6th Anniversary of Cars and Coffee Irvine and Marconi Open House

Cars and Coffee 10/20/2012 Pics

October 20th was the 6th Anniversary of our favorite weekly car show here in Southern California. Mother Nature didn't seem in a particularly festive mood, but the constant mist didn't seem to keep many people away - by 7 am the lot was about 80 percent full and folks kept trickling in along with the precipitation over the next hour or two.

There was no featured marque this week, but the corral was filled with a random assortment of what has made this show such a treat from the beginning. The eclectic mix included a group of Challengers, some old Jags, Cobras, GT40s, Fiat Dinos, Pontiac GTOs, a Split-Window Corvette, Porsche 356 Carrera 2, Morgan, new Camaros and more.

The Porsche row featured the usual mix of 911s, 356s and Boxster/Cayman models, highlighted by a Carrera Panamericana 356 on semi-slicks, a new 981 Boxster S and a nice 550 Spyder among others.

Walking the rest of the lot, it was more of the same random toy collection on display - Old Mustangs, some tuned Fiat 500s, Audi R8 Spyder, Maserati Bora and Merak, Lotus Cortina, BMW 2002 tii, Citroen 2CV, Datsun 1600, S15 Silvia, some classic Mercedes, a Cobra Jet Mustang drag racer, C-Max Hybrid and an RX-7 Turbo powered Mazda pickup by Racing Beat that had a 4-rotor engine in the bed and a matching license plate to advertise the cargo.

Besides the great assortment of cars, trucks and bikes, there were quite a few interesting people at the show. My buddy Bruce introduced me to a young couple who were first timers - she from Riverside and he from England. Bruce also bumped into a German reporter who was another first-timer, not knowing anyone at the show, he still managed to have a great time it seemed, enjoying the cars and making some new friends.



Marconi Museum Open House with SEMA Preview

After the show we headed over to the Marconi Museum where they were having an open house with a special display of some international customs that are headed to SEMA next weekend. It's always fun to visit the Marconi, with its great collection of Ferrari supercars, customs and F1 cars, Indy cars, vintage racers, muscle cars and assorted European exotics, but throwing in those wonderfully delightful foreign customs made it extra special.

The best part of that SEMA display was the fact that the cars looked like they could have been made right here in the States - from the Swedish '57 Chevy to the Trinidad & Tobago-born Range Rover, from the Mexican '46 Ford to the French (what else?) 2CV, it was cool to see that the hot rodding hobby knows no bounds.

Ferrari Chassis - #2053GT

It could be one of the most unlucky or one of the most useful chassis of all time, to me it's one of the most desirable ever.

#2053GT crashed hard during the 1964 500km of Spa, apparently for the last time. Judging by the only two pictures I could find Francis van Lysbeth was very lucky to get out of the car in one piece and to be racing again at the 1000km of the Nurburgring few weeks later. The team was Ecurie Francorchamps and it is legitimate to think all four cars (our 2053 GT and three GTO) were more than determined to obtain a good result. Only one will manage to finish the race, 250 GTO 4153GT in fifth position.

This was the second race alone for van Lysbeth on the #2053GT but the car had been reasonably busy all its life. It was in fact its second race for 1964 (2nd place best result) after 7 total races in 1963 in which it obtained a 3rd, a 4th and a 5th placement. 1962 was indeed the beginning of a new life for #2053GT after a nasty accident at the 1000km of the Nurburgring almost got it written off. At the time of the accident in fact the car was wearing already its second (possibly third) "dress" and it was to be changed yet again.

The car left the factory line in early 1960 as a 250SWB but it was retained by Ferrari as "muletto" or development car. Some were led to think that this very chassis was Enzo Ferrari's and subsequently Giotto Bizzarrini's personal car but in reality such car would have been #0523 GT. According to other sources it might have also been the mysterious "Anastasia" GTO development mule.

What most trustworthy Ferrari historians proved is that our car started as a Boano (hence the confusion with Bizzarrini's) and it was sold in early 1960 as SWB to Milan's Scuderia St. Ambroeus, to the name of Casimiro Toselli that raced it extensively and successfully the whole year before trading it back to the factory. As everybody knows 1961 is a pivotal year for Ferrari and the GTO development and not much is known about what happened during this time to #0523 GT. It's known that the car was by then silver with wide red longitudinal stripe and there's photographic evidence of it at the paddock of the 1961 Le Mans possibly taken there by works driver Willy Mairesse. By the end of the year Stirling Moss himself would test some experimental modifications at Monza (hence the theory about the car being "Anastasia" by then) until it was finally sold to Ecurie Francorchamps after being upgraded with 6 Weber 38 DCN carburetors.

The car raced 5 times in 1962, most notably with Jacques Swaters taking it to victory twice, until the fateful 1000km of the Nurburgring in may saw the car damaged almost beyond repair. 

At the time it was common to use this kind of chances to give the remains to italian coachbuilders which then had the chance to give us some of the most amazing creatures we still admire today. I'm ever so thankful that this chance was given to Drogo.

Born in Vignale Monferrato, 45 minutes drive south of Turin, in 1936, Piero Drogo was a former racing driver that worked as a mechanic at Stanguellini after his family returned to Italy after having emigrated in Venezuela during the war. After having established his own Carrozzeria Sports Cars in Modena he started taking orders from private clients mostly arriving with Ferrari in need of a new body. This was a time very likely to be considered the true renaissance of motor car and is incredible to think that few blocks away there used to be coachbuilders such as Drogo, Neri & Bonacini and Scaglietti. Most of them creating these cars without ever making drawing of them. This sort of neighborhood also explains another common misconception, the creation of the notorious #2819 GT breadvan, created by "beaters" from Neri & Bonacini and not Drogo as usually stated.

On #0523 GT Drogo created one of the loudest and in my opinion most beautiful designs ever to dress a 250SWB. The signature pointy nose, the elongated figure and the tight fit of the body on the chassis creates an outrageous wave that gracefully and violently wraps the rear section of the car and the rear arches. 

It sure is painful to see the pictures of the car violently smashes after rolling over and the canopy brutally removed to take van Lysbeth out of the car on that fateful 17th of May of 1964 at Spa.

It is not certain where #0523GT is now. Some say that it was rebodied as SWB but many support the theory that the car was never to be rebuilt again and it may still be somewhere in the Ecurie Francorchamps belongings. Unfortunately the value of a SWB these days makes the second theory quite unlikely but I do hope one day someone will return the car to its unique lines.

Many hours of research didn't give me any lead in finding the position of the car today, any suggestion or tip would be extremely appreciated.

Time for Auction!

This August is definitely a great month for Classic Cars Auctions. Some of the most amazing cars in history will go under the hammer and I sure regret not being able to witness in person the exciting last moments of ownership for those selling them.

The majestic and unique Manta Bizzarrini is set to trade hands in Pebble Beach at Gooding and Company's auction on the 18th and 19th. Very first design of the newly founded firm, the Manta arguably marks the appearance of the wedge style and "the seventies" in car design. Starting from the innovative frame of the Bizzarrini P538 the car seems to wipe out all the designs made before with an uncompromising 15 degree windshield, three seats with the driver in the central position and its outrageous color scheme. The estimate seats comfortably between 1.3 and 1.5 million dollars. I sure hope this car more luck than what happened to the even more revolutionary Lancia Stratos HF which missed the lower estimate shy of €200.000 last summer.

Find here some pictures I took some years back at the Goodwood Festival of Speed.

The Manta will be in great company, the catalogue also offers a striking 1962 Ferrari 400 Superamerica Coupe Aerodinamico ($1,750,000 - $2,500,000), 1957 Ferrari 500 TRC ($3,750,000 - $4,500,000) and three famous prototypes like the 1970 Monteverdi HAI 450 SS ($600,000 - $800,000), 1964 Ford GT40 ($5,000,000 - $7,000,000) and the 1957 Ferrari 250 GT LWB California Spider ($6,000,000 - $8,000,000).

My personal favourites probably being the 1955 Maserati A6G/2000 Berlinetta ($1,500,000 - $2,000,000) and the almost perfect 1959 Lancia Flaminia Sport ($375,000 - $450,000).

Click HERE to take a look at the whole catalogue.

If you were impressed by the offer of Gooding and Company then you should not be disappointed by RM Auctions, except for the fact that they are offering two Auctions this month alone! On the 17th and 18th in Monterey they will offer a frankly striking array of vehicles. It is very hard for me not to publish here most of the catalogue. One of the pure gems is the 1955 Ferrari 410s Berlinetta, the beauty and the beast itself. A car rarely seen in meetings and events and one of the most beautiful shapes ever conceived by Scaglietti.

Also in the catalogue no less than 3 true everlasting icons of car racing history such as the 1971 Porsche 917/10 Spyder Can-Am ($2,900,000-$3,500,000), the "Icon" itself 1968 Ford GT40 Gulf/Mirage Lightweight that also served as camera car in the legendary "Le Mans" movie and the 1987 Porsche 962 IMSA Camel GT ($1,200,000-$1,600,000).

Porsche is also well represented by the 1981 Porsche 935 JLP-3 IMSA ($1,300,000-$1,800,000) and no less that the actual factory works prototype of the 1963 Porsche 904/6 Carrera GTS ($1,800,000-$2,200,000).

Last but not least there's the novelty of Virgil Exner's 1960 Plymouth XNR concept car. Admittedly not one of my favourite cars. I find its shapes too "cartoonesque" for my tastes. But then again... how often does it happen to see such a famous unique car trading hands?

Find here some of the videos RM produced to present this particular auction.

It's common for these auction houses to offer for sale such incredible vehicles and to reach equally incredible bids. That's why the real surprise of the month is RM's auction in Denmark, presenting the Aalholm collection on the 12th of August featuring more than 175 motor cars, formerly part of the Automobil Museum. All lots will be presented without reserve and in my opinion, at very conservative estimates. Possibly because most of the cars are not restored to RM's incredible usual level or possibly in an attempt to try and attract a wider audience. Whatever the reason, there will sure be some nice bidding action and some smiley faces at the end of the day.

The museum's offer stretches from a 1958 Trojan Cabin Scooter with a high estimate at £740.31 (really??) to an uber cool 1926 Citroën Kegresse Half-Track that is expected to go for as little as  £2,300.

The queen of the auction in my opinion will be the 1954 Arnott Sports, Arnott's only Lea Francis (push-rod - twin cams high in block) powered Sports from a production of seven cars. Miss Daphne Arnott founded the make in London in 1951 and produced cars for roughly 6 years. It was a brave attempt and she also managed to put a car on the grid of the 1955 and '57 Le Mans 24 Heures, where it was stopped by technical failures. This is truly a nice piece of car and the estimate of 2,300 to 3,900 GBP is to my eye,  hard to believe.

Go to RM's website for all the info you may need and don't forget to subscribe to their twitter account for a live feed of the auctions!

Size Matters #1

Cars & Coffee 4/7/12 - Porsche Tribute

Click here for full gallery

Coming a couple of days after the death of Ferdinand A. Porsche, the turnout of great Porsches was to be expected, but after looking at 911s for decades and not seeing much beyond a Beetle on steroids, seeing so many generations of them together made the differences more obvious.

Check out the tails alone and you'll see a huge variety of aero treatments from clean, to ducktail, whale tail, GT, fixed, variable, etc. You'll also see labels ranging from a simple 911, to 911S, 911E, 911T, Turbo, Turbo S, Turbo Carrera, Carrera, Carrera S, Carrera RS, GT3, GT2, GT3 RS, GT2 RS, 2.4, 2.7 and on and on.

Besides the Abarth that was justifiably mobbed all morning, the other non-911 highlight was a low-slung blue jewel wearing a license plate that read "BUTZI S," Ferdinand's nickname. This was the 904 prototype that belonged to Butzi himself. We've seen it countless times at Cars & Coffee and its predecessor, Crystal Cove, but today it held much more significance.

Other highlights of the day might have stolen the show on any other weekend - the Dino gathering that included half a dozen 206/246 models, the Dino convertible showcar that would become the Fiat Dino, and a few 308GT4s as well, a Mercedes-Benz 190E 2.5-16 Evo II, Mercedes SLR Roadster, Luigi,  Isetta 600, Subaru BRZ, Spyker C8, Vector Avtech WX-3R, Lotus Elite racecar, Italias, Scuds, Stradales, Gallardos, a Countach, Dan Gurney, Reeves Callaway, and more. Check out the gallery for the rest.

Cars & Coffee - 3/10/12

Orange you glad you came to Cars & Coffee? Lots of orange cars today, highlighted by the Rosso Dino Enzo and Rosso Dino and Black Veyron of Gerald Barnes. So many other great cars, unfortunately the place was so busy it was hard to move around. Apparently somebody decided it would be fun to print C&C in the Register as a Thing To Do this weekend, complete with map. Douche. Anyway, enjoy the pics.

Cars & Coffee - 2/11/12

Link to gallery from C&C - 2/11/12

Who would have thought that such a rainy morning would have produced one of the best shows of the year so far? It certainly didn't hurt that it was Jaguar day, so the featured lot was packed to the gills with E-Types, XKs, XJs, S-Types, and the like. Nor did it hurt that the local Lamborghini dealer had planned a get-together that brought a dozen Gallardos, a Murci or two and a pair of Aventadors. Throw in a mini-reunion of RX-7s and the usual die-hards and the show lot was full before you knew it.

Particularly fun sightings included the black Carrera GT, the special CTS-V Wagon, the old Land Rover and Land Cruiser, the '51 Mercury, Vector, Audi R8 GT, VW Golf R, "Sea Shephard" Rossion, Vintage Morgan racer, Aston Martin Lagonda, Kellison recreation, another Bruce Meyers hot rod, Audi Sport Quattro, and that Sears catalog Allstate Motorcycle.

Of course, it wasn't all good. I guess I'm just too old to appreciate the whole VIP/hella flush Asian car phenomenon. The odd suspension geometry and stretched tires just make me cringe. Like donks, bouncing low-riders and street-bound Trophy trucks - they are more for show than go it seems, totally impractical for the street and an enormous misuse of valuable resources in my book. Like the Rich Evans Mustang and the accompanying spray-on-bed-liner-painted Range Rover, beauty is definitely in the eye of the beholder, but as they say, variety is the spice of life and to each his own.

9th ANNUAL TOUR d’ ORANGE

9^th ANNUAL TOUR d’ ORANGE

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h3gQt0ZnYHo

All cars welcome!

RING IN THE NEW YEAR WITH A FUN DRIVE THROUGH THE STREETS AND HILLS OF ORANGE COUNTY.

·      New Years Day at Redhill and Fischer in Costa Mesa

·      Vehicle Staging at 7:30am

·      Maps past out at 8:00am

·      Drive starts at 9:00 am

·      Free Coffee, Water and Doughnuts

·     Weather Forecast 77 degree’s  

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YQ9nknpa-mI

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GrCtUVOvvak

http://www.youtube..com/watch?v=yLk1Fbg7NVk&feature=results_main&playnext=1&list=PLA15D60EE3604D0FE

please drive safe!

Cars & Coffee - 10/22/11: Ferrari Day

Cars & Coffee 10/22/11 Pics

Absolutely amazing gathering of Enzo's finest today. From new Italias, 430s, 360s, 355s, Maranellos, Stradales, Scuds and a new 599 SA, to classics like the SWB, TdF, Mondial and Mexico, it was one of the best shows ever. Tillack alone brought half a dozen of the coolest cars ever to show at C&C - Niki Lauda's F1 car, a Scuderia Ferrari Lancia D-50 made from spare parts, a 250 GT Speciale, gorgeous blue and white Vignale bodied 340 Mexico, Superfast and 500 Mondial/Testa Rossa.

Of course, there was also a line that included two 275 GTBs, an SWB, TdF, Lusso, Daytonas and a stunning 250 GT Pininfarina Europa Coupe. And if you're not much of a Ferrari fan (you probably stopped reading by now anyhow), there was a nice line of Porsches, a Lexus LFA, Fiat 600 Multipla, old school 1970 Subaru microvan with wheelie bars, shag carpet and a velour dash, an Aventador and two, yes two, McLaren MP4-12Cs. One in black and one in a ruby red that really showed off the car's shape well. It's amazing how compact and low in the chassis that V8 is!

Absolutely the best thing from the whole show for me, though, was the shifter in Niki Lauda's 312 B3. The classic Ferrari gated shifter, just in miniature. It looked like the keychain version of the polished gate but had a full size shift knob to go with it, which made it almost comical. We envisioned it being used with your thumb kind of like an early joystick. Love it.

Cars & Coffee - 9/24/11

Gloomy skies and a schedule conflict with the Cruisin' for the Cure event at the OC Fairgrounds meant there wasn't a huge turnout this week, but the cars that showed up were a great mix of old and new - not just in terms of model year, but in terms of cars we've never seen here as well as old favorites. Follow the link and you'll see everything from a Lotus Elite (above) to a pristine "orange badge" 1973 Porsche 911S Targa. For Porsche lovers there was also a bent-window 356, as well as a Karmann 356 coupe, Zwart's East African Safari Rally car, a 550 Spyder replica, 993 Carrera RS, and a few dozen others.

Lots of Ferraris this week too with a 458, three Scuds, a TdF Stradale, 365GTC/4, 365GT 2+2, 308s, 348s, 360s, 430s and 355s. Besides the Elite there were Elans, Elise, Exige, Esprit and Evora models representing Lotus. Studebakers were relatively plentiful as were old Saabs. A huge turnout of BMWs were there too, with a limited edition Frozen Gray E92 M3 and Laguna Blue E46 highlighting the field. A couple of Fiat 500s battled with a few Minis for most bang per inch, while a VW GTI showed its family resemblance with a set of ginormous Bentley rims stuffed under its fenders. Check out the pics by clicking below.

Link to pics

2011 McCall's Motorworks Revival at The Monterey Jet Center

20th McCalls Motorworks Revival at The Monterey Jet Center Photos

Another year, another Jet Center Party, another mind-blowing good time. For people who have never attended this Wednesday night party that unofficially kicks off Classic Car Week in Monterey - run, don't walk, to get tickets for next year's event. Although all of the events held around the peninsula during this week are worth attending, the McCall's shindig is truly unique.

The combination of cars, military aircraft, the latest corporate and personal jets, the food, the wine...and the people, is like no other. The cars alone are like a highlight reel of what's to come during the rest of the week. Plucked from Quail, the auctions and the private debut parties to be held over the ensuing few days, the cars are the heart of the party, but removing them would still land you a memorable night. But this is a car blog after all, so let's take a look at what this, the 20th installment of the McCall's event here in Monterey, wowed us with this year.

Entering the outer courtyard of the venue we were greeted by a matte black Lamborghini LP700-4 Aventador - the Murcielago replacement that picks up where the Reventon left off, and manages to drop a few hundred pounds and gain a few HP in its transformation into a more modern, sharp-edged supercar. While the overall dimensions are similar to the outgoing Murci, the cuts and creases remind you more of the LP560-4 Gallardo - which isn't a bad thing at all. It is stunning in person and promises to elevate Lamborghini's presence in this upper echelon of the hypercar segment with performance that will rival anything it is pitted against.

If matte black isn't your thing, there was also a reddish orange one inside the main event area, as well as a bare tub that proudly displayed the car's innards for closer examination. The materials used look just as exotic as the bodywork missing from this display vehicle and the components look like they were made by watchmakers. The Aventador duo were staring down a very yellow Hennessey Venom GT - the first one sold in the U.S. Standing beside the car was the man whose name appears on the rump of this stretched and stuffed Lotus Exige - John Hennessey. This LS9-ish powered monster offers nearly double the horse-count of the donor ZR1 and would probably feel right home on the grid at Le Mans.

A few feet away from the Venom was a carbon fiber track-only sculpture that is based on one of the most extraordinary new supercars of the last 10 years - the Pagani Zonda R. Where the new Aventador looks like carbon fiber origami with its prickly angles, the Zonda has a bioengineered organic feel to its form that makes it look like it was birthed from a living thing. And just like the Hennessey Venom GT, the man whose name is on the car was there to see people's reactions to his progeny - both the Zonda R and his new, U.S.-intended Huayra.

The Huayra was in the back of the main hangar, drawing us into a space that housed a few dozen more gems - but we lingered near the new Pagani for more than an hour before moving on. Part of the reason for that was the fact that Horacio Pagani himself was standing next to it, answering any question thrown his way, and happily opening any of the car's various panels with a flurry of unbuckling of straps and released latches. The simple truth is that Horacio has once again managed to create one of the most strikingly designed supercars in the world.

The components rival those of the Aventador that we marveled at, but elevate them into works of art. Truly, each of these mechanical ingredients looks fit to display in a museum. Pagani is one step ahead of us in this thinking, as several pieces were actually displayed in glass cases atop carbon fiber stands near the car. Gorgeous stuff that actually works as good as it looks - what a concept.

Our favorite bit had to be the key though. When Sig. Pagani placed a small silver model of the Huayra before us, we at first thought it a nifty keepsake for someone's desktop. Then the car was pulled apart revealing a USB jack. Ah, this must be a very clever - and expensive - press kit. When the other half of the miniature vehicle was inserted into a slot in the center stack of the Huayra, we were dumbfounded. This was no novelty item, it is the ignition key.

Near the Pagani stand sat a pair of Lotus Evora sportscars. One was a rather electric blue and the other was one of the company's race cars, done up in white with bare carbon accents. First shown and rcaed last year, the car appeared to have been refined somewhat for its sophomore season. Closer inspection revealed this to actually be the new GTE concept - a streetgoing version of the racecar. Think Scuderia or Porsche RS and you'll get the idea. Extremely handsome car and we hope that the large Lotus staff on hand for the debut took our drooling pleas to build it seriously.

Another car that we may have left a puddle of saliva in front of was a red Aston Martin with some less-restrained than usual lumps and bulges in its form. This was the new Zagato racecar and it looked brutal - handsome but brutal. Not that there's anything wrong with that. The car evokes memories of the mid-sixties dual-purpose racers from Aston's illustrious past - and conveniently, we only had to glance over our shoulder to see a few examples of that heritage. What a party!

The Ferrari display next to Aston Martin had a California, a matte white Italia that looked suspiciously like a possible Scuderia concept, and a shooting brake that s called the FF. Readers of this blog may note that these initials match my own. Coincidence? I think not, but the guard wouldn't buy it and didn't release the car to my care as I requested. It is often said that automotive journalists all have the same favorite car - a high performance station wagon with a stick shift. While that is certainly true of many of us, it is especially true of yours truly. A certain Hennessey-tuned Badillac CTS-V wagon comes awfully close to depleting my willpower reserves when it comes to grand theft auto. This Ferrari takes things a step further, however, by being a 2-door. Che bella.

There was so much more to see and do at the party this year, but I'll have to catch you up later. It is late and I have an early date with a polo field. The Pebble Beach Tour d'Elegance is tomorrow. For now, check out the gallery to see what we saw last night at The Jet Center in Monterey.

Cars & Coffee – 8/6/11: Kenny from the Block

Cars & Coffee - 8/6/11 Photos

Yes, Ken Block was back at C&C today, with a whole film crew in tow, apparently shooting a series of video clips that will take them from the show to a meetup with a certain BMX racer also sponsored by Monster, to lunch, for a cruise down PCH and on to the DC store. A glance at the script had Ken using the SYNC system in his Ford, so it's quite possible we may be seeing some of this footage in a Ford ad too.

The car that Block brought this time wasn't his personal Focus RS street car, but rather his X Games-fresh Ford Fiesta RS WRC Rally, Gymkhana And RallyCross Car. The thing looks like a remote control car that's been scaled up. There is hardly anything inside it that won't contribute to gathering, managing or scrubbing speed. Block calls it his "hybrid function hoon vehicle."

According to a recent write-up on ZerCustoms, it is powered by a 2.0-liter turbo Ecoboost engine built by Pipo Moteur, which develops 600 hp and 665 lb-ft of torque. The engine sends its power to all four wheels via a Sadev 6-speed sequential transmission and an all-wheel-drive system developed by the same manufacturer. Ken's H.F.H.V. Fiesta weighs 2755 lbs and comes equipped with 355 mm Brembo WRC brake discs and 4-piston calipers, a Reiger WRC suspension system, a Cosworth engine management, a custom-built Garrett turbocharger with a 45 mm restrictor, and a dual-core intercooler.

This very special Fiesta rally car sits on 17-inch Speedline wheels with Pirelli P-Zero rallycross tires, when set for this type of racing, while Ken sits on a Recaro Ultima seat. When Ken uses his new Ford Fiesta WRC for Gymkhana, he has to adjust the dampers, spring rates and height, and put a set of 18-inch Fifteen52 tarmac wheels with Pirelli Trofeo tires. The Fiesta also gets shorter gear ratios
and an adjusted engine management map.

For stage rally, the new Fiesta WRC needs a new suspension and engine management setup, 15-inch O.Z. gravel wheels with P-Zero rally tires, 300 mm brake discs and real, functional headlights. They also have to move its radiators from the trunk to the front and to cover the side air vents.

It's really a clever design, and looks like it would be a hoot to drive. Honestly, letting Block take us for a ride would probably be even better.

While the Fiesta got the most attention, those who wandered beyond it got to see three different Lancias, a Fiat Multipla, a lightweight E-Type racer, a black Carrera GT, a Datsun 510 Wagon, Porsche 550 Spyder, some great looking BMW 3.0 CS coupes and a super widebody Camaro. Well, maybe that last ne was worth missing. Follow the link above to see the whole gallery.

Supercar Sunday - 7/31/11: Ferrari v Lamborghini upstaged by Zonda R

 

 Supercar Sunday 7/31/11 Photos

Lured by the Ferrari v Lamborghini showdown planned for this last Sunday in July, I decided it had been way too long since I had made the drive up to Woodland Hills for Supercar Sunday and got my butt outta bed for the first time in almost a year. It was a wise decision.

Not only did I get to see about 1,000 interesting collector cars on display, I also had a chance to catch up with at least a dozen friends I hadn't seen in a long time. That alone made the trip worthwhile, but the surprise unveiling of a Pagani Zonda R made it incredibly fortunate.

The Pagani Zonda needs little introduction, but these amazing boutique supercars are extremely rare here in the States. Never officially imported, a couple have found their way into private collections, and a few have been displayed at various shows and races around the country. I consider myself lucky indeed to have seen a handful of them between SEMA, SCS and Goodwood, the impression they leave in person akin to meeting Lewis Hamilton or Michael Schumacher - that sudden thrill you get from realizing you are in the presence of a legend.

Auto Gallery, who generously underwrites SCS, has been named an official Pagani dealer, allowing it the privilege to sell the Zonda's replacement, the Huayra when it goes on sale soon. As if seeing a Zonda isn't enough to make friends who weren't there hate your guts, the Zonda they helped bring to the show this weekend was actually a Zonda R, the race version that holds the lap record at the Nurburgring Nordschleife for production based cars. Its 6:47.5 time bested the Ferrari 599XX by eleven seconds and the new production car record holder the Porsche GT2 RS by...wait for it...thirty seconds.

Horacio only built a few of these race cars so not everyone will get to see one in their lifetime. Without DrivenWorld publisher and SCS organizer, Dustin Troyan, I may have missed my chance. Dusty's hard work, along with the generosity of the car's owner, Auto Gallery and Century Towing allowed me to cross another vehicle off my bucket list.

Seeing the car up close reveals why Pagani has such an aura about it. The shape is alien yet beautiful and the engineering prowess of the company is immediately evident. The carbon fiber is laid perfectly, and close inspection reveals the titanium threads woven into the cloth to add flexibility to this normally brittle substance. Every detail is not only functional, but designed in such a way that you feel there must be some artists in the engineering department. Why can't every carmaker make their vehicles this beautiful and capable?

If you click the link above to view the gallery, you'll notice that at least half of my photos are of the Zonda R, but pry yourself away from those and you'll also see why shows like Supercar Sunday are so much fun. How's this for eclectic? When was the last time you saw a Toyota Crown Deluxe coupe? Never? How about a Kurtis Kraft 500? There were at least three there today. A Ram Air GTO Judge wagon? Maybe not factory, but a really cool sight. Other rare and wonderful sightings included a Renault R5 Turbo, Ford RS200, '73 Carrera RS, Continental Mark II, Morgan Aero, Hurst Camaro, Maserati 3500GT, Riley Elf, two yellow Ultimas, three BMW Z8s, Qvale Mangusta, and a few Lamborghinis and Ferraris.

The marque of the Bull was represented by dozens of Gallardo variations, a few Murcis, a pair of Miuras and a handful of Countaches. Prancing horse lovers were treated to scores of 3X8s, Maranellos, 355s, Modenas, 430s, 458s, Stradales, Scuderias, and Testarossas. Favorites included the 330 GTS, 550 Barchetta, 575 Superamerica, and a lone F40. Not a bad turnout by any stretch of the imagination, but overcast skies and a few scattered showers may have kept some of the even more exotic stuff at home. We're not greedy though, so an F40, two Miuras and a Zonda R were just fine with me.

29th Annual Dana Point Concours d'Elegance

 

2011 Dana Point Concours d'Elegance

This past Sunday I stopped in at the 29th Annual Dana Point Concours d'Elegance held once again on the Monarch Bay golf course at the St. Regis Resort. With dramatic views of the ocean, the rolling greenery of the links and the surrounding mansions, the venue feels like it was built solely to play host to this concours.

Second only to Pebble Beach in prominence among the California concours in my mind, Dana Point has really come of its own. With nearly 200 entries and display vehicles, it's a big show that still manages to feel... manageable, and the field of entrants was once again amazing. This year's event also included a tour of private local collections that I covered earlier, and for the first time, a collectible car auction as well, from auction house EG.

With proceeds going to support the Ocean Institute, the Mary & Dick Allen Diabetes Center at Hoag Hospital and other Southern California youth charities, the Dana Point Concours is run as a Classic Car Club of America (CCCA) Concours, but with some additional classes thrown in to showcase particularly interesting vehicles and relevant milestones. Just take a look at the photo above and you'll see the wide variety of outstanding vehicles that this show attracts.

Click through the gallery and you'll see everything from this year's Best of Show winner - Helen and Jack Nethercut's stunning 1931 Type 51 Bugatti Coupe - to Michael Schumacher's 2001 F1 car. It's always hard to pick favorites but besides those two, the blue Ferrari 275 GTB, Bizzarrini 5300GT Stradale, Buick Super Coupe, Hudson 112 Coupe, and General Lyon's Duesenberg SJ Gurney Nutting Speedster and Mercedes 540K stood out a bit more than the rest.

Click here to see the whole gallery.