Niche, purist, and very intentional. A new British-led marque called Garagisti & Co has revealed the GP1, an ultra-low-volume hypercar built around a naturally aspirated V12 and a six-speed manual gearbox. The company’s own materials describe a target dry weight of about 2,205 pounds, a 6.6-liter V12 revving to 9,000 rpm, and production capped at 25 cars — a clear statement that “driver first” can still be the headline in 2025.  

What Is It?

According to Garagisti, the GP1 uses a carbon-fiber monocoque and aero shaped with DEXET Technologies, with the V12 developed by Italtecnica and a six-speed Xtrac manual sending power to the rear wheels. The company quotes at least 800 hp and more than 700 Nm of torque (about 516 lb-ft). The brief is deliberately screen-free and old-school inside, with physical controls and a cockpit that prioritizes feedback over theatre.

Pricing is listed at £2.45 million before taxes (roughly $3.1 million), and the first 12 commissioners will be invited into an “Open Doors” program to engage with development.  

Why It Matters

There’s a wider story here. Hypercars are splitting into two camps: ever-more complex hybrids and EVs versus a modest revival of analog experiences. On one side, Genesis Magma Racing just fired up its twin-turbo V8 GMR-001 ahead of a planned WEC entry, a reminder that factory-backed race tech still shapes top-tier programs.

On the other, boutique builders are chasing tactile thrills: the HF-11 is a 2,000-lb, 12,000-rpm experiment that can even swap to an EV drivetrain for a different flavor of performance. Garagisti’s GP1 plants its flag firmly with the latter group.  

Design And Context

The look channels classic wedges with modern surfacing, penned by Ángel Guerra (with credits that include high-end programs at Bugatti and Rimac). The aero focus is on underbody downforce rather than giant wings, and the brand’s messaging leans heavily on analog feel and mechanical purity rather than lap-time one-upmanship.

In a year when even Bugatti is expanding ultra-bespoke coachbuilding — Solitaire launched its first one-off, Brouillard — the GP1 shows there’s room for tiny makers to tell a focused, driver-centric story without hybrid overlays.

The Road Ahead

Garagisti says development continues after summer, with build slots tightly limited and specification still evolving as suppliers finalize components. For collectors who miss gated shifters and sky-high revs, this is a rare opportunity: a modern, road-going manual V12 with a weight number that starts with a “2.2” If it lands as promised, the GP1 could be one of the purest driving statements of the decade and I for one cannot wait.

Honda is a key player in F1, but it had to earn its place.

The pinnacle of motorsport, Formula One, may be dominated these days by big-money and sponsor-laden teams like McLaren, Red Bull, Mercedes, and Ferrari, but a key name that is often left out of these conversations is the Japanese automotive giant Honda.

The Power of Dreams brand is known for producing best-selling passenger cars and crossover SUVs for individuals and families of all sizes. Still, the same company that brought you the CR-V, Civic, and Accord is also one of the most notable engine suppliers in the sport, powering some of the most legendary cars to hit the grid, including those driven by Ayrton Senna, Nelson Piquet, Alain Prost, Nigel Mansell, and Max Verstappen.

Getty Images

The first Honda F1 victory was 60 years ago

However, 60 years ago, Formula 1 was a different sport. There were no sponsors, TV deals, Drive to Survive, elaborate liveries, or many safety features behind the wheel. Still, Honda found its footing as a factory team, achieving some success in its second year of competition.

In 1965, Honda was still more well-known as a motorcycle company; however, its car, the Honda RA272, proved to be a statement piece on the grid. The 272 proved to be a marvel of engineering, powered by a 1.5-liter V12 developed by motorcycle engineers well before Honda sold a single car. Still, it managed to pump out 230 horsepower — the most powerful on the grid at the time — with a screaming redline of 12,000 rpm.

During the 1965 Mexican Grand Prix on October 24, 1965, American driver Richie Ginther led the grid to victory, pushing the Honda to win in the season’s last race. This marked the first time a Japanese car, engine, and team won in the sport and set the course that would cement its reputation in the grid and paddock in the decades to come, both through its own team efforts and as an engine supplier to teams like Lotus, Williams, McLaren, and Red Bull.

Honda Racing Coporation/Amalgam Collection

You can buy a piece of Honda’s F1 history

To celebrate the 60th anniversary of this notable win, Honda Racing Corporation (HRC) is teaming up with the ultra-high-end die-cast scale model specialists at Amalgam Collection to create a limited series of RA272 scale models available for purchase.

If you think this is some run-of-the-mill die-cast that you can buy on your way out of CVS or at the toy section at Target, you’d be wrong. Amalgam Collection has a 40-year history of making some of the most detailed (and expensive) replications of iconic cars. According to HRC, the Amalgam team travelled to the Honda Collection Hall in Motegi, Japan, to see and get accurate digital scans.

Honda Racing Coporation/Amalgam Collection

Combined with hundreds of period photographs from the 1965 season, the data Amalgam gathered was used to make molds that capture every corner and crevice of the racer’s bodywork. The 1:8 scale version alone comprises over 1,600 parts, including precision CNC-machined metal pieces, resin castings, and photo-etched details. Real automotive paints and historically correct colors are used to finish each piece. All in all, Amalgam took more than 4,500 hours to develop the model and another 450 hours to build each one.

“This RA272 model is more than a tribute—it’s an invitation to own a piece of our motorsport history,” HRC President Koji Watanabe said in a statement. “Racing is deeply embedded in Honda’s DNA, and this model is a reminder of where our success began.”

Final Thoughts

Eager collectors will have a choice between two sizes, though they will be very exclusive and cost a pretty penny. Amalgam is offering just 30 examples of the larger 1:8 scale models for $28,995 and 300 units of the smaller 1:18 scale models for $1,735.

Both versions come with a certificate of authenticity, a commemorative booklet signed by Honda Racing Corporation (HRC) President Koji Watanabe, and a bespoke display case, which would make a nice addition to your coffee table, cabinet, or wherever you choose to display it.

The first chance to snag one will be during Monterey Car Week at The Quail, A Motorsports Gathering, and the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion on August 15-16, before online sales open.

Most automotive development is done in secret, and for a good reason.

Before a shiny, new car hits dealer showrooms, the floor of an auto show, or is showcased on a livestreamed reveal event online, years of research, development, and engineering go into perfecting these new vehicles before the general public gets to see them. However, while much of the development of new models involves using advanced software and computers, real-world results and data that engineers can scrutinize and fine-tune can only be recorded by taking a prototype model out on actual roads and racetracks where it’d be used.

However, those activities come with an inherent risk. Humans are a nosy species, and especially in an era when everyone has a smartphone and social media, leaks are common enough that no automaker is truly “safe” when it comes to real-world R&D, no matter how much weird camouflage a prototype development mule can have.

Even in decades past, some automakers’ engineering teams came up with really creative and weird ways to disguise their creations, often by using other models in their lineups. General Motors engineers, for instance, cut up a Holden Ute to use as a development testbed for the mid-engined Corvette C8. On the other hand, Jaguar engineers used a Ford Transit cargo van to develop the XJ220, whereas Rolls-Royce utilized a jacked-up Phantom to create the Cullinan SUV.

RM Sotheby’s

This ‘Franken-Ferrari’ was used to develop the LaFerrari.

Ferrari, the renowned Italian leader in motorsports and performance cars, has modified production vehicles for use as development test mules. During the development of the Enzo, its engineers elongated the body of a 348 to accommodate its powerful Formula 1-derived V12 engine. Earlier this year, images emerged of a development mule that used the body of a Maserati Levante SUV to conceal the drivetrain of its upcoming electric vehicle.

This unusual, bulbous Ferrari 458, headed to the RM Sotheby’s auction at Monterey, is another development mule; one that played a key part in the development of the LaFerrari hypercar. According to RM Sotheby’s, this specific 458-based test mule was spotted testing at Ferrari’s Fiorano facility and on the roads around the factory between May 2011 and December 2012, before being offered for sale to Ferrari’s most loyal customers.

RM Sotheby’s

Formally known as the Prototype M4 or the F150 Muletto M4 internally at Ferrari, this matte-black special forgoes the screaming, naturally-aspirated 4.5-liter V8 found in the regular 458 in exchange for a much more powerful motor. This prototype has had its aluminum chassis modified to accommodate a first draft version of the LaFerrari’s hybrid F140 V12 engine, which would produce 949 horsepower in its production form.

Although Ferrari engineers tinkered with the Prototype M4’s engine bay, their modifications to the rest of the vehicle strongly suggest that their primary intention with this vehicle was to collect data, rather than anything else. The beautiful, sweeping lines of the 458’s Pininfarina-designed bodywork were modified with bits that showed it meant business. The Fiorano Dr. Frankensteins made all kinds of alterations, including additional side hatches to ease engine access, extra air intakes, including a giant Pirelli-stickered one mounted to the front, and overextended exhaust pipes out the back.

RM Sotheby’s

Although the Ferrari engineers didn’t modify the base 458’s headlights, taillights, mirrors, and Ferrari shields, relatively few alterations were made to its interior. The cabin retains much of the base car’s switchgear, black leather seats, and tan carpets. However, unmistakable signs that this is a prototype vehicle are an unmarked dashboard toggle switch, a high-voltage warning sticker placed over the Prancing Horse in the middle of the steering wheel, and an unaccounted-for 12-volt car battery in the passenger footwell.

The 2011 Ferrari LaFerrari Prototype M4, or “F150 Muletto M4,” will hit the auction block on August 15, during RM Sotheby’s annual auction at the Portola Hotel and Monterey Conference Center, at the conclusion of Monterey Car Week on August 15 and 16. Per RM Sotheby’s, this lot is expected to fetch between $900,000 and $1,200,000.

Final Thoughts

It is important to note that this car was not homologated and cannot be registered for road use or used on public racetracks. However, despite its overall limited use, I appreciate it from an engineering perspective; you can really tell what was going on inside the minds of the engineers at Fiorano who built, tested, and pushed this prototype to the limit to create a car as great as the LaFerrari.

Though RM Sotheby’s website pitched this vehicle as a piece that would “make for a wonderful curio as part of a marque-themed collection,” ideally, I’d like to see it in a museum. People collect art, and art is also displayed in museums. Still, I think this modern artifact of advanced automotive engineering deserves to be seen outside of a private collection setting.

Tired of potholes ripping through your Tesla alloys? There are options

If your city’s roads are coasting on, shall we say, “deferred maintenance,” there’s a solid chance you can trace a flat tire or two back to a particularly wicked pothole or rut. The unlucky among you may even be able to trace a cracked or bent wheel back to your unfavorable commute. If you happen to drive a Tesla, we have fantastic news for you. An aftermarket company specializing in Tesla modifications has come up with a new wheel design, and they’re doing the unthinkable: touting it as ‘indestructible,’ complete with a lifetime replacement guarantee.

Unplugged Performance

Unplugged Performance debuted the wheel earlier this week. It’s called the UP Forged Road Warrior, or UP-RW. As the name suggests, it’s a forged wheel that fits all Model 3 and Model Y vehicles. The design is pretty slick, vaguely resembling half a turbofan wheel from the 70s and 80s if you squint. The design highlights one of the wheel’s standout features: a forged, aerodynamic disc integrated into the wheel design to maintain nearly the same aerodynamic performance as the factory original. Of course, the main advantage these wheels offer is their resilience. While being touted as ‘indestructible,’ they also feature a replaceable outside lip that can be easily swapped in the case of damage, most likely curbing.

We can’t verify Unplugged’s claims, but forged wheels are notoriously strong

Although we can’t attest firsthand to how these wheels might perform, forged wheels are the go-to choice for anyone putting their car through tough paces. Typically, forged wheels are both lighter and stronger than flow-formed or cast wheels. Forged wheels are crafted from a single piece of aluminum, as opposed to being formed from a liquid being poured into a mold. Unplugged Performance certainly seems to know its way around a Tesla as well. On their website, you can find a vast variety of accessories, including aero kits, brake upgrades, and wheels for other Tesla models.

Unplugged Performance

Pricing is decent, but honestly, budget-minded shoppers might look elsewhere

The biggest downside — arguably the only downside — of forged wheels is the cost of manufacturing. A set of four 19-inch UP-RW wheels will set you back $2,595, while larger 20-inch units will lighten your bank account to the tune of $2,995. That’s on the lower end of what a typical forged wheel setup costs. Of course, if you aren’t a stickler for aesthetics, there’s a much better bang for your buck out there: steel wheels. Old-school steelies (think cop cars and that beat-up ’90s Honda driving around your neighborhood) are certainly no less resilient and cost around a quarter of what these UP-RWs will set you back. Although we’re not sure how heavy steel wheels would affect range.

Final thoughts

Interestingly, Unplugged Performance claims the wheel has been “engineered for Tesla’s future Robotaxi fleet,” which seems to simultaneously bet big on the success of Tesla’s new autonomous ridesharing venture but not on its ability to dodge curbs, potholes, or other road hazards. It’s a strange gamble, but we could see many Tesla owners opting for a lifetime-guaranteed forged wheel simply on principle. Of course, the brand stipulates that replacement only occurs under “normal use,” with lengthy terms and conditions to accompany it. Sorry, all you would-be WhistlinDiesels. Decent-looking forged wheels with nearly OEM aero and a lifetime warranty for under $3,000 still seems like a screaming deal to us.

The GR Yaris M Concept is a testbed with troubles 

Toyota’s GR Yaris M Concept, a testbed for the company’s compact mid-engine sports car engineering, has yet to make its planned 2025 race debut as the manufacturer grapples with significant developmental challenges. After the GR Yaris M Concept missed another race in Japan’s Super Taikyu Series this past weekend, Toyota announced: “While many challenges have been identified and improvements are ongoing, there are difficulties unique to midship-mounted vehicles in terms of braking, steering, and driving, and Toyota has therefore decided not to participate with this vehicle at Autopolis to refine it further.” Toyota added that it “has its sights set on entering the vehicle in future races,” but there are only two more Super Taikyu Series rounds left in the 2025 season. The Super Taikyu Series consists of seven rounds, with its final two races scheduled to take place over a three-hour event on October 26 at Okayama International Circuit and November 16-17 at Fuji Speedway. Toyota unveiled its GR Yaris M Concept in January. According to the manufacturer, the GR Yaris M Concept features a new G20E engine with an IHI turbocharger, producing 400 to 450 standard horsepower. A version with a larger turbo is also available, offering up to 600 horsepower.

Toyota

Mid-engine sports car challenges aren’t limited to Toyota

Mid-engine sports car development issues have occurred with other automakers, such as General Motors (GM), which encountered several problems with its Pontiac Fiero produced during the mid-1980s. The Fiero sports car used a three-quart oil pan instead of a four-quart one during its first model year, resulting in the engine sometimes running hot due to an oil shortage, according to MotorTrend. Pontiac’s 1984 Fiero also had weak connecting rods and a wiring harness mounted too close to the exhaust manifolds, which increased the risk of engine fire. One in every 400 debut Fieros experienced a fire, and GM didn’t recall the vehicle until 1987. 

So, what makes a mid-engine car difficult to perfect? These vehicles have a low center of gravity, which aids stability but makes regaining control harder during spins. Mid-engine sports cars are also more expensive on average to make, posing challenges to companies like Toyota. In contrast, companies like Ferrari, known for using this configuration, aren’t as restricted in this area. Since mid-engine parts are more difficult to access, repairs can also come at a higher expense. Rumors of Toyota using the GR Yaris M to help revive its mid-engine MR2 sports car have excited many, but this concept’s slow development raises doubts about a near-future MR2 release.

Toyota

Final thoughts

Toyota hasn’t yet pulled the plug on its mid-engine sports car testbed, but those waiting on an MR2 revival shouldn’t necessarily hold their breath. The automaker has until mid-November to fulfill its goal of entering the GR Yaris M Concept into Japan’s Super Taikyu Series, and whether this happens will likely influence release timelines for future mid-engine models. Toyota’s current struggles with its compact mid-engine sports car concept underscore the challenge of striking a balance among performance, reliability, and affordability in these vehicles. Still, the manufacturer appears to be carefully navigating these obstacles to facilitate smooth debuts of future mass-market models using the configuration.