Latest news with #V10
Auto Blog
2 days ago
- Automotive
- Auto Blog
Mate Rimac Plans BMW E30 V10 Restomod, But Not Anytime Soon
It all started with an E30 BMW, and now the electric entrepreneur wants to shove a gas V10 into it. Electric Hypercar CEO Still Has a Soft Spot for the E30 Mate Rimac's path to fame and electric hypercardom started as a teenager racing an E30 BMW 3 Series, and it's been quite the story to follow. His Concept One electric supercar first put him into the international spotlight, and the current-day Nevera hypercar has set many records in its wake. But his love for the E30 has remained strong, and his ultimate E30 restomod isn't an electric one, but a V10-powered beast. All Roads Lead To E30 When the engine of the E30 BMW he raced blew up, he converted the gas powertrain to an electric one in 2008 when he was barely 20 years old. He founded the Rimac Group, and now he's also the CEO of Bugatti Rimac. His meteoric rise to stardom makes him one of the preeminent people in the automotive industry at only 37 years of age. Yet, it seems, his love affair with the E30 has not dimmed one bit. Why Rimac's Personal E30 M3 Is Too Rare to Modify Mate owns a 1990 E30 M3 Evolution III, one of only 600 cars made, and one of the rarest and most special E30s ever, right up there with the highly collectible M30-powered South African 333i, of which only a little over 200 were ever made. The Rimac boss is unlikely to molest his pristine M3, so his V10 engine will likely be shoved into a dedicated project car. He's been tight-lipped about exactly what engine the V10 will be, though. Surely the high-revving S85B50 found in the E60 M5 and E63 M6 will satisfy the requirements for a lightweight NA V10, while keeping it all nicely BMW in the process? We can't be sure, but it would make the most sense. Autoblog Newsletter Autoblog brings you car news; expert reviews and exciting pictures and video. Research and compare vehicles, too. Sign up or sign in with Google Facebook Microsoft Apple By signing up I agree to the Terms of Use and acknowledge that I have read the Privacy Policy . You may unsubscribe from email communication at anytime. Rimac Says Restomod Will Have to Wait While the internet is getting all riled up about Mate Rimac's V10 E30, let us remind you that it's just an idea in his mind right now. He is preoccupied with running his automotive empire and possibly expanding into robotaxis, so there's hardly a spare minute to spend on painstakingly constructing an epic BMW restomod. He sees it as little more than a retirement project at the moment, so we might be in for a long wait. About the Author Cobus F. Potgieter View Profile
The Drive
08-05-2025
- Automotive
- The Drive
Super Rare Shelby-Themed Dodge Viper For Sale Is a Special Edition Lost to Time
I know what you're thinking—what's so rare about the iconic blue-and-white color scheme on a Dodge Viper? Isn't that the most ubiquitous and desirable color scheme for the second-generation, V10 sports car? Well, kind of. On paper, 1996 was the first model year for the second-generation Viper, but reality wasn't quite that cut-and-dried. As production of the updated, fixed-roof GTS came online, it overlapped with assembly of the first-generation RT/10 roadsters. If you bought a coupe, you got the revised chassis and more-powerful engine, rear exhaust outlets (with side pipes still hiding beneath that fiberglass rocker panel, mind you), and the signature Viper Blue paint with white stripes. But if you opted for the open-top model, you missed out on the upgrades and had to pick between Viper Red, White, or Black. Unless, of course, your name is Carroll Shelby. The charismatic Texan did more than help Ford develop the GT40 that eventually beat Ferrari at Le Mans. His open-top Cobras were already giving the Italians fits by the time Ford got its big win, and Shelby's 1966 427 Super Snake is the defining example of the original formula. The same expertise that gave us those hotted-up ACs went into the development of Dodge's new roadster, making the GTS Blue finish offered in 1996 a perfect fit. If you're a true Viper geek, you're probably already familiar with Fitzgerald Motorsports. This prominent Connecticut Viper dealer was fond of juicing up its inventory, offering various performance packages and other upgrades to customers over the course of the car's run. The one you'll encounter most frequently will be some variant on the Snake 530 package (aka 'Edition 530,' 'Millennium Snake,' et al), which packaged a Corsa exhaust, some mild engine upgrades, and a tune intended to push (you guessed it) 530 horsepower at the crank. Considering later GTS models put out 460 stock, it was a fairly tame bundle. But this 1996 Carroll Shelby Edition listed for sale by Hagerty is an entirely different animal. Since it's still based on the first-gen Viper, Fitzgerald had less to work with, and it appears the dealer compensated for that by throwing a lot more at the bundle. Only 19 of them were produced, and only two were in GTS Blue. Each received custom body work (including a Cobra grille and a striped composite removable hardtop), many Fitzgerald- and Shelby-specific parts (steering wheel, floor mats, wheels, emblems/badges) and a nice collection of power upgrades (good for 35 horses on top of the factory 415) and an overhauled suspension with a new sway bar, revised shocks and a unique bump steer kit. The RT/10 is still the most affordable path to Viper ownership, but this one won't go cheap. Bidding has already topped $30,000 (about what you'd pay for a well-worn driver) with a week still to go. Six-figure RT/10 sales are few and far between, but this one looks like it has some potential. Byron is one of those weird car people who has never owned an automatic transmission. Born in the DMV but Midwestern at heart, he lives outside of Detroit with his wife, two cats, a Miata, a Wrangler, and a Blackwing.
