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This 1959 Ferrari 250 GT LWB California could sell for $17 million

Ferraris of all stripes typically command high prices, but the ones that bring in the serious money always have at least one of a few things behind them: additional rarity, racing heritage, famous ownership. This 1959 Ferrari 250 GT LWB California Spider definitely has at least two, and arguably three. The car is one of just eight built with an aluminum body. It also participated in Le Mans, taking home third place for its class, and fifth place overall. Finally, it was campaigned by the Ferrari North American Racing Team, typically referred to as N.A.R.T. As a result, RM Sotheby's estimates this Ferrari roadster will sell for between $14 million and $17 million. Supporting the high valuation are other important things car collectors look for. The car has been certified as authentic by Ferrari's official classic department. It's also won its class at Pebble Beach after its first restoration was completed in 1983. It was restored again between 2010 and 2011 to bring it back to its original race-ready paint scheme. Besides the car's extensive history, it's a gorgeous machine. The 250 GT California line is one of the more iconic from Ferrari, thanks in part to a red replica being the star car of "Ferris Bueller's Day Off." The silver and blue color combination is unique and works great. It should also be a superb driver, with a race-prepped engine and notably lighter body. According to RM Auctions, the seller says it's excellent to drive, and if that's him in the pictures, we'd say his smile confirms his claims. The car goes on the block Dec. 6 at RM Sotheby's auction in New York City. To paraphrase Mr. Bueller himself, if you have the means, we highly recommend picking this one up. Related Video: Featured Gallery 1959 Ferrari 250 GT LWB California Spider Competizione by Scaglietti View 30 Photos Image Credit: Diana Varga courtesy of RM Sotheby's Motorsports Ferrari Auctions Convertible Racing Vehicles Classics ferrari 250 gt california north american racing team

Ferrari Modulo catches fire driving through Monaco

Accidents happen when you drive a car. The one-off Ferrari Modulo concept is not immune to such a fate, as the spaceship of a car recently caught on fire while out driving. In fact, it's certainly far more likely for an untested concept car to experience more issues than any kind of a production car that's gone through years of testing and development. This particular incident was documented on Twitter by Scuderia Cameron Glickenhaus. Jim Glickenhaus and his team recently bought the Modulo concept with the intention of making it road-worthy. The car was originally shown at the 1970 Turin Motor Show. We've since seen videos of it driving around, but this last drive went all sorts of wrong. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. As Glickenhaus details in his tweets, the muffler was responsible for the blaze that damaged the rear of the vehicle. He says that an unnamed firm they're no longer involved with designed the muffler that caught fire. Glickenhaus was prepared for such an occurrence (it does have a Ferrari engine in there after all). Jokes aside, the onboard fire suppression system did its job and extinguished the fire shortly after it began, saving the rest of the car. Unfortunately, it didn't act fast enough to save it from some pretty nasty damage to the rear of the body. Glickenhaus was driving the car through downtown Monaco when the fire began, so we can assume there was an excessive amount of heat building up in there. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. Surprisingly, Glickenhaus is continuing to drive about even after the fire. He tweeted a photo just an hour after the blaze showing the scarred Modulo charging up the mountains around Monaco. It's tough to trust a car right after a faulty design just caused it to catch fire, but who are we to doubt Glickenhaus? No plans for restoration were detailed yet, but we imagine the Glickenhaus team will have it looking like new as soon as it can. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. View 19 Photos

Ecclestone wonders if F1's upcoming turbo V6s should get augmented sound [w/videos]

While every team on the Formula One grid is worried about making a good showing in this year's championship at the same time as they develop a brand-new car for next year's championship, Bernie Ecclestone and F1 circuit promoters have a different concern: how next year's cars will sound. The current cars use 2.4-liter, naturally-aspirated V8s that can reach 18,000 revolutions per minute and employ dual exhaust, next year's engine formula calls for 1.4-liter turbocharged V6s that are capped at 15,000 rpm and are constrained to a single exhaust outlet. Ecclestone and promoters like Ron Walker believe the new engines sound like lawnmowers and that the less thrilling audio will keep people from coming to races. If Walker's Australian Grand Prix really is shelling out almost $57 million to hold the race, every ticket counts. As a fix, according to a report in Autoweek, Ecclestone "suggests that the only way to guarantee [a good sound] may be to artificially adjust the tone of the V6s."
However, neither the manufacturers nor the governing body of F1, the FIA, think there will be a problem. Ecclestone fears that if the manufacturers "don't get it right" they'll simply leave the sport, but the only three carmakers and engine builders left next year, Renault (its 2014 "power unit" is pictured), Mercedes-Benz and Ferrari are so embedded that it would stretch belief to think they'd leave the table over an audio hiccup - if said hiccup even occurs. And frankly, these issues always precede changes to engine formulas, as they did when the formula switched from V10 to V8; fans, though, are probably less focused on the engines and more on the mandated standardization of the sport and the spec-series overtones that have come with it.
No one knows yet what next year's engines will sound like, but we've assembled a few videos below to help us all start guessing. The first is an engine check on an Eighties-era John Player Special Renault with a 1.5-liter V6 turbo, after that is Ayrton Senna qualifying in 1986 in the Lotus 98T that also had a 1.5-liter V6 turbo, then you'll find a short with a manufactured range of potential V6 engine notes, and then the sound of turbocharged V6 Indycars testing last year at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Any, or none of them, could be Formula One's future.