Tag: Auctions

  • 2012 Lexus LFA for sale in boring color, but with low mileage

    The 2012 Lexus LFA was a high-water mark for Toyota’s luxury brand. The car never got a direct successor, but a practically untouched example with less than 500 miles is scheduled to cross the block at RM Sotheby’s Amelia Island auction on May 22.

    Finished in Steel Gray, this car isn’t as distinctive as the brown LFA that came up for sale earlier this year, but it’s still quite rare. Number 430 of 500 cars built, it’s one of only 11 finished in this particular hue, according to the listing.

    The LFA was meant as a halo car for Lexus, giving the brand more prestige and using some of parent Toyota’s Formula One experience to do it. It’s powered by a 5.2-liter V-10 that makes 552 hp and 334 lb-ft of torque, with a 9,000-rpm redline. The engine and the LFA’s carbon-fiber body still seem modern today, but the 6-speed single-clutch automated manual transmission gives away the car’s age.

    2012 Lexus LFA (Photo by RM Sotheby's)

    2012 Lexus LFA (Photo by RM Sotheby’s)

    Production of the LFA ended in December 2012, and the last car reached the U.S. in February 2013. The listing claims Lexus imported approximately 190 cars to the U.S., although other sources say 178 cars were imported.

    Either way, the LFA was a slow seller. Five new, unregistered cars remained up for grabs as of January 2020 likely due to the outlandish $375,000 starting price. Some dealerships held onto their LFAs as display pieces to drive showroom traffic.

    It’s unclear if this LFA will meet its pre-auction estimate of $425,000 to $500,000, which is a significant increase over the $388,300 the owner originally paid for it. However, that’s still a lot less than the aforementioned brown LFA, which was listed for sale through an exotic-car dealership earlier this year with a $680,000 asking price.

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  • 1988 Chevrolet Corvette Callaway SledgeHammer for sale

    With a top speed of nearly 255 mph, the 1988 Chevrolet Corvette Callway SledgeHammer was one of the fastest cars you could buy during the Reagan years. The modified Corvette was just listed on Bring a Trailer, and the price has already climbed well into the six-figure range by the time of publication.

    Connecticut-based Callaway Cars was already an established tuner in the late 1980s when it launched Project SledgeHammer, with the goal of breaking production-car speed records. This car started out as a stock 1988 Corvette coupe, but was shipped directly to Callaway for modification.

    The 5.7-liter V-8 got twin turbochargers, a blueprinted block, forged pistons, a dry-sump oiling system, and other modifications. That boosted output to 880 hp and 772 lb-ft of torque. The car currently has a ZF 6-speed manual transmission, which is not the gearbox originally installed by Callaway. 

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    The SledgeHammer stood out from other C4 Corvettes thanks to a sleeker front fascia incorporating vents and the Corvette logo, functional front-fender and rear quarter-panel vents, and a new rear fascia incorporating a rear spoiler and quad exhaust. These elements were later put into limited production as the AeroBody for Callaway C4 customer cars.

    The car rides on 17-inch Dymag magnesium wheels with Goodyear Eagle tires. However, these tires aren’t suitable for extreme speeds, as Goodyear manufactured special tires for the 1988 top-speed run, the listing notes.

    Upon completion, the Corvette was driven from Callaway’s shop in Old Lyme, Connecticut, to the Transportation Research Center’s 7.5-mile test track in East Liberty, Ohio, where John Lingenfelter drove it to a 254.76-mph top speed. It was then stored in a museum environment for most of the next three decades, and got a refresh from Callaway in 2018, according to the listing. Now it’s ready to make you the most popular person at Radwood.

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  • Kevin Hart paid $825K for this 1959 Chevrolet Corvette convertible restomod

    Comedian Kevin Hart is a fan of modified muscle cars, and this week we found out how much he’s willing to pay to indulge that passion. At the Barrett-Jackson auction in Scottsdale, Arizona, late last month, Hart drove away with a 1959 Chevrolet Corvette restomod, paying $825,000 for the privilege.

    The winning bid was added to the auction listing on Barrett-Jackson’s website, while the auction house confirmed that Hart was the buyer in a separate Facebook post. The listing describes the car as a Pro Touring build, meaning it has a long list of modern upgrades to improve all-around performance.

    Under the hood sits an LT1 6.2-liter V-8 from a C7 Corvette Stingray, producing 460 hp and 465 lb-ft of torque. The engine drives the rear wheels through a 4L75E 4-speed automatic transmission.

    Art Morrison C7 independent front suspension, with Strange coilovers and fully-adjustable ride height, is mounted to a frame powder coated in Cadillac Gray. Stopping power is provided by Wilwood brakes with C7 6-piston front calipers, 14-inch rotors, and stainless-steel brake lines.

    1959 Chevrolet Corvette restomod bought by Kevin Hart (Photo by Barrett-Jackson)

    1959 Chevrolet Corvette restomod bought by Kevin Hart (Photo by Barrett-Jackson)

    The Corvette rides on custom EVOD wheels with a modern size and a retro look, which continues with whitewall Nitto tires.

    The body is all original, according to the listing, but the paint certainly isn’t. The Corvette currently wears PPG Franny Green, with a Chocolate Brown convertible top. The underside of the car was covered with a black ceramic coating, according to the listing, a sensible move if this car is actually going to be driven and enjoyed.

    The interior features Dakota Digital gauges, LED lighting, and a modern audio system made to look like a 1959 Wonder Bar system, but with subwoofers and Bluetooth connectivity.

    This Corvette won’t be the only restomod in Hart’s garage. He recently took delivery of a 1970 Dodge Charger from Wisconsin’s SpeedKore Performance Group. That car sports a carbon-fiber body and Hellephant V-8, so it’s even more hard core than this beautiful Corvette.

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