A stunning 1967 Porsche 911S, a Porsche factory driver, a field of classics and Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca.

Watch as Californian Patrick Long hustles a beautiful 1967 Porsche 911S around Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca as part of the 2014 Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion.

MORE: Strapped into a 1970 Porsche 911 rally car!

Long is a  Porsche factory racing driver, so he knows what he’s doing. In this clip we’re strapped directly to his helmet, giving us a real sense of where he’s looking and when. It’s a cool take on the traditional onboard racing footage.

MORE: Chris Harris and one very special Porsche 911

As you’re about to find out, the sound of the featured 911 is nothing short of brilliant. Long isn’t afraid of getting the vintage machine a little bit out of shape either, making for a very entertaining little video by Racer.

MORE: 50 years of the Porsche 911 in motorsports (video)

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When the name Ayrton Senna is mentioned people will forever think of Formula 1, however F1 was not the only form of racing the Brazilian legend engaged in.

This photo was taken at the Nurburgring in 1984. What you’re looking at is Ayrton Senna driving a Porsche 956 in a 1000km endurance event, doing his stint behind the wheel whilst team mates Stefan Johansson and Henri Pescarolo watch on from the pits.

MORE: Ayrton Senna tests the McLaren Lamborghini (video)

In 1984 Ayrton Senna experienced his first full season behind the wheel of a Formula 1 racing car, the team of course was Toleman. On July 15th, somewhere between being forced to retire from the Detroit Grand Prix with clutch issues, and placing third at Brands Hatch, Senna snuck away and competed in the Nurburgring 1000km.

MORE: Ayrton Senna – Rally Driver

He placed eights overall, amongst a field dominated by other Porsches. Stefan Bellof and Derek Bell won driving the iconic Rothmans 956. Jochen Mass and Jacky Ickx were also in mix driving for Rothmans, they placed seventh.

MORE: A personal account of Ayrton Senna before F1

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Image www.roversd1.nl

Tom Walkinshaw Racing dominated the Group A ‘preview’ class in the 1984 Bathurst 1000 with V8 Rover SD1s, proving the British sedan’s tin-top racing muscle.

So what happened to its presence in the Australian Touring Car Championship?

The cars’ significant success at Bathurst and the success of factory-backed Rovers in the European Touring Car Championship seemed to make them a shoe-in for Aussie racing, but their potential went unfulfilled. Find out why, and enjoy the story of some of the finest racing the ETCC ever saw, in Rover 3500 SD1: British V8 muscle on the Mountain at the Shannons Club.

Thanks to the Shannons Club

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Rich Fowler (enthusiast, founder and editor of Motorsport Retro) explains Motorsport Retro Premium.

In 2008 I started Motorsport Retro as a hobby because I couldn’t find one place showcasing all the bits I loved most about motorsport.

I love the legendary drivers, cars, races and rivalries. I love the human stories, the mechanical marvels, the sporting pursuit and bravery of years past.

Since that start we’ve come a long way, producing and curating amazing stories, photography and video every single day. We feel a wonderful sense of community and shared passion, and revel in your feedback and enthusiasm.

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Yours faithfully, on full throttle, and a little sideways

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Editor/ Publisher

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Formula 1, Le Mans and high end sportscars are all meant to be as fast as possible. Funny thing is, they look spectacular in slow motion.

This terrific video shot at the 2014 Goodwood Festival of Speed uses a very high frame rate capture to achieve silky smooth slow motion. It demonstrates the beauty behind the chaos that these monsters unleash when the load pedal is squeezed against the floor. It’s hard to pick a favorite, however for us it would have to either be the Benetton F1, or the turbocharged 1980s awesomeness of the Nissan GTP ZX-Turbo.

MORE: Take a look at the best of the hillclimb at the 2014 Goodwood Festival of Speed!

MORE: Goodwood Festival of Speed – Onboard with Porsche

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A Lotus 21 in British Racing Green. There’s not much in motor racing that is as iconic from the 1960s era of Formula 1.

Thanks to Jayson Fong, Form & Function.

A Lotus in British Racing Green. There’s not much in motor racing that is as iconic from the 1960s era of Formula 1.

But before a strong era of championship success in the 60s made by the winning form of Jim Clark and Graham Hill, Team Lotus had its first taste of Formula 1 success in the form of the Type 21 in 1961.

MORE: Learn about the five chapters of Lotus history

An interim car developed from the Type 20, the Type 21 was developed in just 6 week.

This was just in time for its debut at the season opening Monaco GP where it took 3rd and 4th. Later in the year, the 21 would take Team Lotus to victory for the very first time in a Formula 1 Championship race at the hands of Innes Ireland at Watkins Glen.

This first victory would be the first taste of the future for Team Lotus. ( Note: Stirling Moss had given the Lotus marque its first win at Monaco in 1961 driving a Rob Walker Racing entered Lotus 18)

The 21, like a majority of British Formula 1 entrants at the time was powered by the 4cylinder Coventry Climax engine.

However, unlike the other British entrants, Colin Chapman’s engineering brilliance brought innovation the 21 as well.

This took form in the very first use of the reclining driving position in Formula 1 and inboard suspension creating a beautiful sleek design.

MORE: Lotus track days – Have fun, go faster

Earlier this month we were lucky enough to spot a stunning ex- Jim Clark example at the Silverstone Classic and were lucky enough to have some time up close and personal. Take a look:

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Eight liters of Chevrolet muscle thunder around Laguna Seca as former IMSA GTP driver pushes this 1972 McLaren M8F to the limit.

The event was the Rolex Monterey Renunion, the track Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca. The car was nothing short of a fully fledged CanAm McLaren M8F. Packing more than 800 horsepower and featuring minimal downforce, this car is a real handful and it shows!

Former IMSA GTP driver Rick Knoop does a great job of taming the beast, and the resulting video by RACER is awesome. Enjoy.

Take a look at some of our other McLaren M8F related videos:

MORE: Amelia Island, which McLaren would you take home?

 MORE: McLaren M8F thunders around Indianapolis (video)

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Sit back and let the raw sounds of a mid-mounted V8 assault your ears as this Ferrari 308 GTB screams around Circuit de Bresse.

MORE: The 10 most beautiful Ferrari F1 racing cars

This little gem was shot earlier this year at the 2014 Tour Auto Optic. It features a Ferrari 308 GTB Group IV tearing around Circuit de Bresse.

MORE: The 2014 Tour Auto Optic (video)

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1992 Formula 1 World Champion Nigel Mansell endured a tough time at Lotus. He drove three races on debut in 1980 and then four full seasons from 1981 to 1984. Few could have predicted the force he was to become. Let’s look back on Nigel Mansell and Lotus.

Nigel Mansell burst onto the Formula 1 scene with a huge amount of talent, however his time spent at Lotus would see him finish just 24 races from 59 starts. Photographer Paul-Henri Cahier was there to see it all, and as part of our Mansell-month celebrations he’s kindly agreed to provide us with his ten favorite photographs from the early days of Nigel Mansell and Lotus.

MORE: Nigel Mansell – Stat Attack (Premium)

Paul-Henri Cahier also afforded us his insight on the enigmatic Nigel Mansell’s days at Lotus:

“In all honesty, it was not easy to predict that Nigel Mansell would turn into the Champion he became. Of course he was very fast, but the Lotus was fragile and not the best car, and we were in Chapman’s late days.

It was really not until Dallas 1984 that Nigel made the headlines, passing out from heat exhaustion after starting from Pole and leading most of the race.

However Nigel Mansell was an immensely tough, resilient and brave driver, who was endowed with massive skill and an unlimited amount of courage.

He was also somewhat fragile and temperamental, which arguably cost him massively when he was paired with manipulative teammates such as Nelson Piquet and Alain Prost.

With slightly different cards, Nigel Mansell could have been even greater, and more successful”

MORE: Nigel Mansell – Most Memorable F1 Moments

Paul-Henri has taken countless photos of Nigel Mansell in action throughout the years, from his early days at Lotus, these are his 10 absolute favorites:

Nigel Mansell on his Grand Prix debut powers the Essex sponsored Lotus-Cosworth through the flowing curves of the Osterreichring, Austria 1980.

Full focus at Holland 1981, before an electrical problem resulted in a DNF.

Belgian Grand Prix, 1982.

At speed in Italy, 1982.

Strapped in waiting to go in Canada, 1983.

On the charge in Canada, 1983.

Detroit, 1984.

Italy, 1984.

South Africa, 1984.

We hope you’ve enjoyed part one in our three-part series celebrating the career of Nigel Mansell as witnessed through the eyes and lens’ of Paul-Henri Cahier. Next up? Ferrari of course.

This is the latest in our series of  photo specials showcasing the stunning images from the Cahier Archive. The collection, by photographers Bernard Cahier and his son Paul-Henri are part of a massive collection of 400 000 originals of which 17 000+ pictures are currently available on their website.

Images: TheCahierArchive©

Buy prints of these photographs from just $49

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Images Marcel Hundscheid / Speed-O-Graphica.com

To create a perfect three course meal you need the right ingredients, the same goes for a historic motorsports event. Select a stunning race track, invite several hundreds of the greatest historic race cars ever built and organize a smashing three day event attracting ten thousands of enthusiastic spectators.

The German AvD, Automobilclub von Deutschland, organized the 42nd edition of the AvD Oldtimer Grand Prix at the Nürburgring, the heart of German motorsports. Over the three days, approximately 50,000 spectators could enjoy no less than fourteen races and regularity tests in typical Eifel weather conditions. Without a doubt the 42nd edition was unique in both quantity and quality, as seen on the European mainland.

By Marcel Hundscheid

Formula 1 cars from the FIA Masters Historic F1 Championship, sports cars from the FIA Masters Historic Sports Cars Championship and single seaters from the FIA Lurani Trophy were present. Furthermore, touring cars from the AvD Touring Car Trophy, GTs and touring cars including some legendary Group 5 monsters gathered into the DRM Revival (Deutsche Rennsport Meisterschaft), historic Grand Prix cars from the HGPCA organisation, GTs from the Masters Gentlemen Drivers and two-seat sports cars and GTs until 1960/61 filled the different grids.

Two of the highlights presented over the weekend were the race for two-seat sports cars and GTs until 1960/61 race before sunset as well as a lap of honour of the Benetton-Ford B194-5 from 1994. This was actually Michael Schumacher´s car in which he scored his first F1 world championship title. 

Twenty-three epic F1 cars entered the grid for their first race in dry conditions on Saturday. Welcome entries were the Theodore N183 driven by Italian driver Matteo Tullio and a first appearance by an Alfa Romeo 179B driven by German Thomas Steinke. A real tough battle for victory was fought between the Arrows A4 of Steve Hartley, the Hesketh 308E of Michael Lyons and the Ensign N180 of Simon Fish. No one could tell what driver would cross the finish line first but two laps before the end Lyons and Fish touched. Michael Lyons didn’t finish the race as Steve Hartley claimed victory. Simon Fish finished second with a damaged front wing as Silvio Kalb took third place in his Arrows A4.

A wet race was declared on Sunday as twenty cars found their way to the grid for their second appearance of the weekend. Michael Lyons proved to be superior in his Hesketh 308 as he outclassed the ground effect cars from Sylvio Kalb and Steve Hartley. Lyons scored a deserved victory and crossed the finish line first, 3.213 seconds in front of Kalb. Steve Hartley scored a second consecutive podium as he finished third. 

Hesketh 308 – Arrows A4

The FIA Lurani Trophy always offers large grids and spectacular racing featuring single seaters from the late fifties and early sixties; cars such as the Brabham BT6, Lotus 18 and 20/22, Cooper T59FJ, Stanguellini, to name a few.

For their first race of the weekend on Saturday 36 cars were present. Nobody could match the speed of Jonathan Hughes in his Brabham BT6 as he scored a crushing victory over the Lola Mk V A of Swiss driver Philipp Buhofer. Fellow country man Christian Traber crossed the finish line in third in a Lotus 22.

For their second race on Sunday 29 cars entered the race. This time it was Briton Stuart Roach who claimed victory in an Alexis Mk IV. Italian Enrico Piero Tonetti finished second in a Brabham BT6 as Jonathan Hughes scored his second podium of the weekend, finishing third. 

Brabham BT6

Fans of sports cars and prototypes from the seventies were treated with two exciting races provided by the FIA Masters Historic Sports Car Championship.

Thirty epic cars entered their first race on Saturday including different Chevrons, Lolas and Porsches. Briton Martin O’Connell was a class of his own in his Chevron B19 as none of the other driver’s could match his speed. He scored a crushing victory over the Lola T70 Mk.IIIB of Jason Wright, crossing the finish line first almost fifteen seconds earlier than the mighty Lola. Briton Tim Cousins finished third in a Chevron B23.

On Sunday O’Connell proved that he was the quickest driver of the weekend as he scored his second consecutive victory. This time the Chevron driver passed the chequered flag nearly 29 seconds earlier than Jason Wright in his Lola. The results of the second race was an exact copy of the first race on Saturday as Tim Cousins finished third. 

Porsche 934/5

A true crowd puller is the revival of the Deutsche Rennsport Meisterschaft, or German Racing Championship. This category is a tribute to the former DRM championship with cars from 1972 to 1981 including the famous Group 5 monsters such as the Porsche 935 and Ford Capri Zakspeed.

In contrast to the 41st edition of the Oldtimer Grand Prix only two 935s entered the race. Kremer Porsche’s executive director Eberhard Baunach appeared on the grid in the well known Kremer Porsche 935 K2 in Vaillant livery as Daniel Schrey entered the race in his bright yellow 935 K3.

Although Schrey started the race featuring 36 icons, he had to withdraw after just two laps. Wolfgang Kaufmann and Jörg Hübner dictated the race pace in their Porsche 934/5, claiming victory in front of the fully restored Ford Capri Zakspeed Turbo of Peter Mücke. The podium was completed by Heinrich Achim in a flame spitting BMW M1 Procar. 

The second race on Sunday was almost a copy of the first. Hübner and Kaufmann claimed a second victory, as Mücke managed to score a second place in the beautiful looking and sounding 1748 cc Capri Turbo. Michael Kammermann from Switzerland finished third in a BMW M1 Procar. 

One of the highlights of the action-packed weekend was the race for two-seat sports cars and GTs until 1960/61 held on Saturday evening. The race was actually started in a classic Le Mans starting procedure, got away at 20.20 local time and finished a 21.30.

No less than 48 cars entered including a Lister Chevrolet Knobbly, different Maseratis, Ferrari 250, Porsches, Lolas and more. After 29 laps it was the Lister Chevrolet Knobbly of Briton Mark Lewis claiming victory just 2.5 seconds ahead of the Sadler Mk. III of his fellow country man Julian Majzub. Briton Sam Macleod finished third in his Lotus 11.

On Sunday their second race was scheduled including 35 cars. This time it was Julian Majzub in his Sadler taking victory, only a second ahead of the Lotus 15 of Philip Walker and Miles Griffiths. Barry Wood and Tony Wood completed the podium in their Lister-Jaguar Knobbly.

Lotus 16 368

Historic Grand Prix Cars until 1960 entertained the crowds with stunning grid of no less than 32 epic Grand Prix Cars from the early days including Ferraris, Macerates, Lotus, Lister and 4 priceless Bugattis.

Philip Walker from the UK drove a lonely first race as his Lotus 16 368 proved to be much too quick for his opponents. Briton Julian Bronson finished second in his splendid Scarab Offenhauser as fellow county man Tony Wood claimed a third place in his Maserati TecMec.

Walker did the same during the second race on Sunday but this time the gap was much smaller. As he finished 22 seconds ahead of Bronson on Saturday, now his lead was just over three seconds over the Scarab Offenhauser. Tony Wood completed the podium with a second third place of the weekend.

Lotus 18/21

Former Formula 1 and Grand Prix Cars until 1965 had their own two races including different Cooper, Lotus, Brabham models etc. Miles Griffiths from the UK was the man to beat in his Cooper T51 taking victory in front of William Nuthall in a Cooper T53. Peter Horsman claimed third spot in a Lotus 18/21 P1.

Miles Griffiths had the perfect weekend as he scored his second win of the weekend on Sunday. Peter Horsman settled the score with William Nuthall as he finished second this time, as Nuthall had to settle for a third spot.

BMW Procar

A real treat for the fans is the so called BMW race, featuring all types that raced in the different championships and categories.

The cars present a unique sight seeing M1s, M3s, Cals, 2002 and 635s gathered into a single field. Hearing the different sounds produced by the 4 and 6 cylinder engines, combined with the flame spitting M1s is definitely a must see.

As expected the battle for victory would be fought by the M1s with no less than ten cars entered for the first race. Christian Traber from Switzerland immediately created a gap over the M1 of his fellow country man Michael Kammermann, but as the race progressed Kammermann managed to close in on Traber. A hard battle was fought for the lead and towards the end of the race both collided, damaging Kammermann’s front section. Traber claimed victory in front of Kammermann, as Peter and Achim Heinrich from Germany finished third in their M1 Procar. 

Traber didn’t participate on Sunday and only thirteen cars entered their second race of the weekend. Michael Kammermann claimed victory and finished no less than forty seconds ahead of the M1 Turbo of Hans Wagner. Frenchman Robert Boos finished third in his M1 Procar.

TVR Griffith

The British Masters Historic organisation presented a race for GTs until 1965 seeing the most beautiful Gran Turismos from that particular era.

A big field of 47 epic GTs were entered for their sole race on Saturday afternoon. As Martin O’Connell already proved to be the man to beat in the FIA Masters Historic Sports Car Championship, he was once again the fastest driver in this race, driving a Jaguar E-Type. Sean McInerney scored a second place in his TVR Griffith as Andrew Haddon scored a third place in his AC Cobra 289. 

Touring cars until 1965 had their own race in the so called AvD Touringcar Trophy. Ford Cortinas, Alfa Romeos, Lotus Élans, Minis and Porschess amongst others had two races scheduled.

Roland Portmann and Dieter Lehner from Switzerland claimed victory on Saturday in their BMW 1800 Ti. German Jean Clement scored a second place in an Alfa Romeo Giulia Sprint, as Graham Wilson finished third in a Lotus Elan.

Wilson scored a crushing victory on Sunday as he finished two minutes and sixteen seconds earlier than Jean Clement who scored his second consecutive podium of the weekend. Tommy Brorsson from Sweden managed to score a third place in his Lotus Cortina.

For the first time seen during the Oldtimer Grand Prix historic Formula 3 cars were invited into a single grid.

Cars from 1964 – 1984 were allowed, in fact from the so called screamers to the ground effect cars. It all started back in 1964 using 1 litre engines, resulting in the use of the 1.6 litre engines. Finally in 1974 it was decided to use the 2 litre engine.

Twenty-five historic F3 cars entered the grid on Friday for their first race of the weekend. German Falk Künster claimed victory in his GRD 374 in front of the Osella FA3 of Stefano Rosina. Palle Ringström from Denmark finished third in a March 753. 

On Saturday morning a heavy rain shower started during the formation lap. Künster wasn’t impressed as the ‘Ring’ changed into a river and many drivers slowed down avoiding a DNF. Künster scored his second victory of the weekend in front of Ringström and Rosina.

Every year the Oldtimer Grand Prix features a long distance race on the famous Nordschleife or Green Hell. With a total length on 20,793 metres featuring no less than 73 challenging curves, the Nordschleife is a real challenge for man and machine, including legendary parts as Karusell, Flugplatz, Döttinger Höhe, Pflanzgarten.

Stefan Oberdörster and Andreas Gülden from Germany won the Nürburg Trophy in their Porsche 911 S. The Nürburg Trophy proved to be a true Porsche race as the complete top three was claimed by the German brand situated in Stuttgart. Wolfgang Pohl and Daniel Schrey finished second in their Porsche Carrera RSR, as Kersten Jodexnis and Wolfgang Destreé from Germany finished third in a Porsche 901. 

Besides the different races BMW and Opel presented their participation in motorsports with demos. Opel was present with former Grand Prix cars from the World War 1 era, as well as the famous Manta, Ascona and Corsa. BMW presented an immaculate McLaren F1 GTR as well as a factory 635 and a couple of BMW M3s, driven by the Johnny Cecotto, Marc Surer and Marc Hessel and Harald Grohs. 

The AvD managed to organize a immaculate 42nd edition of the AvD Oldtimer Grand Prix. Hereby we would like to thank the organizers and the Nürburgring for a great event seeing action packed races, unique cars and a vast crowd over the three days. We’re already looking forward to the 43rd edition in 2015!

© Marcel Hundscheid / Speed-O-Graphica.com

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The BRM V16 first raced in 1950, and by the end of it’s official development was sporting close to 600bhp from just 1.5L. It’s exhaust note is truly unique.

Victory in racing is often achieved through the taming of technologies, mastering the complexities of designs with which others struggles has always been a terrific way of gaining advantage over your competitors.

Sometimes of course, it doesn’t always go to plan. The BRM was way ahead of it’s time, it was more powerful and faster than everything else on the grid – yet reliability stood in the way of it making a true mark on the Formula One World Championship during the early 1950s. Of course it’s remembered as being one of the greatest sounding Formula One machines of all time, which when you consider the context is no mean feat!

MORE: Five of the best sounding Formula 1 engines

Although the video and caption explain that the car creates upwards of 700bhp, our understanding is that during the period it was closer to 600. Regardless, it’s an incredible achievement given just 1500ccs of displacement!

The video above left us hanging for a little bit of high rpm BRM V16 action. Footage of the BRM V16 on full noise is surprisingly rare. Here’s one of our favorites:

And from the outside:

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Image: Bonhams

Over the past seven days, in a pretty little town reminiscent of Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs‘ Swallow Falls, US$400 million changed hands in exchange for 750-odd classic cars.

They went under the hammer during the traditional run of Monterey auctions congregating around the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, and among them was a collection of great historic race cars. We’re here to look at three of the biggest, three of the most interesting, and three which we’d hop into and take historic racing this weekend.

Image: Bonhams

The biggest: 1962 Ferrari 250 GTO Coupe sells for $38,115,000

This rare and coveted Ferrari was offered at no reserve at Bonhams’ Quail Lodge Sale, which meant that if nobody was paying attention you may have been able to pick it up for the price of a cheeseburger.

The car collector market was very much paying attention, however, and had record-setting expectations for this car. It didn’t quite meet the numbers some were predicting, potentially pushing beyond the reported $52 million mark seen privately, but still brought in a healthy record-setting price. It flew by the standing record for the most valuable car sold at auction by some $8 million and went for $38,115,000.

Image: RM Auctions

And then: 1964 Ferrari 275 GTB/C Speciale Coupe sold for $26,400,000

This car is number one of just three Works Berlinetta Competizione cars and has it all – looks, performance, rarity and history. Bidding on it at RM Auctions’ Monterey Sale opened at $15,000,000 and climbed to $26,400,000.

Image copyright and courtesy of Gooding & Company, by Mike Maez

Rounding out the big three: 1961 Ferrari 250 GT California SWB Spider sold for 15,180,000

This highly-desirable covered-headlight car came equipped with an optional hardtop from the factory and set a new benchmark for Ferrari 250 GT SWB California Spiders, selling for $15,180,000 at Gooding & Company’s Pebble Beach Auction.

Exciting cars and interesting moments aren’t just made from record-breaking sales, however. Let’s dig a little deeper and discover some of the most interesting things to come out of the week.

Photography by Darin Schnabel, thanks to RM Auctions

Because it didn’t sell: 1998 Ferrari 333 SP

This storied and high profile car is a stunner. It’s the only Ferrari to win both the 24 Hours of Daytona and the 12 Hours of Sebring, signifies Ferrari’s return to sportscar racing after a two decade hiatus and boasts a third in the 24 Hours of Le Mans for good measure.

But at a high bid of $3,400,000, it’s one of a handful of significant Ferraris which were passed in.

Want to know more about this 333 SP’s history? Read: The Winningest Ferrari 333 SP

Because of how: 1957 Buick Caballero Estate Wagon

We’re a few steps separated from our usual fare of brutal Group C downforce-and-horsepower monsters, but this Buick did a good job of grabbing our attention.

It’s gorgeous, and rare to boot, but it’s the story of its sale, thanks to Road & Track, that grabbed our attention. Mostly because it sold twice on the same night!

The car was restored for free by Jay Leno’s Big Dog Garage in an effort to raise money for the George W. Bush Military Service Initiative. When the gavel came down it had sold for an exceptionally-robust $300,000.

Its new owner then walked onto the stage and donated the car directly back to David Gooding, who turned around and auctioned it a second time, eventually selling it to the original second-place bidder for a further $280,000.

Image: RM Auctions

Because it de-throned the Ferraris.. again: 1965 Ford GT40 Roadster Prototype

Ferraris made up nine of the ten most valuable cars sold during the Monterey auctions. Much like Ford and the GT40s in the ’60s, however, this Ford GT40 Roadster Prototype was there to mix things up and break the Ferrari Domination.

It was the first of six GT40 Roasters built and the eighth of twelve GT40 prototypes. It’s also the only surviving original GT40 Roadster.

Carroll Shelby himself spent time behind the wheel in it, as did the likes of Jim Clark and Ken Miles.

If you were planning to pick it up at RM Auctions’ sale you’d have needed to beat the final bid of $6,930,000 – the seventh most valuable car sold last week.

It’s Thursday and the weekend’s coming up fast, which means that it’s time to get down to business. Let’s take a look at three historic racers which sold for numbers mere mortals have a hope of attaining, and which we’d like to take out racing this weekend.

Image: Bonhams

Because when it comes to historic racing, it’s hard to go past Porsche: 1958 PORSCHE 356A Coupe La Carrera Panamericana Rally Car with Coachwork by Reutter

Pushed around by the 1715cc overhead valve flat-four from a 912, stuck to the road by four-wheel independent suspension and stopped by four-wheel disks, this little 356A is prepared as a rally car and ready to rock. We know it’s good for it, because it’s done the La Carrera Panamericana three times.

It sold for $55,000, making it something that we wouldn’t be afraid to get out and use.

Image: RM Auctions

Because this Eagle flew in the Indy 500: 1981 AAR Eagle Indianapolis

Campaigned originally in CART, this car debuted at Watkings Glen in ’81 with Herm Johnson at the wheel. It went on to round out the year with trips to Mexico City and Phoenix.

In 1982 it raced at Phoenix and Atlanta, retiring from its period racing career in style at the 1982 Indianapolis 500, where Herm Johnson qualified 14th and finished ninth.

The mid-’90s saw it return to racing with Bob Pond Racing running it in historics. It picked up a second place and then a first at the final round of the American IndyCar series, proving its historic muscle.

Going for $38,500, it’s a quick car with some history to boot.

Image: Mecum

Because we still have a shot: 1974 Chevrolet Corvette IMSA Race Car

Competing in 20 IMSA races from 1973 to 1981, including seven trips to Sebring and the Daytona 24-Hour, this magic muscle car has some serious experience under those panels.

It didn’t sell on auction day and currently sits at a high bid of $62,000, meaning it’s available to pick up and head out in time for the weekend!

Images via Bonhams, Gooding & Company, RM Auctions and Mecum.

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Jean Alesi – Ferrari F93A Belgium Grand Prix 1993

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It’s been 20 years since two-time IMSA GTS champ’ Steven Millen piloted this 850 horsepower monster at Laguna Seca.

This latest video from RACER captures the sheer brutality of of the Nissan 300ZX IMSA having it’s neck wrung around through the bends of Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca. It’s both violent, and beautiful at the same time.

MORE: Gallery – BMW IMSA 320 Turbo

The car is a total monster. It’s a twin-turbo V6 (much like the road going 300ZX was), however little is left of the factory running gear. The car has a massive amount of grip, however it’s still not enough to put up a fight against the relentless 850hp turbocharged beast sitting beneath the forward firewall. We particularly enjoyed watching Millen squirming all over the track whilst trying to try tame the raw energy that the car exerts moments after full throttle is applied and the turbochargers explode into life.

MORE: Onboard the four-rotor IMSA RX-7 (video)

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When it comes to custom cars, the Singer Porsche 911 is the ultimate gentleman’s accessory.

Restored, Reimagined, Reborn. These are the pillars of the Singer Vehicle Design brand, and together they summarize perfectly what the company does better than almost any other custom car organization. A perfectly balanced modern twist on some of the most iconic 911 shapes of years gone by, Singer 911s are simply breathtaking.

MORE: 50 years of the Porsche 911 in motorsports

Every Singer Porsche 911 is unique, tailored exactly to the client’s demands. The result of this is that each tells you a story just by looking at it, including this particular vehicle, which was crafted on behalf of a customer based in Indonesia.

MORE: Motorsport Retro Films – Building the Porsche 911 Group 4 (video)

If you’re interested in learning more about the Singer 911, take a look at this video post detailing everything you could ever want to know. For more information on Singer check out their website.

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Just listen to that Cosworth GAA V6 scream! The Cologne Capri RS is responsible for one of the greatest mechanical sounds of all time.

This stunning Ford Capri won the Belgian Touring Car Championship on debut in 1973 after being built by Ralph Broad of Broadspeed, before being sent back to England and updated to full Cologne specification. For the 2014 Goodwood Festival of Speed, JD Classics prepared and presented the machine, which drew crowds every time it fired up thanks to the intoxicating howl of the Cosworth GAA V6 engine.

MORE: Zakspeed Escort vs Cologne Capri (video)

Just listen to how quickly it picks up and drops revolutions on idle as Micky Collins of JD Classics massages the loud pedal in the paddock, not to mention that unbelievable high-rpm note that we’ve come to expect from the Cosworth GAA. A truly spectacular racing engine from a fantastic period of motorsport.

MORE: Onboard the Capri Cosworth Legend (video)

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Some of these cars are so secret, even Volkswagen doesn’t know about them. Let’s take a peek inside Porsche’s secret warehouse.

Sit back and enjoy as CAR Magazine take us on a journey into Porsche’s secret warehouse, a place where weird and wonderful designs and prototypes live alongside racing greats. Surprisingly not every car kept in here is a Porsche, either…

MORE: The timeless Porsche 935

The design cues in some of these prototypes can be seen in the genetics of Porsche’s modern lineup, whereas others exist as weird combinations and variants forgotten by time and destined never to be seen by the public eye.

MORE: Porsche 917 – Looking back at a Legend (video)

Porsche’s official museum is fantastic, however this unassuming warehouse looks like an even more exciting destination for the curious car fanatic. So when can we move in?

A special thanks goes to CAR Magazine for the video, consider us very envious!

If you like what you see, take a look at our latest offer MotorSport Retro Premium. It’s a low cost subscription service which delivers unique content on a daily basis. Not only that, there’s a whole bunch of awesome prizes up for grabs, right now:

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Spend 45 delicious seconds with one of Carrol Shelby’s awe inspiring AC Cobra 289s in this short and sweet video.

Boasting curves for days, an awesome soundtrack provided by a 289 cubic inch small-black Ford V8, a significant history and lots and lots of cool flick switches, this an AC Cobra 289 which we’d like to spend more time with.

It’s one of Carrol Shelby’s own; a car which his race team owned and raced with drivers like Phil Hill and Dan Gurney.

Here we see it testing for the Goodwood Revival, and if you head to the event in 2014 you’ll be able to enjoy it in person and in full song, with its track day silencers removed.

 If you’re looking for more, enjoy this video: Onboard in a 1964 AC Cobra at Brands Hatch!

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This intimate interview offers an insight into the unbelievable career of one of the most formidable racing drivers of all time. Spoken in his own words, this is the Michael Schumacher F1 story.

Opening Image: Michael Schumacher wins the 2002 French Grand Prix and secures his 5th Formula One World Championship, shot by The Cahier Archive

Recorded less than 12 months ago at his home in Gland, Switzerland, this one-on-one interview by SkySportsF1 sees Michael Schumacher explain his amazing Formula One career from it’s earliest moments. Watch as he tells his own story, in his own words from, right through to his final stages with Mercedes.

MORE: Remembering Michael Schumacher’s first Formula One win

In the interview Schumacher also reveals a little bit about his life after retirement from Formula One, as well as what he thinks of the 2013 season and in particular the Pirelli tyres. It’s sad to think of what lay around the corner for Michael at the time of filming.

Gallery: The absolute best of Michael Schumacher (full gallery)

His debut was 23 years ago this weekend at the 1991 Belgian Grand Prix. What an amazing couple of decades it has been for the Michael Schumacher F1 story.

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The Belgium Grand Prix at Spa, home of the “greatest racing circuit in the world” is a favourite on the Formula 1 calendar for both drivers and fans alike. Over the years we have seen some incredible battles, triumphs, and some monumental shunts. Here is a look back at some memorable moments.

1966: Jackie Stewart has a big one that changes the way he thinks about racing

Jackie Stewart’s BRM P261 crashed into a telephone pole and then landed in a ditch at Masta Kink, leading to him being stuck upside down in his BRM, halfway up to his waist in fuel. It was 25 minutes before Jackie was removed from the car.

1967: Mike Parkes suffers Formula 1 career ending crash

British racer Mike Parkes’ Formula One career ended after he broke both legs in a horror  crash in 1967. The gritty racer returned to race sports cars in the 1970s in sports cars. Sadly Mile was killed in a road accident in 1977.

1991: Michael Schumacher makes his Formula 1 debut

The Jordan team dominated the headlines leading up to the Belgian Grand Prix. Regular driver Bertrand Gachot was in an English jail as a result of an altercation with a London taxi driver, so the team replaced him with a young German driver called Michael Schumacher. Michael qualified in 7th place on debut and lit a spark that would see him go on to be the most successful F1 driver in history.

1992: “Mystery Driver”” takes a leak during the grid walk

In this clip at (0:44 secs), one of the drivers can bee seen relieving himself on camera before the race.

1993: Alex Zanardi’s big crash

Alex Zanard has a monumental accident at Eau Rouge during Friday morning practice. The accident was allegedly caused by the Lotus’s active suspension system failing and Alex received severe bruising, concussion and a strained spinal nerve which kept him out of the cockpit for the rest of the season.

1998: Team orders as Damon Hill takes first win for Jordan

Damon Hill secures the first win for the hugely popular Jordan team after negotiating a team order deal from the cockpit. Damon Hill said ” I am going to put something to you here and I think you better listen to this. If we race, if we race, we could end up with nothing, so its up to Eddie. If we don’t race each other we have an opportunity to get a first and second, its your choice.” Eddie Jordan agreed with Damon and the team created history.

1998: Coulthard and Schumacher clash and Michael goes nuts in pit lane

Michael was leading easily in the rain soaked race when he came up on backmarker Coulthard , who lifted to let the German past, but due to the very poor visibility, Schumacher slammed straight into the back of the McLaren, tearing off the right-front wheel of the Ferrari. Once back in the pits Schumacher then charged down the pitlane and accused Coulthard of “trying to fucking kill me”

1998: Jacques Villeneuve huge crash at Eau Rouge

Jacques Villeneuve was involved in what he described as his “biggest crash in F1 so far” when he lost control of his car at 180 mph whilst attempting to take the big balls Eau Rouge flat.

1998: Huge start line pile up

Despite the heavy rain it was decided that the race would start at the scheduled time without a safety car. At the start Häkkinen led, but behind them, Coulthard suddenly emerged from the blinding spray at a right angle to the racing line,  hit the trackside wall and the McLaren rebounded directly into the path of the oncoming field, causing one of the biggest pile ups ever seen in Grand Prix racing.

2000: Mika Häkkinen pulls off big move on Michael Schumacher


This move will go down in history as Mika keeps his boot in and passes both backmarker Zonta and Schumacher in a big balls move.

2001: Lucian Burti has brain rattling shunt

Heading into Blanchimont, Eddie Irvine and Prost driver, Luciano Burti tangle. The young Brazilian barely washes off any speed before plowing head first into a tyre barrier. The sickening shunt leaves Burti with facial bruising and concussion that forces him out for the remainder of the season.

2011: Mark Webber puts one on Fernando Alonso at the entry to Eau Rouge

Red Bull racing driver Mark Webber commits to one of the bravest passing moves ever seen in Formula 1.

2012: First corner crash wipes out Hamilton and Alonso

Romain Grosjean was fined €50,000 and was given a one-race ban at the Italian Grand Prix for his role in the crash at the start. He also struck off Hamilton and Alonso’s Chritsmas card list.

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