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1959 Ferrari 250 GT California sells for nearly $18M, exceeding expectations

RM Sotheby's just wrapped up its auction in New York, where it sold off a pair of gorgeous silver roadsters, with one of them selling for the incredible price of $17.99 million. That car was a 1959 Ferrari 250 GT LWB California that we covered previously, and Sotheby's was only expecting it to go for between $14 million and $17 million. Apparently someone felt the car's rare aluminum construction and racing history was worth the extra cash. View 11 Photos The other roadster went for considerably less money but was notable because of its previous owner, late Apple CEO Steve Jobs. The car is a 2000 BMW Z8 that the tech mogul had for around three years. The final sale price only met expectations, though, at $329,500. The original auction estimate was between $300,000 and $400,000. Related Video: Featured Gallery 1959 Ferrari 250 GT LWB California Spider Competizione by Scaglietti View 30 Photos Image Credit: Diana Varga courtesy of RM Sotheby's, RM Sotheby's Celebrities BMW Ferrari Auctions Convertible Racing Vehicles Performance Classics bmw z8 ferrari 250 gt california

Ferrari considering return to Le Mans racing in 2015

Rumors are swirling that Ferrari may be contemplating a return to Le Mans racing as soon as 2015. Germany's Auto Motor und Sport reports the Italian automaker may apply the development of a new 1.6-liter turbocharged V6 engine for Formula One to an LMP1 car for Le Mans, and have it ready for the 24 Hours of Le Mans in two years. This follows hints made by Scuderia Ferrari CEO Stefano Domenicali last month that the newly developed F1 engine could be used for "some interesting projects."
Ferrari has a history of success in Le Mans racing, though it hasn't won the big endurance outright since 1965. The image above captures the exact moment when the No. 21 car of Masten Gregory and Jochen Rindt crossed the finish line that year to win the race. That win was the last of six consecutive outright victories before the infamous arrival of the Ford GT40 in 1966. Despite never reaching the top of the podium again, Ferrari's nine wins still stand as the third most overall by a manufacturer behind Porsche (16) and Audi (11).
If Ferrari does return to Le Mans in 2015, the LMP1 class will suddenly be teaming with worthy competitors for Audi, which has dominated the race since 2000. After Peugeot's exit from the sport in early 2012, Toyota entered the race in 2012 and has continued to develop its TS030 Hybrid LMP1 car. Porsche, meanwhile, is well into developing a new LMP1 car that will first compete in next year's race.

The SP275 RW Competizione is the latest one-off from Ferrari

They say money can't buy happiness, but I disagree. I'd be very happy if I had enough cash to have Ferrari's Special Projects team build me a bespoke variant of any one of its current crop of cars. The group's latest creation, the SP275 RW Competizione you see here, was shown for the first time at the year-ending Finali Mondiali event at Daytona International Speedway. Details are scarce, but the 275SP appears to be based on the Ferrari F12 Berlinetta in either standard or TdF guise. (The F12 TdF debuted at last year's Finali Mondiali.) Based on design elements like the louvers behind the wheels, it seems likely that the new model started as a TdF. That means special touches like a front-mid-mounted 769-horsepower V12 and rear-wheel steering. It also means a 0–60 mph time of 2.9 seconds. It's difficult to say how much the 275SP weighs, though the F12 TdF is about 240 pounds lighter than the standard F12 Berlinetta. Looks are subjective, so you'll have to decide for yourself whether the new styling queues, like a redesigned front fascia, hood, doors, and glass, are an improvement. It's unlikely you'll find this particular shade of gold on another Ferrari. To my eyes, it looks like the Solarbeam Yellow hue that's available on the Mercedes-AMG GT for $9,900. The takeaway should be that if you have the means, Ferrari Special projects will build whatever you want. Look to the F12 TRS or the F12 SP America for more examples. Money may not buy happiness directly, but it will sure as hell buy you a nice Ferrari. Related Video: Featured Gallery Ferrari SP275 RW Competizione View 16 Photos Image Credit: Copyright 2016 Drew Phillips / Autoblog Design/Style Ferrari Coupe Supercars ferrari f12 berlinetta ferrari f12 ferrari f12 tdf