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Florida Could Suspend Carvana’s Dealer License For Not Submitting Title Applications

Florida could suspend Carvana’s dealer license after it has failed to transfer the titles of some vehicles sold.

Carvana was reportedly notified of the issues in an email sent by Florida authorities last week. This email is said to have included a spreadsheet that showed 300 Carvana vehicle sales dating back to 2019 that had not had their titles transferred. More than 100 of these vehicle sales occurred in Florida.

State law in Florida requires retailers to apply for a title within 30 days of completing a sale. Speaking with Auto News, a spokesperson for the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles said Carvana has until January 31 to submit title applications for all the vehicles it sold in 2021 before December 1.

“The department has been proactively working with Carvana to identify and assist Florida customers who have not received their title in a timely manner, and in accordance with state law,” the spokesperson added. “Florida law allows for the suspension of the dealer’s license if they fail to apply for a transfer of title in a timely manner.”

This isn’t the first time Carvana has been scrutinized for not delivering titles in time. Earlier this year it settled with Florida regulators and agreed to pay $500 each to 12 customers who had to wait three to eight months to receive titles on vehicles they purchased. In August, Carvana had its dealer license suspended for 180 days in Wake County, North Carolina for not producing titles fast enough, among other issues.

Carvana sold 244,111 vehicles in the U.S. last year, making it the country’s second-largest retailer of used vehicles. A spokeswoman from the company says Carvana has applied for around 23,500 titles in Florida over the past 12 months.

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Someone Was Ready To Pay $500,000 For A 2004 Ford GT Confirmation Prototype With A 5 MPH Top Speed

A 2004 Ford GT prototype that isn’t road-legal and has its top speed capped at just 5 mph (8 km/h) failed to sell at an online auction as it didn’t match the reserve despite attracting a $500,000 bid.

This Ford GT is known as Confirmation Prototype 1 and carries serial number 00004. It was used by Ford for emissions testing and road certification purposes.

As this was a development prototype, it looks a little different from most other GTs out there. For example, it has a port on the passenger seat for testing different grades of fuel, experimental exhaust pipes, an exposed rear bumper, and a bare aluminum headliner. It also features the signatures of the car’s development team, including Carroll Shelby, Bill Ford, Camilo Pardo, and Fred Goodnow, the Bring A Trailer listing reveals.

The interior of the GT prototype is similar to production models but does have a few quirks. Key features include leather-wrapped Sparco bucket seats with exposed carbon fiber backs and aluminum ventilation grommets. There’s also a CD stereo and a steering wheel that uses the airbag of a Mustang and the steering column of a Ford Windstar minivan.

Like the road-going car, the prototype is outfitted with a 5.4-liter supercharged V8 engine coupled to a Ricardo six-speed manual transaxle driving the rear wheels through a helical limited-slip differential. Documentation reveals the car has been driven 1,212 miles (1,950 km) and the engine has 217 operating hours under its belt. Like we mentioned earlier, a Ford-installed chip limits the car to 5 mph (8 km/h), although it is stated in the comments that it can be unlimited and run at full power.

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Race-Winning Ferrari 550 GT1 Is Expected To Fetch More Than $2.2 Million

A Ferrari 550 GT1 that raced in the FIA GT Championship is heading to auction next week and is expected to sell for between €1.8 million and €2.2 million ($2.19 million – $2.67 million).

This 550 is chassis 115811 and was purchased by Italian Andrew Garbagnati before making its race debut in the first round of the 2001 FIA GT Championship at Monza. It was driven by former Formula One drivers Emanuele Naspetti and Mimmo Schittarella but was forced to retire due to a steering failure.

Watch Also: Richard Hammond Gets Reunited With His Old Ferrari 550 Maranello

In subsequent races at Brno and Magny-Cours, it finished in fifth and fourth respectively. It went on to secure another fifth place at Silverstone and during a race weekend at Zolder in Belgium, clinched the pole position. The car later competed in the 24 Hours at Spa where it qualified second and briefly led the race. Unfortunately, it retired after just six hours with a broken crankshaft, the RM Sotheby’s listing reveals.

The 550 GT1 missed most of the 2002 season but did compete (although it retired) in each of the final three rounds. It continued to compete throughout 2003 and claimed two victories at Italian GT races at the A1-Ring. The car went on to take three overall victories during the Italian GT Championship and came third in the standings. During this time it was occasionally driven by Toto Wolff, the current boss of the Mercedes F1 team.

Since being retired, the car has been comprehensively restored and features wears the same Red Bull livery it had in 2002.

The most expensive Ferrari 550 GT1 sold at auction fetched $4.29 million last year. Its value was increased by the fact that it won the 2004 Spa 24 Hours and secured the FIA GT Championship title that same year.

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Photo credits: Paolo Carlini for RM Sotheby’s

1991 Widebody Acura NSX Has An Air Of Japanese Super GT Racer About It

One could make an argument that modifying a first-gen Acura NSX is akin to blasphemy but one example boasts a number of them anyway.

The car is currently up for sale on Bring A Trailer and the first thing you’ll notice is the widebody kit. The listing notes that the car was repainted after this kit was installed to ensure all the panels matched up nicely. Various other exterior modifications have also been made.

Watch Also: Can The New Honda Civic Type R Take On the Original NSX?

For example, the widebody kit has been complemented with an adjustable APR Performance carbon fiber rear wing and an aggressive new rear diffuser. A previous owner has also equipped the NSX with a set of forged Volk Racing TE37V wheels finished in bronze and shod in Landgolden tires. Another key modification made is the fitment of a bespoke air suspension system that features two Viair air compressors and an Air Lift Performance controller. All in all, all the mods give the NSX a very aggressive appearance; squint hard enough, and you might even see some resemblance to the old Japanese Super GT racers.

Move to the interior and there are Bride reclining bucket seats clad in black cloth with gray center sections. Also fitted is a new rear-view mirror, an Eclipse head unit with navigation, three-spoke Mugen steering wheel with red stitching, plus all the standard features including automatic climate control and cruise control.

From the factory, the car’s 3.0-liter naturally-aspirated C30A V6 was rated at 270 hp and 210 lb-ft of torque. This car also includes a carbon fiber airbox and an aftermarket coolant overflow tank as well as new headers and an aftermarket exhaust.

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Would You Spend $140,000 On This Modified BMW i8 Roadster Dripping With Carbon Fiber?

From the moment it was launched, the BMW i8 established itself as one of the most futuristic-looking vehicles on the market and while production has ceased, there are lots of nice examples available on the used car market.

This i8 Roadsterhas been modified by Creative Bespoke and has been listed up for sale by the tuner for $139,800. That’s roughly $20,000 less than a brand new i8 Roadster would have set you back a couple of years ago, but the car does have some modifications to (somewhat) justify its price.

Most notably, Creative Bespoke has equipped the car with a complete carbon fiber aero package that includes a new front lip, diffuser, rear wing, side skirts, and canards on the front bumper.

The tuner has also equipped this distinctive i8 with a set of H&R sport springs, 22-inch staggered forged wheels finished in Satin Bronze, a Frequency Intelligent exhaust, and an ECU performance tune. All up, Creative Bespoke claims to have spent $50,000 modifying the car. There is no mention as to how much added horsepower and torque the car has thanks to its ECU tune, although the listing does confirm the car has 10,983 miles (17,675 km) on its odo.

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1981 RUF BTR Is What Classic Porsche 911 Dreams Are Made Of

This Porsche 911 started life in 1981 as a Turbo Coupe, finished in white and equipped with a black headliner, electric sunroof and tinted windshield.

Six years later, its owner had it converted to the BTR specification by RUF. The engine was upgraded, increasing displacement to 3.4 liters and getting a new intercooler, additional front oil cooler, four-pipe exhaust system and other mods that bumped output to 374 HP, channeled to the rear wheels via the tuner’s five-speed transmission.

Video: Explore The History Of Ruf Automobile With This Epic 30-Minute Film

As its owner is understood to have split their time between Germany and California and wanted to bring the car Stateside, they had the speedometer calibrated to mph. In addition, a large boost gauge replaced the standard clock, and a security system and cruise control were also installed. In the fall of 1987, the BTR touched down in Los Angeles, and in 1988, it received a jacked-up suspension and new seats. Nearly all maintenance work was carried out by the Porsche specialists in the City of Angels, as documented in the official papers.

In the early 2000s, the RUF BTR changed hands at least two times. It remained in California and had its engine rebuilt before moving to Virginia towards the end of the decade, which is where it received an aftermarket stereo system. In 2015, it was bought by a private collector from Michigan, who had it repainted one year later.

The consignor purchased it in 2018 and it is now offered for sale with RUF 17-inch forged wheels shod in Continental tires, tartan seats with blue leather outer edges, a leather-wrapped steering wheel and wooden gearshift knob.

RMSothebys states that it had a little over 52,000 miles (83,685 km) on the odo at the time of cataloguing and that the Carfax report shows that it was involved in an accident. The car is listed for their Michigan auction on April 21 and it is estimated to sell for $90,000 to $110,000.

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Seven Highly Desirable Porsches Are Being Auctioned This Month

RM Sotheby’s has announced it will auction off seven desirable Porsche models from a single Swiss owner during its Open Roads auction kicking off on February 19 and being run online.

Bidding on the auction will kick off at 11 a.m. on Friday, February 19 and during the first day of the auction, vehicles available will be located in the UK and Europe, while the second day will be limited to cars based in North America. The third day of the auction will be restricted to the collection of the single Swiss owner.

The Swiss collection consists of a 2014 918 Spyder, a 2004 Carrera GT, a 2018 911 GT2 RS, a 2010 911 GT2 RS, a 1995 911 Turbo Cabriolet, a 2017 911 R and a 2010 911 Sport Classic.

No pre-auction estimates for the vehicles have been announced by RM Sotheby’s, but it’s reasonable to assume that the 918 Spyder will be the most expensive. It has just one previous owner and has been driven a touch under 5,500 km (3,400 miles). Making it stand out is Porsche’s Liquid Chrome Blue Metallic paintwork that was a $63,000 option. It also has a Mocha Brown leather interior with silver accents, making it one of just three 918 Spyders built in this configuration.

The 2018 911 GT2 RS being auctioned off is also particularly attractive thanks to the Azzuro California Metallic paint. The fixed rear wing has also been removed, making it look a little more subtle. And then, of course, there’s the Carrera GT, one of the last analogue supercars ever made.

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1992 Autozam AZ-1 Is A Unique Kei Car – And One’s For Sale In Texas

The kei car is a staple of the Japanese automotive industry and the Autozam AZ-1 from the early 1990s remains one of the most intriguing kei cars to this day.

The 1992 AZ-1 that you’re looking at was imported to the U.S. from Japan and currently resides in Houston, Texas. It is finished in red with charcoal lower body panels and is said to be in good running condition. It has 82,000 km (~51,000 miles) on the clock and is being sold with service records, the stock wheels, import paperwork, and a clean Texas title.

The Bring A Trailer auction notes that this Autozam AZ-1 is sitting on a set of 14-inch Volk Racing wheels with Federal tires. It also has lowered springs and, with the exception of a crack in the windshield, the exterior appears to have been well maintained.

Watch Also: Mazda’s Autozam AZ-1 Was The Supercar Of Kei Cars

As for the interior, the right-hand drive car has seats upholstered in red and black cloth. It also has an air conditioner that no longer blows cold, a cassette deck, and a spare tire mounted behind the front seats. Then there is what could very well be the coolest aspect of the AZ-1: the gullwing doors, which make it look like a baby supercar.

Powering the kei car is a Suzuki-built turbocharged 657 cc three-cylinder that’s mated to a five-speed manual transmission and is rated at 64 hp and 63 lb-ft (85 Nm). The listing adds that the owner has fitted an aftermarket air filter and a turbo timer, and while the engine isn’t very powerful, it does produce a nice sound.

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Indiana Dealership Is Selling A NASCAR Toyota Camry Driven By Michael Waltrip

It’s not every day that you see a legitimate NASCAR racer hit the used car market, but that’s exactly what we have here.

This 2010 NASCAR Camry was formerly raced by Michael Waltrip and has been listed through a Toyota dealership in the small Indiana town of Warsaw. It has an asking price of $59,999, which sounds quite reasonable for a proper race car with some racing heritage.

Very few details are provided about the vehicle on the Facebook Marketplace listing, such as what races the car competed in. Nevertheless, it says that the TRD V8 engine is still operational and that the car can be driven. Of course, it isn’t street legal and could only be used during private track day events.

As you’ll notice, the car wears the number 55 and a little bit of research reveals Waltrip started racing his number 55 car in 2006 and completed his first full season with the car in 2007 but had a dismal year, at one stage failing to qualify for 11 consecutive races.

The number 55 car continued to complete during 2008 and 2009. However, it is difficult to know just how many number 55 cars the team went through during those seasons or how many races this one has under its belt.

In any case, the Marketplace photos show the car has retained its original racing livery and is sitting on the dealership floor on a set of car jacks. NASCAR racers are not the faint-hearted, though, so if someone purchases it with the intention of driving it, they better bear that in mind before taking to the track.

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Hertz Paid $16.2 Million In Bonuses Days Before Declaring Bankruptcy

Hertz filed for bankruptcy last week, but a new filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission has revealed hundreds of people were given last minute bonuses.

In the filing, Hertz says they entered into “Key Employee Retention Letter Agreements” with 340 employees on May 19th – just three days before declaring bankruptcy.

In total, the company paid approximately $16.2 (£13.1 / €14.7) million in bonuses to a “broad base of key employees at the director level and above.” Hertz says they were given the money in recognition of the financial and operational uncertainty of the company given the coronavirus pandemic, extra work done by them as a result cutting thousands of jobs, the forfeiture of their participation in the company’s usual bonus plan, and their desire to have them remain with Hertz during these difficult times.

Also Read: Is Buying A Used Rental Car A Good Idea? It Can Be If You’re Looking For Savings

As reported by Reuters, the bonuses were paid immediately and some executives made off with hundreds of thousands of dollars. In particular, Hertz President and CEO Paul Stone got $700,000 (equal to £567,700 / €637,441 at today’s exchange rates) while Chief Financial Officer Jamere Jackson was paid $600,000 (£486,540 / €546,420). Chief Marketing Officer Jodi Allen also received a bonus of $189,633 (£153,811 / €172,698).

Besides revealing the rich getting richer, Hertz’s filing noted the bankruptcy prevents the termination of their fleet leases and doesn’t require them to liquidate their vehicle fleet to pay off debts. Instead, it allows them to “continue to utilize the current vehicle fleet in their operations and maintain control over the disposition of those vehicles, subject to the applicable provisions of the Bankruptcy Code.”

This, of course, has been one the most interesting aspects about the Hertz bankruptcy as a sudden liquidation of the company’s fleet would send used car prices tumbling. That doesn’t appear imminent, but many analysts believe the company will eventually get rid of thousands of vehicles as part of their restructuring.

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