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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.

Listen to the Lamborghini Hurac'an fire up

Lamborghini just revealed all the juicy details about its 2015 Huracán this morning, but apparently Autobild was on hand for a photo shoot of the car, and shot this quick video of the new Lambo starting up. It's not a rev-happy video, but we're still happy a camera was on hand to capture the raucous exhaust note as the 610-horsepower V10 roared to life.
The note emanating from the Huracán's quad exhaust outlets doesn't sound quite as high-strung as an Aventador or Reventón, but it's definitely a throatier, more menacing sound than the Gallardo it was designed to replace. While the video posted below is a good tease of what the car sounds like in real life, we can't wait to hear this engine hitting its peak horsepower at 8,250 rpm.

Get a closer look at the 830-horsepower Lamborghini SCV12 track car

Lamborghini has just released a set of photos and video of its upcoming SCV12 hypercar, giving us a clearer look. The track-only machine does look similarly sized to the Aventador, but it apparently doesn't share much with the road car. The closest relation is has to the Aventador is the use of a naturally aspirated V12 engine. But this one is the most-powerful naturally aspirated V12 ever built by Lamborghini. It makes 830 horsepower, and that's partly made possible by the car's aerodynamics and intake manifold. The car features a huge roof intake scoop, and the hood has several vents that channel air to the scoop. At speed, these components create a supercharging effect, pushing more air into the engine than what it would pull in naturally. The engine is connected to a six-speed sequential transmission and powers only the rear wheels. Previous reports have mentioned the SCV12 will get a trick limited-slip differential. The SCV12's chassis and aerodynamics have other impressive details. The car produces more downforce than a GT3-class race car thanks to its huge custom carbon fiber rear wing and array of dive planes and splitters. Lamborghini says the SCV12 uses a unique carbon fiber chassis that uses other components such as transmission as structural members. The rear pushrod suspension is actually partly connected to the transmission. The SCV12 also features magnesium wheels wrapped in slick Pirelli tires specific to the Lamborghini. Besides the car, buyers of the SCV12 will also get to participate in a variety of driving programs and famous racetracks and get coaching from five-time Le Mans winner Emanuele Pirro. Technical support will be provided by Squadra Corse. Details such as pricing and number of units have yet to be revealed, but we won't have long to wait as Lamborghini will unveil the car later this summer. We wouldn't be surprised if the car costs well into the seven-figure range. Previous reports have suggested only 40 will be built. Related Video: