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Drive like a prince: Join us for a walk through Monaco's car collection

Small, crowded, and a royal pain in the trunk lid to drive into during rush hour, Monaco sounds like an improbable location for a huge car museum. And yet, this tiny city-state has been closely linked to car culture for over a century. It hosts two major racing events every year, many of its residents would qualify for a frequent shopper card if Rolls-Royce issued one, and Prince Rainier III began assembling a collection of cars in the late 1950s. He opened his collection to the public in 1993 and the museum quickly turned into a popular tourist attraction. The collection continued to grow after his death in April 2005; it moved to a new facility located right on Hercules Port in July 2022. Monaco being Monaco, you'd expect to walk into a room full of the latest, shiniest, and most powerful supercars ever to shred a tire. That's not the case: while there is no shortage of high-horsepower machines, the first cars you see after paying ˆ10 (approximately $11) to get in are pre-war models. In that era, the template for the car as we know it in 2023 hadn't been created, so an eclectic assortment of expensive and dauntingly experimental machines roamed whatever roads were available to them. One is the Leyat Helica, which was built in France in 1921 with a 1.2-liter air-cooled flat-twin sourced from the world of aviation. Fittingly, the two-cylinder spun a massive, plane-like propeller. Government vehicles get a special spot in the museum. They range from a Cadillac Series 6700 with an amusing blend of period-correct French-market yellow headlights and massive fins to a 2011 Lexus LS 600h with a custom-made transparent roof panel that was built by Belgian coachbuilder Carat Duchatelet for Prince Albert II's wedding. Here's where it all gets a little weird: you've got a 1952 Austin FX3, a Ghia-bodied 1959 Fiat 500 Jolly, a 1960 BMW Isetta, and a 1971 Lotus Seven. That has to be someone's idea of a perfect four-car garage.  One of the most significant cars in the collection lurks in the far corner of the main hall, which is located a level below the entrance. At first glance, it's a kitted-out Renault 4CV with auxiliary lights, a racing number on the front end, and a period-correct registration number issued in the Bouches-du-Rhone department of France. It doesn't look all that different than the later, unmodified 4CV parked right next to it. Here's what's special about it: this is one of the small handful of Type 1063 models built by Renault for competition.

Donald Trump-owned 1997 Lamborghini Diablo sells for $1.1 million

Like every former president since the 1960s, Donald Trump is not allowed to drive on public roads; he's driven around by trained Secret Service agents. He owned some pretty cool cars before becoming president, and one just sold for $1.1 million at a Barrett-Jackson auction. Part of the auction company's Scottsdale 2024 sale, this 1997 Lamborghini Diablo VT roadster was reportedly configured and purchased new by Trump. It's finished in a shade of blue called Blu Le Mans that allegedly wasn't available to run-of-the-mill customers that year, fitted with a two-tone off-white and black interior, and equipped with a gated five-speed manual transmission. Power comes from a 5.7-liter V12 that's tuned to develop 492 horsepower and 430 pound-feet of torque, which is enough to send the supercar to a top speed of 202 mph. Barrett-Jackson notes that Trump sold the Diablo in 2002, so the "TRUMP 2016" decal on the rear window was added over a decade after his ownership, but there's a small "Donald Trump Diablo 1997" plate on the inside part of the driver's door that seemingly confirms he bought it new. The auction house notes that this car has had two owners since Trump sold it, so the person who paid $1.1 million for it is the third. @thestradman Crazy price for a Diablo VT Roadster #Lamborghini ? original sound - TheStradman While the odometer displays about 24,900 kilometers, which represents approximately 15,500 miles, the Carfax report indicates a mileage inconsistency in August 2003. That didn't deter bidders: it took less than 30 seconds for bidding to reach $500,000 and the winner spent more than twice that figure on the car. It was offered without a reserve, so the highest bidder would have taken it home regardless of where bidding stopped, but $1.1 million likely exceeded everyone's expectations; even the VT variants of the Diablo usually sell for under $500,000. For example, auction house RM Sotheby's sold a 1999 VT Roadster with about 18,800 miles for $456,000 in 2023 and a 1998 model with a little over 3,000 miles for $467,500 the previous year. Earlier rear-wheel-drive versions of the Diablo normally sell for considerably less. Celebrity ownership and an allegedly one-of-one configuration helped this Diablo VT cross the seven-figure mark. Beyond that, it looks like it has been relatively well preserved. It hasn't been questionably modified, and it was sold with its owner's manual as well as two tool kits.

'Gran Turismo' movie trailer: No surprises, but more cars onscreen is a good thing

More movies about cars and racing is always a good thing in our book. The first trailer for the "Gran Turismo" movie dropped today, and while it focuses a lot on the gaming backstory, it looks like there will be a decent amount of actual wheel-to-wheel action as well. The movie is, of course, based on the hugely popular PlayStation series of video games. Now in its seventh installation, it revolutionized the racing game world with its massive library of playable cars, digitization of real tracks, and sound effects recorded from actual exhaust notes. Unlike other recent video games that have been adapted into blockbuster movies or TV shows with actual depth, "Gran Turismo" the game doesn't have a plot.  This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. The movie follows the real-life story of Jann Mardenborough, a British "Gran Turismo" player who in 2011 became the youngest winner of the Nissan GT Academy. The program funnels gamers into real driver's seats, and Mardenborough beat out 90,000 global contestants. He's gone on to compete in the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the British GT Championships, and Formula E.  In the trailer we see what is likely a heavily dramatized version of the events. Mardenborough (Archie Madekwe) faces skeptical parents, skeptical driving instructor Jack Salter (David Harbour of "Stranger Things''), and a skeptical rival who doesn't believe gamers can really race (Josha Stradowski). About the only one who does believe in him is Danny Moore (Orlando Bloom), a marketing exec based on GT Academy head honcho Darren Cox. An obligatory love story is also wedged in there.  Since the real GT Academy was sponsored by Nissan, when Mardenborough graduates to real cars we see plenty of R35 GT-Rs, a 370Z NISMO, and a Ligier-Nissan LMP racer. Mardenborough's rival's car is perfectly cast as a chrome gold-wrapped Lamborghini Huracan. Background cars include an Audi R8, Porsche 911, Ferrari 458, and more. Surprisingly, there's no new Nissan Z, even though it seems like it would be the perfect car to include in a movie like this. The trailer reveals almost entirely how Mardenborough will overcome the odds, not that the end would have taken a genius to guess. At the same time, motor racing is an inaccessible sport for the average consumer.