Our Preview For Next Week's London Concours Gathering
The capital will be swarmed over by over 120 motoring icons next week, as supercars and classics worth in excess of a combined 拢70 million descend on London for a very special event. Here's a rundown of 10 of the best of the extremely valuable motors you can see at this year's event. It implemented a number of firsts for a road car, including a chassis made completely of strong, lightweight carbon fibre reinforced polymer. The F1 seats three people, with the driver sitting centrally, and also features an engine bay lined with gold. Just 106 were made. Of course, many will argue this is the iconic supercar of the pre-2000 era. This one-of-19 Ferrari F40 LM is a lighter, more powerful version of one of the most iconic Ferraris ever. Power was boosted to around 750PS, a racing gearbox was added, the interior was almost entirely stripped out and a new aerodynamic bodykit was added for increased downforce.
It鈥檚 arguably the ultimate Ferrari F40. During its latter win, the switch to more effective disc brakes started a revolution across the industry, first in motorsport and then in the world of road cars. Described by some as the world鈥檚 first supercar, the Lamborghini Miura debuted in 1966 with the aim of relegating Ferrari to the sidelines. This SV model is the last, and most famous version, featuring a 4.0-litre V12 with extra power. With a top speed of over 170mph it鈥檚 even impressive by modern standards. This is just one of seven different Miuras on display at the London Concours to celebrate 50 years of its appearance in the iconic film, The Italian Job. The Veyron was once the fastest production car ever. One time holder of the world鈥檚 fastest car title, the Bugatti Veyron was a seminal moment in automotive history. The Mercedes 300SL is most fondly remembered for its then unique gullwing doors. Arguably one of the most beautiful cars ever created, the Mercedes 300SL kickstarted a model line - the SL - that continues in the Mercedes range to this day.
At the time, it wasn鈥檛 just a stunning and innovative piece of design (including those iconic gullwing doors) - it was actually the fastest car in the world. One of the earliest BMW sports cars, the BMW 328 is arguably the car that kickstarted BMW's excellence in roadsters, which persists to this day. Only 464 were built, starting in 1936, but it quickly established a reputation for excellence both on the track and on the road, including victories at the Nurbugring Nordschleife during its first year of production. Is that you, Bond? Immortalised by James Bond himself, the Aston Martin DB5 is often referred to as the world鈥檚 most famous car, following its starring role in Goldfinger. It鈥檚 so famous that Aston Martin recently announced they鈥檒l be building 25 new recreation models, complete with gadgets! But the real enthusiasts will opt for one of the 898 DB5 Coupes originally built, like the one being displayed next week. Another poster car is the 911, and the 1970s 2.7 RS is one of the best looking ever. Lightweight versions sell for around 拢1million. The Porsche 911 2.7 RS, with its ducktail spoiler, bigger engine and lightweight modifications is widely regarded as the purest of all Porsches. Production numbers were exceptionally small, making this particular variant a rarity outside of classic car collections and museums. Today, one would set you back more than 拢500,000. How about a production limited to just 53 models? Featuring a lightweight carbon fibre tub, a 6.0-litre naturally-aspirated V12 and suspension directly transferred from the Le Mans-winning Jaguar XJR-9, the XJR-15 is one of the most focussed cars ever sold for road use. With only 53 built it's one of the rarest, too.
Compared to the previous generation, the 2019 BMW Z4 is longer by 85 millimetres and wider by 75 mm, with a roofline raised by 13 mm. Said roof is now made from fabric鈥攗nlike the preceding Z4鈥檚 power-folding hard top鈥攁nd can be raised or lowered in as little as ten seconds, even while the car is travelling at speeds of up to 50 km/h. The new Z4鈥檚 trunk is rated at 281 litres whether the top is raised or folded down鈥攖he old Z4鈥檚 boot had a volume that varied from 180 to 310 litres. As standard, the Z4鈥檚 cockpit is dressed in black leatherette upholstery, but a combination of leather and Alcantara with blue stitching is optional, as is a Vernasca Leather Package which four colours choices鈥擨vory White, Black, Magma Red and Cognac. The Z4 will also feature heated seats and steering wheel as well as BMW鈥檚 7.0 infotainment operating system with iDrive controller and Apple CarPlay integration, while head-up display, an intelligent key, wireless charging and a Harman/Kardon sound system are optional. In order to split development and production costs, BMW and Toyota worked together during the creation of the Z4. The roadster shares its architecture, powertrains and many interior components with the 2020 Toyota GR Supra.