Tag Archives: Exotic Supercars

Ferrari 599 HGT/E spotted in Carmel, CA

April 21, 2015 Albert S. Davis Leave a comment

While chasing after many, many exotic cars all over the Carmel Valley last summer, I bumped into this blue Ferrari 599 just behind me on the street. Before the Ferrari 599 GTO, there was the Ferrari 599 GTB. But between the two, there was this hot little number, the 599 HGTE. Ferrari took it upon themselves to make an option package for the 599 with upgraded magneto-rheological shocks, better tires, and some exterior dress-up, among other things. There were many other great cars out that Saturday afternoon in Carmel–but this one definitely got its fair share of attention from me that day.

Opinions

The Cien Concept, and Why Cadillac Desperately Needs An Exotic Halo Car

Gallery April 20, 2015 ndubs77 2 Comments

This is the Cadillac Cien Concept from 2002. As a contemporary of the Ferrari Enzo and Porsche Carrera GT, it would have been one hell of a hypercar back then, and even still to this day. However, much to the continued chagrin of all car enthusiasts, the Cien was only a tease from GM. Worse is the fact that the Cien is a fully-functional concept, not just a rolling design study with no engine. And what an engine it has – a 7.5L Northstar V12 with (supposedly) as much as 950bhp on tap. That is the sort of power we see from the Modern LaFerrari and McLaren P1, but back in 2002. The Cien would’ve changed supercars, four years before Bugatti did, but Cadillac was just too lame to make it happen.

Now, here in 2015, Cadillac has an increasingly great lineup of cars, but their brand image still suffers from the “old conservative man” syndrome, which, frankly, has never been “cool.” Cadillac’s new CEO, Johan de Nysschen, has stated his goal to reinvent the Cadillac brand, and he’s even moved the corporate headquarters to New York City.

The V-Series models have done a lot to give Cadillac some serious “cred” with the enthusiast crowd, but that doesn’t apply to more general buyers. The new CT6 is a fantastic car for the more general luxury car buyer, and as the real successor to the current CTS sedan, longer term. All that said, something more drastic is definitely needed, because public perceptions can only be changed quickly with a sledgehammer.

There has been a lot of talk lately about there being a mid-engine Corvette in the works, but I think that would be a huge mistake for GM, and a big missed opportunity. That mid-engine supercar needs to be a Cadillac!

Continue reading The Cien Concept, and Why Cadillac Desperately Needs An Exotic Halo Car →

Auto Idolatry

EVO: McLaren F1 vs McLaren P1 #DreamTest

April 17, 2015 ndubs77 Leave a comment

The folks at EVO Magazine have managed to put together a legendary dream road test, pitting the new McLaren P1 hypercar against the legendary McLaren F1.

It’s an epic showdown between the analogue and the digital. But the real question is, can the P1 even come close?

Enjoy.

-Nick

Car Shows

Pagani Zonda F (Horacio’s Own) at The Quail

Gallery April 15, 2015 ndubs77 2 Comments

I could say that I have many “dream cars”, but none quite so much as the majestic Pagani Zonda F. This really is “the one” for me, above all other cars.

The Zonda is fast as hell, but there are many faster cars out there. It is extremely expensive too, worth a few million, but one with enough money could always spend even more. But when it comes to being special, when it comes down to the fine individual details that add up to make something that is truly magnificent, a Pagani has no match.

Continue reading Pagani Zonda F (Horacio’s Own) at The Quail →

Cars We've Seen

Ferrari F430 Spider Spotted in New Hope, PA

April 13, 2015 ndubs77 1 Comment

Out enjoying the beautiful weather in New Hope, PA, I stumbled upon this bright red Ferrari F430 Spider sitting in the playhouse parking lot. As you might expect, it was attracting a decent amount of attention. Lots of other tasty cars out cruising around yesterday as well. Enjoy!

-Nick

Car Shows

Our Highlights From the 2015 New York International Auto Show

April 6, 2015 ndubs77 5 Comments

We went to the 2015 New York International Auto Show this past weekend to get up close with all of the cars we’ve been hearing so much about and commenting on in the last few months. NYIAS is always a fantastic time, but this year was the best it has been in 10 years. The show is a bit of a tradition for us to do with our friends, and this year we chose to forgo the press days so we could go with the group. I’ll admit up front that we didn’t get to everything that was at the show, but we had a blast with everyone. Here are our highlights and opinions on the cars we saw.

Continue reading Our Highlights From the 2015 New York International Auto Show →

Cars We've Seen

Galpin GTR1 Spotted in Monterey, CA

April 4, 2015 ndubs77 Leave a comment

When we saw this Galpin GTR1 out rolling on the streets of Monterey, we flipped out, thinking it was a concept for a new Ford GT. Utilizing our smart phones, we quickly realized that our memories were quite fuzzy. We knew we recognized the car from somewhere, and, as it turns out, this Galipin GTR1 was released at Pebble Beach in 2013, so we had seen it before.

This spot was made no less awesome once we realized it was a Galpin, though, as the Galpin GTR1 is about as exotic as cars come. Galpin initially only planned to make as many as 24 GTR1s total, but I’m not sure how many have actually been built to date.

Based in California, Galpin Auto Sports sells customized vehicles as a subsidiary of Galpin Motors, which is the number one volume selling Ford dealership in the world. Also of note, Galpin Auto Sports was the shop featured in the 5th and 6th seasons of MTV’s Pimp My Ride.

The GTR1 is based on the Ford GT, but the engine has been heavily modified to over 1000hp, and the interior and exterior have been significantly revised. The car is really quite something, and it definitely dropped our jaws for the few seconds we were able to see it out in the real world, before it disappeared into a hotel car park.

-Nick Walker

Cars We've Seen, USER SUBMITTED

A rather shiny Dodge Viper GTS spotted in Sherman Oaks, CA

March 31, 2015 Albert S. Davis 3 Comments

My brother, Matt, sends us stuff for the site all the time, and usually, I unfortunately have to decline it because it isn’t showy enough. This time, though, he knocked the ball out of the park, over the back fence, and into the Pacific Ocean. A while back, he shared with me this majestic (but rather clapped-out) 1959 Cadillac that he saw in Los Angeles while he bought himself beer-making supplies. This time, he was out with his girlfriend, Rachel, eating lunch in Sherman Oaks, a posh suburb of L.A. I can see why this caught his eye (other than the scintillating finish)–he’s a big Viper fan, and this would absolutely qualify for him. The company of the wrap, StickerCity, makes a product that shines great in the strong SoCal sun. Enjoy the photos. Thanks for sending this in, Matt. Continue reading A rather shiny Dodge Viper GTS spotted in Sherman Oaks, CA →

Auto Idolatry, SHOWCASE

Chris Harris Takes Us Through Living With a McLaren P1

March 31, 2015 ndubs77 Leave a comment

Ever wonder what it’s like to actually live with one of the world’s ultimate hypercars? Well here is a good look at it from Chris Harris, with no less than a McLaren P1.

Enjoy!

-Nick

Car Games

Configurator Fun: Ferrari FF

March 27, 2015 ndubs77 2 Comments

I’ve always loved the Ferrari FF. I think it’s shooting brake design is ideal for a luxury grand tourer, and it’s all wheel drive bodes well for its purpose. I mean, why shouldn’t you be able to go skiing in your Ferrari?

I decided for this week to play around with the Ferrari FF, and see how I’d configure mine. I’ve always loved the four seat Ferraris in Tour de France Blue, so I went with that over a Brown and tan two tone interior. I also fitted a few carbon fiber accents around the car, namely on the steering wheel and the wheel center caps.

Ferrari doesn’t “do” pricing on their website, because if you have to ask, then you can’t afford it. Hey, lets all just be grateful that Ferrari even has a Configurator for us pleabs to fool around with.

All I can say when looking at my digital Ferrari FF is, “I’d so rock that, if it were real!” One day…

Lets see your Ferrari FFs!

-Nick

Car Shows

Alfa Romeo Tipo 33 Stradale at Amelia Island

March 23, 2015 ndubs77 2 Comments

We, regrettably, did not make it down to Amelia Island this year. But our photographer friend down there, Nathan Corry, did make it over on Saturday to get some shots, and he has been kind enough to let us use them.

The car you see here is a 1968 Alfa Romeo Tipo 33 Stradale, and it is one of my all-time favorite automobiles. I still have yet to actually see one in person, though. So when I say photos of this one at Amelia this year, I was extra pissed that I couldn’t make it this year. Naturally, when Nathan offered to let us use his photos, my first question was, “OMG DID YOU SHOOT THE ALFA TIPO 33?!!!!” Nathan had, and here are his beautiful photos of it.

I consider the Alfa Tipo 33 Stradale to be the first incarnation of what we all know today as the “hypercar.” Hypercars sit above the level of mere supercars in their technology, performance, or sheer exotic appeal, and they usually cost obscenely more than an obscene amount of money.

The Alfa Romeo Tipo 33 Stradale was the road going version of Alfa’s Tipo 33/2 racing cars. It shares the same advanced 2.0L V8 as the racing versions, but the engine was detuned from 270hp to around 230hp in the road car. That engine revved all the way up to 10,000 RPM, and it sent power through a 6 speed transaxle gearbox. The Tipo 33 also still only weighed just over 1500lbs in road form, with the same basic suspension as the racing Tipo 33/2. It could see 160mph, and go 0-60 in 5.5 sec, fast numbers today, but in 1967 it was the record holder for the standing kilometer. So all in all, the 33 Stradale was a technical masterpiece in it’s day, literally a racing car for the road.

Adding to it’s advanced technical design, the Tipo 33 Stradale was also arguably the most exotic car in the world in 1968. It was the first road car to feature gullwing doors, which featured a unique curved glass window as well. It’s price in 1968 was close to $20,000, or a little more than the price of a Lamborghini Miura. But with only 18 examples built, each Alfa Tipo 33 Stradale is worth many millions today, probably tens of millions. So if you love modern hypercars like Paganis and Koenigseggs, then recognize this stunning Alfa as the “Original Gangsta” that it is.

I firmly believe the Tipo 33 Stradale is one of the most beautiful road cars ever built, and it happens to be a technical masterpiece too. You can find more info about it in a previous article I wrote. I still look forward to the day I get to see one in person, but I’m thrilled that Nathan was able to supply us with his photos so we can share this one with you. Check out his photography portfolio and his services on his website.

Also, if you’re reading this, and you own a Tipo 33 Stradale. I’d be happy to buy your car from you, provided you can accept my everliving soul as payment.

-Nick Walker

Cars We've Seen

Mercedes SLS AMG Spotted In Carmel, CA

March 9, 2015 ndubs77 2 Comments

The Mercedes SLS AMG is quite a beast of a car with it’s snarling 570hp 6.2L V8. It’s actually quite a nice sports grand touring car as well, and it will always draw a crowd with its epic gullwing doors. We caught this gray SLS AMG out prowling the streets of Carmel, California during Car Week this summer. Great car!

-Nick