It was a big weekend for Bugattis at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance. The first Bugatti Veyron Grand Sport 16.4, which made its debut at the show, had a hammer price of $2.9 million at the Gooding & Company’s Pebble Beach auction yesterday. Although the final price will be confirmed later today, this could mean that it is likely as much as $850,000 (the excess of the Veyron’s MSRP) will be donated to the Pebble Beach Company Foundation charity.
The Grand Sport features a see-through removable roof panel made from polycarbonate material for lightweight rigidity. Unfortunately there is no place to store the panel on the car, so if the weather turns bad, owners may need to use the included “umbrella” fabric top (much like the one used for the Lamborghini Murcielago roadster.)
The biggest changes to take the Veyron topless were stiffening the carbon fiber body and changing the windshield angle. The car now also includes new LED headlamps, different alloy wheels and a rear view camera display. According to Bugatti, the total production run for the Veyron Grand Sport will be 150 vehicles.
If the Veryon Grand Sport was the Bugatti to steal everyone’s hearts, then the 1939 Bugatti Type 57C Atalante Coupe stole their wallets. The classic Bugatti set a new Pebble Beach record at Gooding & Company’s Saturday auction at $7.92 million. The car is one of 95 57Cs produced during the run from 1937 to 1940. The 3,257 CC Supercharged Inline Eight-Cylinder Engine is rated at 160 BHP At 5,000 RPM.
Bugatti Veryon Grand Sport sells at Pebble Beach, another Bugatti sets auction record Picture Gallery
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UPDATED with video of Cadillac Global Products Director John Howell talking about the car, including why a wagon is being introduced in the U.S.
Cadillac is getting serious about the European market, and that’s evident with the premiere of the CTS Sport Wagon today at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance. While wagons have not always been the preference for North American customers, the extra space finds favor with European customers. The wagon was a natural evolution for Cadillac considering the CTS was designed to compete with sedans from Germany such as the Audi A4 and the BMW 3-Series. The more aggressive lines suggest that the CTS Sport Wagon is going after A4 Avant customers.
The base engine in North America will be the 3.6-liter 263 horsepower V-6. Optional will be a the 3.6-liter with added direct injection, which increases output to 304 horsepower. There is also a 2.9-liter turbo-diesel V-6 engine option making 250 horsepower for the European and Asian markets. The gas engine V-6 Sport Wagon’s fuel economy is expected to be similar to the peak rating of the sedan’s 26 mpg highway rating. All will be available with either a six-speed manual or six-speed automatic transmission as well as all-wheel drive.
Press release after the jump.
>> read 2010 Cadillac CTS Sport Wagon Picture Gallery
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Lamborghini is bringing a few of its “must-see” cars to the Concours d’Elegance at Pebble Beach this weekend. Included in this showcase will be the 2009 Gallardo LP560-4, 2008 Reventón and the 1989 Lamborghini P140 prototype.
The 2009 Gallardo LP560-4 is the latest from Lamborghini. It replaces the current Gallardo by offering a new 5.2 liter V-10 engine, permanent four-wheel drive transmission and an improved suspension.
The Reventón is Lamborghini’s ultra-exclusive supercar. It is Lamborghini’s most powerful and most expensive car ever. It is built from carbon fiber, and there are only 20 in the world. Although the mechanics are heavily based on the Murciélago LP640, the output of Reventón’s 6.5-liter V-12 is upgraded to 650 horsepower.
The P140 is significant because it bridges the gap between the Jalpa and the Diablo. The Jalpa was the “affordable” Lamborghini. It was built to compete with sub-supercar types, similar to the current Gallardo. Although it was never it was put into production, the P140 provides a clear visual evolution that took Lamborghini into the 90s.
Cadillac gave the first showing of the 2010 SRX today at Pebble Beach today. The design for the new crossover is heavily based on the Provoq concept car that went around the car show circuit earlier this year. General Motors will release full details on the car later this year.
The new SRX is expected to switch to GM’s Theta platform, which would make it smaller wheelbase than the current SRX. The switch would also means that in two-wheel drive form, the power will now go to the front wheels (an all-wheel drive version should be an option.) The SRX has become an important car for GM as it is a smaller and more fuel-efficient an alternative to Cadillac’s other SUV offering, the Escalade.
Press release after the jump.
>> read 2010 Cadillac SRX sneak peak at Pebble Beach Picture Gallery
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Sometimes technology isn’t a blessing. Not only did video kill the radio star, but also General Motor’s travailing showcase know as Motorama.
Motorama used to travel all around the U.S. in a caravan of specially built “Parade of Progress” busses, all used to showcase GM’s new cars and new innovations. But once television was in every household, the Motorama changed. It was still a grand spectacle, but the Motorama no longer came to your doorstep. By the mid-50s Motorama would only set up in the major cities but could be broadcast to homes nationwide through TV. The last one was held in 1961.
Enjoy as GM’s Vice President of Global Design, Ed Welburn reminisces about the Motorama and the dream cars of GM’s past before they are showcased next week at Pebble Beach (including the Chevrolet Biscayne.)
This Sunday at Pebble Beach the Spyker C8 Aileron will make its U.S. debut. Faithful readers will have already seen this car from its debuts at the British and Frankfurt Motor Shows, but we are always looking for a good excuse to show pics of these curvy sports cars.
This appearance will mark Spyker’s 8th presence at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance since the rebirth of the company. The C8 Aileron is a longer wheelbase version of the C8, allowing for more room and convenience options such as an automatic transmission. Expected to enter production by the end of the year, the car will still be powered by the 4.2-liter V-8 from Audi making 400 hp. That should be good for a top speed of 187 mph and acceleration from 0-60 mph in 4.5 seconds. No official U.S. pricing has been announced, but expect to pay over the C8 Laviolette’s $278,000 for this new version.
Press release after the jump.
>> read 
For those who think the Ferrari FXX Evoluzione is not exclusive enough, try a one-of-a-kind Lamborghini. Meet the 1996 Lamborghini Zagato Raptor. Based on the Diablo VT, this was a styling exercise by Italian coachbuilder Zagato to look at the feasibility for production. This is the only one that ever materialized, possibly due to the fact that occupants needed to enter the car through the single-piece canopy top. It also features a all-wheel drive and a race inspired box section chassis.
If you’re still interested in this 492-hp V-12 supercar, get out your checkbook and head to Pebble Beach. The Raptor is scheduled to be part of the Blackhawk Collection’s items at the concourse’s auction that begins today.
Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance is the ultimate automotive show. For a true enthusiast having a car on the lawn at Pebble beach can rank higher than the birth of a child. To be one of the rare winners may the single greatest moment in an enthusiast’s life. The showcase has traditionally been reserved for automotive time capsules that are restored to a condition as if they were factory fresh. But now intruding on this automotive aristocracy are unrestored riffraff.
Pebble Beach is starting to understand that history is preserved in the unpolished automotive gems, and no car shows this better than the Porsche No. 1.
As the name would suggest, it was the first car built under the Porsche name, and it will be featured this August at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance.
No. 1 has obvious ties to the entire Porsche bloodline. From the 356 to today’s 911, it shows that Porsche’s cars never changed; they just evolved.
>> read 
Pininfarina will unveil the Hyperion during Pebble Beach Concours, August 2008. The Special Project carrozzeria is based on the Rolls Royce Drophead Coupe and is an homage to the great pre war cars.
The project, named “Pininfarina Hyperion”, is based on a Rolls Royce Drophead Coupè and is an homage to the great pre war cars. Its style, size and overall presence is truly unique in modern day car production, firmly rooted in the history and heritage of the two Brands at the core of the project.
"We are particularly proud to communicate that the private client who has commissioned the car, has graciously agreed to display this latest Pininfarina creation at the prestigious American event."
>> read Online: http://www.pebblebeachconcours.net
Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance exhibits the best possible field of collector automobiles. Only the most beautiful and rare automobiles are invited from 13 to 17 August to appear on the famed eighteenth fairway of Pebble Beach Golf Links each year, and connoisseurs of art and technology congregate to see them.
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