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Rendez-vous: The illegal Tour de France

Sean McFarland

This article was originally posted on BBC Autos.

Calm under pressure, audacious skill and a bit of lunacy: all traits of a prepared racer. Coupled with purpose-built equipment shaped by the wind, and you have a recipe for a properly exciting race through Paris.

The month-long Tour de France stormed through the streets of Paris on 27 July, with scores of cyclists swarming towards the finish through a crush of hardcore fans. It’s an evocative scene, one repeated throughout the ages every year. But in 1976, there was an exceptional, extra-legal sprint that was filmed, discussed and ultimately passed around in video-cassette form like contraband.

Nearly four decades ago, French director Claude Lelouch releasedC’était un rendez-vous, a short film depicting a Ferrari 275 GTB illegally blasting through the dormant avenues of a Paris dawn, coming to rest at the Montmarte overlook adjacent to Sacré Coeur. The speed and reckless maneuvers in the picture caused a tiny stir in the City of Light and among car enthusiasts worldwide, as copies of the short film slowly made their way across oceans.

Translating to It Was a Date, the production is regarded as one of the earliest – and still one of the best – street-racing films. Though many a driver has felt the impulse to speed away from a red light or dash through a commute as if it were the last lap at Le Mans, it would be folly to follow through. Lelouch couldn’t help himself. The director weaves through a makeshift 6.5-mile circuit in less than eight minutes while maintaining remarkable pace. But all is not what it seems.

A keen viewer will note that the speed and movement on screen does not always correspond with the sound of a Ferrari at full chatter. In fact, Lelouch used his massive Mercedes-Benz 450SEL 6.9 sedan for filming. To make the movie more exhilarating, the director later dubbed over the soundtrack with that of his Italian sports car. Forget suction-mounting a GoPro camera; Lelouch affixed a full-size film rig to the front of his German land-barge.

And while there was no yellow jersey or flowered garlands awaiting Lelouch at the finish of his “tour”, there was something more permanent: immortality.

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The photo with a $35,000 secret

Sean McFarland

This article was originally published on BBC Autos.

A photo with a backstory. (Courtesy RM Auctions)

Every significant collection needs a crown jewel, that marquee item that slackens jaws and raises eyebrows. And at the coming Pebble Beach Concours d’Élégance, held amid championship golf greens in northern California, there will be no shortage of multimillion-dollar Ferraris crowding the auction block. But there are significantly less expensive ways to secure a one-of-a-kind piece of Ferrari mystique, worthy of sitting atop any collection – and it may even come with a valuable secret.

The photograph above, taken in 1964 at the 12 Hours of Reims endurance race in France, depicts the Parkes/Scarfiotti Ferrari 250 GTO passing the pits while in the foreground, Jacques Swaters, Belgian manager of the Ophem/”Beurlys” outfit, signals the team’s Ferrari 250 LM. The moment, captured in a seemingly nonchalant blink of a camera’s shutter, provides a brief but comprehensive glimpse at what made this era of motorsport so special – to competitors and collectors alike.

But look closer.

A discreet stash of signatures on the print, barely legible at a glance, brings this image into the upper stratosphere of automotive collectibles.

(Courtesy RM Auctions)

The photo is signed by many of the famous individuals within the frame – a murderer’s row of Formula 1 world champions and Le Mans winners. Signatures from, among others, Phil Hill, Derek Bell, Luigi Chinetti and Maurice Trintignant all adorn the image. Couple this with an exemplary shot of two famous Ferraris – one of which, the 250 GTO, being considered the most coveted car in the collecting hobby – and you’ve got a centrepiece that is certain to draw double-takes.

(Courtesy RM Auctions)

Although the print’s signatures are subtle, its size is hardly so – it measures over 11 feet long and 7 feet high. Were it not for the barely-there autographs, the image likely would not have sold in 2008 for 23,000 euros (roughly $35,772 at time of sale).

Though few would call the image affordable, it is quite a bargain compared to the Pebble Beach-bound relations of the aforementioned 250 GTO and LM: a 250 GT California expected to bring $12m to $15m, and a 275 GTB/C Speciale that could very well top $40m, making it the most expensive car ever sold at public auction.

All of which serves to make an archival automotive photograph even more attractive. Bonus: you wouldn’t have to worry about crashing it.

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Blues Brothers mayhem, distilled for the small screen

Sean McFarland

This article was originally published on BBC Autos.

The Little Tikes Cozy Coupe, BBC Autos’ most recent Icons & Innovators subject, was the childhood equivalent of the Volkswagen Beetle: simple, cheap and effective.

Children found the red and yellow plastic hardtop an easy vehicle for driveway exploration, and parents found it a surefire way to keep a child engaged. The Cozy Coupe was tough, too, able to withstand the occasionally destructive force that is a child’s imagination.

But the appeal of an automotive “smash ‘em up” does not wane just because a child grows older. When the US comedy The Blues Brothers hit theatres in 1980, it did so with a smash-and-crash storyline heavy on gratuitous automotive carnage. Cozy Coupes may be a tight squeeze nowadays, but even the most severe cases of Peter Pan syndrome can be soothed with this piece of escapism.

YouTube user Bricktease employed stop-motion video and Lego in a shot-for-shot recreation of the mall chase in the movie. Audiences everywhere could view the pursuit through an Illinois shopping centre as a celluloid facsimile of their childhood fantasies. Filming the sequence brought about the destruction of 103 cars in total, a record for films at the time.

This colourful Lego tribute matches the calamities of the chase all the way down to the scattering patrons. The cars slide and tumble through the mall with awful handling as the film’s main characters casually take in all the newest retail additions.

Not quite the same as a Cozy Coupe demolition derby, but it scratches an itch.

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Five ways to bring summer on the road

Sean McFarland

This article was originally published on BBC Autos.

 

Winter has retreated from the northern hemisphere and warmth reigns supreme, setting many readers to dream of escapes. Not just any escapes, but the kind of adventures where the vehicle is as much a protagonist as the destination. Few things are better than a car filled with friends en route to a beach or campsite, and the fun factor only grows when a car can adjust for prolonged absences. These are some of our favourite ways to stay away a little bit longer this summer. (Photo: AT Overland Equipment; Cover photo: Kylie McLaughlin/Lonely Planet Images/Getty)

Audi Q3 Camping Tent

The Q3 stuffs Audi’s core tenets of sport and luxury into an appealing soft-roader package. But for weekenders who’d rather not be fodder for mosquitos, Audi has devised a solution. The Q3 camping tent can withstand winds of up to 43mph, making it a formidable shelter in an impromptu storm. Audi estimates that the inflatable fortress and attached exoskeleton will be ready for occupants in just seven minutes. Don’t want to get wet walking from the car to the tent? Fear not, for Ingolstadt’s engineers have thought of it all: the tent attaches seamlessly to the Q3’s open rear hatch, enabling crawl-throughs. How very civilised. (Photo: Audi of America)

Volkswagen California

Grandchild of the recently deceased Kombi, the California is Volkswagen’s response to adventurers seeking a self-contained holiday. The California comes standard with an accordion-like expandable roof, cooking facilities, a sink and a refrigerator. Add the optional camping pack, and a retractable awning turns this Swiss Army van from an overnight shelter to a second home on wheels. At the end of a long summer day, there’s a double bed for a restful night’s sleep. This latest pop-top VW truly has everything you’d need on a camping holiday, save for a fire pit for roasting weenies and preparing late-night s’mores. (We assume Volkswagen will issue a recall to mend this minor design flaw.) (Photo: Volkswagen Group)

Airstream Autobahn

Fancy having your business associates over for a meeting before a daytrip to the countryside? The Airstream Autobahn is the summer solution for the terrestrial jet set. Airstream takes a standard Mercedes-Benz Sprinter van and adds all the humble road-trip necessities: leather-lined captain’s chairs, power window shades, a beverage cooler and, of course, a flat-screen LCD television. Though a journey in the Autobahn would never be construed as “rouging it”, this modified cargo-mover is a choice shelter for those with high-tag adventuring in mind – a tag starting at $133,000 in the US, to be exact. (Photo: Airstream)

Nissan Titan Bed Tent

Notwithstanding nomadic tribes of surfers and snowboarders, most owners of pickup trucks overlook their vehicles’ ability to double as makeshift campgrounds. This bed tent for Nissan’s full-size Titan comes directly from the Japanese brand, and is ideal for providing a dry night’s sleep. But while the shelter part of the camping equation is covered, it’s still in adventurers’ best interest to throw in a mattress. The steel bed of a full-size truck may be a bit on the firm side. (Photo: Nissan North America)

AT Overland JK Habitat

This solution is built for the daytrips that turn into weekend-long trailblazing expeditions. Jeep Wrangler owners end up in the darnedest situations as it is. They might park for the evening in fender-deep mud, simply because they could. For just such occasions, the JK Habitat lofts its residents above the vehicle. This origami nest bolts directly to the body of a Wrangler Unlimited (the Jeep’s four-door configuration) and unfolds to reveal a 15ft-long canvas penthouse. Setup takes just 60 seconds, according to the manufacturer, and the unit can sleep four comfortably. An opening at the rear of the cabin makes a clever entry point, allowing occupants to move upstairs without exiting the vehicle – a smart idea considering the tricky footing in typical Wrangler habitat. (Photo: AT Overland Equipment)

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AEV Jeeps make Icelandic landfall

Sean McFarland

This article was originally published on BBC Autos.

Who said fun had to be good and clean? Sometimes the best adventures are those that leave calloused hands and scuffed boots.

Ever since BBC Autos’ recent muddy mingle with Land Rover in Kentucky, a palpable craving for off-road adventure has coursed through our ranks. Vicarious thrills have had to do, but as this video from American Expedition Vehicles (AEV) demonstrates, the thrills can still be quite visceral.

This production comes from Iceland, a place that is – as we’ve learned – tailor-made for off-tarmac adventuring. With a population of less than 300,000 and a bounty of craggy landscapes and slippery surfaces, Iceland is prime country for an off-road tuning company like AEV. The Michigan-based modifiers of all things Jeep Wrangler took a pair of their JK350 Wranglers on the expedition through Iceland’s deep ravines, vast rivers and gritty sands.

This isn’t your average slushy drive to the grocery. AEV’s purpose-built rigs have lifted suspensions and knobby off-road tires designed specifically to handle this type of pockmarked landscape without hesitation.

Slipping and sliding in the colder months is a skill worth acquiring, even outside the confines of a nearly indestructible 4×4. Meantime, spend some good, clean fun inside AEV’s cinematic road trip.

seanmcfarland51 Published Work, Writing

The hardcore hooligans: Ten cars with a little extra

Sean McFarland

This article was originally published on BBC Autos.

Carmakers push. If they create a widely loved vehicle, they tend not to sit back and admire their work. They ask, “Where to next?”

Such carmakers may try their hand at tuning: modifying their already impressive cars even further to create distillations – not distortions – of what makes them special. What follows is a group of cars that have received a little something extra; something that distinguishes them, and their drivers, from the norm. (Photo: BMW Group)

Mazda RX-7 Spirit R

The third generation of Mazda’s rotary-powered RX-7 is perhaps the most coveted of the breed. The curvaceous body, curious-sounding Wankel rotary engine and overall performance ticked all the right boxes for enthusiasts. So when the RX-7 was in its final years in the early 2000s, Mazda engineered a version specifically for the car’s most fervent fans. The Spirit R offered a 276-horsepower engine, a choice between an automatic and manual gearbox, and eye-catching aero tweaks, making it a faster, lighter and more aggressive proposition. Not only did it come in two-seater and 2+2 configurations, but the R also bore a Nardi steering wheel, lightweight Recaro seats and BBS wheels. All 1,500 Spirit R models were sold exclusively in Japan, save for one special unit produced for a Mazda executive in the United States. This car, the only existing left-hand-drive Spirit R, sits below Mazda’s Irvine Headquarters. (Photo: Mazda North America)

Ferrari 458 Speciale

Making its debut at the 2013 Frankfurt motor show, this track-focused version of the 458 Italia coupe boasts Maranello’s most powerful naturally aspirated V8 engine, as well as active aerodynamics in the form of flaps that open and close at various speeds. This stripped and striped version of the 458 produces 34hp more than the base car, in addition to weighing a remarkable 200lbs less. The Speciale also introduced Ferrari’s Side Slip Angle Control system, giving the car a welcome dose of good sense at the limit. Combining all of this with the Speciale’s wider tires and lower stance means a zero to 60mph time of less than 3 seconds and a top speed in excess of 202mph. (Photo: Ferrari North America)

Honda S2000 CR

The S2000 was Honda’s answer to the Porsche Boxster: a lightweight, free-revving two-seat roadster that emphasised driving dynamics above all else. The Honda won over enthusiasts, but never sold in the volumes that would ensure it any more than sleeper status. In 2008, Honda introduced a club racer variant of the S2000. Though it retained the 237hp 2.2-litre four-cylinder engine of the standard car, the CR was given a removable aluminium top, firmer track-oriented suspension and a quicker steering ratio. In its zealous quest to further reduce weight, Honda removed the spare wheel and made systems such as air conditioning and audio optional – the better to enjoy the CR’s superbike-calibre engine whine. (Photo: American Honda)

Porsche 911 GT3 RS

Wearing letters that hark back to the iconic 1973 Carrera RS, the GT3 RS of the mid-2000s was the 911 for a very particular Porsche buyer. The 3.8-litre 450hp flat-six-cylinder engine, sizable carbon-fibre wing and no-nonsense interior indicated these were not intended for idling in highway traffic. With the RS, Porsche flared the already-widened GT3 fenders to accommodate the nine and twelve-inch wheels at the front and back, respectively. But for a select 500 customers who craved an even more savage GT3, there was the GT3 RS 4.0, with 500hp and a curb weight just under 3,000lbs. (Photo: Porsche Cars)

Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X MR

A rally car for the street, the Lancer Evolution has seen 10 generations. The formula has always been simple: a turbocharged engine, all-wheel-drive, four doors. The last three generations of the “Evo”, as the car has come to be known, have featured a more race-focused MR trim. Included in the 2014 MR is a twin-clutch automatic transmission, Bilstein shocks with Eibach springs and BBS wheels. The MR’s flappy-paddle gearbox also had three drive settings: Normal, Sport and an S-Sport optimised for high-revving track days. The only thing missing? A proper rally spoiler. (Photo: Mitsubishi)

Chevrolet Camaro Z/28

At first blush, the Z/28 may not seem anything more than a standard Camaro with a body kit. The shelf-like front splitter and aggressive aero tweaks are hardly an indication of its performance. The Camaro Z/28’s 505-horsepower 7-litre LS7 is roughly the same engine found in the previous-generation Corvette Z06. Chevrolet also put the Camaro on a diet, giving it thinner glass, optional air conditioning and lightweight wheels and tires that all told render the Z/28 some 300lbs lighter than the ZL1, previously the ultimate expression of Chevy’s muscle car. Granted, $75,000 for a Camaro may seem exorbitant – that is, until the spec sheet comes into view. Buyers get carbon ceramic brakes, five drive modes and a high-performance limited slip differential, all adding up to a faster lap around Germany’s Nürburgring Nordschleife than the Lamborghini Murciélago and Porsche 911 Carrera S mustered. (Photo: General Motors)

Dodge Viper SRT-10 ACR

Already one of the most raw of American sports cars, the Viper SRT-10 became one of the more frighteningly capable supercars on the market when it began sales in SRT-10 ACR form during the late 2000s. The American Club Racer package transformed the Viper into a track-gobbling carnivore. A carbon-fibre splitter, motorsport-style spoiler and eye-catching paint gave only a brief hint of the ACR’s capabilities. Its massive 8.4-litre V-10 churned out 600 horsepower and propelled the ACR to 60mph in under 4 seconds. Plus, with 14-inch vented brakes from Brembo, this striped serpent comes to a stop almost as quickly. So quick was the ACR, in fact, that it broke the unofficial lap record for a production car at the Nürburgring. (Photo: Chrysler Group, via Newspress)

BMW 3.0 CSL

Racing homologation is a simple rule: in order for a manufacturer to enter a car for motorsport, it must produce and sell a certain number of road-going versions of the car it wishes to race. In the early ‘70s, BMW produced the 3.0 CSL. The nameplate addition stood for “Coupe Sport Lightweight”, and it wasn’t a hollow marketing ploy. Aluminium body panels, thinner glass and a lack of soundproofing made the 3.0 CSL a canvas for high-speed motoring. So spirited was the car that the eventual racing version – nicknamed “The Batmobile” for its massive rear wing – became BMW’s first so-called Art Car, painted for competition by American abstract expressionist Alexander Calder. With just over 1,000 units produced, a clean 3.0 CSL commands over $100,000 at auction. (Photo: Benson Chiu/RM Auctions)

Ford Mustang Boss 302 Laguna Seca

For the 2012 model year, Ford offered a multitude of trim levels for its pony car, but with apologies to the 500-horsepower Shelby GT500, this was the year of the Boss – namely, the Boss 302 Laguna Seca, a track-optimised version of the already potent Boss 302. Both cars came with a 5-litre V8 engine that churned out 444hp. But only the Laguna Seca, named for the race circuit in northern California, was stripped of its rear seats in favour of a chassis-stiffening X-brace; received a massive, downforce-abetting front splitter; and ultra-sticky R-compound race tires. Regardless of whether you opted for black or silver exterior paint, the body came adorned with bright red accents. (Photo: Ford Motor)

Mini Cooper John Cooper Works GP Edition

The GP was an effort to take the already tuned JCW Mini Cooper to the next level. Mini removed the back seat to save weight, introduced an adjustable coil-over suspension and tuned the turbocharged four-cylinder engine to 218hp – up from 208. The GP edition was also distinguished by Recaro seats, ensuring driver and passenger would reach a well-bolstered 60mph in about 6 seconds. Only 2,000 of these Coopers were produced, making them some of the more coveted modern Minis. (Photo: BMW Group)

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Wringing out the minimalist’s Porsche 911

Sean McFarland

This article was originally published on BBC Autos.
They say you shouldn’t mess with success. That is the philosophy that has guided Porsche in its treatment of the 911 since its birth in 1963.

Some of the most coveted editions of Porsche’s venerable sports car are the earliest examples.

Much like Florida’s Collier Collection, the rare museum that actually exercises its stock of classic metal, the owner in this video puts his original 911 through its paces without any reservation. Though it may seem like brutal punishment for such a beautiful classic, this Porsche has a secret: it’s not an early 911.

It’s a 1981 911 SC, modified to resemble one of the earlier models in the 911 lineage – and it’s the finely tuned creation of Bugatti’s head of design, Achim Anscheidt.

Videographer Christopher Kippenberger lavishes Anscheidt’s Porsche with lingering, languorous shots befitting an original early model 911.

Why, though, would anyone tamper with even an otherwise original ’81, no slouch in the desirability department? Anscheidt told multiple sources that he wanted his 911 to be the ideal minimalist sports car. That’s why he completely disassembled and rebuilt it with lighter body panels, a stripped interior and plastic windows. The result of this weight-saving regimen is a claimed 820kg (1,808lbs) curb weight, lighter than a Mazda Miata. Coupling this lightness with a 310-horsepower 3.2-litre flat six-cylinder engine translates to proper swiftness.

With all this in mind, the radical surgery seems less cruel. Anscheidt’s 911 becomes a perfect tool for a high-rpm sprint. And as your headphones will communicate, without the weight and muffled noise from the sound-deadening components of an unmodified 911, this Porsche is loud.