Monterey auctions set sales records

Monterey 2012 entered the record books not only besting all previous sales totals, but also producing some astonishing individual sales results. Although final numbers are not in, the folks at Hagerty Insurance had observers at each auction who kept a running total while every car crossed the block. Expect the total numbers to go up as postblock deals were being put together by each auction house.

New Range Rover & 2014 Range Rover Sport diesel hybrid at Frankfurt 2013

But Land Rover did tell us the 4.4 litre TDV8 will be joining the range later in the year and that a diesel-electric hybrid would be on offer too. And now we know that the diesel hybrid Range Rover Sport – and a Range Rover Hybrid – will both debut at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September. Stuart Frith, LR’s head programme engineer for the new RRS, has confirmed to Car Sales in Australia that the hybrid Range Rover and Sport will arrive in September – as will the TDV8 RRS – but that the 2.0 litre EcoBoost petrol engine for the RRS is still a way off, even though Land Rover are already running it and believe it still offers all a real Range Rover Sport should.

Aston Martin. Burj Al Arab Hotel. Helicopter. Mix & Serve.

As part of Aston Martin’s Centenary celebrations in Dubai, an Aston Martin Vanquish has been helicoptered to the top of the Burj Al Arab hotel. There’s no more extra power on offer from the centenary edition Astons, but they do get a special paint job and interior and come with solid silver enamelled plaques commemorating the centenary, even if Aston Martin seem to have only been able to cobble together a Vanquish Centenary Edition so far. But things have got a bit more spectacular in Dubai, with Aston Martin using a helicopter to stick a Vanquish on the helipad of the Burj Al Arab hotel in Dubai, 1,000 ft up at the top of the iconic sail-shaped building.