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Performance cars old and new are headed to auction at Las Vegas Grand Prix

Auction house RM Sotheby's is hosting a sale ahead of the 2023 Las Vegas Formula One Grand Prix, and most of the lots that will cross the block were designed with performance in mind. Whether you want a supercar or a Formula One car, there's a chance you'll find it in Sin City. One of the highlights from the sale in terms of rarity and price is the Mercedes-AMG Petronas W04 that Lewis Hamilton drove in the 2013 F1 season. Assigned chassis number F1W04-04, it's the team's last car powered by a naturally-aspirated V8 engine, and you're on the wrong track if you're thinking of the 4.0-liter unit that powers AMG's road cars. The engine in question is a 2.4-liter unit that develops 750 horsepower and is capable of revving to a screaming 18,000 rpm. The KERS system injects 80 additional horses into the driveline. Hamilton drove F1W04-04 in 14 of the 2013 season's 19 races, and he won that year's Hungarian Grand Prix in the car. RM Sotheby's notes that F1W04-04 is "the sole example to be sold outside of the Mercedes-Benz organization," which explains why it expects the car will sell for anywhere between $10 million and $15 million excluding the buyer's fee and a 2.5% import duty that applies to American residents. That's a lot of money, but modern Formula One cars rarely come up for sale. Several other cars are expected to sell above the $1 million mark, including a 1999 Mercedes-Benz CLK GTR ($8 million to $9 million), a 1988 Porsche 959 Komfort ($1,650,000 to $1,850,000), and a 1996 Bugatti EB110 Super Sport ($2,500,000 to $3,250,000). The 1990 Ferrari F40 GT (one of 21 units built) could bring up to $4 million. You can take home a rare, high-end classic even if you cap your budget at $1 million. How about a 1984 Lamborghini Countach 5000 S that was delivered new to Ralph Lauren and that has been in the hands of its second owner since 1986? RM expects the coupe will sell for up to $900,000. The auction house is also giving enthusiasts two distinctly different ways to spend a six-digit sum on a 30-something-year-old Mercedes-Benz. There's a 1990 190E 2.5-16 Evolution with about 3,400 original miles that could fetch up to $700,000. That's a lot to pay for a W201, but this isn't a run-of-the-mill Baby Benz: It's one of 502 examples built for homologation purposes. Alternatively, the 1989 560SEC AMG 6.0 Wide-Body could sell for up to $900,000. It's one of the most emblematic cars designed by AMG before it joined Mercedes-Benz.

Bugatti Veyron bids adieu with the Grand Sport Vitesse La Finale [w/video]

It's the end of an automotive era at the 2015 Geneva Motor Show as Bugatti unveils the last Veyron, and it's appropriately named La Finale. Based on the Grand Sport Vitesse, this vehicle is number 450 of a production run that included 300 coupes and 150 convertibles, over the last decade. Sitting right next to La Finale on Bugatti's Geneva show stand is the very first Veyron chassis built, and the pair purposefully carry similar stylistic cues. Where the original car combines a black-painted hood over red fenders, the final one switches the motifs around. Although, the color now comes from exposed carbon fiber, and this marks the first use of crimson carbon on a Veyron. The choice of material lends a muted, almost somber tone to the design, which is appropriate for the concluding model. A set of matching, maroon wheels and contrasting air intakes complete the look. The interior continues the scarlet theme with more exposed carbon fiber and a shade of leather called Hot Spur. Contrasting cream upholstery provides some visual relief, though. For their final outing, the designers took the opportunity to add a few unique touches, as well. Bugatti's famous elephant logo appears on the wheel center caps, fuel door and oil cap. There's also another one cast from bronze on the storage compartment cover inside the car. In addition, the La Finale gets written in a brighter shade of red under the passenger-side headlight and on the bottom of the wing. Mechanically, the La Finale doesn't receive anything extra over the other Grand Sport Vitesse vehicles. It still sports an 8.0-liter quad-turbo W16 with 1,184 horsepower and 1,106 lb-ft of torque. The sprint to 62 miles per hour reportedly comes up in a shockingly quick 2.6 seconds, and a top speed of 255 mph is claimed possible. While this ends the story of Veyron production, Bugatti isn't going to fade away now. The company says that development of its next vehicle is "well underway," in the La Finale announcement. "With the next Bugatti model, we are aiming to consolidate and expand the market-leading position we have established with the Veyron," said Bugatti President Wolfgang Durheimer. "Our challenge is to make the best even better." That certainly leaves something to look forward to. Related Video: Geneva International Motor Show 2015: Bugatti celebrates the Veyron World premiere of the 450th and final Veyron, the Grand Sport Vitesse "La Finale" ?

Wolfgang D?rheimer retakes the reins at Bentley and Bugatti

Wolfgang Dürheimer is still in play, with Bentley Motors announcing that he will return to the Chairman and CEO slot of the English company and French division Bugatti on June 1, 2014. He'll probably remember those chairs from the last time he filled them, since he was promoted to both positions in 2010 and remained there until September 2012, when he was installed as the head of R&D at Audi. That job only lasted until June of 2013, his nine-month tenure reported to be full of corporate drama that lead to his dismissal from the position.
But as if on gardening leave, he's been in the low-profile position of General Representative of the Volkswagen Group responsible for motorsport. Once back at Bentley, he will take over as the company works on getting its SUV to market and expanding its range. Both of those briefs Dürheimer will know well, having proved his ability at Porsche in the first decade of the new millennium. And even though no longer at Audi, his hybrid days don't appear to be over, as Bentley recently announced that it will hybridize of 90 percent of its lineup.
Dürheimer will also take on a third position, joining a VW Group committee focused on the US and Chinese markets. His successor at Bentley and Bugatti, Wolfgang Schreiber, has been promoted to "a leading position within the Volkswagen Group." There's a brief press release below with the official words.