2011 Pebble Beach CDE: Bugatti Veyron Super Sport x2
Posted: April 30, 2013 Filed under: EVENTS / PLACES | Tags: 1200hp, 2011 Pebble Beach Concours d' Elegance, 268mph, 8.0L W16 quad turbo, Bugatti Veyron Super Sport, Exotic, fastest car in the world, hypercar, Mind over motor, supercar, World Record Edition 1 Comment »
Looking back through my photos from our visit to the 2011 Pebble Beach Concours d’ Elegance, I realized there is a ton of solid material that we somehow have not gotten around to featuring yet. I figured I’d kick it off with the fastest car in the world, which we were fortunate enough to see two of, along with few other more plebeian Veyrons. One was even the famous “World Record Edition”, with its orange and carbon color scheme. This was right after the Veyron Super Sport had set the production car speed record of 268mph, so seeing these two 1200hp beasts together was an absolute thrill. I know I may give the Veyron a hard time in the past, but that is mostly because of the types of people who buy them. The car itself I admire immensely for the technical marvel that it is, and yes, I would probably consider doing some terrible things if it meant I could drive one…. if only for a few minutes. But for now, these pics are as close as I’ve gotten, so let’s just enjoy them. These were shot as I was in the process of learning proper photo composition, so they are a but hit and miss, but overall I think they came out well. Enjoy.
And now, for all our viewing pleasure…a drifting Enzo.
Posted: February 12, 2013 Filed under: Auto Idolatry, SHOWCASE | Tags: Auto Idolatry, Beethoven, Drifting, Enzo, Enzo WRC, Ferrari, Mind over motor, supercar, TaxTheRich100, YouTube 3 Comments »Someone who shot this video must be quite the music and car buff. For today, we have a Ferrari Enzo drifting around a bunch of dirt trails, set to the background music of Beethoven’s Symphony No.9, “Ode To Joy”. This is most definitely an ode to joy–it’s a drifting Enzo. I bet a lot of people are cringing at the sight of someone thrashing an Enzo, but this still some spectacular driving and camera work–even if one cameraman drops his camera at the very end. If you’ve got two minutes or three, watch this video–it’s a few minutes well-spent.
-Albert S. Davis
Pagani Zonda: The last surviving member of a glorious age
Posted: April 27, 2012 Filed under: AUTOMOTIVE INSIGHTS, MEDIA RESPONSE | Tags: 760, automotive, Diablo, Evo, Exotic, F1, F40, Ferrari, GTspirit, Harry, Horacio, Huayra, Insight, Lamborghini, Magazine, Mclaren, Metcalfe, Mind, motor, Nick, Over, Pagani, RS, supercar, turbo, V12, Walker, Zonda 1 Comment »
Pagani Zonda 760RS
There have been two videos in the past few days about Pagani. One was JF Musial’s visit to the Pagani Factory for his segment on the Drive network, and the other was EVO Magazine’s video of the Zonda 760RS. The Drive video was more like a documentary and featured an interview with Horacio Pagani himself, offering a lot of valuable insight into Pagani Automobili, their values, and their history. Evo’s video was more targeted toward the Zonda 760RS specifically. It was one of the typical, somewhat quirky, Harry Metcalfe videos that fans have come to know and love. But Harry did a fantastic job of showing us what the 760RS is all about, and he made sure we could hear the car’s glorious soundtrack. The mix of these videos started me thinking about the Zonda specifically, and its significance in the world of cars. Read the rest of this entry »
This is why Pagani is on a totally different level
Posted: April 25, 2012 Filed under: Auto Idolatry, SHOWCASE | Tags: AMG, Car, Drive, Exotic, factory, Fangio, GT, GTspirit, Horacio, Huayra, hyper, Italy, JF, Juan, Mercedes, Miguel, Mind, Modena, motor, Musial, Over, Pagani, passion, spirit, supercar, turbo, V12, video, Zonda Leave a comment »Going to the Pagani factory changed my life. There is something uniquely special about the way they do things and the cars they make that just captivated me. This video from Drive shows many of these qualities very well. I know the video is nearly a half hour, but if you have the time you should give it a watch. Definitely listen to everything Horacio Pagani says too because he is a passionate and genius. Amazing video!
-Nick
The Pagani Huayra story
Posted: March 10, 2012 Filed under: Auto Idolatry, SHOWCASE | Tags: AMG, Art, Documentary, Huayra, Mind, motor, Over, Pagani, passion, Story, supercar, turbo, Twin, V12, video Leave a comment »A documentary showing, yet again, how Pagani is in their own league when it comes to making a car.
-Nick
Secondhand Saint: Ferrari 456 GT/M
Posted: January 31, 2012 Filed under: Secondhand Saints, SHOWCASE | Tags: 1992, 2003, 436, 442, 456, Automatic, bargain, beauty, Car, Ferrari, gated, Gran, GT, GTA, hp, Italian, M, manual, Mind, motor, Over, owned, Pre, saint, Seconhand, shift, speed, Style, supercar, Turismo, Used, V12 2 Comments »
Ferrari 456M, by Philipe Collinet
Ferraris really are their own breed. There are other cars out there that may offer similar, or better, performance, but none can match the allure, the prestige, and the pedigree of a true prancing horse. Obviously most Ferraris are far too expensive for most people to afford, but there are a few that have dropped into the realm of possibility for those who cannot write off six figures for a car. This is the Ferrari 456, a member of the Gran Turismo lineage that stretches back to the legendary 250 GT. When it was introduced for the 1992 model year, the 456 was the first worthy Ferrari GT car since the 365 cars ended production in the 1970s. It was a breath of fresh air after the dreadful 400/412 line finally was put out of its misery after 15 years of production. Now they can be had for a reasonable price. Read the rest of this entry »
Test Driven: Audi R8 4.2
Posted: January 26, 2012 Filed under: High End & Exotic, TEST DRIVEN | Tags: 4.2, Audi, Cancun, Drive, Exotic, experience, Mexico, Mind, motor, Nick, Over, paddle, R8, race, review, Rides, shift, sound, supercar, Test, TFSi, Track, V8, video, Volkswagen, VW, Walker Leave a comment »
Audi R8 4.2 at Exotic Rides Mexico. Photo by Arturo Sotelo.
This is the Audi R8 in its original form, the V8 model that was designed to slip under the Lamborghini Gallardo (with which it shares its chassis) and compete head to head with the Porsche 911. Anyone who knows cars knows the fierce competition in this area of the market and how deeply rooted the Porsche 911’s success is. The R8 entered the segment boldly though, and was quickly heralded by many as being superior to the almighty Porsche. Since its debut in 2006 Audi has sold over 15,000 R8s, quite a large number for a car costing six figures, so it would seem they have succeeded in making a really great car. I recently had the opportunity to take one for a few laps around the track at Exotic Rides in Cancun, Mexico, so I was excited to see what all the fuss was about. Read the rest of this entry »
Calling out Hennessey’s absurdity
Posted: January 10, 2012 Filed under: INDUSTRY TALK | Tags: 000, 1000hp, 1300hp, 235, 8, 800hp, dollars, Engineering, GT, Hennessey, HPE, HPE800, Jeep, John, million, Mind, Mind over motor, motor, off, Over, Performance, priced, rip, SRT, supercar, Texas, Venom, Viper 2 Comments »
Hennessey Venom GT
I first learned of Hennessey Performance Engineering (HPE) as a kid when my ultimate dream car was the Dodge Viper. Back then they made the baddest Viper around, the 800 Twin Turbo, and it took the spot at the top of my wish list for a time. Since then, HPE continues to build the craziest Vipers around, and has branched out to build modifications for many other types of cars as well. They have made quite a name for themselves in the aftermarket industry, surely as one of the best in the business. Recently though, they released their first car of their own, the Venom GT, and this is where I started to see some issues that needed to be called out. Read the rest of this entry »
Test Driven: Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG, Al’s Take
Posted: November 29, 2011 Filed under: High End & Exotic, TEST DRIVEN | Tags: 6.3L, AMG, Concours, Deer, Fast, Gullwing Doors, Mind over motor, Naturally Aspirated, Pebble Beach, SLS, supercar, Test Driven, V8 Leave a comment »
SLS AMG (Front)
At Pebble Beach, there are test drives everywhere. Mercedes, of course, decided to one-up everyone else there by getting a primo spot right by the security gate, just past the Palm Club. After a bit of talking with the booth professionals, we signed the papers and gave away our sanity to drive an SLS AMG, CLS63 AMG, and Maybach 57S. The SLS, however, was easily the one I was the most excited about. Read the rest of this entry »
Obscure Auto: Jaguar XJ220
Posted: October 21, 2011 Filed under: Obscure Autos, SHOWCASE | Tags: 220MPH, Coventry, England, Exotic, Jaguar, MId-Engine, Mind over motor, Obscure Auto, Rare, Speed Record, supercar, Turbocharged, V12, V6, XJ220 Leave a comment »
XJ220 at the Radnor Hunt Concours, 2011
Jaguar is a brand long known for sporty, luxurious British automobiles, but their attempt two decades ago to bring out a fully-fledged supercar did not quite pan out as expected. For the reason, the XJ220 is notable in its development and how it changed when the finished product hit the market. It’s still one of the prettiest cars of the early 1990s, and carries with it a particularly intriguing automotive story. Read the rest of this entry »
Test Driven: Mercedes SLS AMG, Nick’s Take
Posted: September 8, 2011 Filed under: High End & Exotic, TEST DRIVEN | Tags: 563, 6.2L, AMG, Beach, Benz, California, Car, Drive, German, Gran, grand, Gullwing, hp, Mercedes, Mind, Monterey, motor, Over, Pebble, review, SLS, Sports, Super, supercar, Test, Tour, Turismo, V8 Leave a comment »
Mercedes SLS AMG
It is hard not to be excited when you find out you are going to drive a supercar. When I got to the Mercedes booth at Pebble Beach and found out they were indeed doing SLS test drives excitement would put the feeling lightly. The new Gullwing is a car I have seen in magazines and videos all over, but now it would be me behind the wheel. When you approach the car with its glorious doors lifted to the sky you know you are about to get into something very special. The Gullwing takes the usual right leg first, then ass in seat, then left leg approach to entry over its wide door sill, but once you are in the car everything is very comfortable, well spaced, and supportive. Once situated, I reach up, pull the door down and get ready to go. Read the rest of this entry »
Obscure Auto: B. Engineering Edonis
Posted: August 29, 2011 Filed under: Obscure Autos, SHOWCASE | Tags: 110, B, B. Engineering, back, backfire, Bugatti, Car, Drift, EB, Edonis, Engineering, exhaust, Exotic, fire, flames, from, hyper, hypercar, Italian, load, Mind, motor, on, Over, quad, Super, supercar, twin turbo, ultra, V12, video, yacht Leave a comment »
B. Engineering Edonis
This car is linked heavily with the Bugatti EB-110 covered previously. B. Engineering, an Italian firm made up of many ex-Bugatti engineers, designed a chassis based on the design of the EB-110 in order to make an extremely exclusive supercar that would commemorate the turn of the 21st century. They called their car the Edonis, and while it did share its chassis design with the EB-110, major changes occurred everywhere else. Read the rest of this entry »
