Carbon Fiber Daytona Power Ipod Shields Navigation Bluetooth Hifi Sub Sensors on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Xcar weighs in on the five best-sounding modern cars

Getting behind the wheel of a well-balanced vehicle can be a wonderfully visceral experience, thanks to the combined feeling of things like the weight of the steering, the bite of the brakes, and, of course, the roar of the engine. Unfortunately, many of the sensations of driving require actually being in the driver's seat to understand them, but thankfully the intoxicating noise of a beautifully tuned internal combustion engine can be shared with everyone. In a new video, Xcar shares their opinion on the five best-sounding modern performance cars. The list is a symphony of horsepower. As opposed to keeping all of the vehicles brand new, Xcar actually picks a few that are recently off the market. They're all definitely champs, though. While the list itself is well stocked, you might be able to argue with the specific order, and it would be nice to hear a few participants from outside of Europe for a collection like this one, too. No matter. Every listener is sure to find something they like in the bunch, though. Turn up the volume and enjoy.

Ferrari 400 Superamerica leads $60M RM Sotheby's sale at Amelia Island [w/video]

Just last month, two of the most venerated auction houses came together under one roof. And this past weekend, the newly christened RM Sotheby's held its first event at the Amelia Island Concours d'Elegance, selling a record $60 million worth of classic automobiles. The event's highlight was surely the gorgeous 1960 Ferrari 400 Superamerica SWB Cabriolet pictured above. Resplendent in dark green over a red leather interior, this particular Superamerica set a record for that model when it sold for $6.38 million, with proceeds going towards a children's education charity. That price far outstrips the record $4 million that Gooding & Co. got for that sleek white Aerodinamico coupe in Scottsdale earlier this year. Among the other seven-figure items were of course some other Ferraris, including a rare '72 Daytona Spider that went for $3.3 million, along with a smattering of Jaguars, Mercedes, Alfas, Lamborghinis and Bugattis. A rare 2007 Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano with a manual transmission sold for nearly triple its estimate at $682,000, and the Daytona-winning, Castrol-liveried 1988 Jaguar XJR-9 sold for over $2 million. Of course RM Sotheby's wasn't the only company holding an auction during the Florida concours. But as the event's official auction house, it brought in more than all the other participating auctioneers combined, setting a record for Amelia Island in the process. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.

Lewis Hamilton needs to step up in his 200th F1 race

LONDON — Lewis Hamilton will start the 200th grand prix of his Formula One career in Belgium this weekend, but the triple world champion has smaller but more significant numbers on his mind. Refreshed from an August break in the Caribbean, including a trip to Cuba in his role as UNICEF ambassador, the Mercedes driver is 14 points behind championship leader Sebastian Vettel as he revs up for the second half of the season. A fifth victory of 2017 for the Briton would put the pressure back on Ferrari's Vettel, and Hamilton can celebrate another milestone by bagging pole position on Saturday at the long and fast Spa-Francorchamps circuit. That would see Hamilton, who sportingly relinquished third place to team mate Valtteri Bottas in Hungary before the summer shutdown, match the record of 68 poles set by Michael Schumacher with Ferrari in 2006. Mercedes has won the last two Belgian Grands Prix, with now-retired 2016 world champion Nico Rosberg triumphant from pole last year after Hamilton won in 2015. Nobody will be taking anything for granted, however, after Ferrari's one-two win in Budapest at the end of July. "On paper, people will assume that Spa should suit our car because it is a circuit where aerodynamic efficiency is extremely important," Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff said. "But assumptions are dangerous — we have seen too many times already this season that the form book can be rewritten from one weekend to the next. So we will be making no assumptions." Hamilton has won twice before at Spa, as has Vettel, but the track — a classic blast from the past — has not been particularly kind to him. In 2008, when he won his first title, the Briton was demoted from first to third after the race for cutting a chicane, with then Ferrari rival Felipe Massa savoring victory instead. Spa can often be a lottery, with its capricious weather, and rain could be a boon for Red Bull's Belgian-born Dutch teenager Max Verstappen, who can count on plenty of local support in what amounts to a home race. "I just love the track and it'll be nice seeing so many orange (Dutch) fans in the grandstands," he said. "Spa is my favorite track of the year. You have to get everything right but when you get a good lap it's very rewarding." Belgium could also be good for Ferrari's Kimi Raikkonen, who arrives with a new contract for 2018 in his pocket.