The European historic racing season got under way a fortnight ago with the third annual Mugello Classic. Staged by the Peter Auto organisation, the event saw two new grids compared to the previous years with the Classic Touring Challenge for Pre '60s touring cars and the Gentlemen Challenge for 1950s and early 1960s machinery added to the roster. These joined the familiar grids, with the capacity Endurance Racing Legends field taking centre stage. Headlined by Emanuel Collard reunited with his Pescarolo Courage C60, the grid also boasted a trio of Maserati MC12s, a pair of Bentley Speed 8s, an Audi R8 and a Lotus Elise GT1.
With spring in the air and great grids, the Mugello Classic proved to be more than fitting start to the 2024 racing season. We were on hand from start to finish to capture the event in its entirety, the result is a concise report, illustrated by a class-by-class 200-shot gallery.

Anglo-Canadian auctioneer RM Sotheby's have revealed the full lot list of the two-day Monaco sale. Due to be held during the Grand Prix Historique weekend, the auction has some fascinating consignments. Among them is this Aston Martin V8 Vantage GT2, which was the original factory development car for the ten production cars that followed. It was raced in its original guise at select events during 2008 and 2012. Chassis V8 X2 did not appear at Le Mans until 2012, proudly wearing the Gulf works colours. It has recently been restored to its 2012 configuration and is ready to go.
With a €4.5 - €5 million estimate one of the absolute headliners of the sale is this Ferrari 250 GT Cabriolet. Originally finished in ivory white with a turquoise interior and covered headlights, it was sold to an Italian enthusiast. It was subsequently sold to France where the engine was damaged and replaced. At some point, it was also re-painted black. In more recent years, 0849GT was re-finished to its original colours and re-united with its original engine.
Another open Ferrari available in the principality is this 365 GTS/4 Daytona. It was also delivered new to Italy where it remained for some years before a lengthy spell in the United States. Repatriated to Europe in the early 2010s, 15383 was then entrusted to a cosmetic restoration. In German hands since 2017, it is now estimated to sell for around €3 million.

Celebrating Abarth's 75th anniversary, Stellantis have assembled a great collection of classic models in the Heritage Hub. Guest of honour is a 1:3 scale-model of the Abarth Classiche 1300 OT, which will enter very limited production later this year. Only five examples will be constructed of the compact sports car that is inspired by the original 1300 OT competition car and is based on the Alfa Romeo 4C platform. The Classiche 1300 OT is now available to order.
Maserati have completed the GranCabrio line-up with the all-electric Folgore version. Although no figures have been released, the drop-top battery-electric vehicle should share the same 751 bhp as the previously introduced GranTurismo Folgore. According to Maserati the GranCabrio Folgore represents the company's voice of the future.
Lamborghini will soon phase out the Huracan but not before producing a small run of STJ models. Powered by a 630 bhp version of the glorious V10 engine, which will also be phased out, the STJ was developed together with Lamborghini Squadra Corse. The name is short for Super Trofeo Jota and accordingly, the STJ features a more aggressive aero package and track-oriented Bridgestone tyres. Lamborghini will only build ten examples of the Huracan STJ, before permanently closing the book on the Huracan.

This weekend we will make the first of three visits to Goodwood of the year for the 81st Members' Meeting. Among the highlights this year will be the high-speed demonstration. Taking a very loud centre stage will be legendary Can-Am racers. Central part of the line-up will be a collection of Shadow racers that have been shipped over especially from the United States. Among them is the very DN4 driven to four victories and the title in the final Can-Am season. The mighty racer is powered by a big block V8 good for at least 800 bhp. DN4-1A was retained for many years by Shadow founder Don Nichols and was only restored to full running order in the mid-2010s.
The other demonstration run will see Gerhard Berger reunite with the Ferrari 640 F1 that he raced during the 1989 Formula 1 World Championship. The Austrian campaigned the car during five Grands Prix but with little luck. In recent years, chassis 110 has already seen action at Goodwood, during the Festival of Speed in 2019 and again in 2022.
At last year's Members' Meeting the 60th anniversary of the Porsche 911 was celebrated with a demonstration of 911-based competition cars. The Porsche Museum brought out the spectacular 911 Carrera Turbo RSR, which is 50 years old this year. The ex-works racer served to develop the 911 Turbo road car and was subsequently developed into the 934 and 935.

This weekend we are in the flowing Tuscan hills for the Mugello Classic. Organised by Peter Auto, the event features a capacity grid for the Endurance Racing Legends. The field of 1990s and 2000s sports racers is not just Porsche 911 derivatives but boasts a breadth and depth that is quite spectacular. To get you in the mood we have taken a closer look at two cars that are exemplary for the field. First up is this Maserati MC12 Corse, which is one of three entered this weekend. It was originally raced by the JMB team and finished second in the 2005 Spa 24 Hours. It was subsequently raced in the Citation Cup for gentleman drivers. Restored to its original configuration, chassis 008 will now be raced by another gentleman racer, who competed with a sister car in period.
The MC12s will be joined by this Judd V10-engined Dallara SP1. The sixth and final chassis built, it was originally fielded by the Playstation Team Oreca at Le Mans in 2002. Starting fourth, it eventually finished sixth. It then sat for two years, before it was campaigned by Martin Short's Rollcentre Team. Retained for many years by Short, DO-006 still sports Rollcentre colours but is now under new ownership.

Following a first glimpse last August, Maserati revealed further details of the MCXtrema track car. The wild MC20-based machine features a 724 bhp version of the twin-turbo V6 and a comprehensive aero package. The prototype is undergoing final testing until the end of the month with the hugely successful GT-racer Andrea Bertolini entrusted with the driving. The first production cars are due to be delivered in the summer. The MCXtrema will be used for track-days only and production is limited to just 62 examples.
Hyundai have unveiled the Ioniq 5 eN1 Cup, which is the first one-make, all-electric Cup racer. It is based on the Ioniq 5 N production car and boasts an uprated drivetrain and improved battery package. The powertrain consists of a pair of electric motors, which produces a combined peak power of 642 bhp. The quoted weight for the cup car is 1,970 kg. The Ioniq 5 N eN1 Cup is due to debut at the Hyundai N Festival motorsport event.

Anglo-Canadian auctioneers RM Sotheby's have announced further interesting consignments for the upcoming Monaco Auction. One of the absolute headliners is the unique Porsche 917 K/81. The very last 917, this car was built by Kremer Racing to compete at Le Mans in 1981. Based on the original 917 drawings, it featured revised aerodynamics to meet the latest requirements. The 917 K/81 was ultimately raced only twice before it was retired. In full running order, the one-off 917 K/81 has a pre-sale estimate of €3.5 - €5 million.
Another very rare Porsche consigned to the two-day sale is this 356 Carrera 1500 GS Speedster. Believed to be one of just 18 'Pre-A' Carrera Speedsters, this car was sold to the United States where it was extensively raced in period by its first owner. Beautifully restored by marque experts, 81079 should find a new owner for around €850,000 - €950,000.
The latest delivery mileage hypercar due to cross the auction block is this McLaren Elva. Acquired by a German enthusiast with the coveted 001 serial number, it was finished in a unique shade of grey with a black semi-aniline leather interior. Originally sold for €1.5 million, it now is estimated to sell for €1.1 - €1.5 million.

One of the most remarkable cars of the current FIA World Endurance Championship Le Mans Hypercar era has been the Peugeot 9X8. It relied almost exclusively on ground-effect aerodynamics and did not sport a rear wing. Ultimately the original configuration did not prove ideal, partly due to regulation changes during the car's development. All this has now been addressed by the newly introduced 9X8 Evo that will debut at Imola next month. While it shares the chassis with the original 9X8 Hypercar, the changes have been substantial. The most obvious is the addition of a rear wing but the revisions of the aerodynamics package also lead the Peugeot engineers to using narrower front wheels. The Imola 6 Hours marks Peugeot's return to the legendary Italian circuit since scoring a one-two victory back in 2011 so the French manufacturer has high hopes for the 9X8 Evo.
That one-two victory was scored with the second generation Peugeot 908. This program was aborted after just a single season rather drastically ahead of the 2012 Sebring 12 Hours. The Peugeot Sport team was already on the ground when the Peugeot board decided to cease its FIA WEC effort. One of the cars that was in Sebring was 908-06. This was a brand new car readied for the 2012 season but ultimately was never raced. It was eventually sold by Peugeot and has made its competition debut in historic racing. We captured the 908 at last year's Spa Six Hours.

With the Vision Neue Klasse X, BMW have offered another glimpse of the road ahead for the German manufacturer. The sports activity vehicle is due to enter production in 2025. Designed as a battery-electric vehicle from the ground up, it benefits from a long wheelbase with short overhangs. The Vision Neue Klasse X shares its two-box styling with the Neue Klasse also due in 2025 and 300 km in range can be added by charging for just ten minutes.
To mark the occasion of a new BMW show car, we have also taken a look back at two BMW-engined competition cars. First up is the M1 Procar that was raced by Franz Konrad in the Procar series. It was then extensively raced in national and international sports car races through to the end of the 1982 season. Stored for the next two decades, chassis 4301066 has been raced in historic events from the late 2000s and will be back in action next month during the Mugello Classic.
During the 1970s, BMW engines also powered hugely successful Formula 2 racers like this March 782. This particular was raced by an Austrian privateer and also gave a young Jo Gartner a start to his successful racing career. Chassis 782-24 was prepared for historic racing during the 2010s and raced by its Canadian owner in a select number of historic F2 events.

The first event on our agenda is the Mugello Classic scheduled for the first weekend of April. To get you in the mood, we have taken a closer look at this Porsche 962C, which was raced during last year's edition. Originally a works car, it was raced in period by Joest Racing at select events. Acquired directly from Reinhold Joest by the current owner, it is in ultimate, high-downforce configuration. Particularly in the hands of Ralf Kelleners, 962-013 proved blisteringly quick during the 2023 season and will be back in action at Mugello.
A week later, we will be at Goodwood for the annual Members' Meeting. At last year's edition, there was an impressive demonstration of Porsche 911-based competition cars. Among them was this 911 Carrera RSR 3.0. Originally owned by Jean Blaton or 'Beurlys', it was raced at Le Mans four times, finishing second in class and winning its category at the fourth attempt. Chassis 911 460 9072 has survived in remarkably original condition and was raced in historic events before its recent restoration.
Already in the Nissan line-up for 15 years, the GT-R has been gradually improved. The latest incarnation will include this striking T-spec Takumi. It is a cosmetic package only but the latest 565 bhp version of the potent package is still very impressive after 15 years.

With the Taycan Turbo GT, Porsche have introduced the company's most powerful production road car yet. With the optional attack mode engaged, there is a staggering 1,092 bhp available for up to two seconds. This allows the Turbo GT equipped with the Weissach Package to accelerate to 100 km/h in 2.2 seconds. Using a pre-production version, Lars Kern used the battery electric Porsche to new lap records at the Nürburgring and Laguna Seca.
The latest plug-in hybrid model from Mercedes-AMG is the E 53 4MATIC+, which is available in Saloon and Estate versions. Combining a turbocharged V6 engine with an electric motor, the latest E 53 has a system output of up to 576 bhp and 750 Nm of torque.
Offering more than a small glimpse of future high-performance battery electric vehicles, Volkswagen revealed images of the ID.3 GTX and ID.7 GTX Tourer. The two performance models feature uprated drivetrains, good for well over 300 bhp. The definitive production versions of the ID.3 GTX and the ID.7 GTX Tourer will follow soon.

For the upcoming Monaco Auction, RM Sotheby's have consigned the formidable racing car collection assembled by 1979 Formula 1 World Champion Jody Scheckter. The absolute headliner is the very Ferrari 312 T4 that the South African used to win the World Championship. He raced the car nine times that year, scoring three victories. Scheckter bought chassis 040 directly from Ferrari in 1982. One of just two 312 T4s that were not updated to T5 specification, this rare Ferrari has a pre-sale estimate of over €5 million.
Scheckter started his successful Grand Prix racing career in this McLaren M19A Cosworth. It was originally allocated to Dennis Hulme and was also raced by the likes of Peter Revson, Mark Donohue and Brian Redman. Later also campaigned in F5000 events, M19A-1 has been restored to its original configuration and livery.
Later in his McLaren tenure, the South African also raced this M23 Cosworth. The second M23 built, this particular car was raced to victory in the 1973 British Grand Prix by Peter Revson. Scheckter himself raced M23-2 twice before it also was converted to F5000. After it was re-acquired by McLaren International, it joined the collection of Scheckter in more recent years. It should find a new custodian for around €2 million.