Latest news with #VillaDEste
Motor 1
27-05-2025
- Automotive
- Motor 1
Sheesh: Someone Paid $1 Million for an NSX-R
If there was any lingering doubt that the original Honda NSX was a classic (sold in the States as an Acura), this should dispel that notion. At Broad Arrow's Concorso d'Eleganza Villa D'Este auction, someone paid €934,375 for this 2003 NSX-R. At today's exchange rate, that's $1,061,866. Sheesh . A little history should help put this crazy number into context. The NSX-R was the lightest, most focused, most special version of the original NSX—and one of the rarest. Honda made the NSX-R in two batches, first from 1992 to 1995, then again from 2002 to 2005 following a facelift. The second was by far the rarer version, with Honda building fewer than 140 examples, all for the Japanese market, according to the Broad Arrow listing. Photo by: This example is finished in the classic Championship White livery with color-matched BBS wheels and red interior trim. It has just 16,000 kilometers (9,942 miles) on the odometer, and naturally, it looks immaculate. Data from classic-car value tracker indicates that this was the first 2002-2005 NSX-R to come up for public sale in some time, and it went for far more than any recent 1992-1995 NSX-R auction. The next closest was a 1995 NSX-R Broad Arrow sold at its 2023 Monterey auction for $632,000, and even that was an outlier. Astoundingly, this isn't the most expensive NSX ever. The first example of the second-generation NSX and the first example of a 2022 NSX Type-S both sold for $1.1 million in charity auctions. 12 Source: More on the NSX Ayrton Senna Was a Samurai in Tube Socks When Best Motoring Pitched the Best of Japan Against Supercars Get the best news, reviews, columns, and more delivered straight to your inbox, daily. back Sign up For more information, read our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use . Share this Story Facebook X LinkedIn Flipboard Reddit WhatsApp E-Mail Got a tip for us? Email: tips@ Join the conversation ( )
Top Gear
23-05-2025
- Automotive
- Top Gear
The stunning new BMW Speedtop is a £500k V8 shooting brake spun off an M8
The stunning new BMW Speedtop is a £500k V8 shooting brake spun off an M8 BMW reveals delightful, practical big boy limited to just 70 models and yeah, you want one Skip 19 photos in the image carousel and continue reading Turn on Javascript to see all the available pictures. 1 / 19 When is a BMW Touring not a Touring? When it's a Speedtop, an M8-based, £500k limited run special that's just been unveiled at the annual festival of loveliness that is the Villa d'Este Concours d'Elegance. 'The BMW Concept Speedtop is characterised first of all by its profile,' head of BMW Group Design Adrian van Hooydonk explains. 'It is unique in the automotive industry. In this way, we have created an exclamation mark for our entire line-up of vehicles, especially for the Touring models.' Advertisement - Page continues below BMW, of course, has a long history of rolling out emotionally resonant one-offs at the historic event on the shore of Lake Como. More recently, though, the company has showcased its bandwidth by putting them into production. In 2015, the 3.0 CSL homage blew a fair few minds and 50 were eventually made. Last year it was the turn of the Skytop, an elegant coupe/convertible with a subtly eye-popping graduated paint-job, 50 of which are coming to life in a special facility within BMW's Dingolfing plant in Bavaria. The paint-shop there has phenomenal capability and there's even a saddlery for the finest in leathery interior makeovers. The Speedtop leans into all the possibilities while doffing its cap at the mysteriously alluring Shooting Brake idea, while perhaps permitting echoes of the eternally cool late Nineties M Coupe. (Quick note: a brake was a form of carriage back in the 19th century, and the shooting bit references adaptations to the body to suit hunting parties. Now you know…) A clear evolution of the Skytop's look and feel, it has the same sharky prow, the lights are slimmed down to the point of barely being visible, and the signature kidney grille is illuminated and prominent – though rather less so than on other current high-end BMWs. The eye is quickly drawn to the central 'spline' on the bonnet which is picked up again and continues along the roof. And, as on the Skytop, the Speedtop looks resplendent in its expensive paint job, which magically morphs from 'floating Sunstone Maroon' to 'floating Sundown Silver'. This is not a car you want to park under any trees for fear of despoilment by berry-consuming avians. Advertisement - Page continues below Other exterior highlights include the bespoke alloy wheels, with their turbine blade look, and the way the full-length glasshouse blends into the propulsive rear shoulders. In the past, BMW has worked with Italian carozzeria such as Pininfarina and Zagato to create cars like this, but the Speedtop suggests that the company is rather enjoying being its own coachbuilder. Skip 20 photos in the image carousel and continue reading Turn on Javascript to see all the available pictures. 1 / 20 It's actually more difficult to reconfigure the interior, so the kinship with the 8 Series is easier to detect inside. But the Speedtop still pushes the limits of BMW's personalisation/bespoke programme. There's brown 'Sundown Maroon' leather inside that swathes the dashboard, door tops and centre console. That's strongly contrasted with the 'Moonstone white' leather that covers the seats, dividing the dynamic and functional areas of the interior. Although we're not sure how functional white leather really is. Never mind the birds wrecking the exterior, you'd think twice about parking denim-clad posterior in here. Top Gear Newsletter Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. Look out for your regular round-up of news, reviews and offers in your inbox. Get all the latest news, reviews and exclusives, direct to your inbox. Success Your Email* As on the outside, there's a 'spline' inside the car, illuminated within the two-tone leather in the headlining. There are shades of Art Deco here, another nod to the late Twenties masterpieces that enliven concours lawns. The rear seats feature bespoke luggage from Italian specialist, Schedoni, held in place with leather straps. Then there's the, erm, boot. Can we call it that? Again, we're talking Prada shopping bag rather than Lidl here. It's split level, the upper lid covered in the same leather that's used elsewhere, the lower one surprisingly spacious. The storage compartment is lit throughout. Nice touch. It's also a BMW M8 underneath the bespoke bodywork, so motive force comes from the 523bhp, 4.4-litre, twin-turbocharged S63 V8 engine as used by the previous gen M5. So it has the guts to go with the visual glory, should the owner ever feel the need to bury no doubt bespoke brogue into the carpet. We suspect collectors will be adding the Speedtop to their Skytops, though there will be 70 of the former rather than the latter's 50. A curious imbalance that might push up Skytop values. Imagine both parked up with a Riva Aquarama bobbing gently on the lake beneath. Aaaand… you're back in the room.
Auto Express
23-05-2025
- Automotive
- Auto Express
New BMW Concept Speedtop is an ultra-rare shooting brake with looks to die for
BMW has been promising for some time that it'll reveal something 'dynamic, elegant and exotic' at this year's Villa d'Este concours event, and now the wraps have finally come off – say hello to the new Concept Speedtop. Although labelled a concept, the Speedtop will tread a very similar path to last year's Concept Skytop, which was also unveiled at Villa d'Este on Lake Como, Italy. The convertible Skytop has continued development over the past 12 months, and Auto Express has caught it testing numerous times. It's clear that the production-ready Skytop looks just like the concept, and we can expect the same of the Speedtop. Advertisement - Article continues below Not that you're likely to ever see one. The 2024 Skytop proved incredibly popular, with all 50 units selling out before its reveal – despite a price tag of around £500,000. The Speedtop is only slightly less exclusive, with 70 planned and a price tag to match that of the Skytop. Sharing the same overall body and mechanicals as the Skytop, the Concept Speedtop is based on the hottest version of the current 8 Series – the M8 Competition. This means that under the sculpted bonnet lies a twin-turbocharged 4.4-litre V8 with 616bhp going to all four wheels, via an eight-speed automatic transmission. We don't know how the extra shooting brake bodywork affects the kerbweight, but the 0-62mph time should stay in the region of 3.2 seconds. Skip advert Advertisement - Article continues below BMW says the Concept Speedtop 'reimagines the sporty Touring' with head of BMW design, Adrian van Hooydonk stating: 'It's very unique in the automotive industry. In this way, we have created an exclamation mark for our entire line-up, especially for the Touring models.' As with the Skytop, the Speedtop features a central spline that runs from the uniquely designed kidney grilles through the bonnet and on to the roof – ending at the raised rear roofline to create the shooting brake profile. The Speedtop also gets further bespoke details, such as 14-spoke wheels and an exterior colour gradient, which transforms from Floating Sunstone Maroon to Floating Sundown Silver. Inside, there are more special touches for the Speedtop with brown and white leather upholstery and a 'BMW Concept Speedtop' inscription on the centre console. However, up front at least it's a recognisable 8 Series cabin with the same 12.3-inch screen on the dash. To the rear it's vastly different. With the taller roof, you might have thought BMW would keep the M8's four-seat layout, but the rear seats have been removed to make way for two luggage bay areas split by a centre section with 'Speedtop' inscribed. BMW has form for this kind of limited-run special at Villa d'Este. In 2023, the firm unveiled the Concept Touring Coupé as a modern interpretation of the iconic Z3 M 'Clown shoe' coupé, and in 2016 it displayed the Hommage concept, based on the previous-generation M2 and built as a tribute to the original 2002 Turbo. Don't expect the Speedtop to be the last either. Sylvia Neubauer, vice president for BMW M customers, brand and sales previously told Auto Express: '[BMW's] strategy is to have a series of small-series additions that we offer to the markets. There will be something coming at Villa d'Este this year [the Speedtop], and probably some future small-series editions with the 'M' designation'. Click here for our list of the best performance cars ... Find a car with the experts New Ford Fiesta: latest details on supermini's potential return New Ford Fiesta: latest details on supermini's potential return The Ford Fiesta could be coming back as an electric car, and here's everything we know so far Labour hints at major luxury car tax U-turn to boost EV sales Labour hints at major luxury car tax U-turn to boost EV sales Is pressure from retailers and car makers finally cutting through with ministers? Flawed hybrid car efficiency data to stifle UK EV sales and propagate pollution Flawed hybrid car efficiency data to stifle UK EV sales and propagate pollution Half a million extra PHEVs could reach UK roads by 2030 in place of cleaner EVs due to changes surrounding the ZEV Mandate
Top Gear
23-05-2025
- Automotive
- Top Gear
Surprise! Here's your very first look at the fighty new BMW M2 CS
Surprise! Here's your very first look at the fighty new BMW M2 CS And we know absolutely nothing about it. Fire up the ReSpeculator Machine! Skip 10 photos in the image carousel and continue reading Turn on Javascript to see all the available pictures. 1 / 10 This is the new BMW M2 CS, revealed in a rather surprise announcement as the company unfurls its very lavish tent at the 2025 Villa d'Este concours. And in even more surprising news, it'll feature a reworked 3.2-litre naturally-aspirated straight-six from an E46 M3, get a proper six-speed manual and limited slip diff, and weigh less than 1,200kg. No, scratch that. It'll get a new V8, free of turbos and full of nat-asp song, redlining right up to 9,000rpm. No, even better. It'll feature a V12 in the middle, a carbon fibre tub and a prayer book. Advertisement - Page continues below We jest, of course. Because we know absolutely nothing about the new BMW M2 CS, revealed in a rather surprise announcement. Because BMW itself is only showcasing the 'design' of the incoming new super coupe - all the gory details on its powertrain, performance and price will be revealed on 28 May, head back for the full story. In the meantime, it's fairly obvious what they've done to that design. Because no factory M2 has ever looked this steroidal. It'll likely feature an angrier tune to that 3.0-litre turbo sixer and lots of lightweighting. Punchy and pointy. The new M2 has definitely grown up versus the old car - reckon this angry tyke brings back the naughtiness? We'll find out next week. Until then, fire up the ReSpeculator Machine! Advertisement - Page continues below Top Gear Newsletter Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. Look out for your regular round-up of news, reviews and offers in your inbox. Get all the latest news, reviews and exclusives, direct to your inbox. Success Your Email*
Motor 1
19-05-2025
- Automotive
- Motor 1
BMW Is About to Unveil a Stunning New Shooting Brake Concept
BMW loves showing off new concept cars at Villa d'Este. The Lake Como, Italy concours event has been home to several reveals for the brand, and we suspect this year will be no different. BMW has released teaser photos that suggest this year's surprise will be a very angular shooting brake. The most revealing image, shown above, was published on Monday to Instagram by head designer Adrian van Hooydonk. It's pretty blurry, but we can make out the two-door wagon body shape, along with some big wheels and thin taillights. Another pair of photos from BMW's official Instagram account show off the car's rear profile, suggesting some extreme angles and thin lighting. Photo by: BMW Photo by: BMW BMW hasn't said what it has in store, obviously. But we can make some educated guesses. At first glance this concept might seem very similar to the Z4 shooting brake shown in 2023, though when comparing the cars side to side, none of the design cues or proportions match up. So it must be something else. Our best guess? This concept will be a hardtop version of the BMW Skytop . The sharp rear lip and thin taillights match up perfectly, as does the generally wide stance. If we're accurate, that means the shooting brake should be based on the M8, complete with that car's twin-turbo V-8 engine and all-wheel drive powertrain. Of course, it's unclear right now whether BMW would put a Skytop shooting brake into production. The Z4 shooting brake looked production-ready, but the company decided against a limited series for customers. The Skytop, on the other hand, is getting a production run of 50 units . If there's enough demand, perhaps BMW will make a handful of examples for lucky customers. We won't have to wait long to find out. The Concorso d'Eleganza Villa d'Este kicks off on Friday, May 23. More BMW Concepts This Was BMW's Last Truly Beautiful Concept Car Why BMW's Newest Concept Car Has Old-Fashioned Buttons Get the best news, reviews, columns, and more delivered straight to your inbox, daily. back Sign up For more information, read our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use . Share this Story Facebook X LinkedIn Flipboard Reddit WhatsApp E-Mail Got a tip for us? Email: tips@ Join the conversation ( )
