2003 Ferrari 575 M Maranello Base Coupe 2-door 5.7l on 2040-cars

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Ferrari and Jaguar dominate the 2017 Arizona Auctions

The 2017 Arizona Auctions took place this past weekend, and one look at the results should be a reminder that big-name auto auctions are no place for mere mortals. Aside from the fast paced nature – seven auction houses moved 3,486 vehicles across the auction block – the rarest and most desirable cars sold for more than most people will make in a lifetime. There were around 20 cars that sold for at least $1 million, with Bonhams topping the list with a $7,370,000 1963 Jaguar E-Type Lightweight. Despite $259.8 million in sales, Hagerty reports that 2017 was only the second biggest weekend in the Arizona auction's long history. The figure was up $9 million from 2016's total, but much of that increase can be attributed to the 12-percent increase in the total number of cars auctioned. The average selling price was $89,601, with the vast majority of vehicles selling for less than $100,000. Aside from the 1963 Jaguar E-Type, there were a number of rare and noteworthy vehicles for up for grabs. RM Sotheby's $6,600,000 1939 Mercedes-Benz 540K Special Roadster was the runner-up in value, followed closely by a $6,380,000 1952 Ferrari 340 America Competizione Spider from Bonhams. The various top-10 lists were awash with Ferraris and other European automakers, though much of the lower-end sales were populated by classic American autos. Most of the top sellers were built before 1970, though the occasional newer model (1995 Ferrari F50, 2005 Porsche Carrera GT, 2006 Ford GT) made it through. Based on 2017's overall theme, it appears that interest on cars from American automakers is on the rise. Hagerty notes that a number of 1980s American sports cars like the Chevrolet Corvette and Pontiac Firebird did surprisingly well. Look for the 2018 auctions to see if the momentum continues. Related Video:

Race Recap: 2013 German Grand Prix is old beginnings, new endings [spoilers]

Just like at Silverstone last weekend, the German Formula One Grand Prix started with Lewis Hamilton putting his Mercedes-AMG Petronas on pole. The only thing missing at the pointy end of the grid was his teammate Nico Rosberg, who lined up beside him in England but back in 11th in Germany because of a team error in qualifying. So instead it was Vettel in the first Infiniti Red Bull in second, his teammate Mark Webber in third, the Lotus duo of Kimi Räikkönen and Romain Grosjean.
Again, just like at Silverstone - and Canada - Daniel Ricciardo used his magic beans to impress with the Toro Rosso, lining up in sixth, followed by Felipe Massa in the first Ferrari, Fernando Alonso in the second. Jenson Button in the McLaren, Nico Hülkenberg finished up the top ten.
When the lights went green, it didn't take long for the race to become a black-and-blue affair...

2015 Ferrari California T [w/video]

I'll never forget the day I bought my very first Ferrari. It was a bright-red F40, I'd saved up for it for what felt like an eternity and I couldn't wait to get home so I could park it next to my other four-wheeled piece of pride and joy, a stealth-black Lamborghini Countach, so I could compare their blunt-edge, wedge-like shapes and massive spoilers in microscopic detail.
The year was 1987, and the event felt like the pinnacle of my life's achievement. Though both of my Italians had been die-cast in 1/18th scale, I coveted the two supercars with the verve of a true collector, taking in the intricacies of their engine bays, opening their doors and turning their working steering wheels. In reality, the two could have hardly been more different, and yet they both looked like finely crafted perfection to my seven-year-old eyes, their questionable day-to-day practicality completely overshadowed by their unquestionably exotic shapes.
More than two decades later, I'm belting myself into the driver's seat of the 2015 Ferrari California T, the first turbocharged Ferrari since the F40 went out of production in 1992. The Tuscan countryside spreads out ahead, a twisting barrage of two-lane roads on the agenda, and I can't help but reminisce of my much younger self as I twist the red key and thumb the equally red ignition button on the steering wheel.