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'55 Mercedes Gullwing racer expected to sell for $6 million

RM Sotheby's has a Gullwing up for auction. Not just any Gullwing, but one of just four prepared by the factory for racing. And it's expected to fetch $6,000,000, (give or take a million) when it crosses the auction block next month in New York. Chassis number 5500640 is billed as "the rarest and most desirable W198 Gullwing ever presented for public auction," and it's not hard to see why. It was used for both racing and testing purposes, including an entry in the notoriously grueling Tour de France by none other than Sir Stirling Moss. He placed it second only to the Marquis de Portago in his Ferrari 250 GT TdF, often outperforming the Ferrari in stages of the event. It was in the possession of one owner since 1966, who stored it for 40 years before passing it on to his son in 2008, who in turn underwrote a comprehensive three-year restoration project and has now put it up for auction. Gullwings are invariably the most sought-after post-war production Mercedes when they come up for auction. The highest price one has ever garnered, according to the records at Sports Car Market, was $4.62 million paid in early 2012 at Gooding & Company's Scottsdale auction. This example, however, stands to far surpass that amount to set a new record. It's just one of several notable lots consigned for the Driven By Disruption event, set to take place on December 10 in New York. Alongside it, RM has the Lamborghini Concept S (valued at over $2.4 million), a 1962 Aston Martin DB4 GT Zagato (over $16m), and a 1956 Ferrari 290 MM driven by Juan Manuel Fangio ($28m). In short, it ought to be a significant sale, and we'll report the results once they're in.

Smart Cross Connect app changes how ForTwos get used [UPDATE]

UPDATE: The story's been updated with a response from a Smart representative. There are parking spaces, and then there are Fortwo parking spaces. Smart, which is owned by Mercedes-Benz parent Daimler, is looking for a way for its customers to take advantage of the difference. Think of it as a big thing for really small cars. Smart is working on an app for the redesigned Fortwo called Cross Connect that will be available as soon as next month, says Automotive News, citing Smart chief Annette Winkler. The idea is to connect owners of the diminutive two-seat vehicles to, for example, let them tell each other when there's a parking space that's too small for just about any other vehicle but big enough for a Smart. If you think that's a small thing, think again. The Fortwo is 8 feet, 10 inches long. That's almost six feet shorter than a Toyota Prius, which itself isn't exactly a stretch limo. In fact, the length of a Smart Fortwo is just 10 inches longer than the width of a Ford F-150, in case anyone was having misgivings about parking perpendicular in a parallel spot. Parking has become more relevant, and tougher, as more people move to urban centers. For instance, BMW said earlier this month that it would discontinue its DriveNow car-sharing operations in San Francisco because of the challenge of parking vehicles on that city's streets. Other possible amenities with the Cross Connect app including the enabling of personal car sharing as well as information on car washes that offer discounted rates for Smart Fortwo. Yes, there are some out there, apparently, and we salute them. Michael Minielly, a spokesman for Mercedes-Benz, confirmed to Autoblog that the Cross Connect features would be available in November. You can read Autoblog's driving impressions of the 2016 Fortwo here. Featured Gallery 2016 Smart ForTwo: Second Drive View 23 Photos News Source: Automotive News-sub.req.Image Credit: Drew Phillips Green Mercedes-Benz smart Technology Smartphone fortwo

Coronavirus blues, and the 2021 Hyundai Elantra debuts | Autoblog Podcast #619

In this week's Autoblog Podcast, Editor-in-Chief Greg Migliore is joined by Senior Editor, Green, John Beltz Snyder and News Editor Joel Stocksdale. Get a behind-the-scenes look at life for Autobloggers during the coronavirus outbreak, as they talk about how it's not only affecting the automotive industry at large, but the people who cover it as well. Amidst the chaos, Hyundai unveiled the 2021 Elantra, and out editors opine about the new small sedan. They briefly discuss what cars they'd want to drive cross-country if they had a flight that had been canceled, before talking about the cars they've actually been driving, including the Mercedes-Benz GLS 580, Jeep Renegade and Lincoln Corsair. Finally, they reach into the mailbag and help a listener pick a new car. Autoblog Podcast #619 Get The Podcast iTunes – Subscribe to the Autoblog Podcast in iTunes RSS – Add the Autoblog Podcast feed to your RSS aggregator MP3 – Download the MP3 directly Rundown The coronavirus is affecting the auto industry, and those who obsessively cover it 2021 Hyundai Elantra has been revealed Poll: Your flight's canceled. What car do you drive cross-country? 2020 Chevy Corvette orders end Cars we're driving: 2020 Mercedes-Benz GLS 580 2020 Jeep Renegade 2020 Lincoln Corsair Spend My Money Feedback Email – Podcast@Autoblog.com Review the show on iTunes Related Video: