Mega modern classics at Bonhams’ Monaco sale

Porsche 993 GT2

We’ll start with the GT2, because GT2. Created to homologate the racing cars competing in the class for which it’s named, just 57 road legal cars were made. This example comes with extensive documentation, showing original delivery to the Japanese market – of which the white paint is a telltale – with the rarely specified air conditioning, radio provision and electric window options. In ways, this is a GT2 ‘Komfort’, not that the riveted arches, monster spoiler or deep-dish racing wheels would have you believe as much. The car was imported to Europe in 2008 by its current owner. In the past two years it has undergone meticulous paint and chassis inspections with the conclusion that this is a near-perfect example for its 5,500 miles. Small wonder, then, that it’s expected to make between £700,000 and £900,000.

Mercedes CLK DTM

It’s hard to top a 911 GT2 for cool factor, yet here we are looking at a Mercedes CLK DTM for which there is definitely a case. With just 100 examples made, this is very nearly as rare as the Porsche, and certainly one of the rarest AMG Mercedes models ever made. This road-going racer was a wide-arched and be-winged hot rod nod to the Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters championship, which Bernd Schneider won in 2003 in a CLK. Since its delivery and registration in the Middle East, it’s effectively been a display model, showing little to no use. As a result, if the prospective buyer has designs on using this near-600PS carbon-arched V8 monster, the car will need recommissioning in order to be safe and performing as it should. It’s looking like a relative bargain compared to the Porsche as well, selling without reserve in Monaco for an expected £117,000 - £150,000 hammer price.

Ferrari Testarossa

The racing driver star power continues with this flat-twelve Ferrari Testarossa, which was first delivered in 1989 to Scuderia Ferrari F1 driver Gerhard Berger and comes with his signature. In fact, this TR was given to Berger by Ferrari, as is tradition with their drivers. He didn’t have it for long, with the car being moved on once he’d purchased an F40 towards the end of 1989. He still had a few noteworthy adventures in it, with the driver writing in his memoirs of a 270kmh near miss with a truck that pulled out on him. He also used this Testarossa to give Ayrton Senna a lift at Monza in 1989. The car comes with a well-documented history and has since 2015 been registered in the UK. It’s been recently serviced by Barkaway, and has an MOT to March 2023, making this as usable an example as it is historically intriguing. Yours for £117-,000 - £126,000.

Mercedes SL65 Black Series

Our second big-arched, big-attitude AMG Mercedes is this SL65 AMG Black Series. It joins the CLK DTM as a unicorn of the marque’s recent history, and it’s also for sale with Bonhams in Monaco. Revealed in 2008 as a flourishing farewell to the R230 generation car, it got a fixed roof, a carbon body with monster arches, active aerodynamics and a monster 670PS (492kW) 6.0-litre twin-turbo V12 engine not dissimilar to that found in the Pagani Huayra. Just 350 were made, of which this is a Swiss example. A one-owner car that comes with its original purchase receipt, like the CLK, it’s seen next to no use since delivery in 2009 and will need work to be drive and perform at its very best. For what it is, this car’s expected £100,000 - £134,000 sale price could be something of a bargain, required work notwithstanding…

Porsche 959 Komfort

It should come as no surprise that an example of Porsche’s first supercar is the biggest hitter on this list in terms of expected sale price. This 1988 Porsche 959 Komfort is one of just 292 built and is expected to make between £1.18 and £1.35million when it crosses the block in Monaco. A technological showcase on release in the late 1980s, this Group B refugee was sold at a loss by Porsche. It debuted a number of sophisticated computer systems, advanced all-wheel-drive, partial water cooling and innovative turbocharging tech. This car was ordered originally by Sheikj Abdulaziz Bin Abdulrahman Al Thani of Qatar, though is EU registered now. Having covered less than 16,155 miles, it’s all stamped up and fresh off the back of a comprehensive Porsche service.

Aston Martin Virage ‘DP’ Shooting Brake

You won’t get much more of a unicorn than this 1992 Aston Martin Virage. Quite obviously not a conventional Virage, this is the first prototype of the incredible three-door Shooting Brake. On arrival in 1992, the Virage Shooting Brake was the world’s fastest purpose-built load carrier, capable of 152mph thanks to its 335PS (246kW) V8 engine. On the flip side, its fuel capacity made it a monster continent crosser, capable of covering 400 miles at a canter between fill-ups.

In its extensive life, DP2099/1 is rumoured to have been the Geneva Motor Show display car for the bespoke project. Latterly, the car was converted to a manual transmission, before being acquired by its current owner in 2005. It was then given the once-over by Aston Martin Works before going on static display. As a result, it will need a going over before use on the road. To date it’s covered not much more than 20,000 miles. Save for the need for a go-over, this Virage could be a fantastic deal at its expected £85,000 - £170,000 sale price.

BMW Z8

The Z8, BMW’s 1990s roadster hommage to the 1950s 504 wasn’t fondly received. Confusing driving dynamics made for a confused car according to critics, who couldn’t tell if the Z8 wanted to be a sportscar or a cruiser. It had its charms though, and that burbling V8 coupled with those Fisker-penned looks ensures retains a cult following to this day. That’s probably why this example is expected to cross the block in Monaco for £176,000 - £193,000. Granted, this is a rare Topaz Blue spec car, though it’s not exactly ‘delivery’ miles, with almost 15,000 miles on the odometer. Living most of its life in Canada but was imported to the EU following sale by its first owner in 2020. With a comprehensive service and health check carried out in 2019, the car comes with all its original books and tools.

Porsche 911 R

Last but certainly not least, arguably the most special Porsche of the past ten years? It is of course a Porsche 911 R, number 532 of 991, with 497 miles on the clock. With such little usage it should therefore come as no surprise that it’s expected to cross the block for between £251,000 and £335,609. This is about as much 911 R as you can get too, given that on top of the magnesium roof, this car also has the optional lightweight flywheel – a feature unique to the 911 R. At the time, it was the only way to pair a GT3 engine with a manual gearbox, and it represented something of a ‘last hurrah’ for analogue driver’s cars at the time. This car was registered from new in Monaco and is presented in the classy GT silver with green stripes. The cheapest of the three Porsches on this list might just be the most desirable…

Images courtesy of Bonhams.