Brown Bugatti Chiron Sighted at the Nurburgring

One of the cool things about the Nurburgring 24 Hour race is all the side action – the parties, barbecues, drinking sessions, and the exotic car meets that take place around the track. In one of these events this year something truly special turned up: a brown Bugatti Chiron.

Now the reason that is a big deal is because the Chiron is still super hot news and spotting on out in the wild is the equivalent of seeing the Pope at McDonalds. What’s more, this one os harbinger of all the good things to come for this car on account of its special paint job. What this brown Bugatti Chiron tells us is that this model is going to get a lot more personalization and special editions than the Veyron.

To be honest with you though, we don’t much like the look of the Chiron in brown. This design works best when it’s painted in a two-tone scheme. What’s worse, the brown clearly clashes with the brushed wheels and all those chrome trims on the car’s body. There is no denying that it’s unique and that the paint job certainly goes well with that interior. But it’s not very cool. Sorry!

And in case you have forgotten, Bugatti Chiron comes with a 1,500 horsepower W16 quad-turbo engine. Official records are yet to be confirmed, but the Chiron is said to be capable of hitting 463 km/h (288 mph).

There’s A Super-Rare 1991 Mercedes 190E 2.5-16V EVO II For Sale In California

One of only 502 Mercedes-Benz 190E 2,5-16v Evolution II homologation specials has made it to the USA, and you can thank the 25-year import rule for that.
This particular EVO II from 1991, No 345, is not only a very rare beast, but one of the lowest mileage examples you can find these days with just 10,922 miles (17,578 kilometers) covered by a single previous owner, something that is (overly) reflected in the asking price of $279,000 on eBay.
Introduced in 1990, the EVO II was the culmination of Merc’s 185PS (183hp) 190E 2.3-16v series that was born in 1983 and which was followed by the 195PS (192hp– with catalyst) 190E 2.5-16v in 1988, and the 195PS (192hp) 190E 2.5-16v Evolution I in 1989.
Aimed at BMW’s E30 M3 EVOs, It came with the most powerful engine ever dropped in a 190E, with the specially modified 2.5-liter normally-aspirated four delivering 235PS (232hp). Paired to a five-speed manual, it could get the sedan to 100km/h (62mph) in 7.1 seconds and up to a top speed of 250km/h. Those numbers might not sound much today when even Mercedes’ entry level (in the USA) CLA 250 has 208-horses and hits 100km/h in 6.6 seconds, but the EVO II was one of the fastest saloons of its time.
And while all other 190Es, including the EVO I, had fairly understated looks, Mercedes went completely wild with the EVO II. This thing looked –and still does- like it just came out from a DTM race with that super-aggressive kit that includes, quite possibly, the biggest factory wing ever fitted on a production Mercedes-Benz.
All 502 units of the Evo II were produced exclusively in blue black metallic, and at the time of its original presentation, they were priced at DM 115,259.70, or DM 119,717.10 with air conditioning in Germany, which was around $77,300 and $80,300 respectively at the time, though it was never imported to North America. Just to give you an idea, in the US, the Corvette ZR1 cost around $60,000 with all options in 1990 and about $65,000 in 1991.

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Lancia 037 Stradale Brings The World Of 1980s Rallying To The Road

In 1980, new FIA regulations allowed automakers to homologate a relatively small number of road-going versions of their racing cars, including this Lancia 037 Stradale.
It came as a replacement for the Lancia Stratos HF and was upgraded by Abarth, which was now part of the Fiat-Lancia Group, benefiting from a Kevlar reinforced fiberglass body, front and rear double-wishbone suspension and four-wheel disc brakes from Brembo and Abarth.
Pop up the hood and the 1,995 cc DOHC supercharged inline four-cylinder engine becomes visible. It has a Bosh Kugelfisher fuel injection, it produces 205 HP and it's connected to a 5-speed manual transmission.
Pictured here is chassis 063, out of just 207 homologated for the road, including initial pre-production models. It wears a red paint over a minimal black competition-style interior and was only serviced by Lancia rally experts, being driven for 200 miles (322 km) since the last inspection.
Its odometer indicates around 20,500 miles (33,000 km) and the vendor states that it hasn’t been modified "for anything beyond reliable road use", "begging to return to the open road". This 1982 Lancia 037 Stradale will go under the hammer at RMSothebys' event this Saturday, May 14, in Monaco, and it's expected to fetch between €335,000 and €355,000 ($382,000-405,000).

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Official: Donkervoort D8 GTO-RS

The Netherlands does not have a car industry as such. What they do have is a number of boutique car makers who are, on the evidence of what they produce, completely mad! This is the new Donkervoort D8 GTO-RS, a new version of a sports car which came out ten or twelve years ago.

That Donkervoort took the sports car market by storm, made a lot of noise, set a blistering (for the time) Nurburgring lap record, and then it vanished. Now the firm is back with the Donkervoort D8 GTO-RS which they say is a thorough improvement over the previous effort. Well, it’d better be, because this thing is priced at well over 150K Euros.

That said, the hefty price tag does not seem to have dampen the public’s enthusiasm for the Donkervoort D8 GTO-RS, as 21 of the 40 production units have already been pre-sold. People apparently love the unapologetic rawness of this car with its raw simplicity, light weight, retro looks, and powerful Audi 2.5 liter TFSI engine.

The best part of this car, for us, is the interior which is like the perfect blend of old and modern. You get a dashboard designed like racing cars of the Fifties full of dials and flick switches and round knobs, but it’s made of carbon fiber and comes with a digital instrument cluster. It’s wonderful!

Detailed specs of Donkervoort D8 GTO-RS are yet to be released. Stay tuned.

Official: Citroen DS3 Givenchy Le MakeUp

Citroen’s DS division, as you know, has a strong tendency to hook up with high-end haute couture brands because they truly believe their weird cars are the height of style and fashion in the auto world. The latest fruit of these efforts is the new DS3 Givenchy Le MakeUp.

Besides boasting the world’s most pompous car name, the DS3 Givenchy Le MakeUp comes with a number of extras compared to the regular model. After all, it’s a limited edition of just 500 copies designed in partnership with Givenchy Le MakeUp to appeal to the modern woman and also showcase the brand’s “iconic products and sources of inspiration.” Available in hatchback and cabrio body styles, this DS3 will be on display at DS World Paris from 10 May to 7 June as part of an exclusive exhibition.

As for what makes Citroen DS3 Givenchy Le MakeUp tick, the vehicle comes as standard with bespoke Givenchy Le MakeUp kit stored in a special compartment in the driver’s armrest, complemented with courtesy mirrors and special LED lighting specifically designed for this model. Special badging and a textured white body colour called Opaline White set this car apart from the rest on the outside, while Rose Pink dashboard and premium black leather upholstery does the same inside the cabin.

Since no woman in history has ever cared about the sort of engine that powers her car, Citroen has fitted the DS3 Givenchy Le MakeUp with a puny PureTech 110 S&S 3-cylinder petrol engine. Prices start at £19,395 for the hatchback and £21,695 for the Cabrio version.