It was an eventful evening on the Monterey Peninsula last night as luxury manufacturers debuted new production cars and concepts and vintage cars set record prices on the first day of auctions.
Lexus introduced the redesigned LX 570 full-size SUV and GS sedan. Our colleague Vicki Arkoff attended that kickoff event and will have more details on the new offerings from Toyota’s luxury division.
BMW showed a concept car and a tribute car at their villa. The stunning 3.0 CSL Hommage R honors the 40th anniversary of the 3.0 CSL Group 4 race car that won at Sebring, Daytona, Laguna Seca and other iconic tracks. The Hommage car features a paint scheme inspired by the original car has a modern, athletic stance. Inside the interior features a whole new approach to driver interaction. It integrates some of the displays and information into the driver’s visor, removing distractions from the instrument panel and allowing the racer to focus on the track ahead. The driver’s suit is even integrated into the car’s systems with illuminated piping communicating key shift points and other information to the driver.
BMW also took the M4 to a whole new level introducing the M4 GTS. Looking cool in its frozen dark grey metallic paint, the M4 GTS offers increased performance through the use of more lightweight materials and track-focused aerodynamic improvements. The water-injected turbo in-line 6 cylinder engine boosts horsepower from the base M4 and the car rides on specially developed Michelin Sport Cup 2 tires.
RM Sotheby’s Auction
If the action at RM was any indication, it’s going to be a good year for the auction houses. Several cars sold at or near record prices including a 1998 McLaren F1 ‘LM-Specification’ that hammered for $12.5 million and a 1964 Ferrari 250 Le Mans Scaglietti that sold for $16 million.
We’ll have more from Monterey every day as the week continues.