Anyone own any Exotic cars?

This is the Nautical equivalent of a Rat Rod, completely different for sure, but not my cup of tea.
(This Rat Boat has it’s own thread on YF, RIP)

I drove a burgundy colored 959 in the UK back in the early 2000s - honestly - biggest automotive disappointment in my life ...... drove it back to the shop thinking it was broken. It wasn't, just compared to newer tuned 996 turbo/GT2 of the time it was not that quick. I drove an F40LM at oulton park that same year - and that was everything you would imagine - unbelieveable......and sadly I'm a porsche guy more than a ferrari guy.

1963 Studebaker Avanti R2.
1937 Cord Beverly
1973 Matra Bagheera
1984 Ferrari Mondial cabrio

Just skimming back thru this subject thread and ran across this posting and picture. I never realized there was only one built. I don't recall seeing it at the Museum when I visited it long ago when I was on a ski trip to Austria.

I have a few models that must have been inspired by this design.
PHOTOs coming

...only 30 minute edit time?

300SLR



View attachment 104085

SL300 modified

I remember when the 'Star' MB club US did a feature on the racecar hauler. That and a few other racecar haulers from the 1950's/60's are really amazing one offs.

As to what makes a car exotic? The things mentioned AND how they are perceived. Folks have been building one off cars both privately and commercially since the car came to be. A young guy that hot rods a car in a unique way may not build an exotic car but, it is a one off. A manufacture builds a handful of cars as a class requirement for a racing series, exotic. The perception of the maket is a factor in these discussions.

My 560 SEC is not a rare car in the numbers produced. It is a color that is not common to the 126 series in general. There were somewhere around 30K Mercedes 126 coupes built of all models. My signal red US spec 560 is one of perhaps a few hundred or less built. Does that make it rare,yes, exotic? Not really by the standards of the market. Now, it is not an original as built car. It has an M120 V12 driveline, traction control and ESP. It is one of a perhaps a dozen of these cars with this driveline conversion, one of a few with the the esp feature if that? That makes it quite rare, does it make it exotic? I don't know if that quallifies but, I would like to think so!

The 560 SEC is a timeless design. Red with a tan interior is a tasteful combination as well. I don't recall ever seeing this car in red, but it's a sports car so it works! Classic BBS rims add nice touch too.

I've been watching the 2016 to 2017 AMG-GT market for the past couple of years. In the bang for the buck category, I can think of no other car that better qualifies; a twin turbo V8 with a double clutch transmission. Because the engine is located aft of the front axle, coupled with a trans-axle gearbox, it's a mid-engine car. The bi-turbo V8 has proven to be bulletproof in various platforms with multiple car manufacturers.

Because the new (2024) AMG-GT is 4WD, it's several hundred pounds heavier and it doesn't have a trans-axle transmission any longer. While 4WD favors grip, it comes at the cost of weight. Not ideal for a track car. Prices seem to be holding steady as a lot of owners are choosing to hold on to these cars long term.

That hurts!!!

A 23 year old employee of a luxury car dealer crashed a 1990, 3 Million Euro Ferrary F 40 with 21.000 km on the counter during a delivery tour to an exhibition. The crash happened in a street tunnel in southern Germany. The Ferrari came into a skid and touched both tunnel walls. The driver was transferred to a hospital and the Ferrari most probably too.

I can imagine, the owner of this car had some tears in his eyes .

The F40 isn't a particularly fast car by today's standards. If I recall, zero to 60 was around 5 seconds but it's got more grip than superglue. The kid must have done something seriously stupid. I rode in one about 15 years ago. It's a raw, visceral experience. Basically a street legal race car.

On the upside, used parts availability for the F40 just went up a notch.

Totally sucks. We have one, anyone want to trade F40 for a boat? Can this be done, shall we say to our tax benefit? The F40 cost nothing as it sits, and sits, and sits, until it is ready to go out and attack the Blue Ridge above our home. I'm sure there are quite a few people here with the right toys as Boats can make cars look quite cheap. We use to have a fun event at the house, then there was the fire. My wife loves the F40.

As a side note we will be in Europe this year on a tour I highly recommend. Autobahn Adventures. Last year we did Monaco, F1 of course after driving all through Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and this year we will do the four country tour and go to Monza, The Temple of Speed, for the F1 race there. Driving the new P cars through Europe, 5 star hotels, great food. What could be better? Traveling on a yacht of course, but so far we have left this up to Ponant.

Check this out and join in, it's really about the best car touring we have done at this level.

https://autobahnadventures.com/driving-tours/4-country-adventure/

3.8 zero to 60, but then again this is 1989 technology. And you are right, it is about the most visceral driving experience you can have, and one of the last greatest supercars with ZERO driver aids. Every pebble can be felt and heard as the large tires pick them up and throw them against the early kevlar and carbon fiber fender wells. A few years ago we took the F40 and 348 Challenge up to Tail of the Dragon for some filming that might one day make it to viewership. The drive was worth the effort, and there is nothing like driving the F40 on those North Carolina roads. As mentioned it's long been surpassed as the fastest, but in my mind nothing can surpass the overall driving experience. The 348c is the first customer car, and won the last 348c series with gentleman driver Jim Kenton. A neat, if not the loudest car in the collection, still with the Sebring setup. I've driven that car over 50,000 miles and done numerous track events around the country with the Ferrari Club and others. This week, been driving the 71 GTV. I love that car....it's so small, light, and easy to drive. The Rosso Dino 458s is our easiest F car to drive. It's because of Clemson University that we have this rare Ferrari color. One needs a parade car for when your team wins championships.

A few other pictures of the cars, my wife made this lego model while drinking this bottle of wine. How many woman like this kind of stuff? Not many lol.

Our other 71 is the 365 GTB/4 Daytona. You read about the heavy steering at low speed due to no power assist and the big V12 out front. But don't let that fool you, it is just so you know you have driven a Daytona. It comes to life, and yes the V12 at full song is glorious. No we don't have any hybrid or electric cars, don't plan to.

The Mechatronik F40 is being rebuilt. Not parted. In theory, due to the high value of the car, it will not have a branded title. But - that's up to the state it gets registered in when done.

As there are no nannies on the F40(including no ABS), it's a challenging car to drive(so I've heard). I used to have a Kawa 750 Mach IV, called the 'widowmaker' in college. It was a handful on the pipe.

I wasjust looking back over this whole subject thread and wondered if I ever posted the other photos of 'racing ' 300's,....

I remember wishing to build a replica 300 Gullwing powered by electric motors powered by a spinning flywheel ala the Chrysler experiment for LeMans

Flywheel and Electric Pkg in 300 SL gullwing

brian eiland said:
.I even entertained the idea of convincing one of these failed attempts and maybe we put together an 'alternative fueled' model SL300 over in Thailand. The MB brand in Asia is a BIG status symbol, and a slick looking gullwing might just be a real eye catcher to launch a new alternative fueled vehicle in those SE Asian countries.

In Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore you don't want a convertible, but rather a closed vehicle with GOOD air con.
Singapore is the highest per capita Mercedes ownership in the world...Hong Kong highest for Rolls Royce.

Here's what I wanted to put in a 300 Gullwing body...the flywheel/electric powered Chrysler Patriot Le-Mans prototype package

http://www.allpar.com/model/patriot.html

...and here are a few more 'flywheel energy' references:
http://www.yachtforums.com/forums/56932-post6.html
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(this was before the electric car technology got started in the USA)