2011 Concorso Italiano: Ferrari F50 GT
Posted: May 8, 2013 Filed under: EVENTS / PLACES | Tags: 2011, 4.7L V12, California, Concorso Italiano, Ferrari F50 GT, GT1 racing, Italian, Mind over motor, Monterey car week, Photo Gallery, prototype 3 Comments »
I was fortunate enough to see this mighty Ferrari F50 GT at the Concorso Italiano back in 2011, during the Monterey car week. The F50 GT is a Ferrari racing car that never came to be. It was developed to take on the likes of the Porsche 911 GT1, Mercedes CLK GTR and McLaren F1 LM, but it never made it past the prototype stage. Along with the prototype, two F50 GTs were built for customers. This is one of those customer cars, and it was the first one I’ve seen in person. There was a normal F50 right beside it, and the GT makes the standard car look puny by comparison. The performance of the F50 GT is also extremely massive. The car itself weighs in at just 2,005lbs and its 4.7L V12 has 750hp and 383ft/lbs of torque on tap. 60mph comes in under 3 seconds, the 1/4 mile is dispatched in 10.2 sec, and it tops out at 235mph, presumably when the aerodynamics are set up for top end speed. This is a racing car, make no mistake. These photos are a few years old, and I have learned much about photography since, but I think they came out pretty well. Enjoy.
Spotted! Ferrari F430 Scuderia, Newtown, PA
Posted: April 29, 2013 Filed under: Exotics, SPOTTED! | Tags: exotic car, Ferrari F430 Scuderia, Italian, Mind over motor, Newtown Pa, spotted 2 Comments »
The weather was gorgeous the other day, so I decided to go cruise around for a bit. I went through Newtown because there is usually an exotic or two to be found there on such days. Sure enough, I find this amazing Ferrari F430 Scuderia parked in front of one of the most expensive restaurants in town. Enjoy the pics.
Test Driven: Ferrari 360 Modena F1
Posted: April 25, 2013 Filed under: High End & Exotic, TEST DRIVEN, Used Gems | Tags: 3.6L V8, Cancun Mexico, exotic car, Exotic Rides Mexico, Ferrari 360 Modena, Italian, Mind over motor, photos, Race Track drive, Road test review, Rossa Corsa Red 2 Comments »
I remember when I was first coming down with my major case of the car bug, the Ferrari 360 was the first car I saw that had a paddle shift transmission. While the F1 gearbox was offered in the F355, the 360 was the first model where enough of the kinks had been ironed out to make it a viable alternative to the traditional manual. Technology has come quite a long way since then, and the 360 is no longer on the tip of the technological spear. But once a Ferrari, always a Ferrari, and it still has quite a lot of appeal for buyers on the secondhand market. With this context in mind, I went into my drive in this 360 Modena ready to judge how it stands in our current day and age.
Amelia Island Concours d’ Elegance: Ferrari F12 Berlinetta
Posted: April 16, 2013 Filed under: EVENTS / PLACES | Tags: 2013 Amelia Island Concours d' Elegance, Ferrari F12 Berlinetta, Grand Touring, Italian, Mind over motor, Photo Gallery, V12 6 Comments »
Ferrari had their new F12 Berlinetta on display at the Amelia Island Concours d’ Elegance. This was my first encounter with an F12 in person, and I must say it is gorgeous. The V12 grand tourers have always been my favorite Ferraris, yes even more than the hypercars. The F12 certainly did not disappoint with its first impression. Enjoy.
Test Driven: 2013 Fiat 500 Abarth
Posted: January 31, 2013 Filed under: Cheap Fun!, TEST DRIVEN | Tags: 1.4L Multiair Turbo, 2013, 500, Abarth, Fiat, Hot Hatch, Italian, manual transmission, Mind over motor, reliability, Road test, Scorpion Badge, Test Drive, USA 1 Comment »
The song “We No Speak Americano”, by Yolanda Be Cool, goes quite well with the Fiat Abarth. It has a fun, silly nature to its character, and is unmistakably Italian. For those who don’t already know, the Abarth is the hot and heavy version of the Fiat 500, a small city car with and extra dose of… Potenza! During the last few months the Abarth has landed in our showrooms, and I was itching to go try one out. There was lots of hype about the car, so the early shipments were sold out on arrival, but finally, after a few months of waiting, I got my chance to get behind the wheel of one.
Radnor Hunt CDE: 1957 Ferrari 250 Testa Rossa
Posted: November 19, 2012 Filed under: EVENTS / PLACES | Tags: 1957, 2012, 250, Classic, Concours, Elegance, Ferrari, Italian, Mind over motor, Radnor, Testa Rossa, TR, V12, vintage 3 Comments »
When it comes to Ferraris things do not get much better than this. The 250 Testa Rossa is one of the most legendary cars of all time, and this was the first one sold in the United States. Owned by the Simone Museum in Philadelphia, we were fortunate enough to be able to see this car up close at this year’s Radnor Hunt Concours d’ Elegance. The design of the Testa Rossa is nothing short of breathtaking, with its voluptuous Italian curves. It is a work of functional art rivaled by few other objects on Earth. While visually beautiful, it remains a race car in purpose, so it was built to be as light and simple as possible. Under the hood there is a V12 engine, which is beautiful enough in its own right. Even going to car events all the time, I don’t get to see too many of these, so I ate up my time with this rare Ferrari (likely worth around $20M) by taking tons of photos. I hope you enjoy them; if this isn’t “Art”, then I don’t know what is.
Angelina’s 2012: Le Fiat Cinquecento
Posted: October 29, 2012 Filed under: EVENTS / PLACES | Tags: 500, Abarth, Angelina's, body, Car, Cinquecento, Classic, Fiat, Island, Italian, Mind, Momo, motor, Nick, NY, Over, show, Staten, vintage, Walker, wide Leave a comment »
Italian car shows are always full of interesting things. Often the first things to come to mind are exotics like Ferraris, Lamborghinis, and Maseratis, which were all well accounted for at this year’s event. However, if you go to a lot of car events like I do, then your typical Ferrari 430s and Lambo Gallardos get a bit mundane after a while. Luckily things at this year’s Angelina’s Italian Car Show in Staten Island, NY got spiced up with the arrival of an eclectic bunch of Fiat Ciquecentos. Each one was unique with its own appeal, from the modified Abarth model to the yellow standard 500. I cannot emphasize enough how these cars stole the show from the Ferraris when they arrived. There is just so much personality in each one that they are irresistible, even when compared to cars that cost as much as a house. Regardless of whether you share my enthusiasm for these classic Fiats or not, one thing is certain; the Italians sure know how to make some appealing cars. Enjoy.
Concours d’ Elegance of America: Lancia Stratos HF
Posted: August 21, 2012 Filed under: Auto Idolatry, EVENTS / PLACES, SHOWCASE | Tags: 1971, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1975, 2012, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, America, Championship, Concours, d', Detroit, Dino, Elegance, HF, Italian, Lancia, MI, Michigan, Mind, motor, of, Over, Plymouth, Rally, Stratos, V6, World Leave a comment »
Lancia Stratos at the Concours d’ Elegance of America outside Detroit. The Stratos is a rare Italian rally homologation from the 1970s.. Its striking design was penned by Bertone, and its power came from the same 2.4L Ferrari V6 found in the 246 Dino. Weighing just 2100lbs it made the most of its 192hp, with racing versions winning the World Rally Champioship in 1974, 1975, and 1976. A total of 492 Stratos’ were produced in total. This is only the 2nd one I have ever seen in person, enjoy the pics.
Test Driven: 2013 Dodge Dart SXT Multiair Turbo
Posted: August 9, 2012 Filed under: Green & Economical, TEST DRIVEN | Tags: 1.4, 2013, 2014, 6, Abarth, Alfa, American, backfire, burble, Car, Chrysler, crackle, cubby, Dart, Dodge, Drive, economy, exhaust, Fiat, front, Fuel, fun, Giulietta, Italian, manual, Mind, motor, Multiair, Nick, Over, overrun, review, Romeo, seat, Sedan, speed, Sport, storage, Test, tune, turbo, under, Walker, wheel 6 Comments »
The new Dart is the first car to market that is truly a joint effort between Fiat and Chrysler. The chassis and mechanicals come straight from the European Alfa Romeo Giulietta, while the exterior, interior, and Tigershark engines are all American. This is a critical product for Chrysler, one that will serve as a first impression for their alliance with Fiat, and the things to come. I went in to find out for myself if this new car marked a positive beginning for “Second Half America”, or a fumbled, Frankenstein-like creation from two companies caught in their own financial struggles. In many ways I felt a lot was riding on this drive when I stepped into this hot blue Dart. Read the rest of this entry »
Spotted! Lamborghini Diablo, Zurich, Switzerland
Posted: July 24, 2012 Filed under: Exotics, SPOTTED! | Tags: captured, Diablo, doors, essence, Italian, Lamborghini, Mind, motor, Over, pure, Scissor, shape, Switzerland, V12, Zurich 2 Comments »
This shows the Diablo in it’s purest form. No sprouting wings or vents, no “machine guns”, just a simple wedged shape cutting its way through the real world. Time seems to stop as it passes, transactions put on hold, arguments cut short, customers kept waiting all just to have a moment to take it in. It is a short escape, a fantasy that imposes itself upon every onlooker; this is the very essence of a Lamborghini.
Obscure Auto: Alfa Romeo Tipo 33 Stradale
Posted: June 27, 2012 Filed under: Obscure Autos, SHOWCASE | Tags: 18, 1967, 1968, 1969, 2.0, 230, 254, 270, 33, Alfa, Article, Auto, Autodelta, built, Car, curves, door, first, Fuel, Gull, hp, information, injection, Italian, Liter, made, Mind, motor, Nick, Obscure, Over, produced, Production, racing, Rare, Red, Road, Romeo, sexy, specs, SPICA, Stradale, Tipo, V8, Walker, wing Leave a comment »
Alfa Romeo Tipo 33 Stradale
This is the Alfa Romeo Tipo 33 Stradale, and I’m sure your eyes have already informed you that it is one of the most beautiful cars ever built by anyone. The word “Stradale” of course means that it is street version of a racing car, and it is indeed. The Tipo 33 Stradale was made in 1967 as a road going version of Autodelta Alfa Romeo’s Tipo 33/2 racing car. Only 18 Stradales were ever built, making it one of the rarest, most sought after cars in the world. One that just gets more and more interesting with every new detail you uncover. Read the rest of this entry »
Spotted! Ferrari 456M, Birmingham MI
Posted: June 18, 2012 Filed under: Exotics, SPOTTED! | Tags: 436, 456, Birmingham, Car, design, Detroit, Ferrari, Gran, GT, GTA, hp, Italian, M, MI, Michigan, Mind, motor, Over, sexy, sleek, Sports, spotted, Super, Turismo, V12 1 Comment »
The 456 is one of the most underrated Ferraris of all time, but it is also one of my favorites (at least visually). Just look at the thing. It has a pure form of beauty, more of a sculpture than a car. Sleek and sexy, yet elegant and tasteful. I love current Ferraris, but they could all be a bit better looking if they could find the balance that the 456 had. Yea I know you can have the same kind of power in a Camaro now, but with this you get that glorious V12 sound on top of the style. I was ecstatic when I found this just tucked away in a Birmingham car park this past weekend, and the pictures came out quite well. Enjoy the gallery.
