Turbo Zone

A 1992 Honda NSX, formerly owned by legendary three time Formula One World Champion Ayrton Senna, is set to cross the auction the block at Silverstone Auctions’ Race, Retro and Classic Car Sale on February 22nd. Close personal friend, manager and mentor of Senna, Antonio Carlos de Almeida Braga, purchased the car new for the famous driver to use when he visited his home in Portugal. The car remained in Braga’s garage following the tragic death of Senna at Imola in 1994, where it was not to be touched by anyone, let alone driven.

Source: GT Spirit

A survey conducted by J.D. Power and Associates found that “this age group (buyers under 25) really is passionate about vehicle ownership. Not only do they enjoy driving but they also see their vehicle as a reflection of their identity.” The survey specifically revealed that 33 percent of young drivers who’ve bought a new car “completely agree” that they want their vehicle to stand out from the crowd. In comparison, just 20 percent of all new car buyers across all age groups are saying the same. What’s more, 22 percent of young respondents also “completely agree” that they enjoy driving on challenging roadways with hills and curves.

Source: Car Buzz

Nissan and its motorsport partner NISMO have finally revealed the engine that will feature in its 2014 ZEOD RC electrified race car, which will compete in the Garage 56 experimental entry in this year’s 24 Hours of Le Mans. The engine is a turbocharged 1.5-liter three-cylinder putting out an incredible 400 horsepower, but what’s more impressive is that the engine weighs just 88 pounds, which means a human is quite capable of carrying it (turbocharger and all), as NISMO chief Shoichi Miyatani demonstrates above.

Source: Motor Authority

Nowadays, technology now allows us to control a vehicle’s trajectory using drive-by-wire or steer-by-wire systems. Simply put, this means electrical signals can alter the movement of a car’s wheels, rather than relying on a mechanical connection between the wheel, steering rack, front axle and front wheels. But steer-by-wire systems offer more than just an electronic option over a mechanical one; it also sets the groundwork for us to move our cars around differently – such as with a simple joystick. Saab experimented with joystick steering in its Prometheus prototype more than 20 years ago, and mainstream carmakers might throw them into their concept vehicles, but the device has never caught on.

Source: BBC Autos

With just 29 examples ever produced, the 599XX joins the Ferrari FXX for Ferrari’s ultra-exclusive Corse Clienti program. Just like the Ferrari FXX, if you managed to buy a 599XX when it was first introduced, the Italian manufacturer actually kept the car and brought it out for you to drive at selected track days around the world but primarily based on Europe. As a result of this, actually finding a 599XX on the used car market is about as difficult as it gets. However, U.K. tuner and dealer Prindiville have managed just that and are offering the following Ferrari 599XX for anyone willing to fork over the 1,250,000 euro asking price. This particular 599XX has covered a mere 2,400 km since being made in 2011 and is left-hand drive.

Source: GT Spirit