2007 Ferrari F430 Spider. Grigio Silverstone Over Red. Super Rare. 2800 Miles. on 2040-cars

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Fangio's Ferrari 290 MM should top $28 million at auction

Of all the legendary pilots that have driven for the Scuderia over the years, few carry the kind of clout that did one Juan Manuel Fangio. A five-time world champion from another era, Fangio won a couple dozen grands prix and a fair few sports car races as well, driving for the likes of Mercedes, Alfa Romeo, Maserati, and of course Ferrari. What you see here is the car that Enzo's outfit built especially for Fangio. And now it's going up for auction, where it's anticipated – with good cause – to fetch big bucks. This 1956 Ferrari 290 MM – chassis number 0626 – was designed for Fangio to drive in the Mille Miglia. It would be the last time he would compete in the event, before being scrapped the following year. Victory in the thousand-mile race once again eluded the legendary Argentinian with a fourth-place finish, achieved single-handedly. But that wasn't the end of the story for 0626. It would go on to be raced by Phil Hill at the Nurburgring, by Alfonso de Portago at the Rouen Grand Prix, by Wolfgang von Trips at the start of his career with Ferrari, and won the Buenos Aires 1000 KM in 1957. Victories like those helped Ferrari clinch the manufacturer's title in both 1956 and '57, campaigns in which the 290 MM played an integral part. One (and arguably the best) of only four examples made, 0626 was never crashed during its decorated career. After its retirement from the Scuderia, it made its way through the hands of numerous collectors and racers on both sides of the Atlantic. It spent 34 years in the Mas du Clos collection of Pierre Bardinon before being acquired by its current owner, who in turn is now putting it up for auction. It will feature as part of RM Sotheby's upcoming Drive by Disruption sale in New York on December 10, where it is expected to sell for over $28 million. That would make it the most valuable car ever handled by the venerated auction house, outshining the 1967 Ferrari 275 GTB/4 NART Spider it sold at Monterey in 2013 for $27.5 million. Of course it's not the only lot consigned for the Manhattan event. It'll be joined by a spectacular blue 1955 Ferrari 500 Mondial that's expected to fetch around $6 million, as well as a 1962 Aston Martin DB4 GT Zagato (~$16m) and a Lamborghini Concept S (~$3m), to name just a few highlights on the horizon.

Ken Block's Gymkhana 8 to feature Dubai Police cars?

Yesterday we showed you the shiny Ford Fiesta that Ken Block will slide, spin, and hoon through the next Gymkhana video. In case the image above isn't clear, that video will drop at midnight EST on February 30th on the Ford Performance YouTube channel. We don't know all the entire premise of the video yet, but this Tweet from the man himself reveals that the video will be set in Dubai. Block is standing on the Fiesta we saw yesterday, and arrayed behind him are a handful of those famous Dubai Police cars you're probably familiar with. The force has a fleet of sportscars and supercars, and the purpose is outreach and goodwill among its citizenry, not necessarily the pursuit of criminals. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. From left to right, we can see a Maserati GranTurismo, Porsche 911, what looks to be a Nissan GT-R obscured by Block's Fiesta, a McLaren (likely a 650S), Ford Mustang, and a Ferrari 599 of some ilk. Will they take part? Maybe Block will try and run from what might be the most horsepower-intensive police fleet in the world. We'll have answers (and a few minutes of pure Block hooniganism) in a few days. Related Video:

Ferrari delivers one-off F12 SP America in New York

Ferrari's Special Projects division has apparently been keeping busy. We're sure that we don't even see half of the special one-offs Maranello's customer skunkworks unit produces, but we've been seeing quite a few lately.
The last one that popped up on our radar screens was the F12 TRS revealed at the recent Ferrari Cavalcade in Sicily, and now it seems that the Prancing Horse marque has delivered another. It's similarly based on the F12 Berlinetta, but instead of taking its inspiration from the 250 Testa Rossa with a unique roadster body-style, the F12 SP America pictured here seems to pay stylistic tribute to the 250 GTO - evident in the trio of nostrils in the nose, the unique side vents, the slates behind the windows and the restyled rear haunches that meld into an integrated rear spoiler.
This unique take of the F12 was delivered to its assuredly wealthy commissioner by Wide World Ferrari Maserati in Spring Valley, NY, which tells you as much as the chosen model name that this particular one-off is staying right here in the United States.