We spotted this rich red McLaren 12C Spider while out and about in Carmel, CA during Car Week.
-Nick Walker
Category Archives: Uncategorized
A Martini Porsche Cayman GT4 at Driven by Purpose
Motor Trend Tests Mercedes’ New Offroad Wagon
Motor Trend tests the Pagani Huayra BC
Alfa Romeo Giulia Ti AWD: Is an Italian Daily Driver a Good Idea?
Italian cars are frustrating. Their good aspects are beyond wonderful, as in they will genuinely make your life worth living. The problem is, there’s always a catch, some significant issue (usually “issues”) that counter-balance the positives to such a massive degree that buying one is often a bad idea if you’re thinking rationally. Italian cars are made to give you an in-depth emotional experience, but like people, the great times come with the hardships. The Italians have always built cars this way, and it has always made their cars intriguing because they seem like so much more than cold machines. It makes them feel genuinely alive.
Because of their unpredictable nature, there’s always something daring about buying an Italian car. It’s not a sure bet, but the rewards are so immense when things are going well that it always seems it may be worth the risk. A test drive in an Alfa will make you ask yourself deep philosophical questions like, “Am I really living the sort of life I want?”
Playing it safe works, but are you really living, or do you just merely exist? There’s a big difference between the two, and that’s what Alfa Romeo is all about. It’s the sort of car that will give you a reason to get out of bed in the morning, and will have you lusting all day for your drive home.
I literally fell in love with the Alfa 4C Spider when I drove it because it spoke deeply to my inner desire. How can an object make you feel so fulfilled and so happy to be alive? It was insane.
The Alfa 4C is an impractical sports car, though. Meant to be a second car for the weekends, it’s Italian imperfections are more tolerable than they would be in an everyday sedan. That brings us to the Giulia Ti you see here. It is an everyday luxury sport sedan, here to take on the BMW 3 Series and the Audi A4. There’s surely less room for error in this market of everyday sedans.
That brings up my big question: Has Alfa kept the Italian magic alive in the Giulia sedan, and how much Italian “character” is tolerable to sedan buyers? Have they watered it down in an attempt to compete for the mass market?
I had heard good things about the car, but many people seem to let the car’s shortcomings overshadow its strengths. Knowing the risks of reliability and build quality, I wanted to know if the upsides were worth the the gamble on this Italian 4 door.
Continue reading Alfa Romeo Giulia Ti AWD: Is an Italian Daily Driver a Good Idea?
Goldenrod Yellow Singer at the 2017 Americana Manhasset Concours
Sometimes, a car shows up at a Concours and no one notices. When that happens and it’s a run of the mill sort of car, that’s one thing. But it’s a total and utter turnaround when that car happens to be this absolutely stunning yellow Singer, parked all by itself in the back of the show next to the brand-new Porsche 911 Turbo S Exclusive Series. Everyone stares at the Turbo S, leaving the Singer to be left alone, and prime for me to take some great photos of it in the rain. There is not a single angle that this car is ugly at–Singer takes resto-mods to a completely higher level, a level that no single company can match. Enjoy the photos of this gorgeous modern classic. Continue reading Goldenrod Yellow Singer at the 2017 Americana Manhasset Concours
This dark gray LaFerrari was lurking at the Scarsdale Concours
I haven’t been genuinely excited to sit in a car in quite a while, but certain cars still bring out that same childish excitement. The owners of this sinister gray LaFerrari were nice enough to let people sit in their $3.5 million dollar holy grail of a car. It made every kid’s day, and even some of us who used to be kids.
The LaFerrari rolled in late and it absolutely stole the show, like it had its own gravitational pull or something. Gray is not that flashy of a color, but the car’s low dark shape moving through the crowd made everyone do a double take before they realized exactly what it was.
Sitting in the LaFerrari feels a lot different from sitting in a 488, more like the cockpit of a fighter jet than the cabin of a car. Everything seems tighter, and more focused. I was kind of surprised, but then again, you wouldn’t want your seven figure Ferrari to feel exactly the same as your six figure Ferrari now, would you?
This was actually the third LaFerrari we saw that day. It was the only one at Scarsdale, but there were two that were trucked in for the meet at Garden State Plaza in NJ. The owner of this gray LaFerrari actually drove his car to and from the show, so by that alone he’s infinitely cooler in my book. Let alone the fact that he and his wife let people sit in it. This is hypercar ownership done right, and all you stingy billionaires should take notes.
Enjoy this gallery of THE Ferrari.
Continue reading This dark gray LaFerrari was lurking at the Scarsdale Concours
Pagani Huayra BC at the Greenwich Concours
I could not take my eyes off of this Pagani Huayra BC at the Greenwich Concours this year. Maybe it was the fact that this was the first Huayra BC I’d laid eyes on in person, or maybe it was the fact that it was my ideal spec for a Huayra, but something about this particular car just wouldn’t let me walk away. In all I took over 300 photos of it, whittled down to 40 or so for this gallery.
The Huayra BC is the hardcore Pagani Huayra turned all the way up to eleven. Not only has Pagani turned the boost up for 789hp over the standard Huayra’s 730hp, but they’ve also dropped the BC’s weight to just 2,685 lbs. That’s like four Toyota 86’s in a car weighing 100lbs less than a Toyota 86. In fact, the Huayra BC is so light compared to its hybrid hypercar rivals that it’s power-to-weight ratio is actually superior to that of the Porsche 918, McLaren P1 and Ferrari LaFerrari.
The Huayra BC is an unbelievable machine, a dream car among dream cars. Like all Paganis, it’s full of immaculate fine details, from every minute bolt up to those jaw-dropping gullwing doors. I could not take my eyes off the car because there was just so much detail to to take in. Now I invite you all to share in the wonder that is the Pagani Huayra BC. Enjoy!
1932 Bugatti Type 55 Roadster at Radnor Hunt
This hornet colored Bugatti Type 55 was tucked off in a corner of the show at Radnor Hunt, but it still caught everyone’s eye. With a magnificent paint job and a fine wood interior this is French roadster is as classic as they come. Just imagine cruising the Riviera in this thing…
Continue reading 1932 Bugatti Type 55 Roadster at Radnor Hunt
1934 Packard Coupe spotted at the Ritz-Carlton, Amelia Island
A year ago, while waiting to drive the Alfa Romeo 4C, a pale green silent shape caught my eye. Simple, elegant, and utterly stunning, this prewar Packard drew all eyes to its lines as it silently slithered up the lane, strutting its best stuff amongst the noveau riche. Success was had on my end, as I ignored the Jaguar I had finished shooting and the Alfa I was about to go bombing around in, and chased down this sweet Packard. I was glad I did, as it turned into the garage, never to be seen by my keen eye again for the weekend. Enjoy the photos. Continue reading 1934 Packard Coupe spotted at the Ritz-Carlton, Amelia Island
Mind Over Motor 