By Craig McAlpine

imotormag

So in the run-up to Geneva our sister publication AutoExpress was doing some photography with the V12 Vantage. I tagged along (I even wore a shirt and trousers) and managed to get some video with the beast. It was a bit unfortunate that Aston did not let us drive it before the show, but they did drive it around a bit and let us rev the engine. It sounds awesome.

While we’ve been (ahem) "horsing around" this week with rumors of an upcoming Ferrari SUV or crossover, it turns out that a long-roof Ferrari isn’t in fact that far-fetched a possibility. Vandenbrink Design, a coach-builder in the Netherlands that specializes in high-dollar conversions of ultra-exclusive exotics, reportedly has a wagon version of Ferrari’s 612 Scaglietti in the works. Named the Shooting Break, this ultra-hot wagon will likely be powered by a tweaked version of the 739 hp Enzo V12. Personally I think it could be kind of hot if Vandenbrink offered a funeral-coach package with solid rear panels and landau bars; it’d surely give even the Harold and Maude Jag-hearse a run for its money. Well, which Ferrari concept would you drive: the SUV we ran on Monday, or this sleeker, super-powered wagon?

Now, when I think about big bikes, I think about Hayabusas, Gixxer 1000s or Harley Fat Boys. I most definitely don’t think about anything like the BIGTOE. Wow. This monster is powered by a Jaguar V12, weighs 3600lbs, stands almost eight feet high, and sports a pair of training wheels. Top speed is just over 60 miles an hour, but I think this bad boy is plenty scary standing still. Get more info over at Gadget Venue. 

The latest ride to be built on Lamborghini’s Murcielago platform is known as the Reventon, and for its first performance since its unveiling at the Frankfurt Auto Show, Lamborghini wasn’t about to put it up against just any competition. They decided to challenge an A-200A fighter jet from the Italian Air Force to a 1.86-mile drag race just to prove that this new Lambo means business. The designers at Lamborghini in fact drew their inspiration from aircraft, resulting in some of the sickest bodywork to come out of the old Italian tractor maker yet: the Reventon is all matte silver finish and angular contours, giving it a very convincing aeronautical aesthetic. The stats for this car are typical supercar numbers: a 6.5L V-12 puts out 650hp and 487lbft of torque, which can rocket the car to 60 in 3.4 seconds, and tops out at around 211 mph. You know: typical. If you need to know how much one costs, you probably can’t afford it. If you can afford it but want to know where to get one, I’m sure you’ve missed your chance: Lambo will only produce 20 Reventons for public consumption, and all are spoken for.

Want an awesome sleeper? Then check out this E34 Touring Wagon with a V12 swap on eBay. The build was done with mostly factory OEM stuff and much of it is still under warranty. If you’re interested, you better hurry, cause the auction ends today. 

After shopping for a couple of hours at a Van Nuys Mercedes dealership the other day, Britney Spears picked up this hot little AMG SL65 convertible. A police escort helped clear the way as she drove it off the lot, though whether the fuzz was there to protect Ms. Spears or the toes of the camera-snapping mob is still unclear. While a lot of professional tsk-tskers have been quick to frown on the not exactly "family-friendly" functionality of the new two-seater, CarDomain thinks that dropping $200,000 on a twin-turbo, 604-horsepower V12 Mercedes is a fabulous way to celebrate a quarterlife crisis, especially for someone as steady and competent behind the wheel as Ms. Spears. The paparazzi would do well to keep their feet tucked in after this.

After being hand built in England, the DBS made an early debut on the big screen in the James Bond movie, Casino Royale. This weekend, it made its first real public appearance at the 2007 Pebble Beach Concours. The DBS, which claims to offer "pure performance without compromise," is a 6.0 liter V12 monster that can put out a whopping 510 horses, reaching a top speed of 191 miles per hour and running zero to sixty in 4.3 seconds. Prices will be announced at the Frankfurt Show in September, but I am sure that this will definitely be out of my price range.  What do you think?

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