Supercars
See also : Cars II British cars Ferrari after 1962 Porsche
Chronology : 1997 1998 2000-2009 2001 2007
Chronology : 1997 1998 2000-2009 2001 2007
1987-1995 Le Mans with Michelotto
2019 SOLD for € 4.8M including premium
The first Ferrari supercar was the 288 GTO. This technological marvel was a big disappointment for the brand : ready just when the Group B was canceled for security reasons in 1986, it could never be used in competition.
Ferrari is radically changing its strategy. The F40, the ultimate model that has been approved by Enzo Ferrari, is a road going car based on the 288 GTO. Its performances are similar to a race car : top speed at 200 mph, 60 mph after 3.9 seconds, 100 mph after 8 seconds.
The commercial success of the F40 is considerable despite a very high price. 1,311 F40 are produced in total from 1987 to 1992. The GT competition does not interest Ferrari any more and customers regret the absence of a racing version of the F40. With the agreement of Ferrari, 18 F40 LM are prepared by Michelotto, a Padua company that had a similar successful experience with the 365 GTB/4 Daytona.
The F40 LM is significantly modified from the basic F40. The chassis is reinforced, the body is more aggressive and several major equipment are modified. Lighter and more powerful, it reaches 229 mph, and 60 mph after 3 seconds.
The 18th and final F40 LM of the regular series, completed in 1993 and titled 1994, was sold for $ 3.3M including premium by RM Sotheby's in August 2015, a remarkable price for a car that had never been used in competition .
The third F40 prototype built in 1987 entered the market in 1992. Its first private owner had it upgraded in LM configuration by Michelotto. Its next owner returned it to Michelotto in 1995 to make it benefit from other improvements introduced by this manufacturer in 1994 under the reference F40 GTE. The car finished 12th overall and 2nd GT at Le Mans in 1995.
That 19th F40 LM by Michelotto is estimated € 4.5M for sale by RM Sotheby's in Paris on February 6, lot 126. The photo shared by Wikimedia was made at the Goodwood Festival of Speed in 2007.
Ferrari is radically changing its strategy. The F40, the ultimate model that has been approved by Enzo Ferrari, is a road going car based on the 288 GTO. Its performances are similar to a race car : top speed at 200 mph, 60 mph after 3.9 seconds, 100 mph after 8 seconds.
The commercial success of the F40 is considerable despite a very high price. 1,311 F40 are produced in total from 1987 to 1992. The GT competition does not interest Ferrari any more and customers regret the absence of a racing version of the F40. With the agreement of Ferrari, 18 F40 LM are prepared by Michelotto, a Padua company that had a similar successful experience with the 365 GTB/4 Daytona.
The F40 LM is significantly modified from the basic F40. The chassis is reinforced, the body is more aggressive and several major equipment are modified. Lighter and more powerful, it reaches 229 mph, and 60 mph after 3 seconds.
The 18th and final F40 LM of the regular series, completed in 1993 and titled 1994, was sold for $ 3.3M including premium by RM Sotheby's in August 2015, a remarkable price for a car that had never been used in competition .
The third F40 prototype built in 1987 entered the market in 1992. Its first private owner had it upgraded in LM configuration by Michelotto. Its next owner returned it to Michelotto in 1995 to make it benefit from other improvements introduced by this manufacturer in 1994 under the reference F40 GTE. The car finished 12th overall and 2nd GT at Le Mans in 1995.
That 19th F40 LM by Michelotto is estimated € 4.5M for sale by RM Sotheby's in Paris on February 6, lot 126. The photo shared by Wikimedia was made at the Goodwood Festival of Speed in 2007.
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1993 The Master of Monaco
2018 SOLD for € 4.2M including premium
After the 1992 season McLaren's supremacy is threatened : they lost their winning engine due to Honda's withdrawal from Formula One. They find a compromise with Ford Cosworth for 1993 but that does not satisfy anyone. Ford is in contract with Benetton to whom they reserve their best technological developments, and the Ford V8 is significantly less powerful than the Renault engine of the Williams.
The reference of the new McLaren with a Ford engine is MP4/8(A). Ayrton Senna has doubts but eventually agrees to stay with McLaren. He wins two of the first five Grand Prix including a stellar victory at Donington Park.
For the sixth Grand Prix of the season in Monaco, the MP4/8 number 6 is attributed to Senna. He knows this difficult circuit where he previously won five times, sharing the prestigious record of Graham Hill.
McLaren no longer has the best car but the skill of its development team to exploit to the extreme the tolerances of the regulations, combined with Senna's legendary motivation, makes it possible to compete with Williams.
During the free practice the McLaren spins at 160 km/h. Senna is safe thanks to the secure design of the McLaren cockpit. The accident was generated by an error in an automatic instruction within the new active suspension. At such a high level, driving is a continuous re-learning even for a pilot as experienced as Senna.
Senna knew to comment on his psychic states. He was very scared. The accident took place on Thursday. Senna continues with the same car that has not been damaged. On Sunday he had mentally integrated the consequences of the accident and wins for the sixth time in his career the Monaco Grand Prix.
He drives the car in six further Grand Prix but without a win. Alain Prost is the 1993 world champion with Williams-Renault.
The MP4/8A-6 has remained authentic including the engine and gearbox of its victory in Monaco. It returns to the Principality to be sold on May 11 by Bonhams, lot 119.
The image of this car driven by Senna at Hockenheim is shared by Wikimedia with attribution : By Runmatze~commonswiki / Landmensch [GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html) or CC-BY-SA-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/)], from Wikimedia Commons
The reference of the new McLaren with a Ford engine is MP4/8(A). Ayrton Senna has doubts but eventually agrees to stay with McLaren. He wins two of the first five Grand Prix including a stellar victory at Donington Park.
For the sixth Grand Prix of the season in Monaco, the MP4/8 number 6 is attributed to Senna. He knows this difficult circuit where he previously won five times, sharing the prestigious record of Graham Hill.
McLaren no longer has the best car but the skill of its development team to exploit to the extreme the tolerances of the regulations, combined with Senna's legendary motivation, makes it possible to compete with Williams.
During the free practice the McLaren spins at 160 km/h. Senna is safe thanks to the secure design of the McLaren cockpit. The accident was generated by an error in an automatic instruction within the new active suspension. At such a high level, driving is a continuous re-learning even for a pilot as experienced as Senna.
Senna knew to comment on his psychic states. He was very scared. The accident took place on Thursday. Senna continues with the same car that has not been damaged. On Sunday he had mentally integrated the consequences of the accident and wins for the sixth time in his career the Monaco Grand Prix.
He drives the car in six further Grand Prix but without a win. Alain Prost is the 1993 world champion with Williams-Renault.
The MP4/8A-6 has remained authentic including the engine and gearbox of its victory in Monaco. It returns to the Principality to be sold on May 11 by Bonhams, lot 119.
The image of this car driven by Senna at Hockenheim is shared by Wikimedia with attribution : By Runmatze~commonswiki / Landmensch [GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html) or CC-BY-SA-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/)], from Wikimedia Commons
1995 McLaren F1 in America
2017 SOLD for $ 15.6M including premium
The McLaren F1 is the result of a brainstorming between the leaders of the group in 1988. Their dominance on Formula 1 is total : Senna and Prost won 15 of the 16 official competitions of that season. The new idea is to transfer this know-how to a road legal sports car that will be the fastest, most powerful, most comfortable and most elegant of all time.
Produced from 1993 this monocoque car is effectively a breakthrough in automobile manufacturing practices with innovative materials and new components. An F1 recorded 386 km/h in top speed.
The security rules are not the same in America. The central position of the driver is tolerated but the side seats for the passengers are not allowed. Other differences include bumper height, headlights and cooling system. A company named Ameritech makes the changes necessary for the legalization in a way that can be easily and completely reversible. 7 F1 are processed by them around 1997.
On August 18 at Quail Lodge - Carmel, Bonhams sells as lot 73 an F1 made in 1995 which had been in 1996 the first to be shipped to the United States, transformed by Ameritech and legalized. It was later returned to its original configuration as almost all (or all?) the F1 Ameritech.
It is announced as a dream car, consigned by its first owner with only 15,500 Km from new and an excellent history of services, in its original configuration without any further option. With a population of 64 in its basic version the McLaren F1 is however less rare than the Ferrari 250 GTO. Please watch the video shared by the auction house.
Produced from 1993 this monocoque car is effectively a breakthrough in automobile manufacturing practices with innovative materials and new components. An F1 recorded 386 km/h in top speed.
The security rules are not the same in America. The central position of the driver is tolerated but the side seats for the passengers are not allowed. Other differences include bumper height, headlights and cooling system. A company named Ameritech makes the changes necessary for the legalization in a way that can be easily and completely reversible. 7 F1 are processed by them around 1997.
On August 18 at Quail Lodge - Carmel, Bonhams sells as lot 73 an F1 made in 1995 which had been in 1996 the first to be shipped to the United States, transformed by Ameritech and legalized. It was later returned to its original configuration as almost all (or all?) the F1 Ameritech.
It is announced as a dream car, consigned by its first owner with only 15,500 Km from new and an excellent history of services, in its original configuration without any further option. With a population of 64 in its basic version the McLaren F1 is however less rare than the Ferrari 250 GTO. Please watch the video shared by the auction house.
1997 The McLaren Longtail
2014 SOLD 5.3 M$ including premium
The McLaren F1 model was produced in 106 units between 1992 and 1998. Its designer Gordon Murray had a vision of the high end road car.
The F1 had the great merit to start the commercial production of supercars after the dark years overshadowed by the oil crisis. Nearly fifteen years after the end of the series, the F1 was still the fastest model of road cars.
The racing car was a logical development for the F1. The F1 GTR was released in 1995. The F1 road car was far ahead of its time, but on track the competition was rude with Porsche and Mercedes-Benz. In 1997, the chassis is changed. The F1 GTR Longtail, produced in ten units, is the ultimate competition model in this series.
The third Longtail is presented for sale by Gooding on 17 and 18 January in Scottsdale. Here is the link to the press release. It is estimated $ 5M.
With its good racing history, it will probably be better received than the last car of the series, unsold in the saleroom by Bonhams on August 17, 2012 with the same estimate but for which a post sale transaction at $ 3.85 million was announced.
Road cars have benefited from the technological advances of the racing cars. A highly rare 1997 road F1 with less than 14,000 miles on the clock was sold for $ 8.5 million including premium by Gooding on 17/18 August 2013.
POST SALE COMMENT
Very good result for the McLaren : $ 5.3M including premium.
The F1 had the great merit to start the commercial production of supercars after the dark years overshadowed by the oil crisis. Nearly fifteen years after the end of the series, the F1 was still the fastest model of road cars.
The racing car was a logical development for the F1. The F1 GTR was released in 1995. The F1 road car was far ahead of its time, but on track the competition was rude with Porsche and Mercedes-Benz. In 1997, the chassis is changed. The F1 GTR Longtail, produced in ten units, is the ultimate competition model in this series.
The third Longtail is presented for sale by Gooding on 17 and 18 January in Scottsdale. Here is the link to the press release. It is estimated $ 5M.
With its good racing history, it will probably be better received than the last car of the series, unsold in the saleroom by Bonhams on August 17, 2012 with the same estimate but for which a post sale transaction at $ 3.85 million was announced.
Road cars have benefited from the technological advances of the racing cars. A highly rare 1997 road F1 with less than 14,000 miles on the clock was sold for $ 8.5 million including premium by Gooding on 17/18 August 2013.
POST SALE COMMENT
Very good result for the McLaren : $ 5.3M including premium.
1998 A McLaren F1 signed by Murray
2015 SOLD for $ 13.8M including premium
The McLaren F1 is the most prestigious production supercar of the 1990s. The project developed by Gordon Murray was to offer the most powerful model that still remained legal for the road. There are however some variations among the 106 vehicles produced from 1992 to 1998.
The F1 GTR is the version for the race. The F1 GT was created to demonstrate to the boards regulating the competitions that the concepts of GTR were consistent with the features of a grand tourer. It was not proposed in the commercial catalog but after the completion of the prototype two F1 chassis were upgraded to F1 GT on special orders from private clients.
The F1 LM is a lighter version of the F1 GTR. Intended for wealthy private clients, it was built in 1995 as one prototype and five units. It could reach 385 km/h through a modification of the engine that disqualified it against the competition regulations.
In 1998 the F1 series is going to its close out. The engineers from McLaren Special Operations are responsible for producing the most exciting car of this so successful series, somehow the ultimate F1 with all possible improvements, the best supercar of its time.
The 63th and penultimate F1 street legal chassis is equipped altogether with an engine meeting the LM specification and with the comfort provided to the wealthy clients of the GT. Aware of creating a masterpiece of contemporary automobile, Murray signed it on the transmission tunnel.
This extraordinary McLaren is for sale by RM Sotheby's in Monterey on August 13, lot 107. This car is exceptional without being unique: another F1 chassis was also equipped with a LM engine.
The F1 GTR is the version for the race. The F1 GT was created to demonstrate to the boards regulating the competitions that the concepts of GTR were consistent with the features of a grand tourer. It was not proposed in the commercial catalog but after the completion of the prototype two F1 chassis were upgraded to F1 GT on special orders from private clients.
The F1 LM is a lighter version of the F1 GTR. Intended for wealthy private clients, it was built in 1995 as one prototype and five units. It could reach 385 km/h through a modification of the engine that disqualified it against the competition regulations.
In 1998 the F1 series is going to its close out. The engineers from McLaren Special Operations are responsible for producing the most exciting car of this so successful series, somehow the ultimate F1 with all possible improvements, the best supercar of its time.
The 63th and penultimate F1 street legal chassis is equipped altogether with an engine meeting the LM specification and with the comfort provided to the wealthy clients of the GT. Aware of creating a masterpiece of contemporary automobile, Murray signed it on the transmission tunnel.
This extraordinary McLaren is for sale by RM Sotheby's in Monterey on August 13, lot 107. This car is exceptional without being unique: another F1 chassis was also equipped with a LM engine.
1998 A Porsche Supercar in the Street
2017 SOLD for $ 5.7M including premium
The FIA GT championship preceded by the short lived BPR Global GT Series throws on the track in the mid-1990s the precursors of today's supercars. These wonders are the McLaren F1 GTR, the Mercedes-Benz CLK-GTR, the Ferrari F40 and the Porsche 911 GT1.
Anticipating some flexibility in the approval rules of the GT competition cars including the demonstration that their models are based on commercial vehicles, Porsche designs directly the 911 GT1 for racing.
The technology restarts in a fast development generating very small series of vehicles with similar designations but increasing performances. The Porsche 911 GT1-98 won the first two places at the Le Mans 24 Hours in 1998.
Porsche does not forget however that some customers expect high-performance cars. Such a project is useful to the prestige of the brand even if the profitability is lost in advance. After two prototypes required in 1996 for road homologation, Porsche realizes the 911 GT1 Strassenversion in 20 units which are sold to customers selected in advance by the brand.
This road legal model created high desires by its limited series, by its very high performance worthy of a winner of Le Mans and by the fact that it has never been offered new on the open market. A Strassenversion made in 1998 with less than 5,000 miles from new is for sale on March 10 by Gooding at Amelia Island, lot 042. Here is the link to the press release.
Its price is difficult to anticipate. A 1997 911 GT1 Evo competition car was sold for € 2,8M including premium by RM Sotheby's on May 14, 2016. Also keep in mind the $ 8.5M including premium recorded on August 17, 2013 by Gooding on a 1997 road legal McLaren F1 with less than 14,000 miles from new.
Please watch the video shared by the auction house.
Anticipating some flexibility in the approval rules of the GT competition cars including the demonstration that their models are based on commercial vehicles, Porsche designs directly the 911 GT1 for racing.
The technology restarts in a fast development generating very small series of vehicles with similar designations but increasing performances. The Porsche 911 GT1-98 won the first two places at the Le Mans 24 Hours in 1998.
Porsche does not forget however that some customers expect high-performance cars. Such a project is useful to the prestige of the brand even if the profitability is lost in advance. After two prototypes required in 1996 for road homologation, Porsche realizes the 911 GT1 Strassenversion in 20 units which are sold to customers selected in advance by the brand.
This road legal model created high desires by its limited series, by its very high performance worthy of a winner of Le Mans and by the fact that it has never been offered new on the open market. A Strassenversion made in 1998 with less than 5,000 miles from new is for sale on March 10 by Gooding at Amelia Island, lot 042. Here is the link to the press release.
Its price is difficult to anticipate. A 1997 911 GT1 Evo competition car was sold for € 2,8M including premium by RM Sotheby's on May 14, 2016. Also keep in mind the $ 8.5M including premium recorded on August 17, 2013 by Gooding on a 1997 road legal McLaren F1 with less than 14,000 miles from new.
Please watch the video shared by the auction house.
1994-2001 The F1 Special
2019 SOLD for $ 20M including premium
Created in 1989, McLaren Cars manages to realize an old dream of Bruce McLaren : a road car that combines all the imaginable qualities. The first model of the brand is the F1. Speed, acceleration, comfort, security : it reaches its most ambitious goals. It does not matter that the arrangement of the three seats is incompatible with a road homologation in the United States.
Competition versions are added to the basic road version. In its first year in 1995, the F1 GTR dominates the 24 hours of Le Mans : the 5 cars are ranked first, third, fourth, fifth and thirteenth.
McLaren commemorates this overwhelming success in the same year with a new variant made in five units, the F1 LM. The engine of the GTR is reused but without the power restrictions required for the competitions. Aerodynamics are modified to maintain the stability, including the installation of a rear wing and the modification of the nose. Without exceeding the top speed of the GTR, the LM has a sensational acceleration, reaching 160 km/h in less than 6 seconds.
To keep cars in perfect condition and please the customers, McLaren creates a division in charge of service and of bespoke customization, which will much later become McLaren Special Operations.
In 1998 the penultimate road car was specially followed in production. When it is finished, the customer leaves it at the factory for having it upgraded to the LM specification. It was sold for $ 13.8M including premium by RM Sotheby's on August 13, 2015.
The second owner of an F1 made in 1994 requires a similar modification. Transformed in two rounds in 2000 and 2001, this second and last F1 upgraded to F1 LM specification benefits from the latest developments and can be considered as the ultimate achievement of the best model of its time. It is estimated $ 21M for sale by RM Sotheby's in Monterey on August 16, lot 261.
Please watch the video shared by the auction house.
Competition versions are added to the basic road version. In its first year in 1995, the F1 GTR dominates the 24 hours of Le Mans : the 5 cars are ranked first, third, fourth, fifth and thirteenth.
McLaren commemorates this overwhelming success in the same year with a new variant made in five units, the F1 LM. The engine of the GTR is reused but without the power restrictions required for the competitions. Aerodynamics are modified to maintain the stability, including the installation of a rear wing and the modification of the nose. Without exceeding the top speed of the GTR, the LM has a sensational acceleration, reaching 160 km/h in less than 6 seconds.
To keep cars in perfect condition and please the customers, McLaren creates a division in charge of service and of bespoke customization, which will much later become McLaren Special Operations.
In 1998 the penultimate road car was specially followed in production. When it is finished, the customer leaves it at the factory for having it upgraded to the LM specification. It was sold for $ 13.8M including premium by RM Sotheby's on August 13, 2015.
The second owner of an F1 made in 1994 requires a similar modification. Transformed in two rounds in 2000 and 2001, this second and last F1 upgraded to F1 LM specification benefits from the latest developments and can be considered as the ultimate achievement of the best model of its time. It is estimated $ 21M for sale by RM Sotheby's in Monterey on August 16, lot 261.
Please watch the video shared by the auction house.
2001 A Formula 1 Odyssey
2017 SOLD for $ 7.5M including premium
After being Formula 1 world champion with Benetton in 1994 and 1995, Michael Schumacher became Ferrari's star driver in 1996. At that time Ferrari entered a new model every year in the Grand Prix. In 2001 it was the F2001 characterized by a spectacular low nose.
An F2001 driven twice to victory by Schumacher will be sold by Sotheby's in New York on November 16, lot 55.
On May 27, 2001 it won the Monaco Grand Prix, giving Schumacher his fifth and last victory in this highly difficult competition but not reaching Ayrton Senna's record.
His victory at the Hungarian Grand Prix on August 19 is even more important. While there are still four Grand Prix to finish the season, it ensures Schumacher his fourth title of Drivers' world champion and to Ferrari their eleventh title of Constructors' world champion. With this 51st victory Schumacher equaled the record of victories in Formula 1 Grand Prix held by Alain Prost since 1993.
Formula 1 cars do not reach similar high prices at auction as the endurance racing winning cars. A Ferrari F300 driven by Schumacher in 1998 fetched $ 1.87M including premium in January 2014 at Barrett-Jackson which is a great result in this category.
Sotheby's assisted by RM Sotheby's decided to enter the F2001 in the post-war and contemporary art evening auction with an estimate of $ 4M, which could revive the interest of collectors for this prestigious class of vehicles. Please watch the video shared by Sotheby's.
An F2001 driven twice to victory by Schumacher will be sold by Sotheby's in New York on November 16, lot 55.
On May 27, 2001 it won the Monaco Grand Prix, giving Schumacher his fifth and last victory in this highly difficult competition but not reaching Ayrton Senna's record.
His victory at the Hungarian Grand Prix on August 19 is even more important. While there are still four Grand Prix to finish the season, it ensures Schumacher his fourth title of Drivers' world champion and to Ferrari their eleventh title of Constructors' world champion. With this 51st victory Schumacher equaled the record of victories in Formula 1 Grand Prix held by Alain Prost since 1993.
Formula 1 cars do not reach similar high prices at auction as the endurance racing winning cars. A Ferrari F300 driven by Schumacher in 1998 fetched $ 1.87M including premium in January 2014 at Barrett-Jackson which is a great result in this category.
Sotheby's assisted by RM Sotheby's decided to enter the F2001 in the post-war and contemporary art evening auction with an estimate of $ 4M, which could revive the interest of collectors for this prestigious class of vehicles. Please watch the video shared by Sotheby's.
2002 Michael Schumacher with Ferrari
2019 SOLD for $ 6.6M including premium
A two-time world champion with Benetton in 1994 and 1995, Michael Schumacher won his third and fourth championship in 2000 and 2001 with Ferrari. He won nine of the seventeen grand prix in 2000 with the F1-2000 model and nine of the seventeen grand prix in 2001 with the F2001 model. The F2001 with which he won in Monaco and Hungary was sold for $ 7.5M including premium by RM Sotheby's on November 16, 2017.
For 2002 Ferrari prepares the F2002. Inspired by the F2001, it is largely modified with a lighter body, a new specification of the V-10 3 liter engine and significant improvements in the gearbox, aerodynamics, cooling, balance of weights.
The development of the F2002 is a bit late. Schumacher drives an F2001 in the first two grand prix, winning one of them. For the fifteen grand prix of the rest of the season, he uses the F2002 with which he records ten victories. The same model brings four wins to his teammate Rubens Barrichello. The only failure of the F2002 in this phase is the Grand Prix of Monaco where Schumacher is 2nd behind a McLaren-Mercedes.
On November 30 in Abu Dhabi, RM Sotheby's sells an F2002, lot 117 estimated $ 5.5M. This car won the 2002 Grand Prix of San Marino, Austria and France. The victory at Magny-Cours secures Schumacher's World championship title with six races still remaining. Such dominance of a car model and a champion is unique in the history of Formula 1.
Please watch the video shared by the auction house. The image is shared by Wikimedia with attribution: I, SilverArrows [CC BY-SA 3.0], via Wikimedia Commons
In the following year this model is already out of date. Schumacher still wins with a F2002 the fourth grand prix of that season which he will continue with the F2003-GA.
For 2002 Ferrari prepares the F2002. Inspired by the F2001, it is largely modified with a lighter body, a new specification of the V-10 3 liter engine and significant improvements in the gearbox, aerodynamics, cooling, balance of weights.
The development of the F2002 is a bit late. Schumacher drives an F2001 in the first two grand prix, winning one of them. For the fifteen grand prix of the rest of the season, he uses the F2002 with which he records ten victories. The same model brings four wins to his teammate Rubens Barrichello. The only failure of the F2002 in this phase is the Grand Prix of Monaco where Schumacher is 2nd behind a McLaren-Mercedes.
On November 30 in Abu Dhabi, RM Sotheby's sells an F2002, lot 117 estimated $ 5.5M. This car won the 2002 Grand Prix of San Marino, Austria and France. The victory at Magny-Cours secures Schumacher's World championship title with six races still remaining. Such dominance of a car model and a champion is unique in the history of Formula 1.
Please watch the video shared by the auction house. The image is shared by Wikimedia with attribution: I, SilverArrows [CC BY-SA 3.0], via Wikimedia Commons
In the following year this model is already out of date. Schumacher still wins with a F2002 the fourth grand prix of that season which he will continue with the F2003-GA.
2007 Evolution of the Porsche Spyder
2018 SOLD for $ 4.5M including premium
Competition is expensive when it is an isolated strategy. Porsche stopped it just after the 911 GT1 victory at Le Mans in 1998. The 9R3 project, started in 1998, came to nothing : the only prototype remained hidden for two decades.
The American Le Mans Series (ALMS) was created in 1999 to manage endurance races by taking model from Le Mans, in close collaboration with the ACO. Ingeniously the authorized cars for the ALMS were eligible for the 24 hours of Le Mans.
Porsche made its comeback in 2005 in the ALMS Le Mans Prototype LMP2 category, with a new RS Spyder under the reference 9R6. The lack of interest of the brand for the top class LMP1 surprised the observers. In fact the rules of the LMP1 were too favorable to the diesel technology with which Porsche had no plans.
From 2006 to 2008 the domination of Porsche in the LMP2 class is total. The highest achievement is reached at the 12 hours of Sebring 2008 with three RS Spyder Evo in the first four positions, the first LMP1 being third.
Fifteen RS Spyders are built from 2005 to 2008. The solutions of its V8 90° 4 liter engine will be reused in the development of the V8 4.6 liter engine of the 918 hybrid. The rules will change again and the success of the RS Spyder will encourage Porsche to create an LMP1, the 919. In the rearview the disdain of Porsche for the diesel looks like a good decision.
On August 24 at Pebble Beach, Gooding sells as lot 44 a Porsche RS Spyder made in 2007. It was part of a group of two bought by a private team to compete in the ALMS competitions. The team gave up this project and this car had a very limited use. Here is the link to the press release. The estimate is not published because of the extreme rarity of this model on the market.
Please watch the video shared by the auction house.
The American Le Mans Series (ALMS) was created in 1999 to manage endurance races by taking model from Le Mans, in close collaboration with the ACO. Ingeniously the authorized cars for the ALMS were eligible for the 24 hours of Le Mans.
Porsche made its comeback in 2005 in the ALMS Le Mans Prototype LMP2 category, with a new RS Spyder under the reference 9R6. The lack of interest of the brand for the top class LMP1 surprised the observers. In fact the rules of the LMP1 were too favorable to the diesel technology with which Porsche had no plans.
From 2006 to 2008 the domination of Porsche in the LMP2 class is total. The highest achievement is reached at the 12 hours of Sebring 2008 with three RS Spyder Evo in the first four positions, the first LMP1 being third.
Fifteen RS Spyders are built from 2005 to 2008. The solutions of its V8 90° 4 liter engine will be reused in the development of the V8 4.6 liter engine of the 918 hybrid. The rules will change again and the success of the RS Spyder will encourage Porsche to create an LMP1, the 919. In the rearview the disdain of Porsche for the diesel looks like a good decision.
On August 24 at Pebble Beach, Gooding sells as lot 44 a Porsche RS Spyder made in 2007. It was part of a group of two bought by a private team to compete in the ALMS competitions. The team gave up this project and this car had a very limited use. Here is the link to the press release. The estimate is not published because of the extreme rarity of this model on the market.
Please watch the video shared by the auction house.
