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Ferrari Classiche returned this 275 GTB Competizione to million-dollar form

When this 275 GTB Competizione rolled into the hands of Ferrari Classiche, it was all out of sorts. Like so many of its brethren, it wore a red overcoat, but Giallo Fly yellow was its original color. The air intakes were mismatching lengths, the front suspension had an extra shock, certain areas of the bodywork were reshaped, and several other parts had been swapped throughout its adventurous life. With time and meticulous attention to detail, however, Classiche brought the GTB/C back up to Ferrari factory standards. Ferrari does not give an exact year of when it reattained chassis No. 09027, only saying it happened a few years after the car was sold at a 2004 Bonham's auction in Monte Carlo. Before that, it lived quite the tumultuous life. It left the factory on June 14, 1966, and four days later, it placed second in its class at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Pierre Noblet and Claude Dubois drove the No. 57 car for the Francorchamps team and finished 10th overall. According to Ferrari, the racing team made numerous on-the-fly adjustments, including cooling aero and fog lights, to make it properly race-ready. It later won the Mont Ventoux hillclimb, but was damaged during the Marathon de la Route race at the Nurburgring. The car returned to Maranello, and Carrozzeria Scaglietti, who originally built the car, fixed it up before it was sold to amateur racer Patrick McNally in 1967. McNally, after changing the car to silver, wrecked at the 1,000 km of Montlhery. Again, it was fixed, this time by Maranello Concessionaires Ltd. in the UK, and was painted red. Ferrari says the car bounced from owner to owner before it was sold at Monte Carlo. In addition to the previously mentioned issues, the Ferrari faced unoriginal parts that included the oil recovery tank, front brake discs, petrol tank, exhaust system, wheels, tires, steering wheel, and much of the interior. For some reason, the identification plaque had even been changed, but the important original pieces were there: the chassis and the engine. Today, the car is back to tip-top shape and more valuable than ever. Back in 2015, a Barrett-Jackson auction saw a 1966 Ferrari GTB Competizione sell for $9.4 million. We have a feeling Ferrari will keep this one, though. See full photos in The Official Ferrari Magazine. News Source: The Official Ferrari Magazine Auto News Ferrari Automotive History Coupe Performance Classics

Formula One speeds towards radical thousand-horsepower shakeup

The teams, the drivers, the fans, the circuits... few, if any, were satisfied with how Formula One has shaped up since the current regulations took hold last year. But that doesn't mean they aren't working on it. At a recent meeting of the F1 Strategy Group, the leading parties in the sport outlined a new framework that would radically shake up the cars themselves while keeping costs in check. And the biggest change could see the engines producing around 1,000 horsepower. Although a proposal put forth by Ferrari to ditch the current V6 hybrid engines in favor of new twin-turbocharged units was rejected by Honda and Mercedes, the members of the group approved in principal to increase the fuel flow in the existing engines to dramatically boost output. As it stands, the current 1.6-liter turbocharged V6 engines develop around 600 horsepower, with an additional 160 or so kicked in by the electric Energy Recovery System, for a combined output of about 760 hp. What's not clear at the moment is whether the increased fuel flow would necessitate either the return of mid-race refueling (currently banned) or the installation of larger fuel tanks. Red Bull and McLaren also submitted proposals to radically redesign the shape of the cars as well, however a more evolutionary approach was adopted instead. Though far from finalized, the new design would keep the same basic form of the current chassis, but with adjustments to make them more aesthetically pleasing while producing more downforce. Wider tires are also said to be part of the mix. With more power and more grip from the tires and aero, the resulting cars would most certainly end up going much faster than the current ones, which are already starting to nudge the lap records at some of the circuits, many of which were set during the V10 era. The F1 Strategy Group is made up of representatives of the FIA, Formula One Management and six leading teams. The next step will be for the teams' technical directors to iron out how to implement what their bosses have agreed to. If they settle the details fast enough, the revised regulations could be pushed through in time for next season. News Source: AutosportImage Credit: Mark Thompson/Getty Motorsports Ferrari Honda Infiniti McLaren Mercedes-Benz F1

Top horsepower-per-dollar cars in 2017

Bang for the buck. That quasi-scientific statistic is bandied about by motor heads everywhere from classrooms to barrooms, though the truth of the matter is that it's exceedingly complex to measure. A fair performance-per-dollar index would include something like cross-referencing MSRP (Manufacturers Suggested Retail Price) with point-to-point times on a track or driving route, which is obviously hard to do comprehensively. But, for the sheer joy of talking about cars and playing with a big spreadsheet, there's always the horsepower-per-dollar index, which is more straightforward, albeit hilariously flawed. There are vagaries even with this simple formula, of course: MSRP for vehicles can change at a moment's notice, to say nothing of the bottom-line shifting that happens with local deals or showroom negotiation. For this list we're running with the straight MSRP wherever possible, and as recently reported as we can get it. All the vehicles on this list are 2017 models, and all trims are reported where the lowest price and differing power levels intersect. Some choices were made for personal preference and some for sanity, avoiding things like all 48 trim levels of the Ford Transit, all with the same horsepower). If this list were a simple top ten, or even a top fifty, you'd be bored to tears with all the red, white and blue that is represented. Following perfectly with conventional wisdom, American cars really do lead the world where hp/$ is concerned. So, for the sake of variety (and the sheer joy of seeing a minivan 'win' one round of this thing) I've sorted out some top five and bottom five lists for broad power categories. Let's dive in. Less Than 100 Horsepower Okay, okay, this is hardly a category we'll grant you. But we've often tried to click off all the sub-100-hp cars on sale in the US, and making this list gave us an excuse. It also illustrates that none of these smallish vehicles bring cheap horsepower to the table - for that you'll need a motorcycle. The segment-leading Chevy Spark (above) asks just over $139 for each hp, and that Smart Fortwo Electric Drive has hp on sale for about the same price as its very distant family cousin, the Mercedes-Benz SL65 AMG (insert your favorite Smart joke here... we know you want to).