All posts by ndubs77

The Huayra BC is Pagani’s New Superleggera

February 19, 2016 ndubs77 1 Comment

At first glance, you might think the Pagani Huayra has gone full racecar. But the Huayra BC is a street legal, leaner and meaner edition, known in Italy as a “superleggera” model. And before we even get into the details, you should know that all 20 Huayra BCs are already sold out, at around $2.6 million a pop.

Naturally the Pagani Huayra BC is spectacular in its execution, as well as in the philosophy behind it. Pagani continues to do things their own way, in a world full of carmakers all jumping on the latest bandwagon. That said, the Huayra BC will surely compete, and likely even win.

Pagani has cranked up the boost on their twin turbo AMG V12, giving the Huayra BC 789 bhp and 811 ft/lbs of torque. That’s nearly a 10% gain over the normal Huayra. Furthermore, Pagani has lightened the car through various painstaking means, and has found a way to take nearly 300 lbs (also around 10%) out of the weight of the standard Huayra, which was already a pretty light car. The Pagani Huayra BC now weighs in around 2,685 lbs. That’s lighter than a Subaru BRZ with four times the horsepower!

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Car Shows, Uncategorized

Mercedes G63 AMG Monster Truck at First Class Fitment

February 18, 2016 ndubs77 Leave a comment

The Mercedes G63 comes from the factory as a fast, off-road-capable SUV, but for this owner, it clearly wasn’t enough.

-Nick

Car Shows

Lamborghini Countach at Hopewell Cruise Night

February 17, 2016 ndubs77 Leave a comment

A car named after an expletive used when no other words can describe what you’re seeing. “Countach!” in Italian means something like “Holy Crap!” and that is the precise reaction people had to this car when it first came out.

The Lamborghini Countach’s design was so striking that the model endured for 17 years. It was updated with audacious wings and vents during the wild, cocaine-crazed 1980’s, because its scissor doors weren’t vulgar enough on their own after the first decade.

This Countach belongs to a local dealer, who always puts on a great show at the Hopewell Cruise Nights. It literally stopped everyone in their tracks when it rolled up.

The Countach also sounds incredible, check out this video for some sweet V12 fury:

Enjoy the photos!

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Car Shows, Obscure Autos, SHOWCASE

1947 Delahaye 135M Narval “Cover Girl” at the Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance

February 15, 2016 ndubs77 1 Comment

Only automobile aficionados know about Delahayes. But when anyone asks me who made the most beautiful cars of all time, I usually drop the Delahaye name. They are gorgeous, they are elegant, they are as French as French can be.

Any connoisseur of pre-war automobiles will know of all the stunning machines that came out of France in the early-mid 1900s. Many might argue that Bugatti or Talbot should hold the crown of beauty instead, but Delahayes have always dropped my jaw in a way that no other marque ever has. They are magical machines with the power to make everything around them disappear.

The 1947 Delahaye 135M you see here turned many heads at the Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance. It is one of a few hundred 135Ms produced in the difficult post-war era. France was ruined and there wasn’t much room for ostentatious luxury cars as the country was being rebuilt. As a result, most post-war Delahayes were exported to wealthy buyers outside of France. Delahaye’s larger military contracting business kept them afloat until they lost a major contract with the French government, and went bust in 1954.

This beautiful black Delahaye 135M Narval was built for a wealthy industrialist in Ohio. It’s design was inspired by the elegant motion of aquatic mammals, specifically the Narwal. It was built for the President of The Prima Company Ohio, and was showcased in a magazine ad for “Covergirl Dress Flats by Prima,” hence the car’s nickname “Cover Girl.”

This Delahaye stands as a masterpiece of art on wheels. Enjoy the gallery.

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Opinions

Is the new 2017 Volvo V90 the Ultimate Daily Driver?

February 12, 2016 ndubs77 5 Comments

The new Volvo S90 sedan is very cool, but it’s a sedan. The car you see here is the 2017 Volvo V90, and it’s much cooler because the Viking god, Odin, decreed that true Volvos must be wagons.

I guess it’s sort of a brand image thing for me, but I always picture a proper Volvo as a wagon, even despite the fact that my mom had an S80 sedan for years. The S90 and V90 come as replacements for the S80, and they feature every ounce of Volvo’s newfound luxury swagger.

I drove the new Volvo XC90 last spring, and I was blown away, to say the least. Volvo came out of nowhere with what is probably the best luxury 7 seat SUV on the market. I mean, Volvos have always been nice solid cars, but they were hardly head-turners. Volvo has clearly decided to change that with their new generation of cars.

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Car Shows, Cars We've Seen

Bugatti Veyron Grand Sport Vitesse Blue Carbon at the Quail Lodge

February 10, 2016 ndubs77 2 Comments

No matter what you may think of the Bugatti Veyron, there is no denying the hefty presence it has when you see one in person. It’s not a particularly big car, and it doesn’t have the flashiest exotic shape either. The Veyron is very round, some might even say bulbous, but it has an essence of sheer quality that will make almost any car near it seem shamefully cheap.

I recently heard somewhere that these Super Sport model Bugattis cost Volkswagen a whopping $6 million each to produce. That means VW lost $2-4 million on each Veyron they sold. Most cars are a lot cheaper in build than their price tag would suggest, especially in the luxury arena. Not the Bugatti Veryron, though, and it really does show when you see the car up close in the real world.

I know I’ve been one to criticize the Veyron from time to time, but that’s mostly for people reasons, not because of the car itself. Sociologically, the braggadocios Veyron got played out pretty quick, and Bugatti even struggled to move the last few units. But there’s no denying what a significant technological achievement this car is, even despite the existence of the LaFerrari, Koenigsegg and the other, newer hypercars.

Sure, there are quicker cars out there. But the Veyron doesn’t just do 250 or 260 mph, it makes it an easy affair. I often joke that the Bugatti’s real achievement wasn’t in breaking the 250 mph barrier, but in that it would allow Paris Hilton to do it in heels while texting, petting her toy dog and taking a selfie. That is a massive engineering achievement, and if you tried the same in a Hennessey Venom GT…. well, you’d probably wind up losing your phone.

What a fantastic objects these later-production Veyrons are, when Bugatti started getting fancy with the color schemes. This Veyron Grand Sport Vitesse, which we found at the Quail Lodge during Monterey Car Week, just looked unreal with it’s two-tone French Racing Blue and blue carbon fiber bodywork. If I were spec’ing up a Bugatti Veyron for myself, this would surely be the epitome of my desire.

Enjoy the photos of this serious stunner!

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Opinions

Ferrari’s got a new shoe, and they call it the GTC4 Lusso

February 9, 2016 ndubs77 1 Comment

It’s not a revolution, just an incremental improvement. The 2017 Ferrari GTC4 Lusso may be a face-lifted FF, but it’s a touch-up on a masterpiece.

That ferocious 6.3L V12 is now up to 681hp, from 651hp. It’s not a difference you’ll really notice behind the wheel, but it’s nice that it’s there. The Lusso’s real improvements over the FF come in the form of new four wheel steering and slicker aerodynamics.

The FF’s shooting brake design (which I’ve always loved) remains intact, but the GTC4 Lusso sees the return of twin taillights to a modern Ferrari model.

I think the GTC4 is a welcome update to the FF, and I’m stoked that they’ve brought back the iconic “Lusso” name.

Grand touring cars don’t really get more “grand” than this.

-Nick Walker

Car Shows

This 1971 Plymouth Hemicuda is a Mean Green Muscle Machine!

February 8, 2016 ndubs77 1 Comment

The Plymouth Hemicuda is my favorite car from the Muscle Car era, bar none. It has the perfect engine, Chrysler’s 426ci Hemi V8, the perfect gearbox, a manual with a pistol-grip shifter, and it is the perfect color, bright middle finger green.

The Hemicuda has the brash audacity that I look for in a muscle car. It speaks loudly and carries a big stick. Too many muscle cars were soft-spoken “sleepers,” which is cool in some ways, but I much prefer the blunt honesty of the ‘Cuda. It doesn’t beat around the bush with petty small talk, it just says “Get the hell out the way!”

I’m generally a non-partisan guy when it comes to automotive brand loyalty, but I must admit that Mopars are my favorite of the old-school muscle cars. They had a fantastic lineup of engines, of which the Hemi was king. But even past that, Chrysler cars just had that flavor that embodied the very spirit of the American Muscle car. The Plymouth ‘Cuda is the crown jewel for me, but I always love me a Road Runner, a Charger, a Challenger, etc too.

Seeing a ‘Cuda like this turns me into a little kid every time, and this one was absolutely ideal. We saw it at the Concours of America, just outside of Detroit, MI. Naturally the Motor City area has the cream of the muscle car crop, and I have yet to be disappointed when visiting.

Enjoy the gallery of this bad mutha!

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Car Shows

1932 Ruxton Model C at the Radnor Hunt Concours d’Elegance

February 5, 2016 ndubs77 Leave a comment

Ruxton built unique front-wheel-drive cars in the early 1930s, although they were only able to actually produce cars for a few months. The company was plagues with mismanagement through its entire conception, and wound up fizzing out as the Great Depression Took hold, causing financial strains across the board.

The cars themselves were bold and beautiful. They sat much lower than most of their contemporaries thanks to the lack of a driveshaft running underneath the car. Many Ruxtons featured striking gradient-striped paint jobs, like the one you see here.

We saw many Ruxtons the last time we were at Pebble Beach, this one included. It was a great pleasure to see it again this year at the Radnor Hunt Concours d’Elegance.

Enjoy the photos of this beautiful car!

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Car Shows

Highlights from the 2016 Philadelphia Auto Show

February 3, 2016 ndubs77 1 Comment

The Philadelphia Auto Show was lively this year, with many of the newest releases on display.

I must admit that I am completely in love with the blue Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio you see above (it’s stick too). I also got my first look at the new Fiata (124 Spider), Cadillac XT5, Honda Ridgeline, and the oh-so-sleek Volvo S90. I also got a good look at the new Toyota Prius, which was regrettable on the eyes.

There are a lot of great new cars to be excited about!

Enjoy the gallery.

-Nick

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