Forgotten ONES Back in the late 1990s, you may have played the 'Gran Turismo 2' racing game on the Sony PlayStation console. If you have, then you certainly have seen and know the Venturi Atlantique 300 produced by French automaker company called MVS(Manufacture de Voitures de Sport) or today known as the Venturi.
The first Ventury GT Concept built in 1984 by the French engineer duo, Claude Poiraud (left) and Gérard Godfroy (right) and is powered by a Volkswagen Golf GTi engine. (Picture from: LookCharms)
As quoted of Wikipedia, the French automaker company was founded in 1984 by the French engineer duo, Claude Poiraud and Gérard Godfroy with vision to create a luxury sports car to rival Porsche, Lotus and Ferrari.
The Venturi Coupe 200 (in pictured was 1988 model)
was built from 1987 to 1988 and is powered by a turbocharged 2.5-liter V-6 making 200 horsepower. (Picture from: ClassicCarWeekly)
The first car shown had a Volkswagen Golf GTi engine and the name was originally spelled "Ventury", with a "y" at the end. In 1985, the car was shown with a 200 PS (147 kW) Peugeot 505 Turbo engine, but by the 1986 Paris Motor Show it had reached its definitive form with the PRV V6 engine. Production began in 1987, with five cars built in the first year with production increasing in the subsequent years.
The Venturi Transcup 210 (in pictured was 1990 model) was built from 1990 to 1995 and is powered by a turbocharged 2.5-liter V-6 making 210 horsepower. (Picture from: Wikipedia)
The company built the mid-engined Venturi coupés and roadsters (now spelled with an "i") starting in 1987 to the mid-1990s, powered by turbocharged PRV engines and Renault gearboxes. Unfortunately, those early-generation MVS Venturi Coupé and Transcup (consisting of 200, 210, and 260 APC models) did not get a good response from the world's automotive enthusiasts.
The Venturi Coupe 260 APC (in pictured was 1991 model) was built from 1990 through 1996 and is powered by a turbocharged 2.8-liter V-6 making 260 horsepower. (Picture from: ClassicCarWeekly)
Nevertheless the company continues to strive to conquer the harsh automotive world, later the company name MVS was dropped in favour of Venturi in 1990. Shortly after that the light of success begins to appear when the company was involved in the F1 racing car development of the Larrousse Formula One Team in 1991.
The Venturi 260 LM (in pictured was 1996 model)
known as the final iteration of the 260 models and is powered by a turbocharged
2.8-liter V-6 making 260 horsepower. (Picture from: Wikipedia)
Then the company revised the design of its sportscars by using the F1 racing car technology. The first supercar production was named the Venturi 260 LM which was a revised version of the Venturi 260APC, is powered by a 2.8-liter turbocharged V6 engine with 256 hp, but with a reduced weight of 1,110 kg. It was good for a top speed of 167 mph (269 kph) and accelerated from 0-60 mph (97 kph) in 5.2 seconds.
Under its widened considerably massive aero kits made the Venturi 400 GT look like a Ferrari F40, but it remains based on the same architecture of the existing Venturis with its wheelbase lengthened by 100 mm. (Picture from: Autozine)
Although it's slowly but sure, the world's automotive began to give a good response when those French company presented its Venturi 400 GT and Atlantique 300 models which sensationally succeeded in juxtaposing themselves on a par with the Porsche 911 Carrera, Ferrari F40 and Lotus Esprit V8.
The Venturi 400 GT is only built 15 cars and said it able to accelerate from still to 100 kph in just 4.7 seconds and able to run up to a top speed of 291 kph. (Picture from: Wikipedia)
Overall, the Venturi 400 GT
is powered by a 3.0-liter V6 twin-turbo engine capable of spewing out
402 hp with a maximum torque of 520 Nm. By such engine power, the Venturi 400 GT able to accelerate from rest to 100 kph in just 4.7 seconds and run up to a top speed of 291 kph. Even more great, the Venturi 400 GT is the world's first supercar equipped with a carbon fiber brake system.
The Venturi Atlantique 300 (in pictured was 1996 model) was built from 1996 through 1998 and is powered by a turbocharged
2.8-liter V-6 making 260 horsepower. (Picture from: Wikipedia)
Meanwhile the Venturi Atlantique 300 was a mid-engined, fiberglass-bodied sports car built by those French automaker in between 1996 to 1998. It looked like a cross-breeding between Ferrari F355 and Lotus Esprit, known later produced into several models such the Venturi Atlantique 300, 300 Biturbo, and 300 GTR, were powered by the PRV V6 in turbo, twin-turbo, or naturally aspirated form with later cars by using the V6 ESL engine. The turbocharged version that we discussed here capable to produce power of 281 bhp and got to run up to a top speed of 280 kph (174 mph).
The Venturi Atlantique 300 kept the superb handling of the old car intact while it improved further on ride quality, refinement (especially the Biturbo, whose power delivery was smoother) and build quality. (Picture from: Autozine)
As the ultimate model of the Venturi 600 LM is no less great and has shocked the automotive world, because the MVS technicians managed to make its 3.0-liter V6 PRV engine capable of producing powerful bursts of power up to 600 hp! That's an extraordinary achievement, because only a handful of supercars (can be counted on the fingers) were able to do so at the end of the 1990s era. With a such great engine, it is not surprising that the Venturi 600 LM was a success when it was used to race in the 24 Hours of Le Mans endurance race and the World Racing Championship series of GT1 group.
The Venturi 600 LM (in pictured 1996 models) was managed to give success to the French automaker while used to race in the 24 Hours of Le Mans endurance race and the World Racing Championship series of GT1 group. (Picture from: OtoBlitz)
Throughout its life, the French brand has only produced 700 units of Venturi all models, now most of the population fills the garages of billionaires in the Middle East. Although the echo is not as grand as the world's leading automotive brands, it must be admitted that the Venturi is one of the best sports cars ever made in France and a commensurate opponent for the Lotus Esprit V8, Lamborgini Diablo, Ferrari F40 and F355.
The Venturi Fétish EV known as the first true electric sports car, powered by next-generation lithium-ion batteries came out in the early 2000s even predates Tesla's original roadster. (Picture from: Venturi)
Unfortunately Venturi's journey in the world's automotive industry did not last long and had to end when the French company was declared bankrupt. And then in 2000 the company acquired by a Monaco wealthy entreprenuer named Gildo Pallanca Pastor. Then he shifted its focus to the development of electric vehicles. As its result, the two-seater sportscar named Venturi Fétish EV came out in the early 2000s even predates Tesla's original roadster.
To this day Venturi's flag continues to fly in the world's automotive through its work in the Formula E World Championship since the championship's inaugural race in 2014, and remains contesting every E-Prix to date.😉 While most of us may have forgotten the 1990s Venturi Atlantique sportscars now, but there are probably plenty of fans out there who would love to see those Alpine-styled sports cars rise from the dead. *** [EKA | FROM VARIOUS SOURCES | VENTURI | LOOKCHARMS | AUTOZINE | SILODROME | WIKIPEDIA | NLWIKI ]
Concept ONLY In fact, we currently live at the end of the 21st century, where electric-powered vehicles have slowly but surely taken up the role and portion of conventional internal combustion engined ones, and are also herd it towards its ending. Even especially now there have been many hydrogen fuel cell-powered vehicles emerging to take part in the competition and the conventional internal combustion engine will be more and more abandoned.
The Bugatti La Finale which was digitally created by Serkan back in the 2020 intended to be his bachelor thesis sponsored by the Molsheim-based automaker, also to pay tribute for the glory days of conventional internal combustion engined cars. (Picture from: Behance.net)
However, it turns out that there is a super car concept called the Bugatti La Finale which was digitally created by Serkan Budur back in the 2020 as his bachelor thesis sponsored by those Molsheim-based carmaker company. Besides that also intended to pay tribute for the conventional internal combustion engined vehicles that had been continuously supplied for decades by automotive manufacturers.
The Serkan Budur's Bugatti La Finale concept is said to take the design attributes from the Bugatti La Voiture Noire and also the iconic Bugatti Type 57SC Atalante. (Picture from: ClassicDriver)
As quoted of YankoDesign, this La Finale concept is not just a supercar design, but it is a vessel, a museum for conventional internal combustion engines. Instead of hiding its pinned vintage technology under an opaque hood, the La Finale concept displays this vintage technology like a crown jewel keeps under a transparent hood that lets many able to see those engine and pistons shape with all their glorious parts.
The Bugatti La Finale is not just a supercar design, but it is a vessel, a museum for conventional internal combustion engines. (Picture from: CarScoops)
Further in terms of design, the La Finale concept is said to take the design attributes from the world's most expensive car, Bugatti La Voiture Noire also to pay tribute to the iconic Bugatti Type 57SC Atalante then amps it up with split surface bodywork that does not feel completely like the modern-day Bugatti DNA.
The Bugatti La Finale retains the Bugatti's characteristics horseshoe grille, so if you look at the front fascia as a whole, it looks like a fox grinning wildly. (Picture from: CarDesignWorld)
As You can see, the car concept featured with double-tones paneling
bodywork by using metal sheets as well as carbon fibers to create an
interplay that makes the car look less blockish and more smooth
sculptural body panels.
As the name suggests, the La Finale is envisioned as Bugatti’s last car with an internal combustion engine. (Picture from: CarScoops)
But actually the center of attention of the La Finale concept lies in its hood made of transparent glass which is made as if it continues to flow upwards to then turn into a windshield. The glass has a function such a storefront window to look into the car’s
W12 engine, which described will be a vintage rarity in the future by
its designer, Serkan Budur.
The Bugatti La Finale is planned to use a newly envisioned W12 engine instead W16 due to the engine’s smaller dimensions would allow for tighter packaging as well as significant weight savings. (Picture from: YankoDesign)
This showcase gives the car’s engine the precious treatment it deserves, while right in front of it, visible through the gap between the two surfaces, are suspension-springs that further the car’s approach to showcasing its internals in an exhibitionist fashion.
The center of attention of The Bugatti La Finale lies in its hood made of transparent glass which is made as if it continues to flow upwards to then turn into a windshield. (Picture from: YankoDesign)
Besides that, the La Finale concept also retains the characteristics of the vehicle from the manufacturer based in Molsheim, such as an iconic element that unites all the company's cars that has existed since the era of its founder, Ettore Bugatti, namely the horseshoe grille. So if you look at the front fascia of the car concept as a whole, it looks like a fox grinning wildly.
The Bugatti La Finale The Bugatti La Finale concept is thoroughly modern and embraces Bugatti’s design philosophy with a futuristic twist. (Picture from: YankoDesign)
Indeed, not all typical Bugatti elements appear in this Serkan Budur concept car, such as the C bar design which is usually found in all more contemporary Bugatti models. In our opinion, the absence of the C bar design is not a problem for the overall design of the La Finale concept.
The unique design of the Bugatti La Finale concept extends to the passenger compartment as it features wraparound glass and an angular roof. (Picture from: Behance.net)
After all, the point of the La Finale concept isn’t to look at the C bar, it’s to admire the car in its entirety, and also its internal combustion engine described by its designer such a precious relic in the next few decades ahead. Frankly, we really admired this Bugatti La Finale concept and thought it would be a shame if this design had to end up as a concept only without ever being realized into a real car.😟 *** [EKA | FROM VARIOUS SOURCES | BEHANCE.NET | SEKO91| YANKODESIGN | CARSCOOPS | UK.MOTOR1 | AUTOEVOLUTION ]
Unique ONES For those of you had ever felt life in the 1980s or 1990s, you may still remember the supercars that were hits at that time. Whether it's the Lamborghini Countach, Ferrari 512 Testarossa or any other supercar. Now those cars mentioned above are classified as rare and much sought after, and here's another of the most limited considered as well forgotten ones is the De Tomaso Pantera GT5-S.
De Tomaso Pantera GT5-S along with its GT5 sibling is produced back in the 1980s as a radical refresher to the Pantera design. (Picture from: BlackXperience)
As we all know, this supercar is one of the car variants of the De Tomaso Pantera models that was developed by an Italian automaker based in Modena called De Tomaso Modena SpA. (todays De Tomaso Automobili) ranging of 1971 to 1993.
De Tomaso Pantera GT5-S featured with its new 'wide-body stance,' represented the first significant body redesign of the Pantera since its introduction back in the 1971. (Picture from: BlackXperience)
As quoted of SportsCarDigest, by launching these variants intended to be a radical refresher to the Pantera design that consisting of the Pantera GT5 and GT5-S. Furthermore, the GT5 variant was firstly develop based on the GTS in 1980, followed by the GT5-S variant in 1984.
De Tomaso Pantera GT5-S has an advanced neatly interior upholstered in tan leather and appointed with burlwood trim, black Veglia gauges with green numerics. (Picture from: BlackXperience)
Actually both Pantera variants have the
same shape, but only slightly differ from their bodywork material (where
the GT5 has a fiberglass-made bodywork, while the GT5-S is made of
all-stell). Although the racing aura is not as thick as Ferrari or Lamborghini, but the car appeared with a thick Italian style coupled with an American-made Ford V-8 engine capable to make it accelerates from 0 to 100 kph in just 5.5 seconds.
De Tomaso Pantera GT5-S is powered by an American-made Ford V-8 engine that can accelerate from 0 to 100 kph in just 5.5 seconds. (Picture from: BlackXperience)
With
such a tremendous burst of power from an American-made engine and combined
with Italian-touches technical capabilities, this car is the right
combination for those of you who like high performance classic cars. Plus its
slim body and the distinctive appearance of a supercar, and of course
it will attract many eyes.
Even
though the racing aura of De Tomaso Pantera GT5-S is not as thick as
Ferrari or Lamborghini, it feels like the car also really deserves to be
one of the iconic supercars of the 1980s. (Picture from: RoadAndTrack)
Especially if you look at the number of units that have been produced by the maker, the De Tomaso Pantera GT5-S is much more worthy of being a collectible item because it only produced 182 units when compared to the Lamborghini Countach which was made in an amount of around 2042 units worldwide. It feels like this car really deserves to be one of the iconic supercars of the 1980s equal to the Lamborghini and Ferrari supercars.
According to BlackXperience, nowadays if it's in good conditions, this 38 years old De Tomaso made supercar could had a price tag of around $239,000 or equivalent to Rp. 3.65 billion. Even though in its hey day, this car used to be marketed for less than $100,000 or only around Rp. 1.5 billion only.😎 *** [EKA | FROM VARIOUS SOURCES | SUPERCARNOSTALGIA | SPORTSCARDIGEST | ROADANDTRACK ]
Rare ONESMaybe you are wondering, why did we make the title of the article like that? This is intentional because to show how rare the following BMWcar models are. So it's likely that very few people know about it or see it passing by on the streets today.
If you've never heard or knew of them, that's not surprising, because those models might be produced in limited numbers, or even made only one unit, and you can imagine that the chance to actually drive one is pretty rare.
1. BMW 507
As we all knew, BMW
is a name that is known throughout the globe and stands for Bayerische
Motoren Werke, also known as Bavarian Motor Works in English. And the BMW 507 was a special roadster built between 1956 and 1960. The 507 was conceived by an American engineer, who urged BMW to make a roadster to compete against the likes of not only the Mercedes-Benz 300SL but also the less expensive Triumph and MG roadsters of the era.
BMW complied and used the 501 and 502’s platform to build one of the most gorgeous cars out there, fitted with a 3.2-liter V8. Well, only 252 units were ever made, even one of these roadsters was owned by Elvis Presley while he was serving his mandatory military service in Germany. No wonder if the 507 left a legacy that has lasted to this day in the form of the Z3, Z4, and Z8.
2. BMW 700 RS
Here is another rare BMW models in the speedster-style called BMW 700 RS. This historical model is the vehicle that pulled out the company from the brink of financial ruin and set it back on solid footing to continue in the building of its legacy. The car featured a rear engine placement which was a little on the underpowered side, but it was constructed with a light weight, coming in at just 1,350 lbs.
And reportedly that, the 1960 RS is among the most valuable and rare of these 700-line. It featured a chassis of tubular steel framing with a hand built aluminum body that was more aerodynamic than earlier models. This is the hand built racing version that came without seat belts and weighted in at just 830 lbs versus the already light 1,350 of the regular 700s. This is including the 40-liter fuel tank filled to capacity. Production of the BMW 700s ran from 1959 through November of 1965 with a total of 188,000 sold prior to the end of the production run, with the RS version being the fully cherried racing example.
3. BMW 700 (Colani)
In 1963, Luigi Colani, a renowned German-born Swiss designer made a breakthrough by designing the world's first road sports car with a self-supporting plastic bodywork on the chassis of the BMW 700 subcompact car and introducing it at the Lotus racing team launching event of the 1963 championship. In addition to the car's bodywork architecture, the Colani prototype features a slim body with a drag coefficient of Cx = 0.22.
The BMW 700 Colani weighs 440 kilograms, so despite the mini 700 cc 32 horsepower engine, this sports car can accelerate to 200 kilometers per hour. The project caught the attention of the public, even at the time surprising the Bavarian automaker. Unfortunately, the innovative concept car did not managed to get into production line, as the car is made one unit only.
4. BMW Hurrican
The main thing we could be seen on the BMW Hurrican concept car of 1964 was the absence of BMW's typical twin kidney grilles, and made this car looks different from other BMW's models. The Hurrican prototype was conceptualized by a group of students at Palatine Master School for body and vehicle in Kaiserslautern. This model could be said the best models in its era, although adopted many famous car styles of the 1960s.
As you can see, the windshield was taken from the Ferrari 250 LM, taillights inspired by the Fiat sport spider, sign lights taken from Jaguar, and over all the car is similar to the Mazda Cosmo. The car is powered by a 1.8-liter 4-cylinder engine, and last exhibited at the Concorso d'Eleganza Villa d'Este 2007.
5. BMW 2800 Spicup (Bertone)
The BMW 2800 Spicup was a daring prototype that built as both a spider and a coupe and designed by Stilo Bertone and Marcello Gandini for BMW. The car completed with several unique features such true of the motorized flaps on the semi-hidden headlights, and also preserved BMW’s ‘double kidney’ pattern in the front, but with subtle cushioned inserts with two-tone green on green upholstery on the dashboard, seats, and carpet to match the exterior finishing under similar matched green color as well.
The BMW 2800 Spicup is powered by 2.8-liter six-cylinder engine produced 170 horsepower and was mated to a 4-speed manual transmission that drove the rear wheels, and was debuted at the Geneva Motor Show 1969, but it never reached into production version.
Those are five BMW car models that you may not have known before. If there are other BMW cars that also included into this category, don't hesitate to let us know...😀 *** [EKA | FROM VARIOUS SOURCES | CARSTYLINGRU | MONEYINC | VEIKL ]
Rare ONES Still reviewing the Corvette, one of American muscle cars like many we've discussed before. Well, in this occasion, we would like to talk about the Corvette C3 L88 was no less famous than previous ones. This model is known as the last generation of Corvettes developed under the leadership of Zora Arkus-Duntov as Chevrolet's Chief Engineer and one of the rarest of its kinds as well.
The Chevrolet Corvette L88 coupe began as a limited-edition package on the C2 spearheaded by the Father of the Corvette, Zora Arkus-Duntov. (Picture from: TopCarRating)
As quoted of the Mecum, this model is built based on the Mako Shark II Concept designs (no wonder they both have a similar shape), and includes into the Corvette C3 family that produced in between 1968 to 1982. The car features its iconic and unforgettable styles of the 1960s era, coupled with the outstanding performance of its V8 engine, so it's undeniable if the Corvette C3 was one of the most desirable sports cars of all time.
1969 Chevrolet Corvette L88 coupe dubbed as “The Camouflaged Soldier”, is a very rare, unrestored example which had once auctioned by Mecum Auctions in Seattle back in the 2015. (Picture from: Mecum)
As we all knew, the Corvette C3 has several engine options ranging from the 7.4-liter LS5, LS6 and LS4, of course any die-hard C3 fan will agree that the 7.0-liter L88 427 cubic-inch engine is top-notch. The L88 began as a limited-edition package on the C2 spearheaded by the Father of the Corvette, Zora Arkus-Duntov. Officially, the L88 produced 435 horsepower from the factory.
The Chevrolet Corvette L88 coupe were produced from 1967 to 1969 and during the transition from the C2 Stingray to the C3 body style. (Picture from: TopCarRating)
But in real life, the car produced somewhere between 540 and 580 horses, good enough for 11-second quarter-mile times and even while raced at Le Mans, Dick Guldstrand had took the car to set a new record speed on the Mulsanne straight at 171.5 miles per hour. When the C3 hit the market in 1968, the L88 package remained on offer with only 116 were ever built for the 1969 model year, of 216 total over three years (1967 to 1969), though it now produced a claimed 430 horsepower, placing it below the L71 and L89 packages despite its clear superiority.
The heart of the L88 package came in the form of a 427 ci V8 that was built using forged internals, solid lifters, aluminum cylinder heads, and an uprated camshaft. (Picture from: TopCarRating)
The automaker provides the Corvette C3 L88 with a variety of standard features such as Soft Ray tinted glass, leather interior, front fender grille, telescopic tilt steering wheel to an alarm system. Alarm? Yep, the alarm system turned out to have been applied by Chevrolet exclusively in the 1960s on several Corvette models.
The Chevrolet Corvette L88 coupe produced somewhere between 540 and 580 horses, good enough for 11-second quarter-mile times. (Picture from: TopCarRating)
However, nowadays finding a Corvette C3 powered by an L88 engine in a neat and original condition turned out to be quite difficult, at least until this Corvette C3 L88 dubbed 'The Camouflaged Soldier' was found. This 1969 Chevrolet Corvette C3 L88 coupe is also equipped with specifications beyond the factory's original features like a faint black racing line that runs from the tip of the hood.
This Fathom Green colored Corvette is not only a small piece of American automotive history, it is also a rare masterpiece as this rare C3 L88 had once auctioned by Mecum Auctions in Seattle back in the 2015. Regardless of whoever the current owner who is managed to get it at the auction that would surely make his car collections even more glamorous. Well, how much its current price? Is it true if someone says the price is around seven digits? *** [EKA | FROM VARIOUS SOURCES | MECUM | HOTCARS | CARSCOOPS | HAGERTY ]
To this day Venturi's flag continues to fly in the world's automotive through its work in the Formula E World Championship since the championship's inaugural race in 2014, and remains contesting every E-Prix to date.😉 While most of us may have forgotten the 1990s Venturi Atlantique sportscars now, but there are probably plenty of fans out there who would love to see those Alpine-styled sports cars rise from the dead. *** [EKA | FROM VARIOUS SOURCES | VENTURI | LOOKCHARMS | AUTOZINE | SILODROME | WIKIPEDIA | NLWIKI ]
