Function over form
We’ll be the first to admit that we weren’t exactly besotted with the McLaren Senna’s brutally functional design when we first saw it. Maybe it was the burnt orange and blue launch spec, or maybe we just needed some time to get used to such a radical design, but we have to say, this 2018 Fina-liveried McLaren Senna is ticking all the right boxes for us. This car is chassis 027 of the 500 built, and it pays tribute to the 1997 Fina-liveried McLaren F1 GTR. Delivered in October 2018, it’s one of three with such a fantastic paint job, and it’s also practically brand new with just 39km on the odometer - probably acquired during pre-delivery testing. With a top speed of 208mph and capable of producing 800kg of downforce, this Senna can’t quite drive on the ceiling, but it’s still one of the most sensational road-legal track weapons money can buy. If you’re looking for a showstopper to add to your collection, you’d be hard-pressed to find a more impactful ride.
The mythical M wagon
This 2000 BMW M5 Touring is a car that doesn’t exist. Well, it does exist of course, here’s photographic evidence to prove it, but it’s a car that never made it past the prototype phase in Bavaria. Short of breaking into the BMW museum though, this is as close as you’ll get to owning an E39 M5 Touring. Starting with a clean 1999 E39 540i Sport Touring, it was drivetrain swapped with an E39 M5, while the M5 lower body mouldings, rear diffuser panel, mirrors, and front bumper were all also transplanted. The interior too was totally gutted and replaced with a full M5 interior, while the seats and doors benefitted from fresh reupholstery in supply Imola Red leather. Finished in a shiny new coat of the car’s original colour, Titanium Silver Metallic, this 395 hp, manual wagon is the family car of our dreams.
Die laughing
We can tell you from first-hand experience that these Miverva Land Rovers are truly terrifying to drive - the gearbox is uncooperative at best, and the steering wheel feels like it’s as effective at directing the car as a deck of tarot cards would be. However, all that is easily eclipsed by how much fun they are to drive, in fact, we challenge you to have more fun (and experience more fear) while doing 30 mph. This 1952 Minerva is an ex-Belgian army vehicle and was built under license from Land Rover in Belgium, albeit with a sheet metal body instead of the the usual aluminium shell. While it may look a tad rough around the edges, this example is actually in outstanding condition for a Minerva, so you won’t be finding another like it in a hurry. If you favour fun over top speed, then this is shockingly good value for money.
Red rocket
Yet again we are blessed with another of Ferrari’s Gran Turismo Omologatos, this time in the form of a 1985 Ferrari 288 GTO. One of 272 examples built so Ferrari could enter Group B (which, as we all know, was canned), the 288 GTO used lightweight aluminium for the doors, trunk and engine lid, while a GRP and carbon compound formed some of the bodywork. Much wider than a 308 GTB, the GTO was powered by the then-cutting-edge Tipo F114B V8 and put out a mighty 400 Italian stallions, thanks to its twin turbos, and was capable of screaming all the way past the 300km/h mark. This is a car that’s four times rarer than the F40 which it spawned, and this Ferrari Classiche certified example is about as good as they come, with just 23,231 miles on the odometer. If you’re a true Ferrari aficionado, then a 288 GTO is hard to beat.
Racing snake
From across the pond, we bring you this gorgeous 1963 Shelby Cobra Daytona Coupe recreation produced by Steve Gilbey. Sure the open top Cobra may have seen the most lime light, but the Daytona Coupe has always looked that bit more dramatic to our eye, with that fantastic ducktail immediately setting this car apart from the crowd. Presented in Ferrari ‘Grigio Argento’ and equipped with a wooden Momo-Lita steering wheel and leather trimmed buckets with racing harnesses, it’s certainly a classy looking racer. This car has only seen the track a handful of times since its completion, and comes with a freshly rebuilt gearbox and an engine that has only had ten hours of use. Eligible for Goodwood Members meeting, Spa 6 Hours, and Peter Auto’s Sixties Endurance, this would be a fantastic way to get into some historic racing this year.
