Categories
Porsche

New Porsche 918 Spyder Concept Unveiled

Here is the press release and photos of this new car which I think is way cool!
The Geneva Auto Show is on this week, giving forth a bounty of automotive treats and even a few glances into the future. One of the most exciting cars we’ve seen from the show has been Porsche’s 918 Spyder concept. Because it’s a Porsche (yet neither a sedan nor SUV), it’s beautiful on the outside.

What’s inside is even more interesting. The 918 Spyder is really a “super hybrid” — pushed by both a 500-horsepower V8 and a pair of electric motors. The electric motors are attached at each axle, giving the car an additional 218 hp. Porsche says that means the concept can hit 60 mph in just over 3 seconds. That is incredibly fast, Porsche or not. The fact that it’s a “hybrid”? Well, that’s even better considering all the weight it’s pulling around.

The part about this that is so compelling isn’t just the pure speed — it’s that Porsche claims the car is wildly efficient from a miles-per-gallon perspective, too. Porsche says the 918 Spyder hits 78 miles per gallon, burping out just 70 grams of CO2 per kilometer. It can go 16 miles on pure electric power alone.

The 918 Concept can operate in either electric mode or gasoline mode, or a blended mode of both, making it a parallel hybrid. This is the more efficient way to create a hybrid car (“series” hybrids aren’t as efficient in terms of pure MPG savings). Porsche says there are four modes that the 918 Spyder can drive in, either dialing in more performance or more efficiency per the driver’s request.

Concepts being concepts, this 918 isn’t available for sale. The company is carefully watching how the consumers will react to performance cars with a green edge (Tesla already sells its 6-figure roadster, while Ferrari’s hybrid sports car from this week’s Geneva show will prove instructive for the German company, too). If you’re really burning for a Porsche hybrid, you’ll be able to buy one shortly: the Cayenne SUV will offer a hybrid model at the end of this year.

Categories
Racing Ephemera

New Nardi Book

New Nardi Book

This book is fantastic and can be ordered at the here.

Categories
Ferrari For Sale

Dino Ferrari’s 166 Mille Miglia Feature Car At The 2009 RM Auction Monterey

This is the first online announcement of the Feature Car of the 2009 RM Monterey Auction!

For sale is the Dino Ferrari 1953 166 Mille Miglia #0050 (ex 0308M). This 166 Mille Miglia was the personal car of Enzo Ferrari’s son Dino and the first small grill Ferrari. Dino had a major role in the development of this car. To quote the October 2004 issue of Forza: “A fresh impulse came from Enzo Ferrari’s son Alfredo (Dino), who received a spare 166 MM chassis from his father. Dino came up with some ideas of his own to be executed by local coachbuilder Sergio Scaglietti: together, they conceived of an aggressive and fluid line for Dino’s 166 MM. Scaglietti bodied the Mondial that scored the early-1954 success based on this design, with its unusually small front grill”.

166 MM When Owned By Bob Blaske In 1962

This is the first Ferrari Jack Reuter purchased. In 1965 he happened to see it partially covered through a window of a warehouse in St. Louis Missouri. He was able to locate the owner of the building (Ed Kaysing) and purchased the car for $1,000. It was in pieces but was “so original it would make you cry”. He then restored the car and took it to the 1966 Ferrari Club Of America meet in Indianapolis Indiana where he won the prize for Best Roadster. We still have the pewter cup…He later sold the car to Ken Hutchison.

Cliff Reuter

Update: This car did not sell at a high bid of $1.1Million against an estimate of $1.5Million-$1.8Million. I’m surprised.

Categories
Classic Sportscar

A Devin Bodied Bandini Crosley 750cc

Chuck Hassan Bandini At 1952 Vero Beach
Chuck Hassan Bandini At 1952 Vero Beach

In 1952 Chuck Hassan imported a Bandini Motto Crosley to compete in the newly formed 750cc Hmod class in the American SCCA. His first race was a total success as he won his class and the index of performance at the 6 hour Vero Beach race. He competed in many more events including Sebring and ended up 24th overall in the 1952 national standings. He then sold the car to James Riley who raced a couple of times in 1953.

Bandini With A New Devin Body For 1958
Bandini With A New Devin Body For 1958

In 1954 the car was purchased by the great Sandy McArthur (the 1950’s Hmod King) who raced it to 6th in the national Hmod class that year. McArthur also raced it in 1955 and for the Sebring 12 hour event had a Mercury outboard motor installed by the factory. He was leading the index of performance after 6 hours when the fiat 500 gearbox let go. He competed in a few more races that year and in 1956 sold the car to Clair “Sonny” Reuter of Naperville Ill. Reuter raced the car a few times and then installed a new Bill Devin Monza body for the 1958 season. This great car was in his possesion till his death in 2006.

My father Jack Reuter purchased it from his estate to compliment his other Bandini racer, 1955 Bandini #358 DOHC. We are now restoring the car with its Devin body.

Bandini Devin As She Sits Today
Bandini Devin As She Sits Today

Cliff Reuter