chevrolet Corvette Exclusive! What to Expect from the Heart-Stopping, Mid-Engined Zora!” The feature-length article claimed to have “serious dirt on GM’s secret mid-engined supercar” and featured several renderings of a car that the article referred to as the “Corvette Zora.” Don Sherman, author of the article, opened the piece with the bold claim, “The new Corvette will be the mid-engined American Dream Machine that Chevy couldn’t, until now, muster the courage to build.” How on Point he was back then.

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1954 Corvette Nomad Concept

While much has been written on the Corvette’s continual development, far less attention has been given to the influence that such development has had on various other GM product lines throughout the years. In many cases, GM has taken Corvette concepts that were not selected for production, and scaled such designs into separate product lines of their own.

One example of a vehicle that few realize actually began life as a Corvette concept, is the Chevy Nomad. The Nomad today has an immense following among vintage collectors. However, the prestigious wagon’s earliest days are deeply rooted in Corvette lore.

On the heels of the Corvette’s release in 1953, Chevrolet looked to up the ante, and create depth within their new line of American sports cars. As a result, 3 individual concepts carrying the Corvette name were prepared for the 1954 Motorama show in New York City, one of which being the Nomad. The Nomad was displayed alongside the Corvette Hardtop and the Corvette Corvair.

**1954 Concepts – Corvair, Hardtop, Nomad**

General Motors produced 5 of the 1954 Chevy Nomads for the auto show circuit, only 3 are known to exist. The Chevrolet Design Studio would created a forward thinking and forward looking design for the 1954 Nomad, including round headlamps mounted on gently curving fenders, a trademark Corvette grille and a forward sloping B-pillar.

The 1954 Nomad featured a front-end that was virtually identical to that of the 1953 Corvette before it, complete with rounded headlights and gently sloping front fenders. Atop the Nomad’s Corvette-like body set a sleek roof, which was white in color and featured forward-slanting B-pillars.

Harley Earl and this design team, began construction of the Corvette Nomad on October 6, 1953, which used a modified Corvette frame, and displayed the car the following month at the 1954 Motorama show. Then after the Motorama show and following promotional tour, having accumulated just 111 miles on the touring circuit – it was was scrapped in July 8, 1955.

Basing his decision upon the public’s enthusiastic response at Motorama, Harley Earl ordered the Chevrolet design studio to fast-track the Nomad for production in time for the 1955 model year. However, rather than carrying the Corvette name, the Nomad became a standard Chevy model offering, falling more closely in line with Bel Air production.

This decision was handed down by top GM brass, in a bid to bolster Chevrolet sales and better compete with the offerings of various other manufacturers.

1955 – 1956 – 1957 Chevy Nomads

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Corvettes Sud de France – our Group

America’s Sport Car – the Corvette, has a passionate following in France. (La voiture de sport américaine – la Corvette, a une clientèle passionnée en France).

Corvettes de Provence Alps Côte d’Azur first posted on Facebook toward the end of November 2020 reaching out to locate Corvettes and their Owners residing in the South of France. (Facebook vers la fin du mois de novembre 2020 cherche à localiser les Corvettes et leurs propriétaires résidant dans le sud de la France).

If you too drive a Vette and reside in this Region, we would like to hear from you. (Si, vous aussi, vous conduisez une Vette et résidez dans cette région, nous aimerions avoir de vos nouvelles).

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**Corvettes AlpesProvence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur**

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The 10 Fastest Production Cars – Now For Sale

Hitting 210+ mph is a cake walk for these 10 machines.

**Pagani’s Huayra BC and Koenigsegg’s Regera don’t make the cut**

More cars than ever are surpassing the 200-mph mark, and they come in many different flavors. Here, we’ve gathered today’s the 10 fastest production cars, based on top speed.

Before we begin: What really makes a production car? That’s up for debate, but for our purposes, we’re going to say that the company that makes the vehicle has to deliver at least 50 total cars a year.

That means super-niche, high profile metal like Pagani’s Huayra BC and Koenigsegg’s Regera don’t make the cut. Concept cars or non-street-legal track specials you’re never going to see on the road don’t count, either. Speedy variants of full production cars, however, do count. Sorry, those be the rules. Without further ado, keep reading to learn about the fastest stock production cars on sale right now.

2021 Ferrari F8 Tributo – (211 MPH)

Ferrari is essentially synonymous with high performance, from its F1 efforts to its road cars. Every model in Ferrari’s current range will hit at least 199 mph. But the F8 Tributo, a mid-engine V-8 sports car designed to pay homage to the V-8 itself, is a little bit faster with a top speed of 211 mph. Some think it will be the last mid-engine Ferrari to come without some form of electric assistance thanks to ever-tightening fuel restrictions. We aren’t sure, but regardless, this supercar is special in its own right.

2021 Ferrari SF90 Strdale – (211 MPH)

The SF90 is the only hybrid currently occupying the Ferrari stable, and also is the brand’s flagship model. It is not a direct successor to the almighty Ferrari LaFerrari, however; it is instead a more regular-production hybrid-supercar—at least compared to the ultra-rare, vastly more expensive LaFerrari. Even so, the SF90 benefits from the LaFerrari’s advances: Its 3.9-liter twin turbo V-8 and three electric motors combine for a total system output of 986 horsepower. It is also Ferrari’s first plug-in hybrid and can go up to 15 miles on battery power alone.

Aston Martin DBS Superleggera – (211 MPH)

The DBS is a proper super-grand-tourer. With a 715-hp twin-turbo V-12 under the bonnet…erm, sorry, hood…this thing tops out at a properly fast 211 mph. It has nearly the same amount of power as the Ferrari F8 Tributo, and it can achieve the same top speed even though it weighs more than two tons. That by itself is truly impressive.

2021 Ferrari 812 Superfast – (211 MPH)

The front-mid-V-12engine Ferrari coupe. This format is an icon of the automotive world and, in current 812 guise, turns out to be a brutally fast production car, too. The “8” in the 812’s name is a nod to the horsepower its V-12 engine generates by the hundreds, the “12” stands for the number of cylinders. With more than 800 prancing stallions on tap and a name like that, you’d almost expect a top speed of over 200 mph. Luckily, this Ferrari delivers, but you’ll just as happily indulge in its glorious exhaust sound.

2021 McLaren 720S – (212 MPH)

Slightly edging out the 812 is McLaren’s current Super Series flagship: the 720S coupe. Its nearly 100-hp deficit to the Ferrari is made up for by its lightweight construction and slick aero. McLaren says it will hit 212 mph, but do some googling and you’ll probably find a stock 720S doing a little bit more than that. We appreciate the humility, though.

2021 Ford GT – (216 MPH)

Currently the fastest American production car available, the Fort GT also has the smallest engine and the least power of any car here—a 2.9-liter V-6 that makes “just” 550 hp. Surprised there isn’t a V-8 between the GT’s rear wheels? We are, too, but that V-6 is still enough to rocket the lightweight supercar to 216 mph

2020 Lamborghini Aventador SVJ – (217 MPH)

The most extreme version of the big Lamborghini Aventador to date, and likely the last, the Aventador SVJ is a beast. Its 6.5-liter V-12 makes 759 hp and punts the big Lambo from zero to 60 mph in 2.5 seconds and on to a top speed well beyond the limits of any road save for an empty autobahn.

2021 McLaren Speedtail – (250 MPH)

The McLaren Speedtail is currently the fastest McLaren you can buy. It is long, low, wide, and exceptionally fast. It’s also the only car on this list that will seat exactly three, since it evokes the legendary McLaren F1’s three-seat layout that puts the driver in the middle, and it has some truly top-notch wheels. That and its beautiful teardrop shape make the Speedtail just about worth its $2.2 million price tag.

2020 Bugatti Chiron – (261 MPH)

The Bugatti Chiron is the follow-up to the Veyron, an eye-watering engineering exercise that rewrote the hypercar playbook. The Chiron is even more powerful, however, with nearly 1,500 hp coming from its 8.0-liter, quad-turbo W-16 engine. Not only is the Bug lush with power, it’s even better to drive than the Veyron, and more luxurious, too. Predictably, the Chiron is also a fair bit more expensive—anyone have a spare $3 million lying around?

2021 Bugatti Chiron Super Sport – (304 MPH)

What is the fastest production car in the world? We weren’t going to write this list without including the most insane car ever and the only one to crack the mythical 300 mph barrier. Bugatti has been in the business of setting insane speed records since 2008 when the Veyron dethroned the McLaren F1 as the fastest car ever made. Late last year, they made the old Veyron’s top speed of 254 mph look like walking pace, really. The benchmark for fast road-legal cars has been set once again by Bugatti, and it’s a lofty 304 mph.

Article by: Nick Yekikian, Nov 26 2020

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The 10 Best WRC Rally Cars Of All Time

Among a myriad of rally cars to test their metal in the WRC since the early ’70s, these 10 stick out as the most competent ones ever built.

Among the wide variety of motorsports, rally stands out as one of the most extreme tests of both man and machine. While racing around a paved circuit is a challenge in itself, taking that high-speed battle and moving it to unpaved country roads ups the ante to new levels of extreme.

Rally racing in itself had been popular for decades following the invention of motorsports, but the FIA only formalized it in the ’70s. Founded in 1973, the World Rally Championship (WRC) became the ultimate battleground for both manufacturers and drivers to prove the skill and capabilities of themselves and the cars that were created to compete, honoring the victors through the Driver’s and Constructor’s title. Along the way, legends were born left and right, with fantastic machines dominating the long twisting dirt roads that made up the WRC rally stages. Among those legendary cars, some stood out as champions, dominating the WRC podium for years, and providing providing spectators with an epic show. Read on, to see the 10 best rally cars that competed in WRC:

Fiat’s basic little family cars like the 131 proved themselves well on the back-roads of Italy, tackling rough terrain with rugged reliability. Naturally, this made the 131 a prime contender for WRC competition, and with tuning from Abarth, the 131 dominated. Winning the WRC titles in ’77, ’78, and ’80, the Abarth 131 remains a legend of the early days of WRC.

When talking about off-road performance, most enthusiasts today think of 4 wheel drive as a necessity. Yet, the early years of WRC saw RWD cars competing against each other in the dirt. It would be Audi who changed that with their Quattro, immediately proving the dominance of their 4WD car by winning the ’82 and ’84 WRC titles, as well as coming in second place for ’83 and ’85.

One of Europe’s best selling hatchbacks, 5,000,000 Peugeot 205s have been sold through its production life. While that’s impressive, it would be the specially modified Turbo 16 that seriously impressed the world. Built for Group B, the 205 Turbo 16 was introduced in 1984 and won more Group B events than any other car, as well as taking home the WRC titles in ’85 and ’86.

Starting off life as an unspectacular hatchback, the Delta was transformed by Lancia into a rally dominating monster in the form of the Integrale. Scoring 46 event wins, the Delta Integrale is the most successful rally car ever and took home the WRC titles every year from 1987 until 1992. The Delta also spawned a true monster in the form of the Delta S4, but unfortunately was so dangerous, it ended the class it competed in: Group B.

Toyota’s Celica had been a long-running affordable sports car by the ’90s, but not one associated with rally. While Celicas had competed in WRC previously, it would be the GT-four ST185 that would prove its capabilities, dethroning the Delta Integrale and winning WRC titles in ’92, ’93, and ’94. Unfortunately for Toyota, their follow up, the ST205 was banned from competition for a year due to some creative rule-breaking.

One of the modern rally’s legends that is still going strong today, the Subaru Impreza can’t be talked about without mentioning its rally pedigree. Replacing Subaru’s unsuccessful Legacy rally car, the Impreza 555 was a proper off-road beast and set the pace for all future performance bred Subarus. Piloted by Scottish legend Colin McRae, the Impreza 555 dominated WRC, taking home titles for ’95, ’96, and ’97.

A rivalry that has defined Japanese performance cars, the Lancer Evo was Mitsubishi’s answer to the rally built Subaru Imprezas. Starting with the Evo III in 1996, Tommi Makinen piloted the Mitsubishi straight to the WRC title podium, winning the Driver’s title from ’96 until ’99, as well as earning Mitsubishi a Constructor’s title for ’98.

In the early 2000s, Citroen began dominating WRC with their Xsara rally car and showed no signs of slowing down. Naturally, the development of a replacement began as the car aged, and that replacement would be a specially modified C4. Piloted by the legendary Sebastien Loeb, the C4 took home the WRC titles from 2006 until 2010.

Typically, light Italian supercars are built for epic performance on a paved track, but the Ferrari-powered Lancia Stratos bucked that trend, being purposely built to dominate the newly founded WRC. With insane speed and agility, the Stratos did just that, winning the WRC titles in 1974, ’75, and ’76. While the Stratos retired in 1978, nothing like it has ever been made since, and the brutal Italian wedge is still a legend to this day.

The latest rally car to take home back to back WRC titles, the Volkswagen Polo R is fast but is by no means a crazy car… until VW modified it into a rally car. Now the most successful WRC rally car of all time, the Polo R scored 43 WRC event wins, as well as scoring both the Constructor and Driver’s titles immediately following its debut in 2013, and continuing that title streak until 2016.

Article by Aaron Young – Jun 20, 2020

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10 Greatest Alfa Romeos Ever Made

Whether you are a fan of Italian cars or not, there should always space in an enthusiast’s heart for Alfa Romeo. This year, the legendary brand celebrates its 110th birthday, and although it is not the oldest car brand in the world, it is a real miracle that Alfa survived this long.

During all those years, Alfa survived two world wars, countless recessions, numerous production delays, financial problems, and rumors of poor quality of their vehicles. More than once, rumors circulated the industry that this most excellent Milanese brand is going under. However, every time, Alfa managed to beat the odds and return with even better and faster cars.

But perhaps more than anything, this Milanese giant was celebrated for the gorgeous designs of their cars and the fact that the company made those designs affordable to the general consumer. Alfa Romeos are STILL some of the most gorgeous cars on the road, rivalling even Ferrari.

Today, we will celebrate Alfa Romeo’s vitality and courage with a choice of ten best and most beautiful road-going Alfas ever made.

Before the Second World War, Alfa was mainly in the business of making and selling race cars. The road-going examples were rare and always expensive, so the production was very limited. Derived from the racing model, their 8C series was introduced in the early ’30s, the straight-eight engine first displaced 2.3-liter, which later grew to a 2.9-liter. The famous engine had a lot of power making Alfa 8C was one of the most luxurious sports cars of the era.

After the war, Alfa abandoned the luxury sports car philosophy and turned to mass-production. In 1950, they wowed the world with the debut of the Alfa Romeo 1900 sedan, a very advanced vehicle. It had a high-revving twin-cam engine, uni-body construction, modern design, and respectable performance. The Alfa 1900 become very successful and sold in big numbers and had a good racing career like all classic Alfas.

The epitome of the classic Alfa sports car is definitely the gorgeous Tipo 105 series, introduced in 1963 and sold through 1977. It was based on the compact Giulia sedan but offered a Bertone-designed coupe body, twin-cam engines, and better performance. It was just the car for the time, and over the years, Alfa managed to sell over 100,000 examples all over the world.

If you think that only the British know how to make a legendary roadster, think again. The world-famous Spider debuted in 1966 and immediately became Alfa’s best-seller managing to stay in production for an incredible 28 years. With its timeless design and sporty driving dynamics, Spider is still one of the most desirable classic roadsters.

Nobody is really sure how many Stradales were made. Alfa Romeo said they built 18 cars; experts say only 13 were delivered, and test drivers say just nine vehicles were sold to customers. Whatever the case, the 33 Stradale stands as one of the most beautiful cars Alfa has ever built and a testament to the passion and technical excellence this company was always known for.

The ’70s recession hit Alfa pretty hard, but Italians didn’t abandon their mission to offer exceptional cars different from anything else on the road. That is why Alfa created the Montreal. Never officially sold in Canada (or America), it had a 2.6-liter, race-derived V8 engine, fantastic styling, and competitive performance. It looked like the Miura, but it was significantly cheaper.

The ’80s marked political and financial troubles in Alfa, but the company continued to deliver new models. By the end of the decade, Alfa introduced the 164, big sedan with front-wheel-drive and full of modern technology. The 164 was a competitor to the BMW 5-Series, and it was the last Alfa Romeo to be sold in the United States until the return of the current Giulia.

In 1997, Alfa introduced the 156, a compact family sedan with a retro design, a wide range of engines, and a well-designed chassis. It was a smashing hit, at least in Europe, and the market went crazy for this good-looking and dynamic Alfa. After many decades, Alfa finally had a car to compete with BMW, Audi, and Mercedes and once again showed what this legendary company can do if given time and space.

The retro-futuristic movement in the car industry that Alfa started with the 156 model was continued with one most beautiful modern sports cars. The 8C Competizione debuted in 2007 and was sold for just three years. It featured a Ferrari-designed V8 engine, a unique chassis, and a design that was a throwback to legendary 33 Stradale and Giulia Sprint Veloce. Only 1000 cars were made, 500 coupes and 500 convertibles.

Faced with very stiff competition, changing market, and a need for a fresh approach, Alfa decided to go all-in with what it knows best – sporty models, great design, and unmistakable Italian charm. The newest Giulia sedan is a celebration of that approach, especially when in the Quadrifoglio trim. With 509 hp from the Ferrari-derived twin-turbo V6 engine and brutal performance, this supersedan guarantees that Alfa will live for another 110 years, at least.

Article by; Vukasin Herbes – 19 July 2020

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10 Powerful European Cars With American DNA

European style and Luxury with American muscle and simplicity

It’s always a beautiful thing when different automakers come together to build a car, especially when they’re from different continents. Over the last century, the combination of elegant European design and big, powerful American V8 engines was, for many European automakers, a winning formula that resulted in some of the most iconic vehicles in history.

Many European automakers, particularly the smaller brands, built beautiful chassis and then slotted brawny American V8s from Ford, Chrysler, or Chevrolet under their hoods either as a way to make their cars go faster or to avoid the cost of creating their own engines. The result was beautiful European-bred sports cars with thumping American hearts, 10 of which are as follows.

Although the Jensen Interceptor was not made in the US, many car enthusiasts consider it one of the best muscle cars ever made, mostly thanks to its powerful engine. Built-in the 60s, the Interceptor was initially powered by a Chrysler 6.3-liter V8 engine that produced 335 hp and was later replaced with a 7.2-liter V8 producing 330 hp.

Even though the Interceptor was a four-seat grand tourer, its powerful engines would allow it to hit a top speed of 135 mph. To make the most of this power, Jensen became the first automaker to offer a four-wheel-drive performance car in its FF model.

The AC Brooklands Ace is one of those cars that not many people know about but really should. In the 90s, English automaker AC decided to get its old team back together to build the Brookland Ace, bringing together renowned English artisans and a big V8 engine. The engine was a 4.9-liter supercharged Ford V8 that pumped out 325 hp, allowing it to go from 0-62 mph in 6.2 seconds.

Sadly, AC messed up the car’s styling and slapped it with an ambitious price tag of around £80,000, leaving potential buyers running for the hills. Unsurprisingly, the car failed and bankrupted AC.

Manufactured by Allard in the early 50s, the J2 is one of the earliest British cars to feature an American engine. The standard J2 in Britain came with the same 3.6-liter flathead V8 engine used in the 1947 Ford Pilot and would deliver 85 hp.

British buyers also had the option of a 4.4-liter Mercury V8, producing 110 hp. The J2 was also exported to the US without an engine, allowing American buyers to install their choice engine. Only 90 J2s were built before it was replaced with the Allard J2X.

After building fridges and scooters for post-war Italy, Iso decided it had made enough money to build the car that would compete against more established Italian automakers such as Ferrari and Alfa Romeo. The result of Iso’s ambition was the Grifo, which not only featured a sleek coupe design from Bertone but also had a 5.4-liter Chevrolet V8 engine producing 300 hp.

The powerful engine, coupled with the car’s weight of just 3,200 lbs, allowed the Grifo to attain a 68 mph speed in first gear and a top speed of 145 mph. As the Grifo moved through different iterations from 1965 to 1974, it used several American engines, including a 5.8-liter Ford 351 V8 and a 7.4-liter Chevrolet 454 V8.

Just like the Jensen Interceptor, the De Tomaso Pantera was another well-known European car with an American influence. Introduced in 1971, the Pantera was a swooping, mid-engine sports car that was the brainchild of Argentinian entrepreneur and racer Alejandro De Tomaso. The first models came with a 5.8-liter Ford Cleveland V8 engine that produced 330 hp.

The high torque produced by the American engine made the car less demanding to drive in urban areas than locally built cars since drivers didn’t have to change gears as much. The Pantera ended up being De Tomaso Automobili’s most popular car with more than 7,000 sold over its 24-year production run.

The AC Cobra, or Shelby Cobra, as it’s commonly referred to as, is the archetypal Anglo-American hybrid and one of the most iconic cars in history. The Cobra idea was born when retired American racecar driver and car designer Carroll Shelby contacted British automaker AC asking if they would build a car that would accept an American V8 engine.

Since AC was in desperate need of a new engine supplier, it agreed as long as a suitable engine would be found. Facing steep competition from Corvette, Ford jumped at the opportunity and provided Shelby with a 4.2-liter Windsor V8 engine that helped the Cobra become the fastest accelerating road car at the time.

The Gordon-Keeble had it all; a glass fiber body styled by Bertone, an advanced chassis, and an American V8 with a four-speed manual gearbox. Although the concept car had a 288 CID Chevrolet engine, the production version came with an upgraded 5.4-liter Chevrolet 327 V8 engine that produced 300 hp.

The car should have been immensely successful in the 60s if not for one flaw: its high price. Only 99 were produced between 1957 and 1964 before the company eventually went out of business.

Even though Switzerland was not known as a place where performance cars with large engines were built, the Monteverdi High Speed was meant to be the ultimate Swiss car that would compete with the fastest Ferraris from the late 60s. The Swiss automaker decided to use a massive 7.2-liter Chrysler Magnum 440 V8 engine that produced 375 hp in order to achieve this.

Over its 10-year production run, the High Speed was offered in four-door saloon and two-door coupe forms. Only a few High Speeds were made before the automaker closed shop in 1984. Jay Leno currently owns one of the surviving Monteverdi High-Speed cars.

After World War II, France found itself short of luxury car manufacturers. Noticing a gap in the market, the founder of Facel, Jean Daninos, decided to produce the Vega FVS in 1954. The first version was fitted with a 4.5-liter Chrysler Hemi V8 engine that produced 180 hp.

The engine was later upgraded in 1958 to a 5.8-liter Chrysler V8, producing 325 hp. The final version of the Facel Vega, the HK500, came with a 6.2-liter Chrysler V8 with 360 hp and a top speed of 147 mph.

The 5300 GT Strada was a sports car manufactured by Bizzarrini in the 60s. It was designed by ex-Ferrari engineer Giotto Bizzarrini and adopted a front-engine and rear-wheel-drive layout. The initial model was powered by a 5.4-liter Chevrolet 327 V8 engine producing 365 hp, allowing it to attain a top speed of 174 mph.

Later models were fitted with a larger 7.0-liter Chevrolet V8 engine with more power. Being one of the fastest cars made in the 60s, the Bizzarrini Strada finished first in its class and ninth overall in the 1965 Le Mans.

Article by Nzlili Sam, 8 October 2020