2007 Ferrari F430 430 Coupe F1 Nero Just Serviced / New Tires / F1 Wear At 15.6% on 2040-cars

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Lamborghini Countach, Ferrari 512M and more immortalized as Lego sets

Lego has announced a slew of new Speed Champions sets, the ones based on actual licensed cars, for 2022. The latest batch includes a smorgasbord of supercars, from beloved classics like the Lamborghini Countach to yet-to-be-released promises like the long-awaited Mercedes-AMG One. There are seven cars in total, released in five sets.  Our favorite is probably the 262-piece Lamborghini Countach, based on a later LP500 variant. Not only does it tick the box of a childhood dream machine, but the angular shape of the real-life Countach lends itself well to being recreated in Lego bricks. Also, it's modeled in white rather than the typical red. Lego Speed Champions Ferrari 512M 1 View 6 Photos We also really dig the Ferrari 512M. It marked the last of Ferrari's V12 endurance racers, and even though it was soundly spanked by the Porsche 917, the cars are undeniably beautiful. The 291-piece Lego set does a great job of capturing its brutal wedge silhouette in brick form. Lego Speed Champions Lotus Evija 1 View 5 Photos Rounding out the single-car sets is the 247-piece Lotus Evija. The electric Lotus has a bit of a generic supercar look about it, but that's not entirely the fault of the Lego kit. Its dramatic vents can't really be replicated with the limited "resolution" of the Lego bricks. Its rear, with unique taillight-encircled air tunnels, is a bit more distinctive. Lego Speed Champions Aston Martin Valkyrie AMR & Vantage GT3 1 View 7 Photos In addition to the single car sets, there are two larger sets of two cars each. One is a 592-piece Aston Martin-themed pack that includes the Valkyrie AMR Pro and Vantage GT3. Again, it's a bit difficult to sculpt the cars' curvaceous lines out of straight-edged bricks, but the effort is admirable. The Valkyrie is probably the more successful of the two, as the Vantage would resemble a Corvette or Viper if it didn't have stickers to clarify the details. Lego Speed Champions Mercedes-AMG F1 W12 E Performance & Project One 01 View 9 Photos Last but not least is a twofer comprised of 564 bricks to build the Mercedes-AMG One and seven-time Formula 1 world champion Lewis Hamilton's W12 racer. In Lego's official product description the driver is not mentioned by name, but the number 44 gives it away. The model of the One indeed looks like a sharp supercar, but the blocky pieces don't exactly replicate the lines we've seen on camouflaged test mules.

For his last act, Marchionne will outline an EV/hybrid roadmap this week

MILAN/LONDON — Fiat Chrysler (FCA) boss Sergio Marchionne is expected to outline new plans for electric and hybrid cars in a strategy presentation on Friday, aiming to ensure the world's seventh-largest carmaker remains in the race in the absence of a merger. The 65-year-old will present FCA's strategy to 2022, his final contribution to the company he turned around and multiplied in value through 14 years of canny dealmaking. After failing to secure a tie-up he said was necessary to manage the costs of producing cleaner vehicles, Marchionne needs to show the group can keep churning out profits on its own, even as emissions rules tighten, SUV competition intensifies and worries around his succession abound. Marchionne had long refused to jump on the electrification bandwagon, saying he would only do so if selling battery-powered cars could be done at a profit. He even urged customers not to buy FCA's Fiat 500e, its only battery-powered model, because he was losing money on each sold. But Tesla's success and the need to comply with tougher emissions rules have forced Marchionne to commit to what he calls "most painful" spending. "FCA is way behind rivals in terms of hybrid and electric vehicles and they need to hit the accelerator to convince investors they can close that gap," said Andrea Pastorelli, a fund manager at 8a+ Investimenti. Germany's Volkswagen, Daimler, BMW and U.S. rivals GM and Ford have committed to spending billions of euros each in coming years to try produce profitable cars powered by cleaner fuels. FCA needs to present a clear roadmap, just like Volvo Cars, which ditched diesel from its best-selling XC60 SUV, launched a new electric brand and pledged to shift all brands to hybrid by 2019, a banking source close to FCA said, noting: "The tech divide determines winners and losers in the industry." Marchionne has already said half of the wider FCA fleet will incorporate some elements of electrification by 2022, while luxury marque Maserati will spearhead FCA's electrification drive by making all new models due after 2019 electric. But its plans remain vaguer and less advanced than most big rivals and some investors wonder about the capital required to make vehicles compliant, and what share of spending can go to electrification given FCA's numerous demands.

Multimillion-dollar Ferraris line up for Pebble Beach

Wherever high-value classic cars are being sold, you can bet that vintage Ferraris will be topping the list. Especially at Pebble Beach. And that's precisely the auction for which Gooding & Company has lined up a trio of multi-million-dollar examples. Arguably the most enticing (and sure to fetch the highest price) of them all is a classic red 1961 Ferrari 250 GT SWB California Spider, complete with the highly-coveted covered headlights – just like the one in Ferris Bueller's Day Off. Chassis number 3095 GT is one of just 37 made in this configuration. It's been fully documented and certified, but not restored. This is the first time this particular example will be offered in the United States, and Gooding expects it will fetch around $17 million - placing it at the high end of the Sports Car Market database of prices paid for 250s of any kind. Joining the California Spider is a striking 1957 Ferrari 410 Superamerica – the fastest road-going sports car of its time with a top speed in excess of 150 miles per hour. Painted in metallic grey with a contrasting dark red roof and red leather interior, this Series II coupe was purchased by Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, the last Shah of Iran. It went with his wife following their divorce, and was awarded first in class at Pebble Beach in 1978. It's projected to raise between five or six million in financial scholarships, potentially eclipsing any record for Superamericas to date. Finally, in what could be a footnote only in this rarefied company, is a 1965 Ferrari 500 Superfast that boasts similarly lofty provenance, having been delivered new to Prince Sadruddin Aga Khan. In stunning dark blue with red leather, chassis 6049 SA is anticipated to sell for over $3 million (over a million more than any Superfast yet) when the gavel drops at the Concours d'Elegance next month. Gooding & Company Announces Multiple Show-Stopping Ferraris Including a 1961 Ferrari 250 GT SWB California Spider to Headline Pebble Beach Auctions This quintessential open-air Ferrari is expected to set record-breaking numbers when it crosses the block this August SANTA MONICA, Calif. (July 14, 2015) – Gooding & Company, the official auction house of the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance®, is pleased to announce the addition of three unparalleled classic Ferraris to its sale in August – a 1961 250 GT SWB California Spider, a 1957 410 Superamerica Series II Coupe, and a 1965 500 Superfast.