Photo: Charles Tutton
You'd be forgiven for thinking January might have been a quiet month for Melbourne's supercar scene. It was anything but. Day two of 2018 saw what will without doubt be one of the best spots of the year. A prized Bugatti EB110 (more below). Other highlights include two Ferrari Enzos, a handful of 812 Superfasts, and the new Audi RS5.
Bugatti what now!?!?
| While a Veyron sends today's spotting world into meltdown, it's the lesser-known Bugatti EB110 that pre-millenials will best remember. The EB110 is, of course, the predecessor to the Veyron, and seems to (unfortunately) sit in the Veyron's shadow at any mention of the word 'Bugatti'. It more than deserves its own place in the limelight, however - when it was released in 1991, it was one of the fastest production cars available, with a top speed of 341km/h. We'll just let that sink in for a moment. Powering the 110 is a 3.5L V12, with four turbos, powering all four wheels. Body panels are ultra-light aluminium attached to a carbon fibre monocoque, making for one feather-weight 1,400kg supercar. The EB110's namesake comes from what would have been Ettorio Bugatti's 110th birthday when the car was released, a name which the company decided to adopt to pay homage to their visionary founder. Only 139 were produced (disappointingly to Bugatti), stopping when the company went bankrupt in 1995. Bugatti has since of course had control taken by the VW group, which has given birth to the likes of the Veyron, and now the Chiron. This is the second in Melbourne, and it joins the other Yellow one in the same collection. |
I didn't know they made fezzas in green??
 Photo: Anthony Rumbacic |  Photo: Cooper Eagles |
This Ferrari 812 Superfast takes the meaning of 'loud' to a whole new level. Appearing to replicate 'the Green Jewel' 70th anniversary edition Ferrari, it features the green coat, gold wheels, and has since had a vintage racing number '25' added to the doors.
The 70th Anniversary range of Ferraris are all unique, and are based on historical and significant models in the marque's last 70 years. The Green Jewel was a 1965 365P2 racecar, of course painted in green.
The 70th Anniversary range of Ferraris are all unique, and are based on historical and significant models in the marque's last 70 years. The Green Jewel was a 1965 365P2 racecar, of course painted in green.
| We're looking forward to seeing more of the 812s on Melbourne streets - within a week, a few came in quick succession. To date, we've seen dark blue, red (pictured right), yellow and black examples. We're hoping to receive a few more road spots in February - have your cameras/phones ready. We hear that they're super fast... |  Photo: Nicholas Papa |
Enzo fever...
Having two Enzo sightings in one month is one thing, but to have each of them spotted driving on public roads on separate occasions almost beggars belief. Sadly, on both occasions, no photos were sent in good enough to post.
| Video: Leigh Godson | 1. The first one is this red example spotted travelling between dealerships in Richmond; a drive not much more than a kilometre in length, we're lucky some keen spotters were able to capture it. We believe this one has been in Melbourne for a couple of years, but seldom sees the light of day. |
 Photo: Harrison Costello | 2. This stunning Grigio Titanio example made its Melbourne debut at last year's Motorclassica. We're delighted to know it still resides in Melbourne. Here it is snapped on the 18th at a Port Melbourne industrial estate near Lorbek Luxury Cars, its current owner. It was later spotted on a flatbed crossing the Bolte Bridge. |
a nip and tuck makes all the difference
| We were surprised that the new entry level GT gained such a positive response when we posted it on the 14th! The new look polarised followers and generated some interesting discussion. Not all were fans, with @terrypaule remarking "I like the original grille. This lacks class and is trying too hard." MCS follower, @gerbs_111, thinks the Panamericana grille should have been left unique to the GT R: "New grill detracts the prestige of the GT R, like putting an AMG badge on a base model Mercedes". Manufacturers have been pulling this move for years. Think back to 2006 when Audi revealed its then polarising, now iconic 'fishmouth' grille (enormous for its time) on its range-topping W12 A8. Its since found its way to all Audis, and even other marques. Either way, the Panamericana grille is a look you'll want to get used to. All new AMG models are set to feature it. Let us know what you think in the comments below. | |
There's a New kid on the block - be warned, AMG and M division
 | Proving to be super popular, the new Audi RS5 has put AMG and M-Division on notice. Much like the original Audi R8, the original A5 stopped the motoring press in their tracks. A sense of sheer simplicity in their design - clarity even - was at odds with much of the work of other big name players. The new A5, and indeed S5 and RS5, feature much more aggressive lines. An approach which, if the MCS audience is anything to go by, has been warmly welcomed! Its debut post commanded close to 4,000 likes on Instagram and 113 comments. Photo: Bertram Ng |
exclusive? that's an understatementAbsurd performance now joins forces with visually stunning detail in the very... well, exclusive... 911 Turbo S 'Exclusive Series'. The first thing you'll notice about the Exclusive is its Golden Yellow Metallic paint. Applied by hand, the paintwork also features a carbon-fibre stripe running down the centre of the whole car, exposed by the non-painted clear coat section. From this rear view in the spot, the extended rear wing from the Turbo's 'AeroKit' is also visible, as are the circular exhaust pipes and the carbon rear engine panel, both unique to the ES. |  Photo: Matt Doherty |
One of the more impressive parts of the ES are the wheels, which are unfortunately difficult to see here. Painted first in Yellow Gold Metallic, they are then painted entirely in High Gloss Black. Then, once dried, a precise laser etches through the black in lines along the spokes to reveal the gold beneath. Inside the car, copper wire is weaved into the carbon fibre, and contrast gold stitching features prominently through the rest of the cabin's black. Performance remains crazy at 2.9 seconds to 100km/h, and power is upped slightly to 446kW (+19kW on the Turbo S).
Exclusive? Yes. Expensive? Also yes, at $590,700 locally. That's nearly a $130k price hike on the Turbo S, but you do get a handy 4-piece luggage set. Whether it's worth it or not, we'll leave that up to you.
Exclusive? Yes. Expensive? Also yes, at $590,700 locally. That's nearly a $130k price hike on the Turbo S, but you do get a handy 4-piece luggage set. Whether it's worth it or not, we'll leave that up to you.
Seeing double... 1440 mclaren horses
When you and your mate each buy a McLaren 720S, a photo in front of the Bay is essential! No Photoshop wizardry here, we assure you.
This spot made it in on the night of the 31st and is easily one of the most impressive of the month. The car at left was delivered late last year, while the one on the right was a January delivery - believe it or not, the owner laid down a deposit for it in June of 2016 (before the 720S had even been announced!)
This spot made it in on the night of the 31st and is easily one of the most impressive of the month. The car at left was delivered late last year, while the one on the right was a January delivery - believe it or not, the owner laid down a deposit for it in June of 2016 (before the 720S had even been announced!)
Beachside GT3 InvasionWithin the first day of 2017, we were treated to the arrival of the new 911 991.2 GT3. Seeming to take over Sorrento, several examples of the new GT3 were spotted, including this gorgeous 'Chalk' model. It sports a 3-digit Heritage plate, which makes it a third GT3 in Melbourne with 3 digit plates (four 991.1 GT3 RSs feature them too). It appears that pastel-style colours are making a comeback amongst manufacturers, especially with Porsche, who offers several shades of grey. If grey doesn't excite you, you're in luck if you're a Porsche customer; through its 'Paint-to-Sample' (PTS) scheme, it allows owners who are buying from new to choose from a range of a few hundred optional shades, ranging from the eye-popping (Voodoo Blue) to the obscure (Ruby Red Pink). The new GT3 is somewhat controversial amongst Porsche customers. Featuring the same 4.0L engine at the outgoing GT3RS, its performance is on RS level, for a significantly lower price. |
Additionally, the new GT3 offers a manual option - something which Porsche seemed to imply would be a thing of the past with the production of the 911R - 'The Principle of Purity', as Porsche themselves say. We can't imagine that there'd be a lot of happy 911R owners, when someone could purchase essentially the same thing in the new GT3 for a fraction of the price.
Controversy aside, the 991.2 GT3 certainly is a looker, and one we are sure to see more of in the coming months.
Controversy aside, the 991.2 GT3 certainly is a looker, and one we are sure to see more of in the coming months.
Classic of the Month:
 Photo: Charles Tutton | The banner for the blogpost may have given it away. Indeed, this Aston Martin DB5 spotted on the 4th of the month gets crowned Classic of the Month. Few classics are more highly regarded than the DB5, be it car enthusiasts or not. Perhaps aided by the Bond appeal, it is undoubtedly one of the most iconic sports cars in history. This one we know very little about. In fact, these were the first photos we had ever received of it. VicRoads lists the car as red - could this classic shade of silver be a respray, or even a wrap? |
Top likes goes to... | The People's Choice for this month goes to - perhaps unsurprisingly - this black on black on black Ferrari 458 Italia with a couple of unique features helping it get over the line:
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The Sorrento lawn on which it was parked may also pique interest for some. The photo which took out Spot of the Year for 2017 was taken on the very same nature strip. Two SLS's and this 458 Italia made up that photo.
Melbourne's first Matte Black Ferrari
Photo: Matthew Swinnerton
This submission came right out of left field! Sydney, rather selfishly, had two Speciales delivered factory-finished in matte black. On the 18th, one of them was surprisingly spotted in East Bentleigh. A neat detail which almost goes unnoticed is the carbon-fibre side panels and fins, a rare option for the Speciale.
It's the first matte black Ferrari in Melbourne (not counting a few with matte black wraps, or the matte black 458 GT3). It's since been registered in Victoria, and we can't wait to see more of it!
Melbourne also recently gained a matte white Ferrari 458 Speciale, which we are yet to post - it's mostly been confined to dealerships thus far.
It's the first matte black Ferrari in Melbourne (not counting a few with matte black wraps, or the matte black 458 GT3). It's since been registered in Victoria, and we can't wait to see more of it!
Melbourne also recently gained a matte white Ferrari 458 Speciale, which we are yet to post - it's mostly been confined to dealerships thus far.