Bodacious Moke for all the Hodaddies* in the Hood

As originally envisioned, the Mini Moke was supposed to be a home-grown Willys Jeep for the British Army. As finally built, the Moke lacked the ground clearance and ruggedness to be of much use to the British army, but made waves as a low cost, easy to maintain beach buggy for the world's surfies.

That's "people who surf and enjoy the beach lifestyle" for those who aren't down with the lingo. It only makes sense then that the Moke, which shared mechanicals with its Mini namesake, would also be popular with customizers.

From that Great Southern Land, Australia, comes this 1979 Mini Moke that has undergone a pretty thorough customization including "Pure Orange" paintwork, white interior, padded grab bars and 17-inch white mag wheels. All up, it's a pretty sweet looking ride, with a Buy It Now price of AU$15,000 (US$14,784) on eBay.

It's the sort of ride any beach bum would be happy to be seen in. Check out the pics and give us your verdict in the comments section below.

* A "hodaddy" is someone who's into cars and doesn't surf but likes the scene. No really, it's on the internet and everything.

By Tristan Hankins

Link: eBay

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Brillante Vendetta a Ferrari Testarossa for Yuppies Hit by the Economic Crisis

If there's one manufacturer that every motoring enthusiast adores, it's Ferrari. And from the mid to late '80s, the king of wall poster exotics was the make's epic flat-12 engined Testarossa.

So what does a budding Ferrarista do in the late '80s? Well, you can't buy a Testarossa, as the thing costs US$180,000 or more than the median house price at the time. You could buy a Chevy Corvette for a lot less, though really that's just admitting that you're not as rich or cultured as the guy with the Mercedes-Benz 450 SL.

So why not go for something that's home grown but with an exotic edge? No, not a De Tomaso Longchamp; I'm talking about something that's really home grown. Home built, even. A Brillante Vendetta!

According to the seller, California based Classic International began converting C4 Corvettes into the Testarossa-lookalike "Brillante Vendetta" in the late '80s. The seller bought this particular example new for US$70,000 in 1989 and has owned it ever since. To put that into perspective, a new C4 Corvette would set you back US$32,000 in those days.

With just 15,000 miles on the odometer, all relevant paper work and the promise that it has been regularly serviced, this Italian impersonator comes with a 5.7 L V8, auto tranny, full grain Italian leather interior and inlaid burl wood on the dashboard. Couple that with power everything, climate control, steering wheel mounted controls and even one of those awesome, car phones from the early '90s and you've got yourself...well, something, that's for sure. Finished in Ferrari's trademark red with black soft top and clip on red hard top, a recent insurance appraisal valued the car at an alleged US$35,000.

So what's the verdict?

Well, it looks pretty good for what it is. Yes, Classic International was a little ambitious trying to recreate a Testarossa instead of something simpler like a Mondial and the interior looks a bit more kit car that superstar. And there's the fact that for a few thousand more than the US$21,900 asking price you could pick up an actual, second hand Ferrari or even an immaculate C4 Corvette.

So I leave it to our readers: would you or wouldn't you?

By Tristan Hankins

Link: eBay

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Ultra Rare Lamborghini Murcielago LP640 Roadster VERSACE Edition up for Sale

An extremely well kept example of Lamborghini's made-to-order Murcielago LP640 Roadster VERSACE with only 1,211 miles (1,949 km) on the odometer, has surfaced on eBay for an asking price of $635,777 or approximately €467,758 at today's exchange rates. That's far less than the car's original one million dollar price tag.

The Roadster version of the Murcielago Versace Edition came to life in the summer of 2008, two years after the introduction of the coupe model in 2006. The Murcielago LP640 Roadster VERSACE was an "ad personam" project, meaning that Lamborghini was ready to meet any special desires that clients might have had.

Powered by the same 6.5-liter V12 engine as the stock LP640, the VERSACE edition features a transparent engine hood and bespoke interior. The seats are clad in black and white leather, while the instrument panel, doors and central console are wrapped in full grain nappa leather, hand-embroidered with the Versace Greek fret motif.

The Italian supercar also comes with a host of accessories, such as the Versace luggage set, crafted in black matte calf skin.

There's no word about the luggage set in the ad, but it does say that the car has Versace-stitched Nero Porseus leather seats and carbon fiber-trimmed interior, the latter being an optional feature. Furthermore, the first client opted for the E-gear transmission instead of the standard six-speed manual, a premium infotainment system and ceramic brakes.

Check out the extensive gallery below to see the fine details of this rare gem.

By Csaba Daradics

Link: eBay

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