Motor Authority - blog Tag: Specialty

Huet Brothers is a Dutch company that specializes in nostalgic driving tours of Europe, and to truly recreate an authentic experience the outfit has unveiled its new HB Special roadster. The roadster has been inspired by the Le Mans racers of the mid 1950s, as well as Barchetta racing cars that reigned at races such as the Mille Miglia and Targa Florio - legendary cars such as the Aston Martin DBR1, the Maserati 300 S and the Ferrari 412 S.

Production of the car will be limited to just 12 examples, and it will not be on sale but will rather be used by customers when they book a driving tour with Huet Brothers. Featuring a six cylinder 2.5L... Huet Brothers is a Dutch company that specializes in nostalgic driving tours of Europe, and to truly recreate an authentic experience the outfit has unveiled its new HB Special roadster. The roadster has been inspired by the Le Mans racers of the mid 1950s, as well as Barchetta racing cars that reigned at races such as the Mille Miglia and Targa Florio - legendary cars such as the Aston Martin DBR1, the Maserati 300 S and the Ferrari 412 S. Production of the car will be limited to just 12 examples, and it will not be on sale but will rather be used by customers when they book a driving tour with Huet Brothers. Featuring a six cylinder 2.5L TR6 engine that has been bored out to 2.7L, the car produces around 180hp (134kW) thanks to its lightened flywheel and racing exhaust, according to the guys at AutoGespot. The handsome body is made out of a carbon-fiber shell that weighs just 23kg but is extremely strong. The company justifies the use of such a modern material in a neo-classic roadster with the logic that "if carbon was available in the late 50s, as it is today, there would be no question about whether or not they would have used it". Meanwhile, the cockpit is made out of light weight aluminum to keep the period feel, while handcrafted switches in the cockpit and snug leather bucket seats envelope the driver. In total, the car weighs just 711kg, making it ideal for twisty roads, while the powerful engine should make the straights just as enjoyable. While the car may be made out of modern carbon-fiber, some classic features did find their way under the carbon-fiber skin - including the same chassis as that found in the Triumph TR6. Featuring independent front and rear suspension, the HB Special chassis includes upgraded back drums and front brake discs, adjustable shock absorbers and a race steering rack. The company's pursuit of a perfect driving experience even manages to extend to some odd aspects of the trip - including having a dress code for potential tourers. According to Huet Brothers, "anyone that drives the HB Special must wear the correct attire. This dress code stems from the late '50s and early ‘60s. Your ‘working gear’, as we call it, will be provided by us in your size at the start of an event."Huet Brothers HB Special roadster Read More

A one-of-a-kind Dodge Viper tuned by McLaren has been put up for sale, with an asking price that comes close to $295,000. Known as the ASC Diamondback Viper, the car was first unveiled by American Specialty Cars (ASC) back at the 2006 Detroit Auto Show featuring a bevy of performance modifications designed to increase the power-to-weight ratio of the car.

Following this goal, reducing weight and increasing power were to the two major focuses of ASC and the American-based McLaren Performance Technologies (the performance workshop was started by the Bruce McLaren behind the F1 team). When ASC was eventually satisfied with the car, the 615hp... A one-of-a-kind Dodge Viper tuned by McLaren has been put up for sale, with an asking price that comes close to $295,000. Known as the ASC Diamondback Viper, the car was first unveiled by American Specialty Cars (ASC) back at the 2006 Detroit Auto Show featuring a bevy of performance modifications designed to increase the power-to-weight ratio of the car. Following this goal, reducing weight and increasing power were to the two major focuses of ASC and the American-based McLaren Performance Technologies (the performance workshop was started by the Bruce McLaren behind the F1 team). When ASC was eventually satisfied with the car, the 615hp (459kW) Diamondback Viper ended up with a carbon-fiber roof, as well as a carbon deck lid, rockers, fascia inserts, body trim and a massive carbon hood that shows off ten unique trumpeted air intakes with their individual port throttles peeking through— a throwback to McLaren Can-Am engines of the past. ASC's effort to lighten the car resulted in weight savings of around 85 lbs, helping to catapult it to 60mph in just 3.5 seconds. While the current generation of Dodge Viper models will hit 60mph in a similar time, the 2006 model on which the Diamondback Viper is based took closer to 4 seconds, meaning that McLaren and ASC managed to improve sprint time by almost 13%. Apart from being a unique, one-off Dodge Viper special tuned by McLaren, the Diamondback Viper has other unique characteristics that should help a potential buyer justify the extravagant price. The custom paintjob sees the car decked out in Arctic White, with 'Viper Blue' and 'McLaren Red' pinstripes. While the asking price may seem a little steep, the concept reportedly cost ASC around $750,000 to create and it has only done 55 miles since it was built - resulting in depreciation of around $8,180 for every mile it has been driven. Head over to Dodge Vipers for Sale for all the details.ASC Diamondback McLaren Dodge Viper concept Read More