The London Concours is a curated gallery of automotive excellence. Held at the Honourable Artillery Company’s grounds, it brings together a collection of exquisite vehicles that represent the pinnacle of design, engineering, and history. The 2025 event was no exception. It celebrated decades of innovation and artistry. This article looks closer at one of its most celebrated concours classes: ‘The Dream Cars’.
This gathering of rare and powerful machines offered a glimpse into the minds of their creators. Each car is a historical artifact. It tells a story of ambition, competition, and a desire to push the limits of what is possible. From turbocharged icons of the 1980s to the world’s fastest cars of their time, this is a look at the stories behind these extraordinary cars.
1989 Porsche 930 Turbo S: A ‘Special Wishes’ Icon
This 930 Turbo S is one of around 25 built by the Special Wishes department at Porsche. Its first owner was Californian Porsche team owner Kerry Morse.
Changes include the rear ‘arch vents, deeper air dam with integrated vertical oil-cooler, bigger K27 turbo and intercooler (adding 30bhp to give 330bhp), lower sports suspension and wider rear track.
The car was restored in 2018-19 by Germany’s Freisinger Motorsport, whose owner Manfred Freisinger registered it for his own use in August ’19. It was then sold to a UK collector in 2020, and Harry Metcalfe of Evo and Harry’s Garage fame bought it via The Hairpin Company in December 2021. The Turbo S now puts out 400bhp due to an increased capacity f 3.4 litres, different cams nd 934 race heads, with nuch bigger valves and let/exhaust tracts.
1986 Lamborghini Countach 5000QV: The Carburettor King
The 5000 represented the final major mechanical upgrade for the Countach. The engine was enlarged to 5167cc and given four valves per cylinder – quattrovalvole in Italian.
Lamborghini built 610 QVs – the most powerful production Countach – of which 544 had carburettors. Six Webers helped kick out 449bhp at 7000rpm and 369lb ft at 5200rpm. The car could hit 60mph in 4.8 seconds and a 185mph top speed. Production ran until 1988, when the QV was replaced with the 25th Anniversary Edition.
This particular car, finished in special-order Blu Acapulco with a cream interior, special-order blue dashboard and Alpine CD player, was driven to Italy in 2023; another trip is planned for 2025.
1983 Ferrari 512 BBi: The End of an Era
Enzo Ferrari had resisted using 12 cylinders in a mid-engine configuration, but the enduring appeal of the Lamborghini Miura and the insistence of his engineers finally saw him acquiesce with the 1973 365 GT4 BB.
The Fioravanti-styled 512 BBi was the last in the Berlinetta Boxer line-up, and refinements over earlier cars included Bosch K-Jetronic fuel injection and upgraded electronic ignition. It was the least powerful of all three versions, with an emissions-regulated 340bhp, but it still had a 160mph top speed and 5.4sec 0-60mph time. Just 1007 were built between 1981 and 1984.
This car is finished in Chiaro Blue with Crema leather, and was first delivered by HR Owen. It was optioned with no cloth inserts, a leather headliner and black bottom coachwork, and has covered 43,000 miles.
2001 Lamborghini Diablo 6.0 VT: A Modern Classic
This final fling for the Diablo was launched as a stopgap while the model’s cancelled replacement, the Canto, was reworked to become the Murciélago. The 6.0 VT was upgraded over the old 5.7, with a wider front track, overhauled trim and electronics, and a subtle refresh in carbonfibre for the Gandini styling.
Specified in Giallo Orion, this car was a demonstrator for HR Owen. One of around 12 examples in the UK, it’s the current owner’s second Diablo. It’s enjoyed many European road trips, first with Damon Hill on the 2001 Gumball Rally, and most recently returning to Sant’Agata with 20 other Diablo owners in 2024.
1992 Jaguar XJ220: The British Speed King
The svelte Jaguar XJ220 has all three Jaguar attributes: grace, space and pace.
The Keith Helfet-penned shape was extensively wind-tunnel tested, and even today the figures seem huge: the 3.5-litre six-cylinder twin-turbo produced 542bhp at 7200rpm. Its aluminium-honeycomb chassis used bonded panels to keep the weight down to 1500kg, which meant it could hit o-6omph in 3.6 seconds and sprint on to 212.3mph – making it the world’s fastest production car in 1992. Just 281 were built out of a proposed 350.
This XJ220 was first delivered to Sir Elton John, who kept it for 900 miles and nine years. It then passed through several keepers, before the current owner acquired it in 2010.
1998 Porsche 911 GT1 Straßenversion: A Road-Going Race Car
Genuinely a ‘race car for the road’, the 911 GT1 was built to homologate Porsche’s return to GT1 endurance racing. Its mid-mounted 3.2-litre twin-turbo flat-six was derived from the all-conquering Group C 962 prototype.
While the chassis used the 993-era’s front crash structure, the rest of the car was bespoke, with an aluminium and carbonfibre monocoque overlaid with Kevlar and carbon body panels.
Its 536bhp and 443lb ft of torque were enough for 205mph and o-6omph in 3.7sec. The GT1 would struggle to keep pace with the F1 and CLK GTR in 1996, but it’d win Le Mans in ’98. This particular ‘Straßenversion’, which was originally finished in Pastel Yellow, starred in YouTube series LoveCars with Tiff Needell.
1993 Bugatti EB110 SS: Rebirth of a Legend
True to Bugatti’s legend for building cars of the utmost performance and luxury, and thanks to marque saviour Romano Artioli, 110 years after Ettore’s birth the EB110 was born.
Bringing together many immense talents of the Italian supercar world, the quad-turbocharged 3.5-litre V12 model made 553bhp in standard form, and 603bhp in Super Sport trim. All-wheel drive rocketed it to 60mph in 3.14 seconds and on to 220.6mph.
This car is one of 31 SS models and 18 known to the Bugatti club. It wears VIN 0001 and was built for the Royal Family of Brunei.
It’s been with its current owner since 2007.
2008 Lamborghini Murciélago LP640: The Audi Era Begins
As the first entirely new car built under Audi ownership, the Murciélago was a bold step for Lamborghini. Under the Donckerwolke body lay a 573bhp 6.2-litre V12 allied to all-wheel drive and an e-Gear semi-auto or a manual ‘box. The car could hit 62mph in 3.8 seconds and go on to 207mph.
New for 2006, the LP640 brought a 6.5-litre engine and 631bhp, exterior styling revisions plus suspension and e-Gear upgrades, with carbon-ceramic brake discs now an option.
This particular car was once owned by England cricketer and former Top Gear host Freddie Flintoff. It now belongs to @grigiogt on Instagram.
1985 Porsche 959: The Technologically Advanced Supercar
While often said to be built for Group B racing, the Porsche 959 was originally designed to be the halo car for a new range of models to replace the 911. Group B simply offered a great way to advance development.
The 959 had active aerodynamics, sequential twin turbos, dynamically variable torque split, adjustable suspension and more – all ahead of their time and ultimately so costly that Porsche lost money on each car built and canned the 911 Turbo replacement.
The 450bhp 2.85-litre water-cooled flat-six meant the 959 could hit 60mph in 3.6 seconds and top out at 198mph. This car is one of two Ruby Red prototypes and one of seven overall. It was used for electronics and hot-weather testing.
1995 McLaren F1: The Ultimate Driver’s Car
The brief was to create the ultimate driver’s car. Gordon Murray and his team obliged, building a focused machine that prioritised light weight and driving purity.
The 1138kg, three-seater F1 was among the first production cars to use a carbonfibre monocoque for lightness and rigidity. Its 618bhp 6.1-litre BMW V12 gave a 0-60mph time of 3.2 seconds and 240.1mph top speed, making it the world’s fastest car.
The 39th of 64 F1 production cars built, chassis 046 was ordered by racing driver Ray Bellm. He kept it for several years before selling it to Juan Barazi. Since 2012 it’s been with its current owner, who has returned it to its original unique colour of Genesis Blue Metallic.
1985 Ferrari 288 GTO: A Homologation Special
With Lamborghini and Porsche unleashing ever-faster machinery, Maranello needed to fight back with something special – an icon car that would stand at the very top of the range. The Ferrari 288 GTO was the result – – and it sired a line of ultimate Ferraris such as the F40 and F50.
Power came from a 400bhp twin-turbo V8.
There was potential for endurance racing, but Group B’s collapse meant the 288 GTO would never race. It did become one of the most sought-after road-going Ferraris ever, though.
Just 272 examples were built between 1984 and 1986, and this example was first delivered to Italy.
Conclusion & Discussion Points
The London Concours 2025 ‘Dream Cars’ class showcased the finest feats of automotive art. Indeed, from rare homologation specials to boundary-pushing supercars, each entrant tells a story of ambition. Consequently, we’ve covered 12 icons, all of which are deserving centre stage.
Which car captured your heart? Do you favour raw 1990s audacity or 1980s flair? Let us know in the comments.
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