Now that summer’s here, it seems like the perfect time for all of us to bring out the grills, plop down the lawn chairs, and open up the umbrellas for a few months worth of barbecue and sausages.
Seeing as we are a predominantly auto website, this fancy and novel set of four wheels caught our attention, not just because of its ingenuity, but more importantly, because that it includes all the aforementioned parts of our summer grill-out inside the confines of a vehicle.
The car is called the ’Carbeque’, and as it name obviously suggests, it serves the purpose of a car and a cook-out place all rolled into one. Just by looking at it, you already get the idea that this 1957 Ford Customline-turned-diner is something that you’d want to have in your home. It’s got a diner-inspired set-up with a black-and-white checkerboard tile configuration. The interior, which is dressed in a red and white set-up, comes with a C-shaped couch with a table in the middle, an umbrella, and where the engine used to be now comes a grille.
With the sun about to shine its brightest in the coming months, the question of where you’re going to do your summer barbecue will be answered by this one-of-a-kind diner on four wheels.
One of the most impressive Chevrolet Corvette ever will be put on auction at the Monterey auction that’s scheduled for August 19th and 20th, 2011. The model, a 1969 L88 ZL-1 Corvette will be delivered as new as a factory L88 Corvette Coupe, finished in white over blue. This car in particular raced in the trifecta of FIA events: the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the 12 Hours of Sebring and the 24 Hours of Daytona.
The car is powered by a new Chevrolet ZL-1 all-aluminum 427-cubic inch engine producing over 750 hp @ 6,500 rpm. More than that, the car set the GT speed record of 215 mph on the Mulsanne straight in qualifying.
Despite the fact that it was restored by Corvette Repair of New York, the car offered for auction will be offered with standard rear clip, frame, steering wheel, gauges, mirrors, dash, t-tops, removable radiator brackets, Minilite wheels, trailing arms, camber adjustment screws, NOS BFG tires.
The 2011 Goodwood Festival of Speed took place this past weekend and featured a steady stream of car shows, birthday celebrations, a Bonhams auction, and of course, the annual Goodwood Hill Climb.
Eventful as it always is, this year’s installment of the Goodwood Festival of Speed saw a number of world debuts, including that of the McLaren MP4-12C and the Skoda Octavia vRS. On top of that, a couple of automakers also celebrated milestones of their own with one celebrating the 50th anniversary of its most iconic model with a sculpture in front of the Goodwood House, while the other celebrated their 100th anniversary in what can be considered as an invasion of all their UK models.
Not to be outdone, Bonhams also auctioned off some of the world’s rarest and most exclusive models over the weekend, raking in millions and millions of dollars in the process.
Then there’s the annual Goodwood Hill Climb, which features 50 of the fastest cars on the planet taking turns running up the 1.6-mile Goodwood driveway that leads to the front of the estate. The car that took that title? You’ll never guess if you don’t read past that jump.
On that note, head over after the jump to get your 2011 Goodwood Festival of Speed recap!
The Aston Martin DB2/4 Cabriolet is one of the most exclusive models Aston Martin has ever built. Out of the 565 units built between October 1953 and October 1955, only 12 were built in rolling chassis form for independent coachbuilders. If that isn’t exclusive enough, only eight of those 12 units were sent over to Carrozzoria Bertone where the Italian luxury coachbuilder smoothed on the body. The vehicle seen in this image is the fifth (Chassis number LML506) of the original eight and will be auctioned off at the Goodwood Festival of Speed on July 1, 2011.
Its original owner was high society elite, Edith C. Field, who succeeded in winning third place at the 1955 Pebble Beach Concours. Since the mid 1950s, this particular Aston Martin has been through the hands of four owners, including its current owner. As of late, the Aston Martin DB2/4 Drophead Coupe has been fully restored to its Concours state with over £200,000 - or $288,000 at the current rates - invested in its complete restoration. Bonhams expects the ultra exclusive sports car to sell for £500,000 - 700,000, or $721,000 - $1,000,000 at the current rates.
UPDATE 07/06/2011: The 1954 Aston Martin DB2/4 Drophead Coupe actually sold for £606,500 ($975,000).
Hit the jump for full details on the 1954 Aston Martin DB2/4 Drophead Coupe.
What do you get when you have two iconic Porsche sports cars, miles of empty road ahead of you, a camera crew, and soundtrack music courtesy of Moby?
We’ll spare you the answer: you get a pretty awesome three-and-a-half minute video, that’s what!
Arguably two of the most famous Porsche 911 models in history - the 993 RS and the 964 RS - are the subjects in this video, and by asking us, we’ll tell you that they play the roles of protagonists very, very well.
It’s a scenic video comprising the two classic 911s blazing their rubber on a vast expanse of open land with a cargo plane serving as a noteworthy extra. There’s plenty to like about this video, including the soundtrack music courtesy of Moby that provides the feeling of buoyant serenity while watching the two Porsches in their natural habitat.
As a reminder to those that have forgotten, the 993 RS was a lightweight version of the 993 Carrera - 100 kg lighter, in fact - and was the first Porsche to ever use a 3.8-liter engine that produced 300 horsepower. On the flip side, the 964 RS was notable, not just because it was a lightweight rear-wheel-drive 911, but because it was sold in the US on a limited basis only. It came with a six-cylinder engine that had an output of 260 horsepower and 230 lb/ft of torque.
Two classic 911s getting their own video with Moby in the background. Good morning, indeed.
