Evo’s Harry Metcalfe shows us his Renault Clio 182 Trophy, and explains why he feels it deserves to be in his collection of supercars. Seeing this makes me a very sad American because we don’t get so many wonderful cars from Europe. Enjoy.
-Nick
Test Driven: 2013 BMW 650i xDrive Gran Coupe (9/10)
This is the new face of BMW, a big “do-everything” sort of luxury car aimed at a niche market. We enthusiasts love to complain about the direction BMW has been going, yearning for the days of the E30 M3 to come again. The truth is those times are long gone, and BMW’s new direction is now both well-established and quite successful. Many of BMW’s attempts at finding new segments have been regrettable, the X6 and 5 Series GT made me gag. So the big question here is, where does the 6 Series Gran Coupe stand? Is it finally a good product of the new BMW, or is it just another attempt by BMW’s bean counters to try and make themselves feel important?
The car I drove was a 650i xDrive, the second highest model in the Gran Coupe range (only the mighty M6 is higher). This is a car that sits right at the top of the executive car range, one that those who’ve ascended the corporate latter might buy with their holiday bonus.
One thing this car is not trying to be, though, is a supercar. That is the M6’s territory, and it brings with it further issues. The 650i, on the other hand, is just a luxury car, jumping into the coupe-sedan segment originally founded by the Mercedes CLS. It is in this context that we should judge it.
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Hacking your car, yes this is real
This video from Forbes takes a look at what hackers can do with a car. If you are familiar with modern cars, you know that literally every part of a vehicle is run by computers. That makes all of those parts hackable. Now this isn’t meant to scare you — Not everyone on the sidewalk holding a cellphone is trying to shut off your brakes — but it is definitely an interesting thing to consider for the future.
-Nick
The Elegance at Hershey: 1953 Ferrari 212 Inter Coupe Pinin Farina
Ferraris produced before the 250 are not something I’m very well-versed in, because for some reason, they aren’t as prevalent as the later models. Yet, here was one, a 212 Inter, in a stunning sea-blue color at the Elegance at Hershey last month. While Nick got busy shooting the Bizzarrini Spyder a few yards behind, I got busy shooting this and took a few steps back to admire its classy styling and stunning condition. I’ve only seen one other 212, during Concours Weekend in 2011 over in Monterey. Suffice it to say, I think I like this one more thanks to its 1950s-esque colors and the backdrop that accompanied the car. Enjoy the photos.
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Newtown Classic Car Show: Alfa Romeo Montreal
This is meant to be a simple post. I saw this beautiful Alfa Romeo Montreal at the Newtown Classic Car Show this past weekend. Just take in its beauty.
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Big Muscle: 1931 Ford Rat Rod
Drive’s Mike Musto takes out one extremely mean ’31 Ford. I just love rat rods like this because they embody everything that is fun about cars…. breaking the rules. Enjoy.
-Nick
Waterfest 19 (2013)
Yesterday we attended Waterfest 19, in Englishtown, NJ. It is one of the largest gatherings of Volkswagen and Audi lovers in the country. While a large portion of the show consists of modified slammed cars, there was a wide variety of other things as well, including a few exotics and an Audi R10 Le Mans car. Waterfest is always a wonderful event, with drag racing and autocross supplementing the massive auto show. Much can be said about this particular crowd of car enthusiasts, but they are definitely an interesting bunch. I usually find one-make car shows boring because everything looks the same, but somehow many of the cars here managed to stand out, even if they are the same make and model. A little dab of creativity does wonders. Enjoy the gallery.
Bimmerfest 2013
I stopped by Bimmerfest 2013 in Aberdeen, MD to see one of the largest gatherings of Bavarian automobiles in the eastern US. I must confess I was only able to catch the afternoon portion of the show, but there were still plenty of cars left. There was a wide variety of cars present, everything from the latest M-Cars to classics to slammed late model 3 Series’. Enjoy the photos.
Drive tours Aston Martin Works
This fascinating video from Drive shows the efforts Aston Martin is willing to go through to preserve its historical cars for customers. Definitely worth 14 minutes of your time to watch. Enjoy.
-Nick
Leagues Lost in Luxury
Going to all of these concours events I’ve had the privilege to see some of the most glorious prewar luxury cars imaginable. Packards, Duesenbergs, Delahayes, Bugattis, the list goes on and on. This got me thinking about how most of these wonderful cars haven’t survived the ages, and it begged the question, why?
PCA Meet in Mendham, NJ
Recently we attended a Porsche Club of America meet in Mendham, NJ. It was a nice evening and some fantastic cars showed up. I was able to take my dad’s 996 Carrera, and I had a nice drive up with some family friends in their bright blue 914. Enjoy the photos.
The Elegance At Hershey: 1937 Delage D8 120SS Aerodynamic Coupe
Most of the cars we feature are quite special, but this Delage D8 120SS Aerodynamic Coupe is a special sort of special. This car is the only one of its kind, a unique short wheelbase variant of the D8 120S Aerodynamic Coupe. Going off of what I’ve found about this car, the 120SS shares the same 4.7L inline-eight cylinder engine found the D8 120S. Producing as much as 160hp, this motor gave the car quite a large amount of punch for its day. Its top speed was said to be in excess of 115mph.
Originally the D8 120SS was a commission order for some European prince, but after World War II it wound up in the Gerry Albertini collection in London. Today it has been recently restored by RM Restorations, and is poised to be a major contender in the concours circuit.
This is one truly stunning automobile, likely my personal favorite from The Elegance At Hershey this year. We wound up only having a short time to get our photos this year, on account of bad weather, so I hope to see the car again soon to capture even more of its details. That said, I am happy with the photos I got, so enjoy.
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Mind Over Motor 