Lamborghini Aventador Ultimae

 

The Ultimae is the final edition of the Lamborghini Aventador and the last of the pure V12 Lamborghinis. It made its debut in 2021 and announced as the last of the Aventador and last of its kind, as every V12 Lamborghini going forward will be hybridized. The Aventador's 6.5-liter V12 is upgraded to 769 horsepower and 531 lb-ft of torque in the Ultimae, propelling it to 60 mph in 2.7 seconds and a 221 mph top speed. Many recent Lambos have codenames, and the one given to the Aventador Ultimae is LP 780-4, with the 780 referring to its metric horsepower output. Power is sent to all four wheels via a seven-speed automated manual gearbox. In other words, the Aventador Ultimae is a more subtle SVJ with a slight boost in power. The best way to tell an Ultimae apart from other Aventador models is its new and unique bumpers.

Production for the Aventador Ultimae is limited to 350 coupes and 250 roadsters, with each one starting at around $500,000. I saw three of those 350 Aventador Ultimae coupes up close for the first time in Monterey three months ago, with two of them being on display at Exotics on Broadway and the third one on the street near that show. Overall, Ultimae is a very fitting name for the final edition of one of Lamborghini’s best cars. It looks amazing, has insane performance, and flies under the radar compared to other Lamborghinis. Out of all the Raging Bulls on display at this year's Exotics on Broadway, the Aventador Ultimaes and SVJs were my favorites.

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2003 Saleen S7

 

The Saleen S7 is a cool, amazing, and insane supercar that is now often forgotten and overlooked. It first made its debut in 2000 by American manufacturer Saleen, who is also known for tuning Mustangs, and became the sixth-ever American mid-engine production sports car. In addition, the Saleen S7 is one of only a few rear mid-engine supercars to come from the U.S. Featured here is an early-model S7, which is powered by a naturally-aspirated 7.0-liter Ford Windsor V8 producing 550 horsepower and over 500 lb-ft of torque paired to a six-speed manual transmission. The naturally-aspirated S7 launches from zero to 60 mph in 3.3 seconds and carries a top speed of 220 mph. The later model years of the Saleen S7 from 2005 to 2009 featured a twin-turbo V8 upgraded to 750 horsepower, launching from zero to 60 mph in 2.8 seconds and capable of a 248 mph top speed. In addition, the S7 was relaunched from 2017 to 2019 as the S7 LM, making even more power and accelerating even faster than the twin-turbo model. 

At a mere 2850 pounds, the Saleen S7 is pretty lightweight, but longer than most midsize sedans with a length of 188 inches, accommodating a small trunk behind the engine bay. Its interior is adorned in leather and aluminum trim, but lacks certain creature comforts such as airbags, anti-lock brakes, and stability control. It also contained scissor doors, a backup camera, and a small front trunk, and every gill and vent on the car is functional and serves a purpose. At 160 mph, the Saleen S7 produces its own weight or more in downforce, practically allowing the vehicle to travel upside down at that speed. Its seats are fixed in place to emulate those of race cars and save weight. Unlike nearly every other vehicle, the fuel door on the Saleen S7 can only be accessed with a small key.

There are supposedly around 100 Saleen S7s in existence, but there could be more as well. Regardless, it is a rare exotic supercar that most people may not ever get to see up close. It was priced at $400,000 around when it was first introduced but has appreciated steadily ever since. I saw the example featured here in the flesh at a Ford dealer not too far from me, but not too close to me either. This happened over three months ago, but the Ford dealer that I went to see it at still has it for sale priced at $590,000. Before I heard about this particular S7 up for sale not too far from me, the last time I saw a Saleen S7 up close was at the LA Auto Show seven years ago. In all, the Saleen S7 is an amazing, incredibly cool, and underrated supercar that deserves more attention and recognition from the car community and the general public.

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Porsche Carrera GT

 

The Carrera GT was Porsche's ultimate supercar from the mid 2000s. It is also one of the last fully analog supercars ever made. It was produced from 2004 to 2006 and is powered by a mid-engine, naturally-aspirated 5.7-liter V10, which was initially developed for Formula 1 and Le Mans prototype racing, with 603 horsepower and 435 lb-ft of torque paired to a six-speed manual gearbox. It launches from zero to 60 mph in 3.5 seconds and is capable of a top speed of 205 mph. Notable features of the Carrera GT include a carbon fiber monocoque chassis and subframe, an electronically-operated rear wing, carbon ceramic brakes, a leather-trimmed interior, a front trunk, center-lock wheels, and hidden storage compartments in the doors and engine bay. Its roof can be removed; however, there are two panels that must be removed manually and stowed in the front trunk in a specific way. The center-lock wheels on the Carrera GT are color-coordinated, with the lugnuts on the driver-side wheels being red and the lugnuts on the passenger-side wheels being blue. The ignition is placed on the left of the steering wheel, while the shift knob is directly to the right of the steering wheel. This setup is inspired by that of race cars, and the shift knob in most Carrera GTs is wooden as a tribute to the 917K race car. It was offered with five color options from the factory: silver, gray, black, red, and yellow, with a few custom colors available as well.

Roughly 1,200 Carrera GTs were ever made, with values currently ranging from around $700,000 to over $1 million. I remember seeing a total of six or seven Carrera GTs in recent memory, including the three in this post and an additional example to make it four within the span of a month. The first example is painted in a bright green that was not available on the Carrera GT from the factory and part of a collection of vehicles owned by a popular automotive YouTube channel known as Daily Driven Exotics. The second example is completely stock, with both of the first two examples on display at this year's Exotics on Broadway in Monterey three months ago. I saw a third example in Monterey when I was there for Exotics on Broadway, except it was inside the showroom of a nearby Porsche dealer and I was unable to get any photos or good video footage of it, which wasn't a big deal. The fourth example is currently for sale at my local Audi/Porsche dealer, and I saw it in person for the first time at an event it was holding back in September. 

In all, the Porsche Carrera GT is a fascinating and incredible supercar that has become a worthy classic. This is especially the case since automakers aren't producing analog sports cars and supercars like the Carrera GT anymore. In addition, it is one of the coolest and greatest Porsche models of all time, and I am lucky to have seen as many Carrera GTs as I have in recent years.

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Bentley Flying Spur (2020-)

 

This is the third and current rendition of Bentley's flagship sedan, the Flying Spur. It was redesigned and made its debut for the 2020 model year following the redesign of the Continental GT. The current Flying Spur offers three different engine options: a 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8, a 2.9-liter twin-turbo V6 paired to an electric motor, or a 6.0-liter twin-turbo W12. The V8 is the base engine in the Flying Spur and produces 542 horsepower and 568 lb-ft of torque, launching the vehicle from zero to 60 mph in 4.1 seconds and carrying a top speed of 198 mph. The V6 Hybrid produces a combined 536 horsepower and 553 lb-ft of torque and has the same 0-60 mph time as the V8 model. The example featured here has the W12, producing 626 horsepower and 664 lb-ft of torque, launching the vehicle from zero to 60 mph in 3.7 seconds and a 211 mph top speed. Every Flying Spur comes standard with an eight-speed dual-clutch transmission, all-wheel drive, and rear-wheel steering with air springs. 

To no surprise, the Bentley Flying Spur's cabin is one of the most lavish and luxurious in the car industry. It is outfitted in leather, wood, and metal trim, combining traditional elements and modern tech. Two of its interior's top features include a 12.3-inch infotainment touchscreen display up front and a remote touchscreen in the rear center console that allows rear seat passengers to control certain things like the radio, climate, seats, and window shades without needing any assistance from the driver. Pricing for the current Bentley Flying Spur starts at around $200,000. I've seen at least a few of the current Bentley Flying Spurs in person, but the one featured here is the only one I was able to take photos of so far. Overall, the Flying Spur is a great ultra-luxury sedan, but to be fair, I am more impressed by two of its closest competitors, the latest Rolls-Royce Ghost and Mercedes-Maybach S-Class. Still, the Flying Spur has a beautiful design, amazing features, athletic flair, and a spacious and comfortable interior that make it worthy of anyone's attention.

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McLaren Senna (2019-20)

 

The Senna is one of the more notable and popular special McLarens of recent years. It made its official debut at the 2018 Geneva Motor Show for the 2019 model year and is more than just a restyled and glorified 720S. Named after Formula 1 racing legend Ayrton Senna, this special McLaren is powered by the same 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 as the 720S, except bumped up to 789 horsepower and 590 lb-ft of torque. It makes the dash from zero to 60 mph in 2.8 seconds and can reach a top speed of 208 mph. Power is sent to the rear wheels via a seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox. The Senna was also the third addition to McLaren's Ultimate Series, following the F1 and the P1. Its design may not be the most beautiful, but it contains several functional and aerodynamic elements. Dihedral doors that hinge forward and up are standard on the Senna, along with a horizontal infotainment display in the center of the dashboard facing the driver and in-cabin storage behind the seats large enough for two helmets and race suits.

Only 500 examples of the Senna were ever produced, with each example starting at roughly $1 million when new. The example featured in this post was on display at this year's Exotics on Broadway in Monterey almost three months ago as part of Monterey Car Week. In addition, it was the third Senna that I've seen in person, outfitted in bare carbon fiber with a prominent red stripe down the center up front, the splitter around the car outlined in red, and Ayrton Senna's signature outlined in red on the driver-side rear fender. In all, the McLaren Senna is nothing short of an incredible, impressive track monster. It does a great job at standing out from the crowd in the best way possible with its crazy design, specs, and performance.

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